At the end of a Black Diamond media lunch at Outdoor Retailer in听November, I was given a new gray T-shirt.听I鈥檓 notoriously particular about my athletic clothing, and I expected I鈥檇听drop off this听听at my local Goodwill before Christmas. Each year I receive mountains of new clothing, but I own only about a dozen go-to tops and bottoms鈥攍ike an airy Smartwool long-sleeve from 2008, a wispy Salomon wind shirt from 2013, and a pair of versatile Road Runner Sports short tights from 2014鈥攖hat fit and perform exactly how I want.
To my surprise,听the Rhythm tee worked its way into my system. I鈥檝e run in it over 50 times, including multiple long outings听in the two-to-two-and-a-half-hour range,听and this spring I鈥檝e been wearing it on training hikes with a 50-pound听pack in the foothills in advance of a busy summer-guiding schedule.
The Rhythm tee is a simple听pocketless crew-neck short-sleeved shirt. At $75, it shares the uppermost price bracket with T-shirts from Arc鈥檛eryx, Salomon S/Lab, and Smartwool.
Optimal Uses
I鈥檝e found the Rhythm tee听ideal for road and trail runs in cooler temperatures (the upper forties听through the sixties, at which point I switch to a singlet or go shirtless)听and for hikes and backpacking trips in summertime conditions with low sun exposure (or with regular applications of sunscreen). It听could certainly be used for听other听outdoor activities, like climbing and cycling, but I haven鈥檛 used it for other sports.
Key Specs
- Pocketless, short-sleeved crew neck
- Size medium weighs exactly 100 grams
- 57听percent听nylon and 43 percent merino
- Available in听 and versions
- $75
Fabric
The Rhythm tee is most unique for its NuYarn fabric, a product of the Merino Company. NuYarn, made by wrapping merino fibers around a nylon core, is听57 percent nylon and 43 percent merino. I鈥檇 describe it as soft, airy, slightly textured, and lofty for its weight. After testing merino fibers between 17 and 19.1 microns, Black Diamond听says it settled on 18.5 microns for the Rhythm tee, because this fiber weight seemed to have the best balance of comfort and durability.
This tee听is made of 95 grams per square meter听of听NuYarn, which is about one-third lighter than standard lightweight听merino fabrics, which are usually 150 grams per square meter. It鈥檚 actually not much heavier than a pure synthetic鈥攎y size medium weighs exactly 3.5 ounces, versus 3.1 ounces听for my favorite polyester running T-shirt (made from听Columbia鈥檚 Omni-Freeze Zero).
I鈥檝e long thought that synthetic-merino blends could offer the best of both worlds, and NuYarn seems to validate this. The Rhythm tee rivals the weight, moisture management, and durability of a pure synthetic knit top, like , but it also has the odor resistance and temperature regulation of a pure merino shirt, like the discontinued , making it suitable for long trips and wetter climates. I鈥檝e yet to find any downsides.
Fit
The Rhythm tee has an athletic silhouette that, thankfully, fits me perfectly. I appreciate the extra inch or so听in torso length, too, especially while wearing a pack.听For context, with most tops I prefer a slim fit in a size medium; I can fit a relaxed size small, but the sleeves and length are usually too short.
If you have a more muscular or thicker build, do not be deterred. NuYarn is absurdly stretchy鈥攁bout one-third stretchier than normal merino, per data from the supplier鈥攕o it鈥檚 more forgiving of different body types than more static fabrics.
Durability
My initial concern about the Rhythm tee was its stretch. With extensive use, I feared its fit would be lost, as happens with elasticized fabrics. But it fits me the same now as when it was new, because the stretch is inherent to the fabric knit. I should note that I rarely wash it as recommended鈥攁fter a run or a hike, I usually bring my clothing into the shower, where I hand-wash it in a bucket with water and听mild听detergent.
The sole durability issue I have found is abrasion-related pilling of the NuYarn. So far it鈥檚 superficial. In my case, the pilling is most notable on the chest and shoulders听underneath my pack straps.
In-house Martindale abrasion testing suggests that the 95 grams per square meter听of听NuYarn fabric is more durable than the standard 150 grams per square meter of听wool, which has endured many normal thru-hikes. I鈥檓 not yet sure that I鈥檇 recommend it for extensive bushwhacking, though. Feedback from harder-wearing readers would be insightful.
Future Products
Black Diamond will expand its听use of NuYarn in the growing SolutionWool collection. This fall, expect a听base layer, long-sleeved crew shirt, tights, and three-quarter-length tights (as well as some midlayers and an insulated parka). And for听fall 2020, Black Diamond is considering a long-sleeved crew and long-sleeved hoodie.
These final products have me more interested. A NuYarn听long-sleeve would be ideal for running in cooler weather. And a NuYarn long-sleeved hoodie would be perfect for backpacking in the sun-blessed Mountain West. I鈥檇 give Black Diamond bonus points if it treats the fabric with permethrin so that I can wear it in the High Sierra during peak mosquito season.