Women's Merino Extreme 200 base layer bottoms

“BRILLIANT – I wear them every day from autumn to spring. As a second layer for winter cycling, on the sledging hill with the kids, cross-country skiing, skating and – best of all – as the easiest possible loungewear at home! I recommend them to anyone who values warmth, comfort and ease.”

Clarissa V., satisfied customer

Merino Extreme – warmth that lasts all day

The women's Merino Extreme 200 base layer bottoms solve one of the toughest challenges of dressing for exercise and the outdoors in colder weather: how to stay dry and comfortable when your body keeps warming up and cooling down. Ordinary merino long johns hold warmth even when damp, but feel clammy on your skin once you've been sweating. Polyester long johns dry quickly but don't hold warmth. Merino Extreme combines the best of both.

The secret of Merino Extreme is the two-layer structure of its 200 g/m² knit. The polypropylene on the inside moves moisture away from your skin, while the merino wool on the outside holds warmth and breathes naturally. Your skin stays dry as your heart rate rises, and your body stays warm during breaks too. The fabric feels soft and light on your skin, almost as if you weren't wearing the bottoms at all, yet it still regulates your temperature.

Merino wool is naturally odour-resistant, so when you take the bottoms off in the afternoon, you're not greeted by that familiar stale base layer smell. They feel as fresh as when you put them on. On long trips, airing the bottoms is often enough to freshen them up, which is a big advantage when washing isn't an option.

Merino Extreme 200 base layer bottoms come with a 100-day satisfaction guarantee. We want to give you time to try them properly: wear them as you normally would for 100 days. If you're not happy with them for any reason, you'll get your money back.

Pro-tested Merino Extreme 200 base layer bottoms for any situation

These close-fitting but stretchy women's base layer bottoms move with you without feeling tight. Squat, lift your leg or take a long stride, and the bottoms follow your movements instead of stretching or holding you back. The feminine cut follows the shape of your body, so the bottoms feel natural whether you're moving or standing still. All seams are soft flatlock seams that lie flat and won't rub your skin, even with repeated wear.

The high waist is the heart of these bottoms. It covers your lower back and keeps it warm, even when your top rides up or your back would otherwise be exposed as you bend over. No more pulling your top down or feeling a cold draught on your lower back. Inside the folded waistband is a soft elastic band, with merino wool over it against your skin. No hard elastic against your belly, and no red marks in the evening. This matters especially if you have sensitive skin.

The slim legs make these bottoms ideal for wearing under shell clothing and outdoor trousers. The legs don't bunch up or twist, so you can pull on your outer trousers without the layers fighting each other or having to tug the legs back into place. Merino Extreme keeps your legs warm even when you're not moving, whether you're sitting at a rest stop or waiting in one place.

You can wear the Merino Extreme 200 base layer bottoms as a second layer over Airbase mesh bottoms, or as your first layer in severe cold. In the Svala AIR System™, these bottoms are the Base Layer: the warming layer you wear over Airbase, the moisture-wicking Zero Layer. Pair them with one of our Merino Extreme tops, the Merino Extreme 200 base layer top or the Merino Extreme 200 zip-neck top, to keep your whole body warm and dry.

Thoughts from the designer

“The layer under your trousers is often the one that gets forgotten – we think about the jacket and the top, but overlook the legs. Yet when you're standing still, your legs get cold just as quickly as your upper body. I wanted to design women's base layer bottoms where two materials work together: polypropylene carries moisture away, and merino wool holds warmth even when the bottoms are damp. The high waist keeps your lower back warm, and the soft merino wool over the elastic feels good against your skin, even when you wear them all day.”

Ninni Pohto, designer at Svala

Merino wool and polypropylene: a fabric refined over decades

The two-layer structure of the Merino Extreme knit is the result of years of development at Svala. The inner layer is polypropylene, which moves moisture efficiently from your skin to the outer layer. The outer layer is SuperWash-treated merino wool blended with a small amount of polyamide to make it more hard-wearing. In practice, this means your skin stays dry and the bottoms keep you warm even when they're damp.

Merino wool is naturally excellent at holding warmth and moving moisture. Its natural odour resistance helps prevent unpleasant smells, and you can often freshen the bottoms by airing them instead of washing them. That means you can pack one pair for a trip instead of five. Long-fibre merino wool doesn't itch like ordinary wool, so the bottoms feel soft and comfortable on your skin, even when you wear them for long periods.

Merino Extreme works very well as a first layer in severe cold or as a second layer over Svala Airbase mesh bottoms. In temperatures from −30 °C to +15 °C, the bottoms keep you warm even when you alternate between activity and rest.

The women's Merino Extreme 200 base layer bottoms are made from 75% mulesing-free merino wool, 22% polypropylene and 3% polyamide. The materials are OEKO-TEX 100 certified, which guarantees the product is safe against your skin. The bottoms are designed and made at the Svala factory in Kärsämäki, Finland, with skills honed over decades.

Developed in Finland for Finnish weather

Packing your rucksack for a week in the wilderness, where temperatures change from morning to evening? Drilling fresh holes for ice fishing in the sunshine? Working a long day in the cold, with the temperature never rising above freezing? Merino Extreme is made for moments like these.

Merino Extreme clothing suits almost any activity on land, on water and in the air, as well as leisure time outside. Your gear no longer decides how much you enjoy being outdoors.

Merino Extreme 200 base layer bottoms are at their best:

• At work
• Hiking and trekking
• Running
• Cycling
• Cross-country skiing
• Snowmobiling
• Canoeing or boating
• Fishing and ice fishing
• Hunting
• Everyday wear
• Clearing snow

Svala's Merino Extreme was developed in Finland and has been tested in professional use for decades. In other words, it has proven itself on people who show their clothes no mercy: on long shifts, on week-long wilderness trips, and in wet, cold conditions where your gear decides how comfortable your day is. If the bottoms have stood up to them, they'll stand up to you too.