Looking at my race photos from the last few years you might notice one thing in common between all of them (I’m not talking about silly facial hair) a t-shirt. A few year ago I purchased the Inov-8 Base Elite mainly because it came in a very cool green colour*.
Tech and Spec
What Inov-8 Say
“An ultralight and highly breathable long-sleeve men’s running base designed for intense training runs and racing.
Featuring a moisture-wicking fabric that is quick to dry, this highly breathable and odour-resistant base layer is perfect for long runs and intense training sessions. The welded hem and cuffs eliminate unnecessary stitching, ensuring maximum comfort and zero irritation, while antimicrobial technology in the fabric keeps you odour-free for longer, requiring less laundering. Reflective detailing in key areas delivers increased visibility in dark conditions and the integrated thumb loops keep the sleeves in place. Each base layer is made from recycling approximately 8 x 500ml PET bottles, creating a durable technical polyester fabric.”
First Impression
Out of the packet the first think I notices was how light and soft the top felt in my hands.
The top fits comfortably, when wearing a pack it does not chafe or ride up in funny places as some tops can. The sleeved on the long sleeve are the perfect length for me and the thumb holes hold the sleeves in place and add a nice bit of warmth to the hands when running in winter. Seems and stitching are soft and smooth and not noticeable when the top is being worm.The bright green colour just looks awesome.
I got this top mainly for trail and ultra running in the summer and it worked well for all my training runs, short, long or intervals with moisture really feeling as if it is being wicked away from your body. Most importantly the top remains comfortable and light even during longs runs with a fully loaded race pack.
Final review
Long story short I now own 5 versions of this top 2 long sleeve and 3 short sleeve and is my go to top for running be that training or racing (when I’m not in my club vest). As previously mentioned I bought this top for running in the summer months due to its wicking properties. However, I also comfortably use this top mid winter around south wales either as a base layer won its own or with just a wind/waterproof on top if the weather is wetter.
During ultras I will usually changed tops at the half way point and switch between a long and short sleeved depending on if I will be running into the night or the day. Put simply the Inov-8 Base Elite is the best running top I own and has served me well during the CCC, TDS, Lakeland 100 and 4.5 days of the Dragons Back Race.
For me it will take a lot to beat this top in terms of quality and ability and as if Inov-8 may have created the perfect running top. In time I will be buying more of these.
The Inov-8 Base Elite gets a big thumbs up from me.
*The green top mentioned at the start is the original Base Elite released by Inov-8.
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