Helly Hansen Lifa Stripe Crew Review
Compare prices at 2 resellers Pros: Extremely breathable, lightweight, dries fast, super affordable
Cons: Poor fit, not very warm, not super durable, stinky
Manufacturer: Helly Hansen
Our Verdict
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 This Product
Helly Hansen Lifa Stripe Crew | |||||
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| Awards |  | | |||
| Price | $40 List | $59.99 at Amazon | $48.95 at Backcountry Compare at 2 sellers | $55 List Check Price at REI | $40 List Check Price at REI |
Overall Score  |
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| Star Rating | |||||
| Pros | Extremely breathable, lightweight, dries fast, super affordable | Affordable, fashionable fit, breathable | Affordable, tough and ultralight, thoughtful articulation, UPF protection | Ultralight, airy and breathable, affordable, up to 100% recycled polyester | Inexpensive, breathable, functional |
| Cons | Poor fit, not very warm, not super durable, stinky | Finer thread Merino is not quite as warm, slightly itchy, shoulder top seams | Ineffective odor control, warm-weather focused | Not a warm layer by itself, loose-fitting cuffs can get caught up when layering | Lack of durability, long dry times |
| Bottom Line | This top is an impressively breathable and lightweight base layer built for activities where you are creating a lot of heat | This top delivers the fine qualities of a merino wool base layer without the extreme cost | A versatile, lightweight, and affordable layer that protects from the sun and fights off the chill of early adventure mornings | A high-value piece whose breathability and airy fit means that it can be worn for high-output activity regardless of the season, but not your go-to layer for mid-winter warmth | A simple, functional base layer with performance issues consistent with its price point |
| Rating Categories | Helly Hansen Lifa S... | Meriwool Midweight... | Outdoor Research Ec... | Long-Sleeved Capile... | REI Co-op Lightweig... |
| Warmth (25%) | |||||
| Breathability (20%) | |||||
| Comfort And Fit (20%) | |||||
| Drying Speed (10%) | |||||
| Durability (15%) | |||||
| Layering Ability (10%) | |||||
| Specs | Helly Hansen Lifa S... | Meriwool Midweight... | Outdoor Research Ec... | Long-Sleeved Capile... | REI Co-op Lightweig... |
| Material | 100% Lifa® polypropylene | 100% merino wool | Airvent 100% polyester | 100% double knit polyester (37% recycled, heather-colors; 100% recycled, solid-colors) | 92% polyester, 8% spandex |
| Fabric Weight | 125 g/m² | 250g/m² | 108 g/m² | 77 g/m² | Not Listed |
| Weight (size M) | 4.4 oz | 9.8 oz | 3.4 oz | 3.8 oz | 6.1 oz |
| Types available | crew | crew | crew, 1/4 zip, hoody | long sleeve, t-shirt | short sleeve, crew, 1/4 zip |
| Thumb Loops? | No | No | No | No | No |
| Air Dry Test (minutes) | 35 | 45 | 30 | 30 | 70 |
| Fit | Slim fit | Slim fit | Slim fit | Slim fit | Semi-fitted |
| Stitching | Flatlock seams | Flatlock and flat seams | Flatlock seams | Flatlock seams | Flatlock seams |
| Dryer safe? | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Shoulder top seams? | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No |
| Drop tail hem? | No | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
Our Analysis and Test Results
The super-affordable lightweight synthetic base layer from Helly Hansen boasts superb breathability and lightning-fast drying capabilities making it a great layer for high output activities in cool to cold weather. An awkward fit at best, low warmth, and mediocre durability give this an overall low score.
Performance Comparison
Warmth
This layer is great for being active and creating heat but not the most impressive insulator. Its breathability is stellar but cold air cuts right through the lightweight and thin fabric. Overall it just isn't that warm.
Breathability
The super lightweight, thin synthetic fabric allows air to pass through it like light thru a bay window on a sunny summer day. It was among the top scorers in this category and is impressive, to say the least. If you are engaged in activities that require you to dump heat rapidly and dry fast this layer is awesome, and if it somehow fits you well, you're golden.
Comfort and Fit
This is where it all goes up in flames. We'll try and approach this as gingerly as possible. This looks and feels like a soccer jersey. The fit is odd with the entire garment running on the extremely small/tight side. The neck is uncomfortably tight, feels like you're getting choked out by Mr. T.
The two cuffs are very tight which is nice for layering and they stay in place but also made us feel a bit claustrophobic. The sleeves are a great length but the torso is laughably short leaving a significant portion of the belly and back exposed bending over or lifting your arms above your head.
The sewing pattern is not specific or on purpose at all. There are no gusseted underarms and not one, but two seams running over your shoulder where backpack straps would sit. You could probably buy a soccer jersey and it would be on par with this piece, and around the same price.
Drying Speed
And then it totally redeems itself. Well… maybe not totally, but it helps. This had a great dry speed time, with our top contender drying out just a few minutes faster.
Durability
The durability of this piece was not very impressive but seemed on par with how light and thin the material was. The thin synthetic fabric was easy to snag and tear when bushwhacking. The general quality of construction seems lackluster compared to the other layers we tested.
It did do surprisingly well in the abrasion test. Minimal pilling and some visible surface wear but no hole, which was surprising as three other tops, all made of thicker material had holes in them after the abrasion test.
Layering Ability
This top layered great in some ways and not so great in others. The tight two-inch cuffs did a great job of keeping our sleeves in place while sliding tight, sticky fleece mid layers over top of it and the smooth synthetic fabric helped as well.
As far as using this to layer over anything, fuhgeddaboutit! The ridiculously short torso and tight cuffs simply do not allow for such things to happen.
Value
This the most affordable top that we reviewed — the price is unbeatable, but matches the quality of construction and attention to detail in the fit. Hard to justify when you can spend slightly more for significantly more quality.
Conclusion
In summary, the lightweight synthetic Helly Hansen Lifa Stripe Crew base layer earns high marks in its superb ability to breathe and dry fast but falls short in warmth, quality of construction, and fit. An affordable option for high output activities in cool to cold weather but hard to justify with our Best Buy option being comparable in cost but leagues above in all other categories.
— Roland Mott