X-Bionic Energy Accumulator Jersey Review

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Product Full Name | X-Bionic Energy Accumulator V2.1 long sleeve base layer

Retail Price | £82.00

Available From | X-Bionic UK

X-Bionic Energy Accumulator – futuristic tech holds sweat for cooling

Base layers sit close to the skin, are designed to wick sweat away to stop you getting cold and come in various fabrics from man-made polypropylenes to natural merino wool.

But beyond that, a base layer’s a base layer, right? Not according to Swiss manufacturer X-Bionic, who have completely remodelled the technical base layer.

You know when your back gets soaked and you get cold the second you stop moving? That messes with your heat regulation. The body tries to maintain a core temperature of 37degrees by sweating – having saturated layers stuck on you forces your body to work harder. X-Bionic has a system of taking sweat away from areas where it cools you too rapidly, and channelling it to areas where it’s needed to keep your core at the optimum temperature.

With a high compression fit and striking detail the X-Bionic Energy Accumulator looks like something out of Tron, but does it deliver?

X-Bionic Energy Accumulator Jersey Review

From the front, the X-Bionic Energy Accumulator Jersey doesn’t look too wacky, but highlighted colours draw attention to the different weaves and features in the fabric.

The Detail

Made from Polyamide, Polypropylene and Elastane, the X-Bionic Energy Accumulator isn’t made like most garments –  the body is a 3d knitted design that’s spun from a single thread at their Italian factory. All the advanced ridges, channels and stretch panels are built in – it’s not a multi panel design. When you remove the base layer from the huge and insanely detailed packaging, it’s absolutely tiny. So small that you will check the sizing to make sure the correct one was inside!

The first thing you notice with the X-Bionic Energy Accumulator jersey is the amount of differing textures it has – the front of the jersey has heavy detailing on the chest, forearms, arm pits and shoulders, whereas the back of the jersey has a huge V-shaped panel in the middle of the back.

X-Bionic Energy Accumulator Jersey Review

The ISO shoulder design and 3D Bionic Sphere system, combined with the X-shaped ventilation channels and expansion ribs on the elbows make this jersey stand out a mile off. When you pull it on , you will feel like you’re on the set of Tron.

Every detail on the jersey has a unique feature.  Starting up top, the Iso-Shoulder design has formed channels that provide an insulating layer on the top of the body to help keep you warm. The raised profile of the ridges allow body temperature air to circulate.

The orange detailing on the chest is the 3D Bionic Sphere System, which allows rapid cooling of the chest area without cooling the rest of the torso. This is aided by the ventilated channel underneath that further improves air flow.

The Armpits of the jersey feature Sweat Traps, which are highly absorbent and pull the sweat away from the skin to help it dry out rapidly.

X-Bionic Energy Accumulator Jersey Review

This is the rear panel from the inside. Sweat is absorbed by the thicker ridges, whilst the channels allow your warm body heat to circulate. This is a great combination – enough sweat held to you for temperature management, but when you stop moving you don’t have a freezing cold wet patch. Surprisingly this works when you use a riding bag too.

The back of the jersey also features the 3D BionicSphere, though instead of being ventilated for cooling, it works by pulling sweat off the skin and allowing warm body air to move through the channels. It cools you when you sweat, and keeps you warm when you cool down as the sweat isn’t held on your back.

X-Bionic Energy Accumulator Jersey Review

This is the inside of the jersey showing the Sweat Trap on the lower back. The fabric is highly absorbent and really does stop sweat running in to your shorts. The X-shaped air channel dries this off too – allowing sweat to cool the skin, but without you getting cold. Bonkers technology for a base layer, but it works.

The lower back features an X-shaped air channel to cool you, whilst more sweat traps pull the sweat off you and stop it running down in to your shorts.

Elbows have orange expansion ribs, which are similar to the ISO shoulders except they are highly mobile to keep your joints warm and mobile.

X-Bionic Energy Accumulator Jersey Review

The X-Bionic Energy Accumulator is a high compression fit, but unlike other compression jerseys it feels a lot more mobile. Ribbed elbows allow for easy movement, but are insulated to keep the joints warm, and the ISO shoulder design really does keep heat locked in.

Out on the trail

So can a base layer with a zillion features really be as good as they say?

In a word, yes.

From the moment you shrink wrap yourself in to the X-Bionic Energy Accumulator you feel like an athlete. With the compression feel it feels great on – tight; flattering and non-restrictive. The fit is the best of any base layer I’ve used by a long way – it’s just so comfortable.

Most heavier duty base layers feel warm, and you start sweating in them easily. This is no different – although the significant difference is that you don’t really notice you’re sweating.

After a hard ride with a waterproof jacket over the top of a base layer, I’m normally really sweaty and get cold fast. But with the X-Bionic jersey I’m noticeably drier overall, and certain places like the back are soaked – but because the ridges and channels work so well the warm air still moves around your body and you don’t really notice it. It’s quite an odd thing to describe, but it really does work.

I’ve been using this base layer for a few months now, and it’s been the perfect accompaniment to simple shell jackets when it’s been warm and wet- right through to combining with a soft shell in the recent colder spell. Not once have I over heated, nor felt too cold – which is a bit of a revelation for me as I run on hot, and tend to cool down too quickly with the amount I sweat.

I have to say, I thought multiple features were a bit of a marketing gimmick at first, but everything on this base layer really does work exceptionally well.

 

We Say

Although expensive, there are other brands out there that offer similarly expensive base layers with non of the high performance features of the X-Bionic Energy Accumulator Jersey. This thing has the best fit of any base layer I’ve ever used, and really does help control your body heat through a combination of ventilation and sweat traps.

It also seems to resist the dreaded funk that many man-man fabrics get – I’ve been wearing this base layer every day for my commute, using it again at the weekend and washing it on the Sunday. It washes well, and thanks to the virtually seamless design is in the exact same condition as when I pulled it out the box. 

I’m completely sold. 


 

 

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