Pactimo Summit SL Base Layer Review

I’m a fan of wearing lightweight base layers year-round. Even on the hottest days, a moisture-wicking base layer adds efficiency and comfort that offsets any added warmth it may provide. In fact, I’d suggest that the Pactimo Summit SL Base Layer with 37.5 Technology remains cooler than I would be without it.

Pactimo Summit SL Base Layer Features:

• Infused with active cooling 37.5 Technology
• Uses Corona particles woven in the fabric to pull away heat and moisture
• Build with recycled fabric knit in a honeycomb texture
• Form-fit design
• MSRP: $75

Cool tech… cooler base layer

I know, it seems counter-intuitive to add more layers to cool off, but the science and real-world performance is real. I’ve been wearing sleeveless base layers year-round for as long as I can remember. I don’t always wear one, but more often than not, I do. Sometimes it’s to avoid the bib straps from chafing, but most often it’s to help optimize moisture transfer and actually remain cooler. As an added bonus, it does make life more comfortable at the end of a ride because I don’t have to saunter around bare-chested.

Pactimo has chosen to work with 37.5 Technology, which infuses tiny Cocona particles into the woven fibers of the fabric. Cocona attracts humidity and then rapidly expels that moisture to your jersey and away from your body. In my testing of the Pactimo Summit Aero Mesh Jersey and now the Summit SL Base Layer, I can’t scientifically prove that 37.5 Technology is doing what it promises, but I can attest to how it feels on the road, gravel or dirt.

So, how does it feel? Initially, the mesh fabric feels great next-to-skin and the airy fabric immediately showcases how well moisture and heat is pulled from my skin. While sitting here typing this review, I’m wearing the base layer after a morning gravel ride and I can still feel the cooling effect that this base layer provides.

Worn underneath a variety of jerseys (Velocio Concept SE, Ornot Micro Grid, GOREWEAR Distance Jersey, to name a few), every time I’m blown away at how cool my body remains and how comfortable the whole system feels. What’s most incredible is that at the end of the ride, my jersey is typically dry and so is the Summit SL Base Layer. With the efficient moisture transfer, I can usually wear that same jersey and base layer several times before it gets stinky. So, certainly the combination of moisture transfer and anti-microbial are in play for what I’m experiencing. And, at the end of the ride, it’s easily-removed because it doesn’t stick to your skin.

Fit: I’m 5’11” and 175 lbs., wearing the size large.

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