TESTCENTRE
All about that base
Heatrub Ultimate Baselayer , Leggings & Socks
COMPANY : ZEROFIT PRICE : £ 55 / £ 55 / £ 25 TEL : 028960137757 WEB : WWW . ZEROFIT . CO . UK
Founded by a Mr Koji Higashi in Japan in 2005 , the Zerofit brand was subsequently launched in the UK and Europe in 2018 . As a passionate golfer , boxer and fitness fanatic , Mr Higashi felt that there was a lack of suitable clothing options to keep sports participants warm and their body temperature regulated during colder weather .
While many activities such as motorcycling , skiing , fishing , hiking and sailing all benefit from thermal protection , it is scuba diving in particular where its proponents are affected by exposure to the cold more than any other . The Heatrub Ultimate Baselayer ‘ s claim to be five times warmer than a ‘ standard baselayer ’ is hard to quantify in a real-world trial , but 11 ° C seawater would give an indication of its capabilities .
Manufactured from a mix of acrylic , nylon , wool , polyurethane and polyester , the Ultimate Baselayer is worn directly against the skin using movement to generate heat . Zerofit recommend going up a size from the norm so I plumped for large over medium . However , this baselayer is extremely stretchy and If you ’ re somewhat borderline between sizes I ’ d not worry too much .
The material has a clingy yet wool-like feel ; the top half is high on the neck and long in the body . This counteracts the cold of a silicone neck seal and prevents any riding-up around the lower back area . While the top is unisex fit , the leggings offer open or closed fly options . Used in conjunction with the equally-elasticated Ultimate socks keeps everything cosily in place .
Completely covered top-to-toe in my Zerofit outfit it was now time to test the waters . First off I decided to give it a whirl with a compressed neoprene drysuit in conjunction with a Thinsulate-type undersuit . For a second outing I ’ d change to a membrane suit and a suitablythicker undersuit for the greater thermal
protection required . Both options were my normal winter diving layering choice . Performance-wise , the Zerofit stacked up very well against other baselayers I either own or have used . It ’ s certainly a very flexible system in both fit and adaptability .
While the Ultimate may be missing some of the refinements of dive-only thermal wear such as elasticated thumb loops and foot stirrups , I can ’ t say this had a negative effect on my experience as each garment clung happily to one another . The long body was a particularly welcome feature and the socks , with wear reinforcement at the ball and heel , were very cosy .
Competitively priced , the Baselayer system offered an unrestricted range of movement . Come the summer months I ’ d be very happy to use it as-is under a neoprene suit , or in conjunction with a membrane drysuit for diving in the Red Sea . Neil Hope
SCUBA SAYS
Zerofit ’ s Heatrub Ultimate combo of top , leggings and socks are competitively-priced , comfortable in the extreme and most importantly , offer excellent thermal protection when worn as a baselayer with a conventional undersuit or as a standalone when conditions dictate .
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