Our test and opinion: the Seagale “Action Merino” henley

If you follow BonneGueule at all, you probably know Seagale .

Launched in 2014 with a swimsuit (which we have a women's range .

The brand can be described as urban techwear : the clothes are designed to be worn in an urban setting, but they all have a certain technicality (stretch, water repellency, breathability, etc.).

If the brand still offers swimsuits, today it is the technical tops that we spontaneously think of when we mention Seagale.

In this test, I therefore offer you a review of this fiber on their “Action Merino ” henley, ivory color , sold for €65.

Will the promise be kept?

Cutting, rendering, making ✂️

1. Color

The colors of the shoot are well representative of the product: it is an off-white tending slightly towards yellow.

This garment, rather thin and light in color, is slightly transparent. If this prospect puts you off, go for another color, darker and more opaque: navy blue, green or gray, for example.

2. Cutting

This henley is rather fitted and long.

If you are rather short or of average height, you can roll up or roll the sleeves and wear it tucked into pants to energize the silhouette and avoid a " dressing gown " effect.

If you're a little overweight, that might show a little here.

If you are on the taller side and have a slim, average or athletic build, this will be great for you.

I'm 1m88 tall and weigh 80kg and I chose the L henley. It's the right size for me.

3. Details

The three throat buttons are made of corozo, ecru in color and of medium thickness. They are cross-stitched.

Photo from our shoot for our advice article on henley.

The top button came unstitched during the first wear. It was sewn up and I haven't had any problems since. The brand gave me a €10 voucher for a future order when I reported this little problem to them.

The brand logo (a cicada) is embroidered at the bottom left of the garment, tone on tone. This detail is almost invisible on the ecru model.

This henley is made in Lithuania (European Union).

Understand everything about the very particular material of this henley 🤔

1. Composition analysis

The composition is as follows:

55% tencel

This henley is not mainly made of merino wool but of tencel.

What is tencel? This is an artificial material.

To understand everything about these artificial materials, I invite you to read the guide written by Nicolò which explains the main elements to know about them .

In summary, we could say that an artificial fiber is between a natural and synthetic material .

Its base material is of natural origin (cellulose extracted from eucalyptus wood at Seagale) and its transformation into thread is carried out by man using chemical processes.

38% merino wool

Here it is, our famous merino wool.

38% is therefore not a majority. But it's not negligible either.

The wool is 17 microns at Seagale: it is superfine wool .

As a reminder, merino wool has many advantages as Michel has already explained to you very well :

• It is the material that retains the least bad odors,
• It insulates heat in winter and protects you from it in summer,
• It keeps you dry by absorbing perspiration

No other fiber has been able to reproduce all of these properties with the same efficiency.

8% elastane

That's a pretty high percentage. If you look at your stretch clothes, you will find between 1 and 3 or even 4% elastane.

Here, the 8% elastane therefore gives significant stretch to the material .

2. Concretely, this material: what is it worth?

Rendering: slightly textured

As we approach, we notice a slight change in the material.

I'm talking about the little horizontal streaks visible here.

However, there is no possible comparison with henleys with a more pronounced texture:

Henley BonneGueule on the left, RRL on the right.

If you are looking for a very raw, workwear henley: this model is not quite for you.

If you are looking for a henley with a more relaxed style, with a little texture: this model will suit you.

Comfort: top notch

This material makes you want to be touched and carried.

This henley is very comfortable:

• Tencel is a soft and pleasant material against the skin.
• Merino wool is also a soft material that does not scratch.
• The elastane makes the garment very stretchy.

Nicolò had tested a boxer brief from the brand with this same material, which he described in these terms:

« Touch and hand of the material: 9/10

This is a great strong point of the brand: the feel of this mixture is truly sensational. Tencel (derived from eucalyptus) is already very soft, breathable and "smooth" in itself, and merino provides additional down which gives a natural and airy feel to the material. Really a pleasure in contact with the skin. »

Heat: not what I expected

When purchasing this product, I said to myself:

“It’s a long-sleeved merino wool top. Cool then, it will keep me warm in winter. »

Well, it turns out that this henley isn't very thick, and it doesn't keep you that warm.

It actually makes sense when you know that tencel is not a very insulating material , which I wasn't necessarily aware of when I bought this product.

Tencel is a rather cool fiber. You won't find tencel in winter clothes, but more in the spring/summer collections, on flowing shirts and blouses in particular.

For example: a 70% tencel, 30% linen shirt from NN07 .

This is perhaps the biggest disappointment I had with this product: I was expecting a particularly warm product, and it is not.

I would like to point out that at no time on the sales page is the word “ hot ” written.

However, the very name of the product, " merino henley ", may suggest these properties (" merino " = wool = warm by association of ideas).

It would seem more accurate to me to speak of “ tencel merino henley ”.

If we consider that tencel is a cool material and merino a more insulating material, mixing the two on a fairly thin garment... gives you a moderately warm garment.

It is not suitable for very hot weather (over 30°) or when it is very cold (less than 0°) but relevant across the entire intermediate temperature range.

Technical performance: excellent

This henley dries quickly, absorbs few odors and has excellent thermoregulation : if it's a little cool, this garment will give you a little warmth. If it's a little warm, you won't suffocate.

To put it simply, you have a similar level of warmth to a mid-weight 100% cotton garment, but with much better properties .

3. Compared to 100% merino, what is it worth?

• Heat . This blend is cooler than 100% merino, without a doubt.
• Breathability . As this henley is less warm than merino, it will be more suitable for rather moderate, slightly warm temperatures. On the contrary, 100% merino will be more suited to cool and cold temperatures.
• Odors . Many brands tell you about breathable fibers, which dry quickly, but fail to mention odors . This tencel/merino/elastane blend doesn't absorb odors very well. However, I don't sweat very much in general, and my sweat is not very acidic. The difference is potentially more obvious for someone with more increased or odorous sweating. If I had to make a prediction, I would still say that merino takes on odors a little less, but that this material does very well in comparison.

This henley, tested in many conditions 🏃‍♂️

Having fully understood the properties of this garment, I modified its use, and began to wear it in situations where it could be most useful.

1. To travel

To take the train, the plane or for car journeys, it's perfect.

When you arrive a little sweaty on the train because you have had to run with a large suitcase, the thermo-regulating and anti-odor properties of this garment prove to be very useful.

I often pair this henley with a fine merino wool knit to add warmth and maintain very good breathability and odor retention.

2. To spend an evening in an apartment or in a bar

This henley is my default garment when I'm invited to indoor parties:

• Thanks to its good thermoregulation, it manages temperature variations well, especially if you go out to the balcony or terrace during the evening, then come back in, then come out, etc.
• It doesn't take much to the smell of sweat or cigarettes.

3. To go to a concert

When I went to the David Guetta concert in November 2019, I thought a lot about my outfit because I wanted to avoid going to the changing room while being sufficiently warm outside (around 10°) and sufficiently cool in the room .

I chose to wear this henley as a first layer which I combined with my wool military jacket and a cashmere scarf with reduced dimensions .

Warm, with minimal space.

I tied the jacket and scarf around my waist during the concert, and I didn't get too hot or too cold with the henley.

The experience was pleasant and I was able to fully live in the present moment .

4. For running

For the purposes of this test, I did a running session in January 2020 of around 5km with this henley and a cotton hoodie over it. The outside temperature was around 5°.

The test is generally conclusive:

• I was a bit cold for the first few minutes, then it got better.
• When we returned from the race, the henley was a little soaked at chest level. It dried in an hour or so, it didn't smell bad.

5. To do bodybuilding

This is not the correct position for squatting.

For the purposes of this test, I did a weight training session in the gym with this henley, for around 45 minutes.

The temperature of the room was moderate.

For comfort in terms of movement: no worries.

This garment absorbs few odors and dries quickly: no worries.

On the other hand, this henley seems a little fragile for regular indoor use . Excessive friction (against a bench, a wall, with a bar on the shoulders) can quickly damage or puncture the material.

To help out, this Henley is very good. It's perhaps even better than a 100% merino t-shirt which tends to be a little too warm for intensive physical activity. On the other hand, for regular use, it's rather no.

6. And for outdoor use such as hiking?

I don't do hiking or any other outdoor activity.

However, given the properties of this henley, in my opinion it can perfectly replace a merino t-shirt in your rotation if you need a cooler base layer .

However, I do not advise you to wear a backpack directly on this garment because friction risks creating holes in the material. If you want to wear it for this type of use, put a jacket on top (softshell, hardshell).

7. To stay at home

Being stretchy, soft and thermo-regulating, this henley is perfectly suited to being worn at home, which I have been doing regularly in recent weeks.

The brand also shot this product indoors for the photos of their leggings:

You can also sleep with this henley without worries.

Interview 💨

Here are the different methods that I tested:

1. Machine wash at 30°, low spin, dry flat: no worries
2. Hand wash in lukewarm water, dry on a hanger: vertical relaxation of several centimeters
3. I then rewashed the henley by hand in hot water (not hot), drying flat: the garment returned to its initial measurements

Also, this garment creases relatively little . It doesn't necessarily need to be ironed.

Style tips 😎

You can go for slightly workwear looks: don't forget that henley is a heroic garment .

But your outfits shouldn't be too workwear either because the material is a little too smooth, wise to go with a very raw outfit.

Moreover, it will fit seamlessly with all your casual chic outfits.

Here are two outfit suggestions, shot at home with what I had at hand:

1. Between casual and workwear

Man1924 shirt, Norse Projects jeans , Velasca desert boots

Typically the kind of outfit where this henley has its place:

• With pieces in his spirit: green shirt, bleach jeans, desert boots. The pieces don't have too strong a style: the jeans are not very faded, the shirt is not very thick and textured, the boots are dark in color.
• And colors that complement it: green, blue, brown

2. A touch of chic

De Bonne Facture blazer, Benevento chinos , Moonstar sneakers

The relaxed henley has its place with a casual jacket, like this seersucker one in green/brown tones.

The chino remains in this idea of ​​relaxed elegance.

Given the spirit of this outfit, overly formal shoes like derby or dark brogues in smooth leather would be a little too out of place.

To go for more city shoes, I'm thinking of a medium or light brown derby brogue.

Is the promise kept? 💡

Let's return to this visual:

• Ultra soft and stretchy: yes
• Thermoregulating: yes
• Anti-odor: yes
• Breathable: yes

Conclusion ✅/❌

1. Positive points

• Soft and very comfortable
• Excellent thermal properties : Swiss army knife, this garment adapts to many everyday situations in an urban setting.
• Good quality/price/performance ratio

2. Negatives

• It's not a very warm garment as you might think at first glance. This is not necessarily a bad thing, but it should be kept in mind: this tencel/merino/elastane blend is not a strict substitute for 100% merino but is more like improved cotton .
• The ecru color is slightly transparent.
• The product is potentially a little fragile: do not wear a backpack directly on this henley and avoid excessive friction on the material in general.