Topic

Can somebody explain the difference between the different Icebreaker 200 weight merino base layer lines?

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Derek M. BPL Member
PostedJan 13, 2014 at 12:53 am

I'm in the market for a base layer top and bottom for my wife, and I've seen the following 200 weight merino base layer lines from Icebreaker:

Everyday Basics
Everyday Basics Plus
Everyday (I think the Everyday Basics lines were merged recently to form this single Everyday line, but I'm not positive)
Oasis
Sprint

I can't for the life of me figure out the difference between all these lines except that the Sprint line has a little bit of elastane in it, and the Everyday lines say they are "rib knit," but I have no idea what the functional significance of this would be in real world use.

My wife tried on the Oasis line and the Everyday Basics line on two different days and she honestly can't tell recall a difference between them. The Oasis line is 50% more expensive than the Everyday Basics line, and I can't figure out why.

Can anyone help shed some light on the actual differences between these base layer lines? I'm supremely confused at this point, and Icebreaker's website isn't helping either. Everything looks nearly identical!

Thanks for your help!

PostedJan 13, 2014 at 6:31 am

Backcountry.com's "chat" service and customer representatives did a really good job of explaining to me what the difference was between Arcteryx's different acronyms (SL, LT, AR, etc.).

I would ask there.

Steven Paris BPL Member
PostedJan 13, 2014 at 11:50 am

I think the primary differences are the cut of each line.

The Sprint line has a little spandex and (for the top) a large side gusset (you can see this diamond shaped fabric under the arms in the IB photos).

The Everyday line has raglan sleeves where the Oasis seams are offset. Compare the photos of the shoulders for each on IB's site. This is just my (uneducated!) guess, but the price difference probably accounts for (1) the added complexity of the sewing and (2) maybe the ribbed material of the Everyday line lends itself to using a cheaper or imperfect merino. Just a guess, though. For fit, it probably just comes down to which is more comfortable for your wife. Functionally, they are probably the same.

The Tech T's are actually my favorite t-shirt; with a little patience, they can be found on sale. I do have an Oasis L/S shirt that I wear as a winter baselayer; for 3-season backpacking, I'd rather wear a 150-wt baselayer (either S/S or L/S) and a Patagonia Cap4 midlayer.

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