How To Choose Thermal Underwear

When the cold winter temperatures give no respite, and in the most extreme climatic situations, to stay warm all the time you need to wear good thermal underwear under your clothes. Continuing reading this guide you will have the opportunity to discover the characteristics of thermal underwear, the advantages related to its use and tips to choose the best.

What is it for

Thermal underwear, as the name says, is a set of warm and enveloping accessories to wear under clothes in direct contact with the skin. These garments are characterized by excellent insulating properties and are ideal, if not indispensable, for people who have to stay outdoors for a long time during the coldest months of the year.

Those who live in climatically unfavorable places in winter, such as in the mountains for example, can benefit greatly from wearing thermal underwear, as well as people who work outdoors all year round or those who enjoy snow sports. Thermal underwear maintains a high body temperature, ensuring comfort and warmth even in the most difficult conditions such as snow, ice or wind.

Thermal underwear is also ideal for people who practice outdoor activities during the coldest months of the year, such as joggers, fishermen, hunters, but also cyclists, footballers and many other sportsmen who are not discouraged by low temperatures. Speaking of sports, here's an example by https://cleverwander.com/p/best-womens-thermal-underwear-making-the-right-purchase/ and there is nothing better than a good thermal underwear to go to the stadium and watch a football match without suffering the cold in the stands.

Thermal underwear can really make a difference in the most extreme conditions, as long as it is naturally made with top quality insulation materials that also have good breathability and a certain softness in contact with the skin. There are models of thermal underwear for men, women and children, so that everyone has the possibility to protect themselves adequately from low temperatures.

Types

The idea behind this particular garment is that there is effective insulation thanks to the fabric fibers that retain heat. At the same time, thermal underwear must allow the body to breathe and get rid of sweat while remaining dry at all times: it is precisely the absence of moisture, in fact, that prevents the heat from dispersing through the skin.

In the most classic meaning of the term, thermal underwear consists of a "two-piece", that is, a long-sleeved tunic and long trousers. You can wear only one of these two pieces depending on your needs, weather conditions and the activity you have to do outdoors.

There are also short trousers and thermal half-sleeved shirts, which guarantee warmth and comfort mainly for the torso and are therefore suitable for less rigid temperatures. At the opposite end of the range there are also whole models, which, due to the lack of division between the upper and lower part, provide a certain advantage in terms of heat retention. This underwear, however, is not exactly one of the most practical to wear, both when you have to put it on and when you need to go to the toilet.

Materials

The materials with which thermal underwear is made are of fundamental importance in the choice, as some fabrics are characterized by better properties than others. Very often, in this regard, thermal underwear is produced with a combination of different materials in order to achieve the best performance in terms of insulation, fit and comfort.

Here are some of the main types of fabric that these accessories can be made of:

• cotton: this is a material of vegetable origin, which makes softness and softness in contact with the skin its best advantages. However, cotton tends to absorb moisture and this can cancel out the positive effects mentioned above, making underwear uncomfortable and cold on the skin in the long run. Cotton is cheap, however, so choosing thermal underwear made of this material is convenient when you do not expect to perform activities that make you sweat; it is not recommended, however, for workers and athletes;

• polyester: it is a synthetic material that lets the moisture produced by the skin breathe, so in case of intense physical effort, polyester underwear is a good option. Polyester is also lightweight, easy to wash and dries easily, and by removing moisture it reduces heat loss due to evaporation. The negative aspects related to polyester, however, are due to the fact that this synthetic fabric can generate bad odors and is flammable;

• wool: it is one of the oldest materials that man knows and uses to protect himself from low temperatures. Wool is undoubtedly very warm, but it also has some defects: on the skin it can cause itching and irritation, without forgetting that with the passage of time this material gets soaked in moisture creating unpleasant sensations of cold and discomfort.

Thermal Socks

The thermal socks deserve a separate mention, they are really indispensable when it is very cold because the feet are the parts of the body most subject to heat loss. There are also different types of these accessories depending on the material they are made of, which can be generally synthetic (polyester) or natural (cotton or silk).

Wearing a good pair of thermal socks it is possible to keep your feet warm even on the coldest days, provided of course that you wear footwear that is ideal for low temperatures. These accessories allow the moisture produced by the leather to dissipate, which gives your feet a feeling of warmth and comfort.

Those who practice outdoor sports in winter, such as skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing or other physically intense activities, can opt for reinforced thermal socks at the most stressed points, i.e. toe, heel and sometimes shins. Thanks to these padded models, the foot will be protected from calluses, blisters and other wounds due to rubbing.

Thermal socks used by skiers, fishermen and other outdoor enthusiasts usually arrive just below the knee and are ideal to wear with boots or ski boots. However, many people also use these special socks in everyday life, for example to go to the office or school, but also to keep their feet warm at home or under the covers.

How To Choose A Good Thermal Underwear

When you need thermal underwear, before proceeding with the purchase it is a good idea to carefully evaluate various aspects in order to identify the model that is right for you. This means first of all considering your needs for use, but also the environmental conditions in which the thermal underwear will be used.

As far as materials are concerned, a good compromise between comfort and price is represented by thermal underwear produced with a mixture of cotton and polyester fibers, warmer than pure cotton but less subject to the formation of unpleasant odors. The same goes for wool, which when mixed with synthetic materials is softer and more breathable. A good percentage of polyester can generally be considered around 20-30%.

Before buying thermal underwear, it would always be better to try it in person, to understand the different sensations that each model is able to transmit. When trying on a model in the shop it is advisable to make wide movements with torso, legs and arms to make sure that at the folds the garment does not roll up, and does not cause chafing that could be annoying in the long run.

There are people who prefer to buy thermal underwear half or even a size smaller than their own, to minimize the movements of the fabric but also not to compromise the fit of fleece, jackets and pants that will be worn over. The idea in itself is good; be careful, however, because some models of thermal underwear, depending on the material they are made of, may tighten slightly after washing. This happens frequently, for example, with wool.