The Under Armour Base 2.0 Crew is a highly breathable and quick-to-dry synthetic crew neck base layer. Take it with you on your sweatiest workouts or wear it to your next practice.
When we wore the 2.0 base by itself, we realized that it sacrificed warmth for breathability; as a result it scored considerably lower than most of its competitors in this metric. Even when layered in a system, we still felt chilled and not too comfortable. We would not recommend wearing this base layer to the ski hill or while singing “Kumbaya” on a cold fall night.
Blowing the competitors out of the water, the Crew 2.0 was the most breathable shirt tested. With its deep waffle-like pockets and porous face fabric, it allows ample air flow worn on its own or in a layering system.
Layering under this shirt is just dandy, but our testers found that layering over it can be difficult. The fabric is thicker and not very stretchy, which actually makes it feel more like an insulation layer like the Patagonia R1 Hoody - Women's than a base layer. Most of our testers felt that it was better to wear the Under Armour 2.0 alone instead of integrating into a functional layering system.
The fleece that sits next to the skin is cozy and comfortable with a fitted and athletic look. The thick cuffs and integrated thumb loops also add versatility. One of our testers actually noticed that she could slip her iPhone or iPod into the sleeve of the shirt, which turned into a secret stash spot - SCORE! To make this a more comfortable and versatile piece, we wished for a little more stretch and a little less bulk, like our Top Pick for Comfort winner, the Smartwool NTS 250. If you plan on purchasing this workout wonder, remember to size up as we found it ran a little small and tight.
Boom! This long underwear top dried faster than any other layer in our head-to-head drying competition. Once again, the waffled fabric that enables great breathability also allowed it to dry extremely quick. Thinking of doing the “Tough Mudder?” This is a great option!
We were pretty impressed the durability of this top through our testing period and didn't notice any stitching fly aways or pilling on the face fabric. However, the waffled fleece interior showed pilling and the top shrunk just a tad after the first washes. If you are looking for a synthetic with equal durability and no shrinkage, check out the Arc'teryx Rho LT Zip.
Limited in its uses due to low scores in warmth, we felt this layer was at home as a wear-alone top playing sports or going to the gym. Leave it at home for colder and more demanding missions that require an exceptionally functional layering system.
The price tag of $55.00 is very reasonable if you are looking for a very breathable layer to take with you to the gym or soccer field. If you want a synthetic alternative with more versatility, check out the Best Buy Award winner, the Patagonia Capilene 3.
The Under Armour 2.0 finds function in trips to the football field or the gym with its quick drying speed and amped up breathability. We wouldn't recommend it for any multi-day mission in the mountains or really cold weather due to its lack of warmth and versatility. That said, we loved its unique features and affordable price tag.
