Merino wool is an excellent fiber. Merino T-shirts by some means handle to be comfy in 95-degree Fahrenheit warmth, and merino hoodies maintain you heat properly under freezing. Not like artificial fibers derived from petroleum, merino wool is pure and renewable.
One sheep can produce 4 to five kilos of wool per yr. That is as a result of the sheep that make merino wool drink solely the purest alpine waters and research the artwork of consolation beneath the tutelage of these stuck-up Pashmina goats, who, let’s face it, may know a factor or two about splendidly, pillowy softness. Simply kidding. Merino sheep do have thinner, softer wool, which has advanced to maintain them comfy throughout a variety of temperatures and is comfy to put on subsequent to your pores and skin. It is unclear whether or not the the sheep realized to do that from Pashmina goats, however I do know that merino wool is a outstanding cloth that is turn into the cornerstone of my wardrobe.
Sure, even in summer time. I’ve worn merino T-shirts on 100-degree days and felt superb, although that is much less true in case you throw excessive humidity into the combination—merino sheep don’t trip within the tropics, apparently. Regardless of the case, the wool’s versatility means there is a bewildering array of blends and choices to select from. Listed here are our favourite merino wool merchandise that we have examined.
Up to date February 2024: Adrienne and I’ve added just a few new T-shirt choices, a number of jackets we love, a number of new bras and underwear, and up to date hyperlinks and costs all through.
Particular supply for Gear readers: Get a 1-year subscription to WIRED for $5 ($25 off). This contains limitless entry to WIRED.com and our print journal (in case you’d like). Subscriptions assist fund the work we do day-after-day.
What Does GSM Imply?
Merino wool is available in completely different weights, which you’ll continuously see listed as “200 GSM” or one thing comparable. (The GSM refers to grams per sq. meter.) What’s necessary is the dimensions and the place your garment falls on it. On the low finish, you’ve gotten T-shirts and underwear, that are usually 150 GSM, although we have now seen some as little as 120 GSM. Usually, something under 200 gsm might be a great base layer. From 200 to 300 GSM are your mid-layers, and something above 300 is a heavier garment.
Begin With a Hoodie
Merino wool is flexible, however I would nonetheless argue that the perfect use case for it’s as a light-weight mid-layer, like a hoodie. It is heat sufficient for cool days by itself, surprisingly wind-resistant, and may pair with an outer shell to type an awesome light-weight day-hiking layering system. It is also a great go-to for the gymnasium or round city.
An Icebreaker hoodie was my introduction to merino wool, and it stays my favourite jacket I’ve ever owned. Alas, after about 10 years, mine had a run-in with moths (see our care information under) and needed to be retired. Mine was not the precise model pictured, however very near it. This jacket is one hundred pc merino and extremely heat, regardless of not being all that thick. That makes it an awesome choice for days when the climate could range significantly–it is heat sufficient for a chilly morning however will not be a burden in your pack the remainder of the day. That is on the tight-fitting aspect, so if that is not your factor (and it isn’t mine), get the subsequent dimension up.
If you happen to do not need to go one hundred pc merino in your first buy, that is OK. There’s now a ton of blended attire available on the market that will get a lot of the good thing about merino, with sufficient cotton or polyester to retain the softness many people are used to. This hoodie from Ten Thousand is an effective instance. It is 76 % polyester, 18 % merino, and 6 % elastane, which provides it a delicate, stretchy really feel that makes it splendid for figuring out, mountain climbing, or some other out of doors exercise the place you want your jacket to flex and stretch with you.
Options
Ibex Men’s Indie Hoodie ($170): WIRED’s commerce director, Martin Cizmar, examined this midweight wool hoodie and says it is now “certainly one of my absolute favorite items of clothes.” See what good wool does for you? Makes you a fan. The minimize on this one is sporty however not too tight that you would be able to’t layer beneath it. The thumb loops, zippable tall neck, and hood make it much more versatile than a typical wool long-sleeve shirt. Cizmar says it is excellent for normal winter use, whether or not you are doing yardwork, biking, or tossing a soccer round within the park.
A Hoodie for Youngsters
There is a dearth of merino wool for youths. Maybe the value for one thing that youngsters could outgrow in just a few months makes the economics unappealing for producers. Regardless of the case, only a few corporations supply kids-size merino (see under for extra). In reality, this Minus33 hoodie is not out there in children’ sizes, however the additional small girls’s match my 10-year-old completely and continues to suit her as an 11-year-old. You may need to test the match chart on Minus33 on your personal children, but when they do match, this can be a implausible hoodie. It is a lot heat (and my daughter is at all times chilly), sturdy sufficient to face as much as child life, climbing timber, and working by means of the woods, and the hand heaters pair properly with mittens on chilly days. Better of all when children are concerned, this one could be machine washed and tumble dried. It will not shrink or lose its form, and the colours will not bleed.
Exchange Fleece With a Mid-Layer
I’ve nothing towards artificial fleece. It has its place, however I not often put on it lately. I want a hoodie just like the one above or the mid-layers under. Merino is best at serving to your physique regulate its temperature, slightly than simply preserving you heat like fleece and different synthetics do.
Kora’s Yardang Jersey is designed as a midweight mid-layer. It’s most likely probably the most versatile factor I’ve in my wardrobe. It is a lot by itself on a cool spring day however then skinny sufficient to place one other layer on prime of it whenever you want extra. It is pleasantly breathable and really delicate. The Yardang is a mix of 70 % merino, complemented by 30 % Himalayan yak wool. It is the softest little bit of merino in my assortment. If you happen to like this mix, there’s additionally a hat and neck gaiter within the Yardang line.
When you have issues about utilizing goose down as an insulation layer, merino wool can also be an honest substitute for artificial insulation. Vests are just like the cheat code of layering in case you prefer to maintain your core heat however your arms cellular otherwise you need to get an additional soupçon of heat with out including an excessive amount of bulk. I (Adrienne) prefer to layer Ibex’s Wool Aire Vest beneath my common wool coat if I am going out for the evening or on a future.
Base Layers
I’m sufficiently old to recollect when a “base layer” was no matter cotton T-shirt you placed on. If you happen to obtained chilly in that, you placed on a jacket. If you happen to obtained scorching in it, you sweated. Do you want a particular shirt to go mountaineering? No. Simply go mountaineering. That stated, out of doors gear advertising or not, base layers are a thing. I’ve come to like some merino T-shirts, particularly in spring and fall. They actually do not feel massively completely different from cotton, however they do not odor after you have been sweating in all of them day, which is a big bonus on multiday mountaineering journeys, or simply journeys to the gymnasium.
We love these long-sleeve Smartwool shirts for a way delicate they’re. An 87 % merino wool mix with nylon means they’re extremely comfy. In our base layer information, we are saying this shirt is an “splendid weight,” with heavy seams (learn: sturdier, longer lasting), however not so heavy that they trigger any discomfort—the shirts lie flat and sit off the shoulder, as any half-decent base layer ought to.
Remember your legs! It by no means fails to shock me (Adrienne) how many individuals put a number of layers of insulation on their prime half and go away their legs completely bare. Relying on the climate, I’ve a number of completely different weights of leggings that I can swap in. My favorites are the basic Icebreaker leggings, which have lasted me nearly a decade. Nevertheless, the remainder of my household (my partner and two kids) use REI’s in-house merino wool base layers and leggings, that are a fairly priced choice and do not irritate my son’s delicate pores and skin.
Options
Bombas Merino Wool Blend Long-Sleeve Shirts ($74): If you’d like a softer shirt, we like these blends, that are 50 % wool and 50 % Tencel, a light-weight eucalyptus fiber. Tencel may be very silky to the contact, which makes this shirt significantly versatile—it’s heat whenever you want it and offers UPF50 safety if you wish to put on it within the solar (simply don’t get the black colour). I will even say that I, Adrienne, am 5’2″ and located this shirt to be the right size, which implies that it’ll most likely be fairly brief on anybody taller.
Woolies Pro Tech Crew ($115): If you’d like a hard-wearing shirt, this one is barely costlier and is made from 85 % merino wool and 15 % nylon. These are constructed from Nuyarn, which is a merino wool-specific know-how whereby merino wool is wrapped round a nylon core for heat, lightness and additional sturdiness. This can be a actually mild base layer that I put on for working and high-aerobic actions when it’s chilly. I do need to say that Ibex is no matter passes for a heritage firm on this house; the corporate was based in 1997, and my dad and mom purchased me two units of Ibex base layers in 2001 that I nonetheless put on right this moment, within the yr of our Lord 2024. That bodes very properly for Ibex’s longevity, and I look ahead to seeing if these replacements additionally final that lengthy.
A Few Ladies-Particular Choices
And now, a phrase on match. Ladies aren’t the one folks whose our bodies can differ from customary sizing. However I (Adrienne) am 5’2″ and wrestle to search out clothes choices that may match—particularly ones that are supposed to match subsequent to the pores and skin. As high-quality as the bottom layer is, it will not maintain you heat if it rucks up round your waist or sags under your hips.
Most main manufacturers supply a girls’s model of their base layers. Nevertheless, in case you’re having a variety of issue discovering a pair that works, Kari Traa’s leggings have a really excessive waist that helps maintain them up. The patterns are additionally fairly, for these of you who object to parading across the lodge in what appears to be like like pajamas.
Extra Nice Choices
Unbound Women’s Long Sleeve Merino Crew ($95): This one hundred pc merino shift from Unbound is extremely delicate. It is a versatile shirt that can be utilized as a base layer, but it surely additionally works as a T-shirt when it isn’t too chilly. Match runs true to dimension, and if the one you need is bought out, be affected person, Unbound continuously updates its inventory.
T-Shirts
Wool may not look like a good selection for a summer time T-shirt, however merino is surprisingly comfy even when its heat. To a degree anyway. On humid days over about 90 levels, I often go along with cotton or linen, however something beneath 90 and I’m sporting merino. There are much more merino T-shirt choices on the market than we will cowl, however listed below are a few of our favorites.
These are my absolute favourite T-shirts. They’re the softest, best-made, best-fitting T-shirts I’ve ever worn, merino or in any other case. Sure, they’re that good. They’re extremely versatile. I’ve worn them doing all the things from backpacking in the summertime warmth to rolling jiujitsu to sitting across the fireplace on cool autumn evenings. They’re by no means something however cozy. I additionally like that they haven’t any emblem. Unbound’s Lively Merino T-shirt (men’s $95, women’s $85), aimed particularly at figuring out, can also be fairly good, but it surely’s a tighter minimize than the common T-shirt.
Artilect’s mix of merino wool and Tencel (a fiber constructed from eucalyptus) is shockingly light-weight and versatile. This summer time, the Utili-Tee turned my (Adrienne) favourite shirt for climbing and backpacking. It was delicate and comfy after I was within the tree shade, after which magically stayed mild and breathable after I broke by means of the tree line and the temperature all of a sudden rose by 15 levels within the daylight. The flat seams didn’t trigger chafing on my shoulders or waist by means of backpack straps or a harness, and regardless that it’s a flattering slim match, it didn’t constrict the motion of my shoulders or arms in any method.
These Icebreaker T-shirts have been certainly one of my gateways to merino wool. They’re heat, but by some means cool, and surprisingly good at stopping the wind. These shirts aren’t nice in humidity; for that, I would most likely go along with a mix. Be aware that a few of Icebreaker’s T-shirts are blends, so test the main points in your favourite design earlier than you make investments.
Minus33 is aware of a factor or two about preserving you heat. The corporate is in New Hampshire, in spite of everything. This 170-GSM T-shirt is comfy, with a free minimize that works properly over a base layer on cool mornings or as a T-shirt throughout hotter components of the day. It is an awesome all-around alternative for all however warmest of summer time days.
Different Nice Choices
- Unbound Women’s Merino Muscle Tank ($70): Need a cooler choice for warm days? This tank prime is ideal for hotter, humid climates. It is one hundred pc merino (175 GSM) and does not have any emblem or tag, which we like.
- Paka Men’s Tee ($55): This is not merino, it is a mix of natural cotton and Alpaca wool, but it surely’s such a pleasant, cozy T-shirt I am together with it right here. If you wish to go pure fibers, however aren’t certain you possibly can decide to merino, this makes an reasonably priced different.
Socks
Whereas merino wool may be very delicate, most merchandise on this class are blends, often with some type of nylon. Darn Robust socks are a WIRED favourite. They’re nice for snowboarding, mountaineering, climbing, and absolutely anything else you need to do. These blends range by weight, however most of them are round 50 % nylon and 50 % merino, which makes them dry a bit sooner than pure merino whereas remaining a lot heat and comfy.
The bizarre factor about socks is that, as a warm-weather lover, properly, I hate socks. Each day with socks is a type of failure. That stated, these Carhartts (gifted to me by a pal who was fearful that I wandered about in sockless sandals within the snow) are very nice. They’re extremely heat and delicate, they usually by no means odor. They’re presumably my favourite socks—if I really took the time to choose my favourite socks.
Underwear and Bras
The phrase “wool underwear” may conjure photos of some lumberjack from the 1800s with hair rising by means of the weaves of his itchy, scorching lengthy johns, however that is not what the merino underwear we have examined is like. Usually these are blends, with some nylon as properly.
As with the corporate’s T-shirts, Unbound’s boxer briefs stood out for simply how delicate and comfy they’re. These are 84 % merino wool, 12 % nylon, and 4 % spandex, in order that they do have a little bit of stretch to them. The 180-GSM merino is mild sufficient for even the warmest of days.
One other nice pair of boxers, these Icebreakers are a really comparable mix (83 % merino, 12 % nylon, 5 % Elastane) to the Unbound above, however lighter weight at 150 GSM. They match true to dimension and are on the shorter aspect by way of size. Icebreaker additionally makes a long version that I examined as properly. They’re just about the identical, only a bit longer.
Branwyn makes what they name merino wool efficiency units. I (Adrienne) am a fan of Branwyn’s clothes, all of that are Oeko-Tex 100 certified, which implies each part of the clothes has been independently examined towards a listing of as much as 350 poisonous chemical substances. This is likely one of the most generally identified and revered labels for shopper security. These match true to dimension. (I suppose it’s necessary to notice right here that I’m a small-busted girl, and that Branwyn makes a Busty Bra ($58) in case you want extra assist.)
The material itself is delicate and easy to the contact, with simply sufficient heft to be supportive. I wouldn’t put on the bralette to go working—I would like one thing a bit extra compressive for that—but it surely’s good for nearly some other exercise. It precludes the necessity to change from cotton “on a regular basis” underwear to tight nylon “sport” underwear each time I need to do one thing energetic, which is mainly on a regular basis.
Jackets
Whenever you assume merino, you most likely take into consideration heat. That is precisely what these mid-layer and heavier gadgets are.
Minus33 calls this an expedition-weight base layer, however for these of us not climbing Mt. Washington at daybreak in a windstorm, it is actually extra of a pullover sweatshirt—an insanely heat, cozy pullover sweatshirt. My testing time was restricted. After a month, my spouse stole it and now refers to it as a safety blanket and has stated it is the one merchandise of clothes she can not dwell with out.
I did handle to attempt it in all places from the seaside on cool mornings to across the campfire on winter nights, and whilst a base layer beneath a merino jacket when the temps dropped under freezing final winter. In all these conditions I stayed a lot heat. The looser match means it could actually go over a base layer, however is not so cumbersome you possibly can’t put a jacket over it.
A rising variety of research have proven that there are PFAs—hormone-disrupting chemical substances which might be generally utilized in a variety of plastics—in ordinary sportswear, like leggings and sports activities bras. If you happen to, like me (Adrienne), are on a quest to interchange your polyester clothes with pure fibers, then Ibex’s one hundred pc merino wool Shak Jacket is the pure candidate to interchange your (my) worn-out Patagonia Better Sweater ($149).
I took this jacket on a visit this spring to Eire. It’s surprisingly dense and delicate to the contact. It saved me heat on blustery 30-degree days, layered simply beneath my rain jacket and over my tank prime, and seemed modern sufficient to exit to dinner. In western Eire, no less than (“I like your jumper!” stated many an Irishman). It does not pack down fairly as compactly as an artificial layer may, neither is it as mild, but it surely appears to be like a lot nicer and it will not really feel like slime in your pores and skin when it will get moist.
Sweaters
Wool sweaters can conjure some disagreeable childhood reminiscences, however concern not, these aren’t the itchy scratchy stuff you could not wait to get out of whenever you have been youthful. These sweaters are delicate, luxurious, and ideal for extra modern events.
This Taylor Sew sweater is not technically merino, but it surely’s shut: It is one hundred pc child yak wool (which is definitely the delicate undercoat yak’s shed yearly). It is a bit extra like cashmere than merino, but it surely’s imagined to be extra sturdy. That is been true in my testing. That is fingers down the perfect sweater I’ve ever worn. The unlucky factor is that the Lodge Sweater has been discontinued. If there is a dimension that matches you out there, snatch it up. I have not tried it, however the subsequent closest factor within the Taylor Sew catalog is the Evans Sweater ($148), a wool-nylon mix.
How one can Take care of Merino Wool
Most merino merchandise can have care directions. Almost certainly will probably be to clean chilly and lay flat to dry. The latter is necessary, as hanging wool to dry will stretch it out (due to the water weight). Whereas most merino labels will say the garment could be machine washed, my expertise has been that hand-washing merino will prolong its life. That is significantly true of very light-weight (150 GSM) merino base layers and T-shirts.
I’ve by no means had an issue storing merino in my closet between wears, however for long-term storage, I like to recommend you are taking precautions towards moths, that are infamous for consuming holes in wool. I’ve misplaced merino clothes to moths.