Funny Underwear for the Cold Weather

Support TFG by using the links in our articles to shop. We receive a small commission (at no extra cost to you) so we can continue to create helpful free content. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases made on Amazon in addition to other retailers featured on the blog. Thank you, we appreciate your support!

What do smart travelers have in common? Frequent flyers use thermals under their clothes so they can travel carry-on only even in winter. Find out the brands our readers most recommend!

For a full packing guide, read how to pack for cold weather like a boss!

Best Thermal Underwear for Women

Thermal underwear is a type of clothing worn beneath your top layers to keep your body warm, especially during harsh winter temperatures. Made from specialty fabric to protect against the cold, women's thermal underwear traps body heat to provide warmth.

Start by reading these general tips on packing for winter travel:

Winter Packing List for Cold Weather
Capsule Wardrobe for Winter
How to Pack for Cold Weather
How to Stay Warm in Cold Weather (without the bulk)
The Best Travel Shoes for Winter

The best thermal underwear for women often feature popular and recommended fabrics, such as merino wool and polyester blends, because they are lightweight, ultra-warm, and wick away moisture. Outdoor brands specifically choose certain fabrics that are ideal for traveling in the winter.

Another smart traveler secret is to re-wear clothing more than once without washing. Read more tips about this strategy here!

How to Choose the Best Thermals

The best thermals are made from merino wool or silk fabric because it wicks away moisture, it's lightweight, and ultra-warm.

People love these fabrics for travel!

One of the biggest benefits of traveling with clothing made with merino wool is that it can be reworn several times without washing. Some travelers have even gone weeks wearing it repeatedly without washing it!

Due to this reason, you only need to travel with one pair of woolen thermal underwear on a trip helping you pack light yet stay extremely warm. I usually pack them in one of my packing cubes along with my undergarments and pajamas as shown at the end of this video.

The biggest downside with merino wool and silk thermal underwear is the price. Because they're high quality materials, they are high in price but well worth adding to your capsule wardrobe. All you need is one pair! Keep an eye out for sales.

Synthetic blends are a less expensive option. Although not quite as effective as natural fibers, they'll definitely help keep you warmer than not having them at all.

Keep in mind that cotton is the least effective fabric for winter under clothes such as thermals. It absorbs moisture, preventing your clothing from helping you stay warm.

What Brands Offer the Best Women's Thermal Underwear?

Below, we've lined up a few brands that offer the best thermal underwear for women:

Terramar
Minus33
ColdPruf
Cuddl Duds
Ibex
Icebreaker
Duofold
Meriwool
Angelina

Silk Undershirts | Silk Thermal Pants

Terramar Thermasilk Silk Thermal Underwear

Silk thermals from Terramar are made with 100% silk pointelle knit. Their anti-microbial comfort technology is a plus when you want to re-wear your clothing.

While they also offer fleece-lined tops and bottoms, their silk layers are most noteworthy. The fabric offers optimal warmth but is ultra lightweight. Stay warm without the bulk! Katherine Orloff says, " I always take a Terramar silk undershirt. Takes up no room, and layers perfectly."

As a plus, they're also one of the best silk thermals I've found, and they're the most affordable brands, too. I've got the silk scoop neck top and bottoms on my holiday wish list for sure!

Tip: when it's really cold, layer a silk thermal under a merino wool thermal top for the perfect combo of warmth!

Merino Wool Thermal Top | Merino Wool Bottoms

Minus33Merino Wool Womens Thermal Underwear

The name speaks for itself: this brand's expertise is all about wool. Minus33 makes use of sustainable, 100% merino wool in all their clothing offerings. Their thermal underwear is made with basic and bright colors that work as mid-weight base layers for your cold weather wardrobe.

As an added bonus, did you know merino wool makes a great base layer for dry suit scuba diving?

Base Layer Top | Base Layer Bottom

ColdPruf Womens Thermal Base Layer Top and Bottom

Price: $14-$40

If you're looking for the warmest base layer for cold weather consider Coldpruf,part of the Indera Mills Company, a family-owned brand in North Carolina. ColdPruf creates knitted and thermal underwear products that give off a familiar, cozy feeling. While it doesn't offer the same level of warmth as merino thermals, their products are made with a polyester and cotton blend that acts as a budget-friendly base layer.

Thermal Top | Thermal Bottom

Cuddl Duds Long Underwear forWomen

Price: $29-$42

A supremely cute name for a brand that specializes in cozy clothing, women'sCuddl Duds long underwear is best for affordability. From fabric to fit, they offer winter wear that can be worn in layers to provide warmth without breaking the bank. You can choose from different waffle-knit designed patterns and colors to match your lifestyle.

Cuddl Duds thermal leggings get top marks from our readers. Heidi Barry Rodriguez says, "For an inexpensive base layer I like the Softwear Stretch leggings. They are amazing.

When it's really cold out, I put the leggings under it – those are not constricting at all. I walked all over New York City in below freezing weather and I was warm. Soft, comfy, and hand wash well. The shirts are terrific, and the leggings are excellent under other leggings or pants.

A Cuddl Dud crewneck, with a button up shirt and a merino sweater, was perfect for very cold weather urban sightseeing. Ditch the button up shirt for normal cold, add a decorative scarf, and stay toasty!"

TFG readers love their classic and best thermal underwear for women, especially for their budget-friendly prices.

Woolies Tech Long Sleeve Shirt | Woolies Tech Layer Bottoms

ibex Merino Wool Base Layer Top and Bottom – Editor's Pick!

Price: $105-$115

If you're looking for something well-made and reliable, the ibex merino wool thermal underwear is of superior quality and it's been a long time favorite of TFG's editor!

The Woolies Tech Long Sleeve Shirt not only works as an excellent base layer under midweights but it can be worn solo as a shirt. While the Woolies Tech Layer Bottoms are described as lightweight and work well under trousers or a dress, so not as heavy as typical tights.

One happy user endorses the Woolies soft, long sleeve shirt, " I was surprised by the versatility of this piece when it arrived and have worn it frequently since I bought it a few months ago. It's a great base layer!"

While another reviewer can't get enough of the Woolies breathable bottoms and talks about the odor-controlling properties of merino wool, "Wonderful for staying warm inside during winter and so useful to layer. These natural fibers don't retain odor like synthetic fibers. Always a must-have addition to a wardrobe."

Merino Wool Thermal Top | Merino Wool Thermal Bottom

Icebreaker Thermal Underwear Merino Wool Top and Bottom

Price: $70-$89

It's a brand that explicitly states what it's meant to do: break the ice. Made for the adventure traveler, Icebreaker creates clothing options to match your outdoor necessities. Their base layers are 100% merino wool, perfect for winter hikes, camping, and travel.

Anubha, one of our guest writers, lives in the Canadian arctic and wears Icebreaker all day every day. She says, "I've found Icebreaker products perform very well in terms of fit, durability, and temperature regulation – I've had no problem throwing them in with the laundry!

I would also recommend their socks and undies, if you want to go for a full-wool ensemble. They're some of the best extreme cold weather thermals.

In terms of style and weight, I find myself reaching for the Icebreaker Everyday Long Underwear Leggings in 200gm and the Oasis Long Sleeve Crew in 200gm. If I could add anything to my Icebreaker collection, it would be the Tech Top Long Sleeve Half Zip." If your looking for a printed one, you might want to check this 250 Vertex Base Layer Leggings.

Icebreaker doesn't just make some of the best thermal underwear for extreme cold, they also have great travel clothes, too. Our backpacking guru Tammy Lowe recommends the Villa dress.

Reader Gina Stanyer says, "I love icebreaker. I have several tops and dresses, they can be layered up with boots and tights in winter or worn with sandals in summer. The fabric is amazing – it stays fresh for many wearings!"

For a trip to an extremely cold destination, read our post on what clothing to wear in the arctic!

Thermal Shirt | Thermal Leggings

Duofold Mid Weight Wicking Thermals for Women

Price: $10-$30

This sub-brand by Champion invites users to "hold on to the heat", and they make it possible with their league of thermal underwear! Their snug-fitting, moisture control products are made with cotton, polyester, and spandex blends. Solid tops and bottoms can easily be paired and layered with other clothing against the cold.

One of the biggest perks is the price: their mid-weight bottoms start around $10 and the higher grade tops start around $25.

Baselayer Top | Baselayer Bottom

Meriwool Midweight Baselayer Top And Bottom

Price: $40-45

Merino wool is one of the most perfect fabrics for keeping you warm and comfortable all day. It will naturally wick moisture away from your body. It is anti-bacterial and resists odors. You can wear it to stay warm in winter or cool in summer. It's a fabulous fabric!

Meriwool's baselayer crewneck top in merino wool offers a flattering fit if you want to wear it alone. You also can wear it as a baselayer or a mid-layer, if you need additional warmth. The merino wool leggings and top feature super soft fabric, with no itch.

This Meriwool quick-drying shirt and thermal leggings have a loop you can use to hang them dry. We don't usually recommend washing merino wool while traveling; first, because you can wear them many times between washings, and second because it takes wool a long time to dry.

Meriwool recommends you hand wash their products and lay them flat to dry for best results, but the washing instructions on this merino wool crew top and leggings say you can machine wash them on cold and tumble dry on low with like colors. You might not want to do it all the time, but if you need to wash your merino wool while traveling, that's one way to ensure they would be dry.

Our readers suggest the best merino wool sweaters !

Fleece Thermal Top | Fleece Thermal Leggings

Angelina Fleece Women's Thermals

Price: $9-$30

The Amazon-based Angelina brand offers winter wear, including fleece-lined thermal underwear for women. Not only are their prices super affordable, but their products come in a wide array of colors so there's something for every personality.

While the other bottoms listed in this article act as the perfect under clothes layers, these styles from Angelina are the best thermal leggings for winter to be worn on their own. Thermal bottoms tend to loosen with wear but since these leggings have a microfiber spandex blend.

Their inexpensive, fleece lined thermal leggings are one of the most popular and best-selling items featured in TFG's ten best leggings for women who travel and I'm definitely going to get them the next time I'm in the US!

They also offer fleece-lined tops which sound absolutely amazing as I write to you from my bitterly cold English flat. Brrrrr!

Here's a quick review of the brands for the best thermal underwear for women:

BRAND REVIEW	FEATURED TOP	FEATURED BOTTOM
TERRAMAR Their anti-microbial comfort technology is a plus when you want to re-wear your clothing.	Check Price	Check Price
MINUS33 Work as mid-weight base layers for your cold weather wardrobe.	Check Price	Check Price
COLDPRUF Their products are made with a polyester and merino wool blend that's perfect for base layering.	Check Price	Check Price
CUDDL DUDS Best for affordability, Cuddl Duds thermal leggings get top marks from our readers.	Check Price	Check Price
ICEBREAKER Made for the adventure traveler, this brand creates clothing options to match your outdoor necessities.	Check Price	Check Price
DUOFOLD Invites users to "hold on to the heat", and they make it possible with their league of thermal underwear.	Check Price	Check Price
MERIWOOL You also can wear it as a baselayer or a mid-layer, if you need additional warmth. The merino wool leggings and top feature super soft fabric, with no itch.	Check Price	Check Price
ANGELINA One of the most popular and best-selling Items featured in TFG's ten best leggings for women who travel.	Check Price	Check Price
ibex If you're looking for something well-made and reliable, the ibex merino wool thermal underwear is of superior quality for everything from chilly camping nights to daily wear.	Check Price	Check Price