Description of Icebreaker BodyFit200 Mondo 1/4-Zip Top - Men's:
The Icebreaker Men's BodyFit Mondo Zip Top—not to be confused with a turtle neck. Sure, this versatile top has a high neck, but no turtle has a zip. This lets you regulate your temperature and/or show show chest hair. Rawr. Icebreaker's 200-weight merino wool breathes well to manage moisture and offers great mid-weight insulation for mountain biking in the fall or layering in the winter. Raglan sleeves feel comfortable under a pack, a slim fit keeps a low profile, and flat sewn stitching won't bunch.
Bottom Line: Warm like a T-neck, but not square like a T-neck.
Perfect weight for fall temps. (40s-50s). Under a wind shell a great combination for hiking, maybe a little warm for running. Icebreaker merino is super soft. Doesn't hold odor. Wicks well and dries fast and doesn't feel clammy even when drenched in sweat. Cut is very athletic, as in skin tight, so if you like something looser, go with Smart Wool. It's stretchy though, so not uncomfortably tight. I just wouldn't wear it around town. A little too revealing for that. Slim is good work working out though. The collar height is nice, not so high that the zipper rubs under the chin. I like the raglan sleeves too (i.e. no seams, flat or not, on shoulders to chafe under pack straps). The zip could be maybe and inch or two deeper for more venting.
Second favorite icebreaker shirt behind the oasis crew. Very versatile and the zipper provides good ventilation. I have had no problem with quality, have more than 10 shirts and only one have a small hole on the elbow. Icebreaker is expensive, but it does a great job managing moisture and controlling body odor.
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Durability Does Not Align With Premium Price 12-28-09
I bought two of these shirts in winter 2008/2009. I loved them. I soon after bought Altitude crew shirts, superfine t-shirts, and leggings. I became a merino wool slut. Unfortunately, the durability on the Icebreaker products is terrible. Both of my BodyFit200 shirts have half a dozen very small random holes after just one ski season. We followed the instructions not to over-wash them and never put them in a dryer. This was our third Icebreaker product to do this (my wife's Nature Lite shirt and Altitude zip-top previously did this), while none of my other merino wool products have done this (DC, SmartWool, Ibex, ExOfficio). Icebreaker refused to replace them under any kind of warranty. Net-net: these things are awesome while they last, but at these premium prices, they should last a helluva lot longer.
