Assos Ultraz Winter LS Skin Layer P1

The Assos Ultraz Winter LS Skin Layer P1 is very warm, wicks impressively well, and can be used repeatedly without becoming too smelly. It's one of the most expensive baselayers we've seen on road.cc, but it is also one of the best I've used, helping to justify the price. If it's a bit too steep, check out others in our guide to the best cycling baselayers.

> Buy now: Assos Ultraz Winter LS Skin Layer P1 for £125 from Assos

As something that is designed to keep you warm, that seems like the logical place to start this review, and, unsurprisingly, this works incredibly well. I used this by itself under a jacket without a mid-layer down to -3°C and would have happily gone lower as it performed absolutely fine at that level. Chuck in a mid-layer and I would happily wear this down to temperatures I thought I'd be unlikely to ever find in the UK (until early Jan).

Alongside this, it offers impressive wicking; it quickly moved moisture away from my body regardless of how many mince pies I was trying to burn off, going full gas up my local climb, and despite being warm throughout I never overheated, even when I was really exerting myself.

It's made from a blend of merino wool and synthetic material, which means that it maintains the warmth and softness of wool without having the same kind of pull on the skin and potential irritation that pure wool can.

The body section is made as a single piece, with the only seams being those attaching the sleeves, meaning less potential to rub and irritate.

The material is also super stretchy, well beyond what you would expect from a baselayer. This is one of the reasons why it can sit so comfortably against the skin without ever feeling restrictive – more on that in a minute.

It's worth noting that I was testing this alongside the Assos Mille GT Eisenherz Ultraz Winter Bib Tights S11 which have no back panel, so I could very easily judge the breathability and wicking by themselves. I've used many baselayers over the years, and I can't think of another that would beat it in terms of wicking.

One element that helps is its second-skin fit. While this may sound like marketing gumph, as all baselayers sit against the skin, this one is different. The closest feeling I can use to describe it is like when a material sticks to your skin with static, except here your hairs don't stand on end. It does mean that it needs more adjusting initially than other baselayers, with it bunching when you first put it on as it wants to just sit against the skin and not naturally stretch into place, but once you've sorted it, it stays put throughout rides while allowing jerseys and jackets to slide over the top.

As you might expect from a cold weather baselayer, it has a higher neck, which I was initially a little concerned about as I have grown a beard, and historically those two things don't mix well. However, the material used is soft and doesn't pull on hair at all, so it was comfortable even on long rides when I was shifting around a lot.

Another impressive element to the baselayer is odour control. I have worn this for several rides before feeling the need to chuck it in the wash, which is really saying something. In the last three days I've used this on two rides and one run, and it was only after that third outing I felt I should wash it, although it still doesn't really smell.

Value

Okay, at £120 it's not cheap – in fact it's one of the most expensive we've seen on road.cc – but as I've already said, it's also one of the best I have used. So while it isn't a bargain, it does justify the price – to a certain extent anyway. It's not Assos' most expensive winter baselayer, either, sitting below the GTO Winter LS DermaSensor.

It is more expensive than other high-end offerings, though, such as Rapha's Insulated Windblock Base Layer, which has an rrp of £110. Rapha's option also has a windproof front panel, but it's entirely synthetic material rather than a wool blend.

MAAP's Deep Winter Thermal Base Layer is cheaper still at £90. This has a similar synthetic and wool blend as the Assos, though the neck isn't as high so it's unlikely to offer the same insulation quality.

We also have a review of Velocio's Men's Deep Winter Base Layer coming soon – that's also a little cheaper at £102, and includes 25% recycled wool.

Conclusion

Overall, this is a very impressive and versatile baselayer that is warm, comfortable, and offers excellent wicking and breathability.

> Buy now: Assos Ultraz Winter LS Skin Layer P1 for £125 from Assos

Verdict

Pricey but excellent baselayer that's warm, comfortable and breathable, with a brilliant fit