Wild Rye Bassett Baselayers Review
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Ski season is finally here! I’ve dusted off my ski gear, gathered my layers, and the lifts are turning. The snow storms finally found us this weekend in the Rocky Mountains. While it has been a slow start to the winter season, I have been pushing the limits with early season ski days, cool weather fly fishing and mud season hikes. For cold weather pursuits like these, you need to start with a solid set of baselayers. This fall I have been fortunate to check out Wild Rye’s Bassett Half Zip and Legging, and I have found them to provide all day warmth and comfort for outdoor pursuits.
Wild Rye is a newer women-led company, launched in 2016 to provide women adventurers with quality, women-specific apparel built for the outdoors. With an eco-minded approach, Wild Rye chooses sustainably sourced materials that are designed to last. Wild Rye has a B Corp Certification designated for high standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency. Furthermore, Wild Rye is certified Climate Neutral and focused on measuring, offsetting, and reducing their carbon footprint to limit climate change. They even ship their products in recycled and recycleable materials.
Eco-friendly shipping packages
Wild Rye Basset Baselayer Design
The Bassett Half Zip and Legging are both made of cruelty-free merino wool and a touch of spandex for stretch. When dressing for adventures, merino wool is the best baselayer option for variable temperatures. Merino helps trap heat within the tiny pockets between the wool fibers to keep you warm and wicks away moisture and heat to cool you down in warmer temperatures. Merino wool is also top notch for moisture management to avoid clammy chills after exercise and has natural odor resistance due to its antimicrobial properties.
The Bassett Half Zip was designed with generous length sleeves and thumbholes to keep sleeves in place especially during layering. The front zipper further adds to temperature control. When zipped up it acts as a turtleneck, but just unzip to cool off. Additionally, the flat lock seams allow for comfort against your skin for all-day wear.
The Bassett Legging was designed with a 7/8th length, perfect for active outdoor adventures without having your socks and leggings bunch up. And it features a wide elastic waistband for comfort at your waist.
Wild Rye Bassett Baselayer Fit and Look
I found the Wild Rye Bassett Half Zip and Legging to fit true to size. Both top and bottoms have numeric sizing, so I ordered a size 2 in the legging and size 4 in the half zip. The Bassett Half Zip has generous length to the arms so the thumb loops easily cover your wrist and half of your hand. I often have difficulty with sleeve length not being long enough, and found the thumb loops more usable with the extra length. The Bassett Legging also fit well. The rise goes just up to my belly button and the 7/8 length reaches just above my ankles. The wide waist band and spandex included in the merino allows for easy pull on and comfort that allows me to easily move.
Thumb Loop with Generous Sleeve Length
Comfortable wide waist band
Both the Bassett Legging and Half Zip come in three colors. I chose the color Storm for the Bassett Legging, which is a flattering solid purplish blue color. The elastic waistband is a contrasting fluorescent yellow, which is fun. I chose the color Storm Contour for the Bassett Half Zip, which is a matching color to the legging but with a floral line drawn print. Unfortunately to accommodate the print, the Half Zip is not yarn dyed wool. The underside color is white, so when you stretch the fabric you can see the light color coming through. This is not a deal-breaker for me, as I purchased a size that does not fit tightly. I can imagine if I had sized down it would have shown different colors in areas that were stretched out. Other color options are solid colors, which are yarn dyed, so this can be avoided depending on color choice.
Inside of Bassett Half Zip
Bassett Half Zip Stretch
Wild Rye Bassett Baselayer Performance
Earlier in the fall I first tried out the Bassett Half Zip and Legging as a baselayer under my waders while flyfishing. I found them to be a perfect underlayer to keep me warm and comfortable. The merino fabric is much softer and more stretchy than other merino baselayers I have used in the past. The Bassett Half Zip and Legging are definitely comfortable for all day wear.
I have also used the Bassett baselayer for hikes and early season skiing when temperatures were higher than normal. I got pretty hot skiing with my toddler (lots of lifting and skating), and I was able to stay dry and avoid the cold clammy feeling once the sun went behind the mountain and temperature dropped.
The Bassett Half Zip and Legging have been my go to baselayer this fall and early winter. They can easily go several wears before requiring a wash. Following the directions from Wild Rye I have washed in cold water and hung to dry. They have held their shape and held up to washing and wearing. The fabric does have a couple of snags on the wrist cuffs of the Half Zip from wearing the thumb loops over my hands. Due to the white under color of the Half Zip, the snags are more visible.
Details on the Wild Rye Bassett Baselayers
- 18.5 micron merino wool
- Breathable & stink-resistant
- Thumbholes
- Flatlock seams
- Center back length: 25″ (size S)
- Weight: 10.3 oz.
- 95% 18.5 micron merino wool, 5% spandex
- 18.5 micron, cruelty-free merino wool
- Breathable & stink-resistant
- Wide elastic waistband
- Flatlock seams
- 7/8 length
- 25 1/4″ inseam
- Weight: 8 oz.
- 95% 18.5 micron merino wool, 5% spandex
Final Thoughts on the Wild Rye Bassett Baselayers
The Wild Rye Bassett Half Zip and Legging baselayer deliver consistent warmth, comfort, and versatility across a wide range of cold-weather activities. Soft merino fabric, thoughtful design, and reliable fit make them easy to wear all day. They regulate temperature well during high output efforts and sudden weather changes. Minor cosmetic issues with non-yarn dyed wool in the print fabric do little to outweigh their overall performance and durability. If you want a sustainable, women-specific baselayer, the Bassett set is a strong investment. For more info or to pick up some for yourself, visit wild-rye.com or rei.com.
