dhb Aeron Equinox Short Sleeve Base Layer

The dhb Aeron Equinox Short Sleeve Base Layer is a close-fitting under layer for cooler summer days and for spring and autumn. It's nice and airy but thicker across the front where the wind hits you.

• Pros: Stretchy with extra thickness where you need it
• Cons: The change in fabric across the stomach

Thicker at the front, mesh elsewhere – that's the main selling point of dhb's Aeron Equinox Short Sleeve Base Layer. It uses a double-knit fabric for the warmer panel, which stretches from neck to navel, and a more open mesh elsewhere so that you don't overheat from your own efforts.

The back and sleeves are largely polyester, with a dash of Spandex, while the warmer front is not far off half-and-half polyester and polypropylene. Both materials are soft and light and quick to dry, as you'd hope for a baselayer.

The fit is designed to be close. I was testing a medium, which I found tight but forgivingly stretchy. The dhb size guide has me on the medium-large threshold. Perhaps I'd have been better off with the latter, but the material gave enough that it wasn't really a major concern. (It's not me in the photos, by the way.)

> How to dress for cycling in autumn

The only real sizing issue I had was that it tended to ride up a little when I stood – a sensation that was exaggerated by the change in material towards the bottom of the front.

As you can see in the photo up top, the double-knit fabric gives way to mesh again for the last couple of inches. This makes sense when you combine it with a pair of bib shorts, but because the garment's figure-hugging, you'll be aware of that line across your stomach when you first put it on. That said, I can't say I was remotely aware of the issue while riding.

I wasn't really aware of the Aeron Equinox at all on the bike, in fact – which is pretty much what you want from a baselayer. The fabric, shape and stitching are unobtrusive and while you can certainly tax the breathability of the front if you put your mind (and legs) to it, the rest of the thing's plenty breathable enough to compensate.

Price-wise, this is pretty much par for the course for a short-sleeve baselayer. The Chapeau Mesh Base Layer is £34.99, the Lusso Race Base Mesh Base Layer is £24.99  and the Castelli Pro Issue SS Base Layer is £35. 

> Buyer's Guide: 16 of the best cycling baselayers

You can also get the Equinox's slightly warmer cousin, the dhb Aeron Body Map Short Sleeve Baselayer, for the same price. 

Verdict

Very good, well-thought-out baselayer at a perfectly reasonable price