Gear Review | Devold Tuvegga Sport Air

First impression

The two sides in the larger areas (chest, sleeves and sides) of the shirt are equally striking. One side is rougher and therefore has a large surface area. If this side is worn on the inside, it is intended to increase insulation, while the large surface area on the outside allows sweat to evaporate quickly. The material on the back and under the armpits is thin and almost mesh-like. Only the undersides of the sleeves and the lowest part of the stomach and back are made of "normal" fabric. The sleeves are nice and long and have thumb loops.

Tester & test conditions

I am 183cm tall and weigh about 75kg. I'm wearing the Tuvegga shirt in size L. It fits well, but due to the stretchy material and the long sleeves, I could certainly wear a size M as well. But L doesn't hang loose on the body either, so that's a good size. I've been wearing this fine piece since the beginning of February and have worn it on most of my skiing days (sometimes even merino underwear has to be washed), so it's been used on ski tours, freeriding and piste skiing in a wide range of temperatures.

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Test report

The Tuvegga Sport Air Shirt is very comfortable to wear, as you would expect from merino underwear. I sweat a lot during physical activity, which is why I usually wear thin synthetic fibre underwear on ski tours, which simply dries very quickly. However, I wear merino underwear on multi-day tours for odour reasons, as well as mostly when skiing in the ski resort and on colder days. What I found interesting about the Devold Tuvegga Shirt, apart from the possibility of turning it, was the "merino mesh", which promises quick drying, especially on the back. The material keeps this promise in practice. I manage to sweat the shirt wet without any problems, especially on spring tours in warm weather, but it dries much faster on the body than an average 200 merino. Worn on the "warm" side, however, it is at least as warm.

Speaking of sides: yes, it does make a difference which side you wear the reversible shirt on. Of course, it's not huge, but especially if you wear it as one of several layers on the warm side, it is already relatively warm, while on spring tours on the "cold" side it reduces sweating at least a little. I would say that the warm side makes the shirt slightly warmer than a 200 merino shirt, the cold side noticeably less warm. At the same time, the Tuvegga Sport Air dries faster than practically any merino I've ever used. I also like the long sleeves with the double hem including thumb loops, so you can walk in the wind for a while without having to get out your gloves.

I find the rather wide collar takes a bit of getting used to. That's not really a disadvantage, but not only do you have to make sure you apply plenty of sunscreen in spring when you're only wearing the shirt, you also have to be a bit careful that none of the numerous straps (braces, avalanche transceivers, camera straps) and backpack straps rub against your skin.

Conclusion

I wouldn't have thought that a simple merino vest could be improved much, but Devold proved me wrong. I will probably still prefer a thinner shirt on warm spring tours, but the Tuvegga Air is well equipped for practically all other conditions.