POLICE GEAR REVIEW 11.30.2010

UNDER ARMOUR COLD GEAR BASE LAYER

If you have the luxury of working midnights you may very well be reaching for cold weather police gear already.  We have been testing the Under Armor Cold Gear Base layer and are warming up to them in a hurry.

Something you should know about any base layer system is to learn the fit before making a purchase.  Most companies are pretty good about emphasizing the style, but "fitted" in our experience of testing base layers usually means skin tight unless you have a 28 inch waist.

We tested the fitted Under Armor and really liked the snug fit top once we got acclimated to it.  The fitted bottoms also did their job very well, but were a little too snug for some.  The system is designed to work below 55 degrees, so it was not overwhelmingly hot if you were sitting in a patrol car or the office typing a report.  The top is very a smooth material and being snug will allow ones vest to lay flat, and looks very clean under a uniform shirt as an added bonus. 

We have officers who have worn the regular shirt (if you are not required to wear a turtleneck), and officers who have worn the mock neck once they have it embroidered with department letters.

The only downfall to this particular layering system is you may not want to wear the top back and forth to work without wearing something over it.  If you are in perfect shape you might get the chuckles from spectators just for wearing spandex in public, and if you are not in perfect shape it is sure to highlight any and all areas that need work.

In our perfect world for New England winters we would probably opt for the EMS loose fit bottoms and the Under Armor fitted top for our base layer.  

The sizing was very accurate, but most found it was most comfortable to go one size up giving the shirt the slightest wiggle room.  For an officer who is 5'11 185 lbs the X-Large fit very well.  For more information visit www.underarmour.com

Sizing chart is as follows:

<<Newer      Archive      Older>>