Updated October 26, 2026. Prices checked October 26, 2026.
Three base layers cost under $60. The MEETYOO thermal set is the only one with a test by a skier: GearJunkie's tester wore it while skiing and calls it a no-frills synthetic that wicks sweat well for under $30. It costs $16.99 for a top and bottoms, and it is not warm. The Helly Hansen LIFA Stripe and the Merino.tech long sleeve come from our hiking ranking, so none of the tests behind them cover skiing.
How these scores are built. Base layers are judged mainly on breathability, which counts for 45% of the score. Comfort and fit counts 25%, and the other two criteria count 15% each. Based on: GearJunkie's base layer test, in which a skier wore the sets in Idaho (May 2026), OutdoorGearLab's base layer test (April 2026), CleverHiker and Switchback Travel for the two products copied from our hiking ranking, and prices read on Amazon and REI in October 2026. Breathability comes from OutdoorGearLab's and GearJunkie's breathability scores where they cover the product, and from our estimate where no test scores it. We do not test products in person. 7 source pages are linked under the 3 products so you can check each finding. How we score.
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Product
Best for
Breathability
Score
1
Merino.tech Men's Merino Long Sleeve 165
Cheapest merino, copied from hiking
8
7
2
Helly Hansen LIFA Stripe Crew
Best wicking under $60, copied from hiking
8
6.5
3
MEETYOO Men's Thermal Underwear Set
Cheapest, tested by a skier
7
6.2
01
Merino.tech Men's Merino Long Sleeve 165
Cheapest merino, copied from hiking, $49.99
7/10
Breathability 45%
8/10
Comfort and fit 25%
6.5/10
Odor control 15%
7.5/10
Durability 15%
4.5/10
Pros
OutdoorGearLab (67) gave the Merino.tech Crew a Best Buy award for value in 100% merino wool and praises its breathability.
Merino wool resists odor, as CleverHiker and Switchback Travel note for the other merino tops they tested.
Cons
OutdoorGearLab found the thin fabric less durable and noticed overlock seams.
We matched the tested Merino.tech Crew to the long sleeve 165 on the brand's site by price and fabric, and could not confirm it is the same garment. Nobody tested it for skiing.
Readers in Germany, Canada, Spain, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, the United Kingdom and Sweden are sent to their own Amazon store, where prices show in local currency. The prices on this page are US prices.
02
Helly Hansen LIFA Stripe Crew
Best wicking under $60, copied from hiking, $50.00
6.5/10
Breathability 45%
8/10
Comfort and fit 25%
6.5/10
Odor control 15%
3/10
Durability 15%
5.5/10
Pros
CleverHiker (4.2 of 5), OutdoorGearLab (70) and Switchback Travel (best budget) list it and praise its breathability, quick drying and light weight, between 4.2 and 5.2 oz.
CleverHiker says it excels at wicking and dries very quickly.
Cons
CleverHiker says it is not odor resistant, and Switchback Travel says it is not warm enough for truly cold days.
Switchback Travel found cuff stitching that unraveled. None of the tests covers skiing, and REI shows no owner reviews for this model.
Readers in Germany, Canada, Spain, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, the United Kingdom and Sweden are sent to their own Amazon store, where prices show in local currency. The prices on this page are US prices.
03
MEETYOO Men's Thermal Underwear Set
Cheapest, tested by a skier, $16.99 (top and bottoms)
6.2/10
Breathability 45%
7/10
Comfort and fit 25%
6/10
Odor control 15%
3/10
Durability 15%
7/10
Pros
GearJunkie (6.8 out of 10) names it its Best Budget base layer, tested by a skier in Idaho. It praises the stretch and knit construction and says it wicks sweat effectively for high-energy activities.
Amazon shows 3,647 ratings averaging 4.6 out of 5, and the brand sells the set itself.
Cons
GearJunkie says it will not win any warmth awards and rates warmth 6, comfort 6 and breathability 7 out of 10. As a synthetic it holds odor.
It is a set, so the price covers the top and the bottoms. GearJunkie is the only independent test, and Amazon sells other MEETYOO sets at higher prices.
Readers in Germany, Canada, Spain, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, the United Kingdom and Sweden are sent to their own Amazon store, where prices show in local currency. The prices on this page are US prices.
Rated by owners only
We could not find reliable independent tests for these product, so they have no score and no rank. We list one only when owners give it at least 4 stars out of 5 across at least 50 reviews. Owner reviews can be incentivized or unverified, so treat them as a weaker signal than the tests above.
REI Co-op Lightweight Long-Sleeve Crew Base Layer Top$44.95. Rated 4.5 out of 5 from 51 reviews on REI.A lightweight synthetic crew with no independent test we could find.
How we picked
Each score comes from independent tests (GearJunkie, OutdoorGearLab, CleverHiker and Switchback Travel), manufacturer specifications and a retailer price. Tops with a test by a skier come first: only the MEETYOO had one in this price range, so the other two were chosen by calculated score. We do not test tops in person. Ratings are our assessment of what the reviewers report. Where a test says nothing about odor, we use the general finding for the fabric: synthetics score low and merino scores high.
Each top here has one to three independent tests, and the two copied tops were never tested for skiing.
What we left out
Meriwool Merino 250 and Under Armour ColdGear 4.0: OutdoorGearLab scores of 73 and 74, but no US price read.
Carhartt Base Force Midweight Crew (about $39, 72 in OutdoorGearLab): rated for non-technical use.
Thermajohn compression top (62 in OutdoorGearLab): pills after a few washes.
What to look for
Fabric: synthetic dries faster and costs less, and merino smells less on a multi-day trip
Weight: a lightweight top suits a hard climb, and a midweight one suits a cold lift ride
Fit: several budget tops run small, so check the sizing notes
Questions
Why are two hiking base layers in a ski ranking?
The MEETYOO is the only top under $60 with a test by a skier. We filled the list with the next two that had a price we could read and an independent test, copied from our hiking ranking, and the page says which ones.
Why is the MEETYOO priced as a set?
Amazon sells it as a top and bottoms together for $16.99. GearJunkie tested the set, and it does not list the top alone.
Why are the Meriwool Merino 250 and the Under Armour ColdGear not here?
OutdoorGearLab scored them 73 and 74, but we read no US price for either one, so we did not rank them.
Where do the prices come from?
The regular price on Amazon and REI in October 2026, and the creator's Amazon view for the two copied tops. Sale and outlet prices are ignored.