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Icebreaker Bodyfit 260 Altitude Zip Womens Review
Description:
The Altitude Zip is considered an active base layer: slim fitting, amazingly warm, has superb breathability and has a high zip collar that can be worn three ways to keep out the wind, underarm gussets give an extra level of comfort.
* Fits close to body
* No shoulder or back seams for enhanced
comfort and an even better fit
* Contrast colour underarm gusset forms forward
side seams
* Drop tail
* High (9.5cm) zip collar can be worn three ways
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Last Update:
April
22, 2009
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Displaying Reviews:
1 - 1
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I love this top, use it everywhere, all the time, have several, 3 seasons of the year., December 15, 2008
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Reviewer: kellymeyer from Lopez Island, WA
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kellymeyer
saw things this way
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Durability
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(5) |
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Functionality
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(5) |
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Quality
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(5) |
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Value
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(4) |
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Design
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(5) |
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Overall
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(5) |
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Pros:
Eco-friendly, very antimicrobial, superb function in arm length(w/thumb loops) and turtleneck length
Cons:
Really nothing: this is the #1 favorite of all the outdoor apparel I own.
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If I were to go door to door and spread the “good news” about something as mundane as a shirt, the ICEBREAKER BODYFIT 260 ALTITUDE ZIP would be the item. Made of fine spun itch free MERINO WOOL, this top boasts a luxurious 260g per meter2 of fabric–not the thickest fabric Icebreaker makes but the thickest for a base layer. This is the most functionally sound design I have found in a half zip. I live in the rural Maritime Northwest where hot weather is a delicacy and cooler weather is more common than warm in a year’s cycle. I have four of these tops and wear them for my landscaping job, running , cycling, kayaking, hiking and just around , three seasons of the year. I AM SOLD on the new FINE SPUN MERINO WOOL TECNO-FABRICS which are comfy, itch free, and also virtually petroleum free (except the zipper on the Altitude) which puts it in the eco-groovy category. And, as you will read in most of my wool gear reviews, after a hard sweat, the stink factor in wool apparel is noticeably less than their synthetic relatives due to wool’s natural anti-bacterial action. “When wool absorbs moisture, the lanolin is converted to lanolin-soap, which has an antibacterial effect “ (taken from Danish Woolen Delight website, www.danishwool.com). I rarely feel skuzzy putting on the same sweat ridden shirt during a jag of run/ride days in a row. This means less laundry-which some may find appealing for various reasons. BUT WHEN YOU DO WASH IT, BELOW IS A SUGGESTION TO CONSIDER, especially for those of you who want to take top notch care of your wool:
Wash by hand in lukewarm water with mild hair shampoo (cleans without stripping lanolin from the wool) or 20% LANACare Lanolin Soap to replenish the lanolin content of the wool (recommended to use approximately every fifth washing to maintain the wool's antibacterial effect). Use just enough soap to keep the water mildly sudsy. Swish the [garment] gently in the water. When using Lanolin Soap, let the [garment] soak in the sudsy water for 5-10 minutes. Rinse in lukewarm water. Always use lukewarm water when washing and rinsing wool. Both hot and cold water can shock the wool fibers, resulting in shrinkage of the wool. (Danish Woolen Delight website, www.danishwool.com).
That said, I have never washed my wool as suggested in the above quote. I have washed my “techno” wool clothing by machine in both cold and wool cycles with 1/8th cup of Lifetree Laundry Liquid and experienced zero shrinkage and no loss of antibacterial activity yet, and it’s been 3 or so years of heavy wear. The only fuss I make: wool items get their own wash cycle. Otherwise it’s cake. But do not wash your wool wear in warm or hot machine cycles, nor excessively agitate—ever—it will shrink. I have shrunk one of my Altitude Zips, but because of the extra long design features I can still wear it—it’s now more like a regular shirt length in torso and sleeve. Here’s the mantra: * Cold water * Low Agitation Cycle * Lay Flat or Hang Dry *.It is the Altitude Zip’s DESIGN FEATURES THAT MAKE THIS TOP OVER THE TOP. If you are a woman looking for a warm base layer, the Altitude Zip rocks. It has NO DRAFT ZONES. It’s designed with extra long sleeves that include reinforced thumb loops, and extra length over all in the torso with a longer length in the back for active people who actually crouch and bend at the waist as part of their daily activities. I have a long torso for a woman my size and I have never experienced low back exposure while wearing this top. As a final magic touch, some Icebreaker designer really thought about the turtleneck design in detail. Whoever designed this must have lived in a cool climate or done cool weather activities. The collar design on the Altitude Zip is extra long. It reaches into the nape of your hairline and nestles right up under your chin when fully zipped, which eliminates the typical drafts zones at the neck—unless you want them. The generous zipper opens to a deep “V” when fully unzipped and the collar lies completely away from the neck--no ride-up on the neck in back while the zipper is fully open which allows for maximum cooling in the neck and chest zone. And of course a modicum of ventilation options exist along the length of the zipper. In the ever changing and unpredictable weather of the Pacific Northwest, I am constantly adjusting the plunge of my neckline. THOUGH IT CAN BE WORN ALONE, I OFTEN WEAR a short sleeve wool tee and/or tank under the Altitude Zip with no problem and have worn a Long sleeve top from the 200 series under it without much mobility restriction . The fit is loose but very streamlined and sharp-looking for those of us who care. I really do not have any complaints about this top. I will pass on an issue a friend of mine had. She has a shorter torso that she deems “barrel-like” (I would sincerely beg to differ on that description) and both Icebreaker and Ibex are too long and form fitted for her. As an earth-conscious women in her 60’s wanting to get away from synthetics, she feels that the fit is geared for the younger generation (I’m in my 30’s) and inaccessible to her. I can sympathize with her point, the fit definitely curves in at the waist and the length is long. But y’all buying online who might have similar concerns will have to use the Force to make your decision. I just put it out there in case it might help.OVER ALL I give an A+ to the Icebreaker Bodyfit 260 Altitude Zip, which is obvious since I have bought it four times, some for work as a landscaper, some for play (it’s practically my uniform). I will probably buy it again when I can somehow justify it.
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