Merrell Lauley Full Zip Top Review

by Shannon · Published April 22, 2013 , 6:41 am · Updated January 3, 2018 , 4:38 pm

Merrell’s Lauley Full Zip Top is an excellent extra layer for the spring season. Merrell labels this top as a cardigan on their website, however, I felt that his full zip top is closer to a lightweight spring jacket and have been using it as such on cooler days.

The Lauley Full Zip Top features Merrell’s Opti-Wick fabric, which is light-breathable-and dries quickly. Opti-Wick is composed of 78% polyester and 22% elastane: the high proportion of elastane keeps the top stretchy and moving with you. The tops’ fabric also is peach faced, or in laymen’s terms, is super soft to the touch. The Lauley’s fabric also carries a UPF rating of 20. I really like this feature, as harmful rays are known to penetrate light garments and this incorporation means that you need not apply sunscreen to these areas and are still protected.

The Lauley Full Zip Top is cut for a female body as it features shirring at the collar, back, and shoulders. The top also curves in at the hips and features an extra long length to hit well below the hips. I felt that the Lauley Full Zip Top ran true to size and featured an ample arm length, which is always a concern. The top is available in XS to XL and keeps it shape and size after multiple trips through the wash.

The full zipper design is nice for easy on and off, but the zipper bunches quite a bit when you sit. In other words, I get a bunch or bubble of fabric at my chest and around the waist. I believe this is because the top doesn’t have a lot of structure due to its’ soft fabric, yet the zipper is a tight or rigid one. This is one downside, yet I feel this top has a lot of other qualities that are worth checking out. For example, the Lauley Full Zip Top packs a bit of style as it is available in a two different fun prints, zuni and chevron. The top is also available in a variety of colors as well. My favorite is the Cerise Print, which features a rich red hue. If you aren’t quite ready for the bright chevron or zuni prints, the top is also available in basic black.

Retails for $89