Beyond Clothing has been on my radar for a while, as they stand out from the numerous other outdoor performance clothing brands by building their whole line around a layering system. Every piece is designated as L1 through L8, making it easy to build your optimal layering system, with sizing to match. To make it even easier, they have a pre-designed matrix for functionality in climates anywhere from Hot (106 to 75° F) all the way down to Polar (-70 to -40° F).
I’ve recently been testing the Celeris Pullover (Huckberry), which is designated K2 (KYROS line, L2, Midweight Baselayer — imported but same quality and compatible with the US made AXIOS system).
While I’ve only been able to try it out at home and around the neighborhood, it has been a nice layering piece to keep warm, and definitely has earned them a spot on my list of brands to consider for outdoor gear.
Material
The fabric here is Beyond Clothing’s 7.9 oz. Verso Weave™ 94% polyester/6% spandex. If you are familiar with Patagonia’s R1 fleece (a grid fleece), this is similar, except the grid is circles. They also went as far as using a lighter grid of circles on the side panels and under the arms to help vent excess heat while active.
Overall the fabric is stretchy, breathable, and comfortable, exactly what is needed for a good baselayer.
Performance
The performance here is great. It is a bit warmer than R1 fleece (the fabric here is 1 oz. heavier), but the lighter side panels help improve breathability even further.
Beyond describes the use case as “Below 45° F as either a next-to-skin or over an L1.”, however, I found it comfortable while sitting at my desk at 65° F — that shows the versatility, and also difference between active and non-active wear.
The long zip, higher collar, and ample hood make this a very versatile piece. You can dump heat with the zipper wide open or zip it all the way up for a snug fit around your neck and head to keep you toasty warm.
The stretch also makes the layer extremely comfortable, and I find it to be more stretchy than the R1.
Unfortunately, being mostly polyester, there is no odor control here. Over a shirt being non-active, I can get a good number of wears out of it, but I imagine it will get smelly pretty quickly when sweating.
Fit & Style
The fit here is athletic and what you’d expect from a second baselayer. Even though I got the “Regular” and not “Long” length (they recommend “Regular” for up to 6’2”), the body is still plenty long to tuck in if worn as part of a layering system.
The thumb holes are a nice touch to keep the sleeves from riding up as you put other layers over top. When not using the thumb holes, this makes the sleeves a bit long. There is also a small pocket on the left sleeve for something like a key or card.
Style wise, we are firmly in the outdoor performance category here. This isn’t going to be a layer for when you get chilly at the office or in a cold restaurant.
Overall
The Celeris Pullover will definitely stay in my rotation and will probably replace my R1 in my outdoors setup, depending on how the odor-resistance is once I get this sweaty.
If you are looking for a versatile outdoors-forward midweight baselayer hoodie, this one is definitely worth consideration. If you want something that can work more broadly style wise, the Patagonia R1 might be a better fit.
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