Pearson Merino Neck Warmer

The Pearson Merino Neck Warmer is soft, comfortable and very effective, but then so are a lot of neck tubes – and many cost far less. If you want premium, ethically sourced fabric and low-key stylish looks, though, it's very nice to wear.

This neck warmer matches a hat we've also reviewed, but where that brings great shaping and performance to a tricky spot – a sliver of a gap between head and helmet – the same high-end fabric has less opportunity to shine here.

Sat loose around your neck and largely buried under whatever collar you're wearing, the 80% merino and 20% nylon blend struggles to make up much ground over cheaper fabrics. There's no doubt it's a fabric that can perform very well, it's just that as a neck warmer it doesn't have much chance to prove it.

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Available in this dark blue or grey, it's soft and comfortable, and because it's thin it fits well even under tight collars. It deals well with sweat and rain, too, staying warm when wet and drying fast – though whether you still get hot under the collar at times depends mostly on how high and how breathable your collar is.

The length is perfect for wearing this around your neck, but it's too short to double over and wear as a cap – try it and it won't go anywhere near your ears.

Value

At £25 this is expensive when something like the Orro Luxe Neck Warmer is £9.99 (and currently half price) and works basically just as well. Okay, that's polyester and an entire 20g heavier, but in reality you're hardly going to notice.

If you must have merino, the Lusso Merino Buff is just £12, and though it's actually more polyester (65%) than wool, it also works very well.

That said, the 7mesh Desperado Merino Neck Warmer is £25, so it's not as if the Pearson is alone at this level. And you are paying for 'high-quality MAPP merino wool (sourced from ethical New Zealand producers)', says Pearson.

> Read more road.cc reviews of cycling headwear here

We have reviewed three £30 neck warmers in recent times – the 7mesh Colorado, the Velocio Signature Collar and the Sportful Women's Neck Warmer – so you could say the Pearson is priced reasonably for a premium product then, but as with the rest of them, you're really only getting marginal gains.

Overall, it does what it's designed to very well – it warms your neck very nicely. It's way up at the expensive end, though, and not massively better in terms of performance than a great many cheaper options.

Verdict

Lovely fabric, but real-world performance isn't wildly better than far cheaper warmers