Bamboo, merino
or plastic?
Three ways to make the shirt that touches your skin all day. An honest look at each, and why we wore bamboo under everything in the Yukon.
- Bamboo blend, soft on skin
- Breathes and moves sweat
- Made in Ukraine
The three options
- 1Synthetic (polyester, nylon)Light and fast-drying. It is also plastic, against your skin, all day.
- 2Merino woolWarm and soft. Usually the most expensive, and some people find it itchy.
- 3Bamboo blend (ours)66% bamboo rayon, 28% cotton, 6% spandex. Soft, breathable, stretchy, and mostly plant fibre.
Side by side
Fabric, price and origin, from each brand’s own website. Our price is live for your country.
| Bamboo Active Long-SleeveSaint Javelin | Capilene Midweight CrewPatagonia | Rho LT Crew NeckArc'teryx | Abisko Wool LSFjällräven | Core Merino 120 LS CrewSitka | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $76 | US$95* | US$100 | US$90 | US$119 |
| Fabric | 66% bamboo rayon, 28% cotton, 6% spandex | 100% recycled polyester | Torrent fleece, 84% poly / 16% elastane | 50% wool / 50% polyester | Merino blend |
| Pockets | None | None | 1 chest | None | None listed |
| Made in | Ukraine | Sri Lanka | Vietnam | Not listed | “Imported” |
Swipe to compare →
Competitor list prices and specs from each brand’s own website, 28 October 2026. * Patagonia prices from US retailers. Shown in your currency; ≈ means converted.
A brand that started with a sticker now makes your base layer
In 2022 Saint Javelin was a sticker. Today we make the whole layering system in Ukraine, from bamboo base layers to Polartec fleece.
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February 2022It started with a sticker
Journalist Christian Borys prints a sticker: a saint in green robes holding a Javelin. He hopes to raise a few hundred dollars for Ukraine. Days later Russia launches its full-scale invasion, and the saint goes around the world.
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2022Made in Ukraine
We stop being a meme and start being a maker. Production moves into Ukraine, and we start learning how to make things that last.
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November 2023The first Defender
Our first cold-weather collection: a fleece, and the padded work socks people still buy from us today.
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2024Polartec arrives
Defender moves to Polartec: quarter-zip fleeces, a sherpa hoodie and thermals. Customers start calling them the best fleece they own.
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2025Into the mountains
The Karpathian Sherpa fleece, shot with Ukrainian veterans hiking the Carpathian mountains. Our first real step into outdoor gear.
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2026Tested in the Yukon
Defender 2026: Polartec Power Grid, Micro 100, 200 and High Loft, cut and sewn in Ukraine. Before it went on sale we wore it for five days and 55 km off-trail in the Yukon backcountry, with nights down to −10 °C.
Get the bamboo long sleeve
Bamboo Active Long-Sleeve
- Feel good against your skin all day: a soft bamboo blend (66% bamboo rayon, 28% cotton, 6% spandex).
- Stay comfortable as you heat up: the knit helps move sweat away from your skin and breathes.
- Move freely under a pack: seamless shoulders and just enough stretch.
- Wear it everywhere: under fleece on the trail, on its own at the gym, at work, on the plane.
- Made in Ukraine.
What people say about our bamboo long sleeves
“effectively wicks sweat away from your body and dries quickly, I wear one of these almost every day at work. … excels as a stand alone layer or as a base layer in the winter.”
“Ideal as a base layer in colder weather or as an outer layer in warmer weather. … The fit is excellent, not too baggy and not too tight in all the right places.”
“True to fit, breath well and very comfortable.”
“I work a very physical job mostly in varying environmental conditions and I value this shirt.”
“Very comfortable and light. Nice cut and fabric, feels like it’ll last”
“This shirt is quality material, the bamboo is soft and washes like new.”
Store-wide: 4.89★ from 5,469 reviews (Judge.me, 28 October 2026).
Questions we get
What is it made of?
66% bamboo rayon, 28% cotton and 6% spandex. The spandex gives it stretch, so we do not call it plastic-free. It is mostly plant-derived fibre instead of the polyester most base layers are made of.
Is it a hiking base layer or an everyday shirt?
Both. We wore it under the Defender fleece in the Yukon, and it is just as good on its own at the gym or at work.
How does it fit?
A standard, close fit that layers cleanly under a fleece. Size guide on the product page.
Where is it made?
In Ukraine.
