As a long-time merino convert, I was pretty sceptical when the Aeon Tee made it’s way into my wardrobe and was surprised when I found myself reaching for it time and again when heading out running and biking. It found it’s way well and truly out of the wardrobe and on to the top of the pile of crumpled running kit in the corner of the room (everyone has one of those, right?!), while the rest of my old synthetic tees stayed buried in the drawer or ended up on ebay. Why is that?
Primarily, it’s the silky-smooth feel of the Aeon fabric that made me love the t-shirt. The material is so thin and light that you barely feel you’re wearing anything. The silky fabric glides over your skin when moving fast, not clinging in the way some other fabrics can. It’s really breathable fabric, but honestly any amount of breathability isn’t going to stop me sweating buckets on summer runs. When you are sweating, the Aeon just deals with it effortlessly, wicking it away and keeping you comfortable. The only time I’ve had the fabric really stick to me has been in pouring rain, but that’s to be expected!
In terms of layering, the smooth fabric works excellently, not clinging to a fleece or windshirt over the top. For girls, it doesn’t bunch up on top of your sports bra either. The t-shirt is really fast drying, which is the one area I feel lightweight merino tees really fail in. I’ve been bone dry again 10 minutes after a downpour. I’ve also been using the Aeon Tee quite a bit for long sweaty walk-ins to climbs, then changing when I get there and leaving it to dry on top of my rucksack while I climb – not once has it not been dry for the walk down again, even when we’d spent the whole day freezing in the clouds! For a synthetic tee, it seems to resist smelly armpits well; I can certainly wear the tee for 4 or 5 days worth of runs and bike commutes without knocking myself out with my own stench.
Fit wise, it’s designed to fit close to your body for optimum wicking. I’m normally just between sizes so I sized up, which was perfect for me and the Aeon fits loosely. If you want a tighter fit, go for your usual size or down slightly. The sleeves are a nice length, giving you a bit of sun protection without feeling restrictive.
All-in-all, I’d highly recommend the Aeon Tee for all running, biking, summer walking or whatever it is you do. A very definite cut-above that old Bognor Regis Fun Run tee stuffed in the back of your drawer… and in some pretty cool colours too!