Icebreaker Everyday Base Layer Bottoms - Lightweight, UPF 20+, Merino Wool (For Women)

I have been wanting a pair of merino bottoms for awhile. These fit the bill. They fit nicely and will be very warm as a base layer.

Have a heavier pair- love them so when I saw this lighter pair I sprang for them. Best hand washed, but truth be told, I wash them with everything else and so far so good. Not itchy on me in the least. A must for hiking- and pretty much every day during the winter.

I've worn these base layer tights during a few different winter excursions (snowshoeing, xc skiing, and backcountry snowboarding) and they have kept me SUPER DRY, warm, and toasty! For years I bought synthetic base layers to save money and wasn't totally sold on the merits of wool based on my dad's older generation wool hunting gear, which always felt punishingly itchy and scratchy. I will say that overall I don't think Ice Breaker is as *soft* feeling as SmartWool, now that I have several of each in my closet. The SmartWool products have a more supple, buttery soft feel and a heaviness to the fabric. By contrast, I find IceBreaker to be somewhat rougher feeling material, but overall still very comfortable and warm. I would definitely not wear these on their own, as you could see your underwear through them and they don't have a particularly flattering shape. They have a nice moderate amount of stretch to them, for enhanced flexibility. This is an improvement upon some earlier ones I purchased which seemed to grow extremely stiff after about 10 wearings and washings, despite hand washing with special wool-friendly detergent. They definitely move with your body no matter what activity your doing. I think for the price, these are an excellent value. Even just a few days ago, snowshoeing up a mountain with a heavy pack in deep snow, sweating profusely, I did not get clammy or moist in these, which is very impressive! I have compared these to the SmartWool base layer tights before purchasing. To me, the SmartWool ones seem a little more stylish and form fitting, potentially they seem as if they could be worn on their own underneath a nice skirt or dress, like as leggings to wear in public. These IceBreaker ones do tend to lose their shape by the end of the day if you wear the tar out of them, and will be rumpled and appear like long underwear....so don't plan on wearing them alone to the bar without something else on top of them after a day of skiing! Just saying. Since I'm such a big fan of things that cross over easily and can be worn for more than one kind of application, the SmartWool ones seem to win on that front. These are great, but keep them as a base layer and you wont be disappointed at all! They wash nicely, but I'll have to be on the look-out for the shrinkage problem that I experienced with earlier models.

They are lightweight - perfect to wear under the jeans. I used them on a 35-degree day under my jeans and they kept me warm.
Not itchy - very important! and they don't come down under the jeans like some tights do.

I went for size M, because I'm tall and usually SM are too short..and size M are indeed long enough ( I'm 5'9 )

I have a bunch of Icebreaker long-sleeve tees, size large, that fit perfectly so I ordered large in these bottoms. They are kind of on the big side---still ok but I might have ordered a size down if I knew this. The fabric is very lightweight. I wore them under sythentic leggings yesterday and was outside a lot in temps around 30 F. They definitely kept my legs warmer than just the leggings would have. I think they are too thin to wear on their own other than around the house, or maybe as tights if you order down in size. These are a little on the baggy side to be tights for me. I'm 5'6" and about 150 lbs.