Super.Natural wool has been around for a few years in Europe, and the parent company has connections to other top tier outdoor wool garment manufacturers. So it's no surprise that they do a great job blending wool and synthetic fibers for serious base layer performance.
Their Base 1/4 Zip 175 top and bottom are built from 48 percent merino wool, 48 percent polyester and 4 percent Lycra for a perfect combination of wicking, insulation and stretch. Anyone who uses modern merino wool base layers knows the itch factor is a thing of the past, and we noticed none of it with this ensemble; just soft, stretchy love that wicks the stank away. And we have so much stank.
Although it's very difficult to measure performance over a temperature range, the 175 pieces seem to work very well over a wide range of conditions. It's no secret that here at Gearflogger we're big fans of the quarter zip top format, and Super.Natural has it dialed in with a medium-length zipper that is just right for a base layer.
The fit of both pieces is athletic, with slight contouring that complements the Lycra so you really don't notice it, which is especially important when layering: you want to avoid any extra friction between layers, so the smooth face and tight fit of both top and bottom integrate perfectly. The flat seams help too. One detail on the bottoms that we really appreciate is the lack of a fly; file this under TMI, but it just seems like, even with a fly, we always just yank down the waistband to recycle fluids.