- Price: £75
- Style: Navy/Charcoal
- MONSROYALE.COM
There aren’t many certainties in life, but here’s one of them: when it comes to choosing a thermal, Something made with 100% Merino is by far the best choice. Mons Royale know this, which is why you’ll find that particular sheep’s wool across their entire range of base layers – including in this, the Mons Royale Coreshot Raglan LS.
Mons Royale first started selling merino-based thermals in New Zealand back in 2009, and their propularity continues to rise. In essence, it’s a simple story of a good product, made well: the super-fine fibres found in merino wool wick sweat away from the body, are highly resistant to the bacteria that causes odour, and are incredibly soft and comfortable. It’d also a lot lighter than other types of wool, but just as warm.
“After the session, you can kick back at the apartment or in the pub without looking like a disturbed lycra fetishist”
All of this makes a thermal like the Mons Royale Coreshot Raglan ideal for snowboarding. Its long-sleeved design ensures that you’re fully covered, and thumb loops at the cuffs prevent the sleeves from riding up. The sleek design means that after the session you can kick back at the apartment or in the pub without looking like a disturbed lycra fetishist – or in the height of spring, can get away with wearing just this on your top half.
A good thermal also enhances the performance of your jacket – unless that moisture can escape your skin, the breathable material found in your outer layer can’t do its job properly. So while this may seem expensive, it pays for itself by dramatically improving your overall comfort levels.
Mons Royale get ethical points for ensuring that their entire supply chain is free from sheep that have been ‘mulesed’ – a controversial practice that animal rights campaigners strongly oppose. That’s an added bonus to what is already a terrific product; if you’ve never had a high-quality, high-performance thermal like the Mons Royale Coreshot Raglan LS, you honestly don’t know what you’ve been missing.
