Alaska is famous for its rugged, trail-free mountains, enormous glaciers, roaring rivers and intense weather. In short, it’s the perfect place to test gear. So, when the time came to load up hiking pack for a gnarly, five-day traverse of the Wrangell Mountains, led by St. Elias Alpine Guides, I gleefully tossed a set of Artilect Flatiron 185 base layers into my kit to see if they could handle the Far North. TL;DR: They were awesome.
Made with high-quality, superfine Nuyarn — as opposed to standard merino wool fibers — this two-piece set of a crew neck top and leggings is far warmer than its paltry weight might suggest, making it the ideal duo to toss into your overnight pack to save weight while backpacking or for frigid days on the slopes this winter.
Over the course of the last year, I’ve taken these babies across the great state of Alaska, trekking in the Rocky Mountains and all the way to Tasmania. They’ve proven themselves as durable, quick-drying, toasty little marvels that I’m excited to use more in the future. Let’s get into what makes Artilect’s Flatiron 185s stand out in a field crowded with other base layers.
Artilect’s Flatiron 185 base layers are some of the best ultralight wool base layers that money can buy. They are as warm as traditional merino wool, but boast a lighter weight and are quicker to dry. Well-placed ventilation eyelets ensure that the garments help you stay cool, and a flatlock seam design helps prevent chafing.
Artilect’s Women’s Flatiron 185 Legging is ultra warm and fits like a glove. Pinprick eyelets around the rear waist help ventilate your core during strenuous uphill activity, and superfine merino Nuyarn fibers naturally wick sweat while you work.
Coming in a variety of earth tones and high-visibility colorways, ideal for city slickers as well as wilderness athletes, Artilect’s Men’s Flatiron 185 Crew is a base layer top worth splurging on. Thumb loops make for easy layering under your favorite jacket, and its naturally odor-resistant, moisture-managing merino wool keeps users comfy while working hard in the mountains.
Specially designed flatlock seams that prevent chafing, well-placed waist eyelets that vent heat and naturally antimicrobial Merino wool fabric combine to make the Artilect Men’s Flatiron 185 Legging a formidable, ultra-light contender on the base layer scene.?
What we liked about it
With durable yet ultra-light fabric, superior warmth and well-placed ventilating eyelets, there’s a lot to like about Artilect’s Flatiron 185 base layers. Below, we’ll explore our favorite highlights.
Super warm for its weight
Both the Flatiron 185 Crew and the Flatiron 185 Legging manage to retain warmth as well as my other, thicker Merino base layers (like my Minus33 Ossipee Crew and my Patagonia Capilene Air Crew), but they boast a slimmer fit and a lighter weight than traditional wool garments. This can prove especially helpful if you’re into ultra-light backpacking, mountaineering, thru-hiking or ski touring. It’s also fantastic if you’re heading out on a super-cold day and know you’ll be layering up with a few pieces on top of your base layers.
Want something a bit lighter? Artilect also makes a thinner series of thermals, called Boulder 125, which are great for warmer weather and uphill pursuits, boasting 125 grams per square meter (gsm) thickness. For reference, the Flatiron series is rated as 185 gsm.
Ventilated core and armpits
Even with all this lightweight warmth, Artilect has ensured that its Flatiron 185 wearers will stay well-ventilated with super-convenient eyelets and mesh panels, both of which are strategically placed in zones where people are most likely to overheat. On the crew neck top, the sides of the waist, inner arms and armpits are lined with a thin strip of mesh eyelets. On the legging, a wide zone across the back and upper hips sports the same ventilating dots.
Quick-drying, especially for wool
Every time I’ve tried to rinse my merino thermals in a stream or alpine lake during a long camping trip or thru-hike, I’ve noticed that, even in the sun, they tend to take forever to dry (I often wake up with damp base layers hung on tree branches the next morning and have to suck it up). The Artilect Flatiron 185s have changed all that. They not only keep me dry by wicking sweat all day and drying out efficiently on lunch breaks and downhills but they air-dry as quickly (about three to four hours when summer backpacking, in my experience) as my synthetic layers after a wash.
What we didn’t like about it
Of course, no piece of gear, no matter how awesome, is perfect, and there are a couple of things we’d like to see altered in the next iteration of Artilect’s Flatiron 185 duo.
Runs small
Listen, I love a next-to-skin fit as much as the next athlete, but with my muscular thighs and curvier hips, I’ve noticed that the brand’s choice of cut for its leggings doesn’t work for me and the top is more snug than other size-small base layers I’ve tested. Online reviewers have mentioned the same thing, hinting that Artilect might do well to size up just a smidge in the next round of updates.
No hoodie option
While it’s true that Artilect’s Flatiron 185 series comes in both a crew and a quarter-zip option, there’s no hoodie style, which I consider a great loss. Personally, I love having a thermal top with a hood to help protect my neck and head from frigid winds without adding the weight of a scarf or a beanie to my pack. Plus, it’s an easy way to warm up without stopping, dropping your pack and digging for additional layers if you face a sudden gust of wind in a high mountain pass.
How it compares
At $140 each for the Flatiron 185 Crew and Legging, this pair comes in at the top of the market in terms of price range. While we feel it’s worth it for the superior warmth, weight, design and durability, there are a few other great options we’d recommend.
If you’re looking for an awesome, more affordable, ultra-warm base layer and don’t mind going the synthetic route, Patagonia’s Thermal Weight Crew ($99) and Thermal Weight Bottoms ($99) are excellent and great at wicking moisture. Want to spend a little more for wool? Arc’teryx launched an excellent set of Rho base layers, with both a crew neck ($120) and bottom ($120) available. Ibex is also a purveyor of cozy, comfortable wool apparel, and I love its Woolies Pro Tech Crew ($115) and Woolies Pro Tech Bottom ($115), even as streetwear.
Seeking a more wallet-friendly merino base layer option? Minus33’s Ossipee Crew ($80) and Franconia Bottom ($80) are both excellent. Or, you could always grab a set of REI Co-op’s Merino 185 Base Layers ($80 each).
Bottom line
If you’re the type who likes to go big in the mountains on ski days, climbing trips, day hikes or backpacking excursions, Artilect’s Flatiron 185 Crew and Legging are a fantastic and ultra-light edition to your technical apparel wardrobe. Warm and comfortable, with added ventilating strips and flatlock seams to prevent chafe, both pieces work equally well as undergarments on long uphill days in the cold or as a sleep set while camping. Yes, they are a pricey pair, but their durable, sweat-wicking, quick-drying nature makes them my top pick for gram-counting outdoor phenoms.
