Community Chat

[pommom]

When I wear thermal wear bottoms, the skin on my knees get chafed/sore esp the next day. I have a pair of microfiber and another in cotton waffle weave. Both of them rub on my knee caps and it comes to the point that I'd rather be cold than wear them.

I've tried hiking up my pants (mostly sweats) to keep them from pressing against my knees when I sit down. I don't wear tight jeans or fitted slacks when I'm home so it's not because of form fitting bottoms.

Any tips?

[Still Raining]

How weird, I never associated the chafing with a fiber. I get it in the summer from whatever yoga type pants are made of, polyester and spandex? Now I think of it is gone in the winter with wearing more sweats around the house and jeans outside.

[JustJules]

That's odd, are they loose fitting thermals? Since you have the same reaction from both microfiber and cotton it's probably not the material, but perhaps you need to wear something more form fitting? There is a brand called HotTotties by Terramar that is a merino wool blend so they would be soft. I used to wear thermals under my ski pants but they had to be snug fitting otherwise the materials would rub. That is the only thing I can think of that would be causing your discomfort. It's probably more noticeable on your knees because those are pressure points. Maybe talk to a salesperson in a sporting goods store that sells them and has more experience with the different styles and fibers. They make thermals for bikers and runners in the cold weather, and those can't chafe since they're in constant motion. Hope you find a solution so you can keep warm and comfortable.

eta: Found the HotTotties offered at Kohls for $39

[pommom]

JustJules - you're right. The cotton thermals get baggy but the microfiber are form fitting and very close to the body. Still….

[Kalli]

I have a set of cuddl johns by cuddl duds and I love them. They're 80% cotton and 20% polyester. I use them under my jeans when I ride my horse and they're very comfy. I have silk long johns from Cabelas but don't like them as much.

I can see where the waffle-like thermals might irritate your skin but my cuddle johns don't. I've had them for at least 5 years and for as often as I wash and wear them all through the winter months, they've really held up.

I just searched for them but couldn't find the name "cuddle johns" just cuddl duds. My tag says cuddl johns.

-Kalli

[violann]

I think thermals ARE rough. I just found 32DegreeHeat long undies and shirts at Costco, and they're both very warm AND gentle to the skin.

[Montana]

Amazon has a brand called Thermasilk that is smooth instead of the waffle texture. I also used to get a catalog featuring Wintersilks - smooth winter wear in varying warmth levels.

[bells4me]

Weird.

[sidsmom]

I'm still scratching my head how thermal underpinnings can be irritating to the skin. Aren't they designed to be close fitting & made with a thinner fabric? It's kinda/sorta like saying leggings are irritating to the knees...it just doesn't happen. If said thermals are too large...and baggy @ the knee, that might be the cause, but just buy a smaller size.

Under Armour has many different styles to wear under athletic gear...they even had a tactile line to wear under service (EMT, police, military) uniforms. They HAVE to be comfortable.

[occasionalrain]

There is an anti-chaff product called Skin-Lube you may want to try.