dhb Aeron Polartec Long Sleeve Baselayer

For such a thin piece of kit dhb's Aeron Polartec Long Sleeve Baselayer delivers surprisingly well on warmth, and its breathability is good too, while the close cut will suit those looking for a performance fit.

Arguably, your baselayer is one of the most critical choices when it comes to your riding kit; it's the first layer in removing sweat and heat away from your body. Pick the wrong one and it doesn't matter what you wear above, you could end up a hot and sweaty mess.

The Aeron is very good when it comes to wicking and breathability, and warmth is also impressive for such a thin fabric.

dhb has used Power Dry fabric which, according to its manufacturer, Polartec, has a bi-component knit construction that uses a hydrophilic (attracted to water) interior layer that pulls moisture away from the skin before passing it to the outer layer for dispersal, keeping the garment dry.

In practice I found it to work well, even when riding hard on tough gravel track slogs. I'm not going to say I found it a game-changer over many other 100 per cent polyester baselayers, but I was impressed by its performance nonetheless.

The only time it struggled was when I was wearing a waterproof jacket that really isn't very breathable at all. This meant the Aeron held onto my heat and sweat so it did get quite wet, but I never really noticed while I was riding as I stayed warm. It was only when I returned home and took the jacket off that it became apparent.

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Even when it's overwhelmed, odour doesn't become an issue and you could wear it for a fair few days on a bikepacking trip, for example, without people giving you a wide berth.

One thing I really like is the cut. The dhb Aeron range is aimed at performance riding, so the Polartec sits close to the skin and is shaped to fit right when on the bike.

It's not quite as tailored as something like Endura's Engineered baselayer, but I didn't find any excess material or bunching up of the arms or anything.

The sleeves have plenty of length to tuck into the cuffs of your gloves, and the slightly dropped tail gives extra lower back coverage should you be wearing tights or shorts without straps.

There is also a decent amount of height to the neck to stop a cold breeze getting in.

Its rrp of £40 is on a par with other good quality baselayers, and that's exactly what the Aeron is. The finish of the manufacturing is neat and tidy, with all the seams looking robust and durable.

The Endura Engineered has a slightly better fit and delivers great levels of breathability, but it'll set you back another fiver.

The Aeron is the same price as Lusso's Merino long sleeve baselayer but reading Jamie's review suggests the dhb delivers a better performance.

For a penny under 40 quid there is also the Cycology 8 Days baselayer, which Matt also found to be a good quality garment.

Overall, I wouldn't say there is anything massively ground breaking about the dhb, but it delivers on all of the points that a quality baselayer should, and for a decent price.

Verdict

Lightweight performance baselayer that delivers on keeping you warm and dry