To the layman bamboo might not sound like the most comfortable medium to wear as a baselayer - you would surely get splinters? - but of course we are talking about something quite different here. BAM have managed to bring this amazing, little known and environmentally friendly fabric into the spotlight and made some really quite amazing garments in the process.
Supremely soft and with a good stretch, the BAM baselayer was nothing short of luxurious on, in fact we found ourselves regularly wearing it for everyday activities because it really was that comfortable. Thanks to that stretch the fit was excellent and body hugging, a real boost for the thermal properties, so it gained ticks all round from us on that front. Flat lock stitching keeps everything together - and looked great with the contrasting colour - while the length was generous enough to cover everything up without having to be chased back into position when the going got active. Thumb loops are there too, if you want them.
We found the medium weight fabric (200gsm) was good for colder days, but it could easily be worn on its own for warmer weather with the highly breathable fabric allowing the breeze to flush through and keep us cool.
Other bamboo fabric advantages include its anti-bacterial properties which we can attest to (rather than wash, we have 'let it run' for a week or so with no adverse effects) and the ability to wash up to 40 degrees - no special treatment required other than no tumble drying.
Lastly it is also - thankfully - anti-static, which means no more walking around like a human Van de Graaff generator, afraid to touch cars or radiators as with Merino jerseys. It has to be worth it for that on its own, never mind the bargain price of £38.
