Rukka Outlast Ladies' Shirt review | An all-weather essential to keep you the right temperature year-round

You might think that a base layer is only there to keep you warm on the coldest days, but more recently, summer base layers have begun to be engineered to keep you comfortable whatever the weather is.

I teamed this Outlast Ladies’ Shirt with the Outlast Ladies’ Trousers for some all-round weather testing, but if you are looking for something to keep you warm specifically, then Rukka also offer the Wool-R Ladies’ Shirt which is merino wool, warm in winter but is claimed to help regulate your body heat in warmer conditions.

How comfortable is the Rukka Ladies’ Outlast shirt?

As it’s a base layer, I made sure to get a size that hugged my body, and for the most part, the thin Outlast fabric which is 66% polyester, 29% viscose and 5% elastane was very comfortable. As it is made for women the fit is good, and as a garment which is there to help you regulate your temperature I can certainly say it made a difference on cold days. Although I only wore it sparingly on warmer days, it helped keep me cool, too.

How does it work? In the Outlast materials there are ‘thermocules’ which contain phase-change paraffin. When you get warm they turn from a solid to a liquid and absorb the heat you’re generating, and when you cool down, as they turn back to a solid they release the stored heat to warm you back up again.

The only issue I had was when sitting in the saddle for hours at a time and wiggling around to keep comfortable. If I had forgotten to tuck the shirt in properly it did ride up on occasion, but for the most part with thoughtful prep this wasn’t a problem. In fact, sometimes I forgot I’d even put a base layer on!

Is it a practical piece of gear?

You can wear this garment all day without breaking a sweat – pun intended. It can be a bit tight to initially put on, but that’s barely worth mentioning, and if you’re that fussed going up a size shouldn’t cause you a problem.

What about the quality?

I’ve been wearing this baselayer for around two years now, and it’s still looking good. Even after being worn for almost 5000 miles and subjected to bag-stuffing on multiple occasions, the seams are all still intact as is the material.

The only change is a bit of bobbling underneath the armpits, but equally I ignored the washing instructions where it says to ‘wash separately’ so this could be a result of that. But the material still feels soft, the elasticity is still there, and if you’re thinking about taking the plunge and buying one for yourself, it’s worth noting that Rukka offer a year’s warranty so you can buy with confidence.

Is the Rukka Outlast Ladies shirt good value for my money?

As with everything in the world, the price has gone up since I first took ownership of the Rukka Outlast Ladies shirt two years ago. But when you compare similar items on the market, the price isn’t out of this world.

For example, Dainese Ladies’ Thermo sits at around the £80 mark with Held Skin Style baselayer at around £90. But Rev-It’s Sky LS base layer shirt is around £45. So all in all, it’s pretty average in the market, and as this product claims to warm as well as cool, you’re getting a fair amount for your money.

My verdict

If you’re looking for an all-round base layer that is suitable for pretty much any weather, then the Outlast Ladies’ Shirt ticks all the boxes. Its technical fabric which keeps you cool in warm weather and warm in cool weather means you get more than your regular base layer, and even after two years of use, it still has all its elasticity and only a few bobbles.

It’s priced right in the market, so you won’t be cringing when parting with your cash and with a year’s warranty for peace of mind, Rukka have put their money where their mouth is.

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