Not Your Fathers Nomex Underwear
"It's too hot," is the most common complaint we hear when it comes to wearing Nomex underwear. And that was true back in the day, when racing drivers wore woolen undershirts and pants beneath their cotton overalls. But modern Nomex undergarments are not your father's racing underwear -- thankfully. And the truth is, today's Nomex racing underwear will actually keep you cooler when wearing it.
It's no surprise that the road racing wearable products industry revolves around keeping professional racing drivers safe and comfortable. As a result, manufacturers are always competing to find the next big breakthrough in safety or comfort (or both) that will bring more drivers to their brand. On the flip side, any driver racing in uncomfortable gear isn't likely to wear it for long, as they weigh every detail of their performance with laser-like precision. They know that distraction creates inefficiency, and inefficiency can be the difference between a great lap and a trip back to the paddock on a pit bike with the car on a hook.
The Pros Do It...
Ask yourself, “Why do all professional drivers wear Nomex underwear?” You may be surprised to learn it’s not mainly because it’s a sanctioning body requirement. The real answer is that modern high-performance tech underlayers are made to wick moisture away from the skin, which helps cool the driver.
In fact, the inner lining of a Nomex fire suit isn’t designed for cooling and doesn’t function in the same way, because a racing fire suit is intended to be worn with Nomex underwear beneath it. And today's Nomex underlayers are engineered to complement fire suit design in terms of both safety and comfort. They really do work better together.
And, It's Just Plain Safer
Finally -- and this cannot be overstated -- wearing a layer of Nomex underwear provides the driver precious additional seconds for safe egress when things go terribly wrong inside a race car. A great many racers, some of whom we know personally, fell into the trap of thinking, "That will never happen to me," right up until it did. Auto racing comes with inherent risks, but outfitting yourself with proper, well-designed safety gear goes a long way toward mitigating many of those risks.
So Which Brand Is The Best?
We carry several different lines of very high quality Nomex underwear. Below are our thoughts on the pros and cons of each brand and line, in no particular order.
Walero Nomex Underwear
What sets the Walero line-up of Nomex tech layers apart from others isn’t simply the thickness of the material but rather the material itself. Walero uses a literal space-age material developed by NASA for off-world applications to regulate body temperature based on the environment (i.e., ambient temperature). It’s called Outlast® technology and it really is the stuff of science-fiction books.
Garments made with Outlast® technology use thermo-regulation to both keep you cool when the temperature rises and keep you warm when the temperature drops. This reduces perspiration by up to 33% and, as most racers already know, perspiration leads to dehydration and dehydration has all sorts of nasty side-effects that reduce reaction times, preventing you from putting down your best lap times and increasing the odds of making a mistake.
Another benefit of Walero Nomex is their anti-microbial Envirotex treatment. This hospital-grade treatment is 99.99% effective against most common bacteria, eliminating a portion of the bacterial odors we’ve all become so accustomed to when opening our gear bag. In other words: less funk in your junk!
Also, as has become the norm for high-end tech layers these days, Walero uses flat-lock seams and super-soft fabric to maximize overall fit and comfort.
Alpinestars Race v3 and ZX EVO v2 Series
Both of these series are an update to Alpinestars' previous generation of products, and both saw marked improvements over their respective predecessors. The Alpinestars Race v3 is less expensive than their ZX EVO v2 series while still providing exceptional breathability and overall comfort. The top-of-the-line Alpinestars ZX EVO v2 series has a ton of stretch panels and, while one of the more expensive lines of Nomex underwear, feels like wearing stretchy tissue (really, it’s that soft). The excellent styling also makes the ZX EVO v2 series really stand out, but your mileage may vary.
Alpinestars also has both basic and advanced socks which are worth a look.
Sparco Delta, Shield & Prime+ Series
Sparco's Prime+ Nomex underwear series is their latest and greatest offering, worn by professional racing drivers the world over for its unparalleled comfort and protection. Sparco also makes the Delta and Shield Series in both long- and short-sleeved versions. (Note that the short-sleeved versions are not rated for competition by either FIA or SFI, so if your series requires those you’ll want to skip the short-sleeved shirts.)
While the Delta series hits a slightly higher price point than the Alpinestars Race v2, the two lines share a lot of similarities including comfort, thickness, and softness.
The Shield series from Sparco is incredibly soft and breathable and has no visible graphics like the Alpinestars Race v3, but it’s no less comfortable, feeling like an ultra-soft chamois cloth. We highly recommend it.
And don't forget Sparco's amazing assortment of Nomex socks!
