In this review I paid for this item and I do not get a commission for sales from the link in the blog. I never endorse products I don’t use as my credibility is more important. Thankyou for helping to support my blog and adventures so I can keep buying gear to review. 

Lee-Stuart Evans flying the C42 Ikarus with a Vollebak Midlayer

February and March are the ‘clothing on/ clothing off’ season for me when outdoors running. The changeable weather means you can be caught outside in any temperature from damp freezing to about 12C. I’m already a huge fan of the Vollebak Baselayer so I thought I’d find out if the £180 price tag of the Vollebak Midlayer was worth it. 

I’m no stranger to Vollebak and their range of unusual, innovative and eye catching clothing designs. From an indestructible hoody designed to outlive you to an all black top that has reflective high visibility black motion sensor markings. I’m always drawn to gear that’s hard wearing, eye catching and not seen on most runners.

I find that a lot of the Vollebak gear I wear becomes a conversation starter, something no other design brand does for running and outdoor gear. Its indestructible and hard wearing design means that running with a rucksack, diving or obstacle course races don’t wear the items out or leave them looking tatty.

Tough Outer Ceramic Coating

The top arrived quickly in the post and out of the packet what strikes you is how dense the material is, and tough the outer coating is despite the inside being very fleecy and comfortable. The density reminds me of a lot of the high tec fleeces you get for diving drysuits, like the ones made by Fourth Element or Northern Diver.

Soft Fleece Interior

First glance shows there are a lot of the features I’ve come to like on the Vollebak Baselayer, the material is 4 way stretchy so its very comfortable to wear when running or activities outdoors, and it has the customary flat lock stitching made of a stretchy material too so the seams don’t get stressed and come apart.  The arms are also slightly longer than I need which means I can tuck my hands inside the sleeve sections when they are cold and I don’t have gloves. 

I’ve used this midlayer in conjunction with the Vollebak Condition Black Baselayer for lots of adventures and Fastest Known Time records. On one event I wore the Baselayer and Midlayer for 16 days straight!

It wasn’t until I started running with the  baselayer and the midlayer on at the same time that I realised the level of  thought that had gone into their 3 layering system. In the past when you wear a baselayer and midlayer from most companies my size medium would be the same cut and fit for both. 

What this means is the two fabrics don’t quite ‘flow’ together and either one is too tight and pulls the other up.  Wearing the Vollebak Baselayer and Midlayer together has none of these issues. Their midlayer is cut around a few millimeters larger than their same size baselayer which means they fit together perfectly.

Intelligently Sized Complimentary Layering

The overall effect is that the two worn together actually feel like one thicker comfortable layer.  Both are hugely breathable and the zips mean you can manage temperature easily if you overheat. The 4 way stretch of the fabric on both tops also means that you can easily roll the sleeves up on both too if you get a bit too hot. The two layer Condition Black system here gives me flexibility to run in freezing conditions comfortably, switch to the Midlayer only in the 5C to 10C temp range and the  baselayer only when temps go above the magic ‘only one layer needed’ 10C.

The Condition Black range and has a ceramic coating developed by Swiss company Schoeller. This coating forms an abrasion resistant outer layer that resists bobbling and tears and general rubbing whilst still being breathable and comfortable.  Its like a Rhino on the outside and a teddy bear on the inside! This top is the thickest and warmest of their 3 layer system and the material is heat retaining which means that when I stop and start a lot when I’m on a long run I don’t get cold quickly from just standing around.  Its also cut in a way that means there are no seams against my arms or in any of hte places on my upper body that sees the most movement. The Midlayer also features the same quality waterproof lock down zip which means the zip doesn’t move up or down once in place. Zipped up fully there is a final ‘envelope’ at the top that means the zip is kept comfortably away from your skin and tucks out of sight. 

In addition I ‘pimped’ the top a little bit further by giving it a quick spray with Nikwax waterproof breathable spray which helped make it a little bit more resilient in rain showers. I’m not sure if this is recommended by the manufacturer but it hasn’t seem to have done any harm !

Verdict

I guess the big question for many buyers is whether the top is worth its price tag ? The answer came to me at the weekend when I went flying. Windy open airfields are challenging for clothing even in the summer, In the winter and early spring they can be cold and windy, and yet once I’ve jumped in the cockpit and got airborne the engine soon warms the cabin quickly and you need something that is wicking when you are hot and warm when you are cold.

Without giving it too much thought when I jumped in the car for a last minute flight at a local airfield it was the Vollebak Midlayer I put on.  This means I get twice the bang for my buck with this top, Its a hard wearing , very comfortable running top to wear in the cold when I’m doing outdoor adventure running and long runs, BUT its also a decent eye catching and practical  top to wear with jeans as casual wear. That means I get twice the bang for my buck with the top and really cemented for me that this top is well worth the money.

More information from the Vollebak site here.