Craft Active Intensity CN LS M

The Craft Active Intensity CN LS M is one of the most comfortable baselayers I've ever worn and a very good choice for cold, if not freezing, temperatures. There's no merino in the mix, but it's still pretty good value.

• Pros: Good fit, moisture wicking, neat body mapping
• Cons: Sleeves arguably a little long

The Active Intensity has a slim but not overly tight fit with a body that, as you can see from our photos, is quite long. In a long-sleeve baselayer designed for the colder months that's handy, as it provides just that bit more protection.

No merino wool here, the fabric is a 61/35/4 per cent split of polyamide, polyester and elastane, but it does feel remarkably soft against the skin. You can pay a lot more than the £34 asking price here for a merino-based baselayer – £70 for Pactimo's High Grade Wool baselayer, £60 for the Rivelo Hathersage, although dhb's long-sleeve Merino baselayer is £40.

The Active Intensity purports to be more technical than merino offerings, with strategically placed – 'bodymapped' – panels for optimum performance, which gives thinner areas under the arms, down the flanks and around the bottom, and slightly thicker areas on the wind-facing chest, and the upper back too.

It's designed to provide top moisture-wicking performance while keeping body heat inside the key, often exposed, areas of the body. It might do, but the truth is I can't really tell the difference between this and any other half-decent under layer.

It certainly does as good a job as any technical baselayer with at least one eye on insulation, and the neat design looks flash, too.

> Buyer's Guide: 15 of the best cycling baselayers

What I did notice is the aforementioned fit, which sits nicely on the skin without restricting movement. This test top is a medium, which suggests to me it might size a little larger than your typical performance baselayer, though there's not a lot in it. If you fall between two sizes, I'd say opt for the smaller one.

That's evidenced by the length of the sleeves which, make no mistake, are very long. I've got quite a long reach, yet I still have to adjust the length to avoid bunching in the cuff area, which can impact comfort under a jersey or slim-fitting jacket like Castelli's Perfetto or Santini's Beta Rain Jacket.

Thankfully they pull up fine without bunching much further up, and don't fall back down again. They bend nicely at the elbow, too, thanks to the flexibility of the fabric.

The neckline is well considered in so far as it creates a gentle seal to stop draughts, and doesn't feel at all restrictive. I liked it especially on my colder rides, when things got to mid-single figures.

Thanks to there being no wool content, washing is as simple as chucking it in with your standard wash, and it comes out just fine. Craft recommends a 40 degree cycle too, and that's enough to get rid of any lingering smells too (at least, it is for me, but I don't really suffer with that problem).

All together, this is a technically competent long sleeve baselayer that comes in at a decent price – roughly the same as Lusso's Bioactive Thermal Polo. It'll do a good job throughout the colder months (aside from the really freezing stuff, arguably), while fitting nicely under your winter layering system.

Verdict

A technically-proficient long sleeve baselayer that'll sort you for the majority of the colder months