An office that is too cold
Short answer: An extra layer under the shirt works better than a thick sweater on top. It keeps your body heat in without showing, and you avoid putting clothes on and off all day. Think thin layers close to the skin, especially when you sit at a desk for hours.
Why an office feels cold
You sit still for hours, and the air from the ventilation moves constantly across your skin. Even twenty-two degrees feels cool when the air moves and you do not. The body makes less heat when it is at rest, which is why you feel the cold most at the desk and less in the corridor.
Sitting work
At a desk the muscles use little energy, and the blood moves slowly out to the hands and feet. That is a common reason people freeze in the office even when the thermostat looks normal. The answer is not always more heat in the room, but better insulation close to the body.
Air from the ventilation
Ventilation keeps the air fresh, but it also sends a steady stream over the neck, arms and legs. Moving air carries away the thin layer of warmth the body builds up near the skin. Try to sit out of the direct draft, and keep your neck and back covered with a close layer.
The invisible layer
A thin long-sleeved undershirt in bamboo viscose under the shirt can make a real difference. It does not show, it does not feel tight, and it keeps in the warmth you produce yourself. It is a calm solution for meeting days when you do not want a thick sweater on top. See bamboo undershirt for men.
Why bamboo viscose fits
Bamboo viscose is soft and smooth against the skin and rarely feels stiff or scratchy under a shirt. The material draws moisture away from the skin, so you are not left with a clammy layer if you warm up on a quick walk between meetings. That makes it easy to wear the same layer all day.
Feet and wrists
Good socks and long sleeves do the most, because those are the places where the cold gets in fast. Cold feet under a desk can spoil a whole working day. Choose socks that fit well without squeezing. See bamboo socks for men and bamboo undershirt for women.
How to layer
Start with a thin layer against the skin, then a shirt or blouse, and finally a light cardigan you can take off quickly. Several thin layers hold warmth better than one thick layer, because the air between them insulates. Make sure none of the layers is so tight that it presses under the arms.
Care and fit
The undershirt should sit close but not tight, so it does not form folds under the shirt. Follow the care label in the garment and wash at a low temperature to keep its shape. Bamboo viscose dries at a calm pace, so hang it up in good time if you want it ready for the next morning.
What else you can change
Ask to move the desk away from a strong draft, and use a hot drink as a small break, not as a solution. Stand up every hour and walk a little to get the circulation going. The layers under your clothes still do the most, because they work all day long.
Frequently asked questions
Why do I freeze more than my colleagues
Body build and activity level differ from person to person. It is not imagination, and it often helps to add an extra thin layer instead of asking for a higher temperature in the whole room.
Does a hot drink help
Briefly, yes. A hot cup of tea feels pleasant right away, but an extra layer of clothing lasts longer and keeps the warmth through the whole working day, wherever you happen to sit.
Is a hot water bottle a solution
On the knees it can help, but a layer under the clothes lasts all day and follows you everywhere, to meetings, to the canteen and home in the cold in the evening.
You can find the full range at Bamboo-Clothing.com.
