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Sure, stylish coats and jackets get all the buzz this time of year as temperatures drop and flurries dust the mountaintops, but we’re here to tell you that the best base layers deserve some love too. In recent years, brands have introduced a whole slew of fun prints and buttery-soft fabric blends into the once-bland world of base layers, making the category anything but boring.

Experts recommend a three-layer strategy for frigid romps in the outdoors: a base layer as your next-to-skin garment, then a mid-layer (like a fleece or a fitted, insulated jacket), with a thick, wind- and weather-resistant shell on top. If it’s really cold or you’ll be sitting still in freezing temperatures for extended periods, toss a down puffy on over your mid-layer.

We asked a number of our favorite outdoor professionals and big-time adventurers what their top picks are for this season’s base layers. The result is a robust list of the best base layers out there.

Best base layer tops

A good base layer shirt needs to do a lot. While properly insulating your core, it should also wick away moisture when you sweat, stay ventilated in your warmest zones and (ideally) not stink up after a single day of use. Below are a bevy of tried-and-trusted base layer tops ranging from thick hoodies (ideal for the chilliest days) to lightweight crew necks (for more active pursuits like uphilling, splitboarding and trail running).

Maybe it’s my vanity or my love of great design talking, but I’m obsessed with Kari Traa’s plethora of adorable (and functional) merino wool base layers, like this Scandinavian-style Rose Half-Zip top. Designed in Norway by women, for women, the brand proves that you can look chic while shredding hard on the slopes this season.

Best base layer bottoms

Though a bit simpler in their features than most base layer tops, thermal bottoms still need to be sweat wicking, thick enough to insulate in the coldest temps, stretchy enough to survive alpine climbs and durable enough to last many seasons in the wilderness. Below are our experts’ picks.

Touting average base layers as “mostly useless,” Flylow has created a new midweight jogger that’s as cozy when waltzing around the cabin as it is under a bib or pair of ski pants on long, frigid powder days. Created with gridded fleece, a zippered security pocket and a drawstring waist, these breathable pants are the ultimate in active loungewear.

Sometimes, you simply don’t want the bulk (or the seams) of a full-length base layer pant inside your ski boot, which is why Balogh Rochfort picked these as her favorite bottoms. “I’ve pretty much never paid attention to my bottom base layers, other than avoiding anything full length because those bunch up with ski boots. Then I found these short pants, and I’m obsessed,” she says. “The cut is great since you don’t have to deal with ski boot bunching, but they’re also crazy warm, thanks to merino fleece in carefully placed areas.”

High-end men’s boxer brand Bn3th is also making sturdy base layers this season, and travel and culture writer Keith Langston loves them for their sustainably sourced merino, antimicrobial properties and sweat-wicking ability. “The best part of Bn3th is the brand’s patented ‘ball pouch’ design. Instead of having a constricting and tight fly-zone, Bn3th’s underwear all come with a spacious pouch area so your boys can rest comfortably,” he says.

Best base layer underwear

Lastly, if you’ve got big plans in the mountains this season, you’ll likely want to layer moisture-wicking, antimicrobial pieces under your kit. Here are a few of our favorite underwear picks designed to keep your precious bits insulated this winter. These ain’t your grandma’s wool undies.

Musician and Colorado hiker Oliver Franklin loves the patented BallPark Pouch in these Roast Master Midweight Boxer Briefs by Saxx. Built to cradle your parts like a hammock, this garment is made with a textured knit fabric that helps trap in heat while remaining wonderfully sweat wicking.