Megmeister Drynamo LS Crew Baselayer

Designed in Holland, Made In Italy: The HH King is Dead, Long Live the King

Note:  These are the new versions which feature thumb loops.

Since Helly Hansen discontinued their excellent (Dry Revolution / Dry Elite) line of form-hugging, lightweight (3 season) baselayers Scramble have been testing alternatives and in the Megmeister Drynamo have finally found a successor that not only equals but betters the Helly Hansen models.

For an idea of sizing and fit and cut, see Scramble's in-depth review here. 

Megmeister is a Dutch brand that manufacture the majority of their apparel in Italy. Importantly, their range of Base Layers are manufactured using Polypropylene rather than Polyester which in Scramble's view (see below) makes all the difference. These unbelievably dry, thermally optimal and genuinely seamless baselayers have helped cement Megmeister's reputation among many of the world's leading sports teams and individuals.

The Drynamo baselayer is ideal for 3 season use (for cool early morning starts and late evening finishes in summer all the way down to around 0 °C. In winter it goes well over mesh baselayers like those from Brynje.

As Scramble have stated previously, if they were designing a fitted baselayer their choice of materials would be "Polypropylene for its light weight, hydrophobic, thermal, and many other qualities (see below); Polyamide (Nylon) for its toughness and to aid compression and a decent helping of Elastane to provide the necessary stretch for a fitted baselayer". This is exactly what Megmeister have used in their Drynamo series.

There are two key differences to the Megmeister Baselayer range that distinguish it from nearly all other brands on the market.

1. It's a Polypropylene derived fabric using a unique fibre called DRYARN® 100 whereas the vast majority of brands use Polyester
2. It has NO SEAMS next to the body

Polypropylene is an ultra-lightweight rapid drying hydrophobic filamentary fibre that moves moisture away from the skin extremely rapidly, so no matter how hard you work you remain feeling dry without over-heating.

No seams means exactly that - no-seams next to the body.  Megmeister create their baselayers using a unique patented machine weave construction that results in creating each garment from one piece of fabric that only requires the garment to be cut from the machines and bonded together seamlessly. They also, very sensibly don't use any annoying labels.

Features (Quick Summary)

• Ergonomically designed with 4 way stretch and innovative seamless design guaranteeing optimum freedom of movement and comfort
• Rapid moisture management. Repels water keeping skin dry during high activity
• Excellent thermo-regulation
• Thumb loops (in the new versions)
• Anti-odour and antibacterial function
• Label free inside
• Easy Care Wash 'n Wear
• Made in Italy

Features (Full)

• Men's ultra-light long sleeved functional thermal base layer with super-fast moisture wicking and excellent thermal insulation and completely seamless design.  This is a Polypropylene™ derived fabric using DRYARN™ fibre technology.
• Perfect climate regulation when the conditions demand it. Ergonomically designed with 4 way stretch and completely seamless finish to provide optimum freedom of movement.  Great body length will sit low on the buttocks for assured coverage and ideal for the tall athlete also.
• Polypropylene™ and DRYARN™ fabrication with a touch of Nylon™ for added strength, provides an exceptional dry next-to-skin result as DRYARN™ moves moisture more rapidly than Polyester and does not hold water.  Simple sizing strategy with just TWO sizes to suit Small through to X-Large athletes, due to the unique weave nature of the product.
• Excellent thermal regulation properties so the baselayer can operate in a wide range of temperatures (basically any temperature when you need more than just a loose t-shirt).
• A Fitted next to skin garment and naturally anti-microbial due to the yarn's tensile properties that won't allow bacteria to manifest themselves.
• Seamless design with the only visible connection being the seams at the shoulders that are reversed for guaranteed seam free comfort.  Micro-vented structure offers faster air flow at key hot spots on the body such as the centre of the back and chest or under the arms.
• Easy care wash garment and naturally resistant to stains.  Zero labels inside ensure there's no rubbing.  Super soft edged neckline without any neck opening finish so the neckline is incredibly soft and guarantees no interference.
• Excellent warmth to weight ratio

Fabric Composition:  44% Polypropylene Dryarn / 44% Nylon 6.6 / 12% Elastane

Care Instructions:  Machine wash 30°C - Do Not Tumble Dry

Sizing / Measuring

Due to the seamlessness and high stretch (12% Elastane) of this garment, Megmeister are able to offer limited sizes to fit a wide range of customers. Their sizing is as follows:

Small (S/M): Chest = 34" - 39"
Large (L/XL): Chest = 39" - 46"   (in the short term we'll likely only offer this size - which really covers traditional Medium to Extra Large - Scramble's editor is a size 42" and the Large is a great fit).

Why Polypropylene?

So what's so special about Polypropylene? Well, quite a bit ...

From the standpoint of a lightweight baselayer it's hard to envisage a more appropriate material:

• Lightweight: Because of its low specific gravity, polypropylene yields the greatest volume of fibre for a given weight. Polypropylene is the lightest of all fibres and is lighter than water. It is 34% lighter than polyester and 20% lighter than nylon.
      
• Hydrophobic, thus quick to dry: The water absorption of polypropylene fibre is about 0.3% after 24 hours immersion in water, and thus its regain – the amount of water absorbed in a humid atmosphere – is virtually nil (0.05% at 65% RH, 21 °C.). Polypropylene is hydrophobic and will not absorb water in the fibre. Water “wicks” away from the skin and through the fabric to the face for quick evaporation.
      
• Cold weather performance: Lowest thermal conductivity of any natural or synthetic fibre (6.0 compared to 7.3 for wool, 11.2 for viscose and 17.5 for cotton). Polypropylene fibres retain more heat for a longer period of time providing outstanding insulation and combined with its hydrophobic qualities keeps the wearer dry as well as warm. Polypropylene is warmer than wool, remains flexible at temperatures in the region of -55°C and recovers well from bending.
      
• Microbially inert: Like other synthetic fibres – nylon, acrylic and polyester – polypropylene fibres are not attacked by bacteria or micro-organisms; they are also moth-proof and rot-proof and are inherently resistant to the growth of mildew and mold.
      
• Abrasion: The abrasion resistance of polypropylene approaches that of nylon and remains high even when wet.