amazing fit.
I want to preface that I am very sensitive to wool. And these still itch a bit for me. But the fit is so good that even that issue is mitigated somewhat. And they start far less itchy than pretty much every competitor so far.
First, these fit snug. I have large calves and thighs and these conform perfectly to them. What surprised me is the stretch of the nuyarn. The form fitting is so close that the fabric doesn't really move at all. This is what mitigates itch. When wool moves across my skin, it can feel like sandpaper. The stretching this does typically doesn't create that feeling.
I have been trying to find multi-sport base layer that fits for my home gym training, cycling and just general active comfort. One problem is I am typically a medium in bottoms and an XL/2XL in tops. Like a pear on stilts. The way I wear most lowers is pull them up and then let the band fall at my hips. These are lower rise and simply pull up to just above my hips. For me, that is perfect. The only minor issue is that deep squats can cause the rear waist band to get pulled down a bit.
Finally, they are 7/8 length. This is genius. The combination of slightly shorter length and low rise means there is exactly zero bunched material anywhere when I wear them. And my crew socks can be pulled over them to create a seal if that is desired. The minimal but sufficient stretch from nuyarn is just enough to leave 100% mobility.
Non-fit comments: The red is a bit much. I don't mind standing out, and often most/all of them could be covered, but it is like stop sign bright red. I probably would have preferred the green, but it was out of stock in my size.
Weight: I was looking for something closer to 200 g/m2 fabric weight. In fact, I ordered the 1/4 zip as well and that is *exactly* the weight I wanted. Feels a bit substantial while still being very light. (that one is *way* more itchy to me partly because it is slightly less fine micron, but also because my upper body is more sensitive to wool than my lower).
These taught me how tights should fit. I have never had something feel like such a wonderful second skin before. For the record I have tried patagonia peak mission, janji trail tights, a dozen wool options from icebreaker to rei and plenty of store brands like under armour (honestly, the next best fit and the only one of those I kept). Of the wool ones, some may have had similar fit, but they didn't get past the itch test ( many I can't tolerate for more than a few minutes).
They make me wish I don't have such sensitive skin. But these get my approval. And, thus far, the only product I have liked that contains wool. I am still not sure I can keep them. But, in the past, I have been able to treat wool to make it more tolerable. It may be worth doing that. If it works I would probably buy several more.
All around spectacular if it is the desired fit/material.