Over the last couple of years, I’ve become a huge fan of Tracksmith’s running tops. They are always the first I reach for, and I’ve logged hundreds of miles in them. They recently reworked their brighton line, their seamless styles rendered in merino wool. I bought the long sleeve version to help ease me into cold weather runs. So far I’ve only worn it on its own, but as temperatures continue dropping, I’ll layer it under jackets and vests. I might even wear it skiing. Here’s everything you need to know about the brighton long sleeve base layer.
In general, Tracksmith’s tops tend to run about a half or even a full size small. I wear a size XXS in Athleta and a 2 in lululemon, but in Tracksmith, I wear a XS across the board, which is what I’m wearing here. Most runners prefer a loose fit through the body to avoid tops that ride up. As a result, the brighton is fitted through the shoulders, chest, and arms, then is more relaxed through the waist. If you are between sizes, I recommend sizing up.
The seamless knit is ultra soft and stretchy. It’s insanely comfortable and feels great to wear. It’s only about 52% merino, the rest of the fabrication is a blend of polyester and nylon. The fabric is very lightweight and breathable, good for mild shoulder season days when worn on its own. I have Tracksmith’s brighton tanks from a couple years ago, and it seems like they’ve improved the fabric since then.
Despite the knit appearing quite delicate, I can run in this with my Osprey pack and have not had any issues with pilling thus far. As you can see, the knit is textured with a mesh effect. I love how the knit patterning creates Tracksmith’s signature sash motif across the front for extra style points.
The only thing this top has in common with other seamless styles, like lululemon’s swiftly tees, is just the fact that they’re seamless. The fabric feels quite different–Tracksmith’s brighton is much softer and more comfortable to wear compared to my swiftly long sleeves. One complaint I have about swiftlies is that the sleeves are very long (I am 5’3″), and the material is difficult to pull back. The cuffs end up in my way a lot. Tracksmith’s sleeves are a little shorter, and the stretchier material means I can easily slide the sleeves up my forearms to cool off. This is especially useful for layering, since the cuffs won’t create a mess of fabric around my wrists. Petite people, you know what I’m talking about.
Merino is a fabulous performance fabric, especially for winter, because it’s naturally insulating and anti-stink. When it comes to sweaters for casual wear, I find wool to be horribly itchy and miserable to wear. But for whatever reason, I can wear Tracksmith’s merino performance tops with zero itch factor. If you’re skeptical of merino, as I was, I’d encourage you to give it a shot–returns are free! I was very surprised at how much I like it. I’m a total convert, and now I run in merino regularly.
The only thing that’s missing on this top is thumbholes. I’m a little sad to see Tracksmith has steered away from thumbholes in many of their long sleeve tops, because I would use them if they were there. That said, it’s not a deal breaker, and I’m still happy with this top without them.
If you prefer a thicker, warmer, more solid merino top (89% or more), go with the harrier long sleeve instead. If you want lightweight, but you want thumbholes and a cheaper price point, go with the twilight long sleeve. I have all 3 and I love each of them for different reasons.
At $88, the brighton is a very expensive running tee, but the quality is clear. It’s about the same as lululemon’s swiftly tees, but I think Tracksmith’s offering is superior. If you’re willing to spend the money, it’s an excellent addition to any runner’s repertoire.
Outfit details
Tracksmith brighton base layer long sleeve – plum
Lululemon wunder train high-rise 21″ crops – true navy
Yay! So happy to see new reviews. :) I like Tracksmith’s aesthetic and I have a few pieces from them. I’ve also tried this top and agree with all of your points. I am flagging what you said about tight through the arms and shoulders. If you are muscular, you won’t be able to fit this top even in a size up. I’m a Lulu 4, sometimes a 6 in fitted tops due to my muscles, and even a M was too tight in the arms for me. (And I was swimming in fabric in the midsection)
So- if you’re muscular I’d recommend trying a different style.
THANKS for the great photos and review!
Yesss so happy I’m finally catching up on my insane backlog! Hah. Thank you for the contrasting opinion! If you don’t mind, I’ll update my post to call that out in the review. I have super narrow shoulders (both in skeletal structure and in musculature) so it never even occurred to me that it would be a fit issue for some. Thanks again! :)
I literally was searching the Lulu website for this style shirt today! I’ll go check out this brand.
Perfect timing! :) If you give this one a try, I hope it works out for you!
Excellent review since I’m seeking long-sleeved wool base layers–and since I’m your size. This top looks like a winner. I’m impressed by its durability; it looks way too delicate to wear with a pack! Comparison with Lululemon’s Swiftly Tech was very helpful; this gave me context. (Note: I don’t mind the former Swiftly’s extra-long sleeves with cute circular thumb holes, but I dislike the new version 2.0 sleeves with sloppy banded thumbholes and, worse, overly slick, cheap-looking fabric).
Do your photos depict the actual plum color? On the Tracksmith website, plum looks much darker. I actually prefer the lighter, more purple color in your pics, so I’m wondering which is more accurate.
Please review the Harrier next!
So glad it was helpful!! I hope it works out for you too! If I’m not too late, yes I think my photos are more accurate for color than Tracksmith’s site. Like you said, it looks really dark on their site but imo it’s not that dark in real life. Harrier will be coming soon once I can get some good pics. :) Thank you for reading and commenting!
I have one Tracksmith top and a pair of their joggers. I love their aesthetic but my biggest gripe about them is that they are constantly sold out of every size in everything. If you don’t buy right when it drops, well good luck. So even though I would love to buy this top, they are sold out in every color in my size. I even tried the mens side too and same story. UGH! It looks great on you though!!