7mesh Desperado Merino Neck Warmer

The 7mesh Desperado Merino Neck Warmer is very nice, very effective and very expensive.

This is the second expensive neck tube I've reviewed recently, and I personally prefer it to the (also good) Velocio Signature Collar thanks to its slightly lighter, softer and more breathable feel, but otherwise they're very similar. Then again, both are very similar to a whole host of far cheaper neck tubes, so perhaps that's inevitable (and the Velocio is actually a fiver more).

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The Desperado is 47 per cent merino wool, the rest is polyester. It's thin with a good stretch to it, and well sized to fit neatly under tall collars yet bunch up for useful warmth/draught exclusion above them.

The unstretched diameter tapers gently from 44cm to 48cm, so you'd think the wide end (with the folded seam) was supposed to be the bottom. However, wear it that way and the logo is upside down, so obviously the narrower end with the 'raw edge' seam is actually the bottom.

I say 'raw edge' like that because not only do I not know what this type of stitching is really called, it turns out I'm so ignorant of sewing I can't even make the internet tell me. Basically, the edge is sewn so it can't fray, but it's not folded over into a typical seam like the other one.

Why? I don't know. Is it comfortable? Yes, perfectly. Is it as neatly and securely done as the other seams? Yes. Now leave me alone. (Tass tells me it's 'overlock'.)

The Desperado is also long enough (around 38cm) to take a central twist, fold double and serve as a useful cap. The thin, stretchy fabric works really well under a helmet, too.

As wonderful at being a tube as it is, the Desperado's real problem – as with that Velocio warmer – is that even the cheapest ebay neckwarmer is nearly as good. I have several £3 ones, and they're only slightly bulkier and less breathable in practice.

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Still, this 7mesh version IS better, and it's not alone at the price: the also-very-soft Iris Merino neck warmer is £24. You can easily get cheaper cycling-specific ones, though, such as the Endura BaaBaa Merino Tech Multitube at £18.99 or the Lusso Merino neck warmer at £10.99.

Overall

This is light, slim, soft and comfortable, and works very well for winter rides of most tempos. While it's not alone at the price, it's also not enormously better than some far cheaper options – but it is, money considerations aside, a very nice thing.

Verdict

Light, soft and comfortable, this is great for winter rides – as it should be for the price