By Don Jurries
Put on the Airblaster Ninja Suit and you’ll feel different. This long underwear is guaranteed to make you feel more confident. You’ll be admiring yourself in the mirror and just possibly trying out Ninja moves until your wife or girlfriend rolls her eyes. There are women’s versions, too, so you’ll just have to get her into a Ninja Suit to make her understand.
I was given a Ninja Suit by Airblaster to test, bringing the piece with me on a ski and snowboard trip to Germany. I normally wear baselayer separates, as ski jackets and pants are generally designed to keep snow and cold air from getting through. If you’re looking for extra protection, however, this one-piece mid-weight baselayer, combining 94% brushed polyester and 6% Lycra into a 4-way stretch fabric called Air Tech, seals out snow, stretching and flexing as you release your inner Ninja on the slopes.
The Ninja Suit long underwear features thumb holes at the cuff and a 7-Panel form-fitting hood for extra protection against the elements. If you require further protection from cold and biting winds, Airblaster has created a separate Ninja Face balaclava from the same Air Tech materials that you can use alongside your Ninja Suit.
All tucked in and zipped up for skiing and snowboarding, I was slightly concerned about #1 and #2 bathroom access, but the Ninja Suit long underwear has a front fly and a 350 degree zip around the waist. This special access takes a bit of getting used to, especially when dealing with other layers.
The weight of the waist zip and its position on the Ninja Suit made it feel like my pants were continually falling down. A draw string hem a little higher one the waist, however, can be pulled tight to act as a “belt”.
The Ninja Suit long underwear comes in a variety of colors and fabrics. The Expedition Weight Ninja Suit uses a single-sided microfleece for extra warmth, while the Merino Ninja Suit is constructed out of a 96% Merino Wool fabric.
If you are planning to be outside in temperatures under the freezing point, go with Merino. The brushed polyester version started to let me down in sub-zero temperatures up high on the mountain. A Hoodless Ninja Suit version leaves off the hood and ends just below the knee, eliminating the excess fabric that can bunch up above your ski boots.
The Ninja Suit retails for $109.99 from the Airblaster website. Make sure you order the right size depending on how you like the fit. I am 6'2" tall, 220 lbs, and an XL fit well on my legs, while a little loose at the top.