Keela Merino Long Sleeve Zip Top

First impressions were along the lines of “oooo, soft…I like the purple….it fits so well!!”, so far all of these comments still ring true. The fabric is good quality, and hasn’t yet shown signs of wear despite being top of the pile most days. I’ve been impressed with the fit as I’m quite tall (5’10”) and often find that sleeves are on the shorter side of ideal, but this isn’t the case with the Keela Merino. They also fit well under the thin, fitted gloves I often wear for dog walking – meaning no cold wrists. I’ve also suffered in the past from the waistbands of stretchy fitted tops riding up to subject bare skin to the outside world – very unwelcome when halfway up a bouldering route on a frosty morning, or having your first stretch of the day after leaving the tent! This isn’t a problem with the Keela Merino Long Sleeve tops which provides effective coverage, even of long bodied people. I also appreciate that labels have been kept to a minimum with only one present with washing instructions on the left side – a scratchy label on the neck is never welcomed.

In the warmth of a heated building it works well on it’s own or layered over a vest top with the ¼ length zip offering ventilation if needed. For more extreme temperatures it is a perfect non-bulky base layer, the close fitting and high neck also offers seamless warmth when teamed with tubular neckwear. The fitted cut of this top, with it’s raglan sleeves, is perfect for keeping in warmth without hindering movement and the stretchy nature enables the sleeves to be pushed up out of the way if needed. I’ve been wearing it regularly around the house, whilst Christmas shopping, in a cold office, for dog walks, splitting logs and doing other work around the place. When feeling a bit too warm with a coat on there isn’t the sudden chilling effect when de-layering which often occurs with synthetic base layers.

I also really like the look of this top, it’s flattering as it is softly fitted rather than cutting in. It looks reasonably smart for that post hike/climb pub meal, even if meeting up with friends who might have spent the day in town. The antibacterial properties must have been acting well over the past couple of months as, despite much wear, I haven’t needed to wash mine yet as the antibac properties mean that good quality merino products are odour resistant.