Merino Wool Clothes: A Shopping Guide

This guide to merino wool clothes reviews clothing items from popular merino brands, such as Branwyn, Icebreaker, Smartwool and more!

This post is not sponsored by any of the merino wool brands listed below. We purchased and tested their products without brand collaboration.

If your hiking or camping trips have taken you through all the seasons and all sorts of weather, you know the importance of dressing for comfort.

And not just the kind of comfort that feels good when you first put something on. No — but the kind that lasts through cold, through perspiration, and through long hours.

If you've shopped around for the best base layers, one material that might keep popping up is merino wool. Merino wool clothes are often a great choice for outdoor recreation, and I've gathered a few tips that will make shopping much easier!

Here's a guide to merino wool clothes, along with some of our favorite products tried so far. Let's start with a few pros and cons.

Pros of Merino Wool Clothes

Merino wool is a natural fiber grown on Merino sheep, and is thought to have a softer texture than other types of wool.

It’s also great at wicking moisture from the body, which keeps you warm in the cold and cool in the heat. It naturally resists odors (especially if you let the clothing airdry after use).

Full disclosure: Recently I've began reaching for alpaca wool instead of merino, especially in cold weather, because I've found it even better at staying dry, smell-free and helping to regulating body temperature. On a recent cold-weather backpacking trip in Iceland, I relied almost solely on alpaca over merino.

Cons of Merino Wool Clothes

The main drawback of merino wool is the price. It can be expensive! Merino wool is also more delicate than synthetic fabrics, so it needs to be cared for more carefully.

Also, shopping for it can be a bit confusing, with terms like “gsm” (which we'll explain below).

Additionally, while it is often marketed as a fabric that "dries really fast", in my personal experience, once medium-weight or thicker merino wool products (like socks) become fully waterlogged, they can actually take LONGER to dry than quick-dry synthetic fabrics.

I found this out the hard way when I ended up with soggy socks that refused to dry on a humid, extremely rainy backpacking trip on the Art Loeb Trail.

What About Super Washed Wool?

Super washing refers to a chemical treatment applied to the wool to make it softer, machine washable and more durable. Most commercially available wools use "super washed" wool, which isn't eco-friendly and uses a chlorine rinse.

From what we understand, all machine washable wool has been treated in some way (though many don't disclose), it's only the felted/"fuzzier" wools that aren't treated. If you have childhood memories of itchy, uncomfortable wool sweaters, but now find wool extra cozy, it might be that merino wool is softer, but it's also likely because of super washing.

While this is somewhat discouraging, especially if you're trying to buy wool as an eco-friendly clothing option, we have found wool clothes (despite super washing) to have a lot of perks that synthetic athleticwear doesn't have.

Wool vs. Wool Blend Clothing

A lot of merino wool clothing, especially that marketed to outdoor adventurers, is not 100% wool. Instead, it’s often a blend of merino wool and synthetic fibers (such as polyester).

Why?

Merino wool is more delicate than synthetic fabrics. Adding synthetic fabrics to the blend can provide more durability.

However, as the percentage of synthetic fabric goes higher, the less you’re getting the merino wool benefits. It’s always a good idea to check the percentage of wool in a garment! Sometimes the lower wool / higher synthetic blends are more affordable, but not always.

Some clothing items will even be totally synthetic on the outside with a partially wool lining, such as the (now discontinued) Smartwool training shorts pictured below. You’ll usually see that on items that need lots of stretching ability, like leggings or bike shorts.

Browsing for more gear for your outdoor adventures? Check out our guides to hiking and camping gear for men and women, plus our guide to women's winter camping gear.

Our Favorite Merino Wool Clothes

We tried lots (and lots) of merino wool clothes. After lots of testing, our absolute favorite brands are Branwyn, Icebreaker and Smartwool.

Clothing from these brands (in general) tends to be high-quality and hold up to wear and tear. In particular, these brands made tougher clothes that held up to being used as activewear, not just casualwear.

Keep reading to see our full brand reviews below, plus our favorite items for each brand.

Merino Wool Clothes Reviews (By Brand)

I’ve been testing out various merino wool clothes brands over the past few years. Overall I’ve been thrilled, but not every purchase was a win.

We got a small group of testers to try even more merino wool products. Here are some of the merino wool clothes we tried, listed by brand name in alphabetical order.

Looking for a specific brand review? Click on the brand you're looking for: Allbirds, Branwyn, Darn Tough, Icebreaker, Meriwool, REI, Smartwool, WoolX, Woolly Clothing Co and Wool&.

AllBirds

AllBirds makes shoes with merino wool uppers. Most of their shoes lean towards casualwear over activewear, but we still wanted to try them.

What we loved:

• Tree Breezers Knit Ballet Flats may have been the most comfortable ballet flats our testers have ever tried! They're breathable, cushioned and have held up to wear and tear better than I expected.

What else we tried:

• We found the women's Wool Runners Sneakers to be fairly uncomfortable. Also, despite the name, these are not running shoes, and don't hug your foot like an athletic shoe would. We later realized that Allbird's does make a more athletic style sneaker, but we haven't tried that one yet.

Branwyn

Branwyn sells merino wool bras and women’s undies.

What we loved:

• *TOP PICK* • Their Busty bra is amazing. I wore it for all five days of our Colorado backpacking trip, and it has quickly become my favorite sports bra. It's great at keeping away odor and is incredibly comfortable.

I even found it comfortable enough to sleep in, which I cannot say about some of my high-impact sports bras.

If you've got a larger chest, note that it is more of a medium-support than a full-support. I don't recommend running or doing HIIT classes in this bra if you're a C-cup or larger.

Also, while it does dry quickly, it doesn't always dry as fast as I'd hoped. Keep that in mind if you're planning backcountry trips to somewhere wet and cold.

If you need to stay warm and dry, but you've been sweating in this bra all day, I recommend bringing a back-up so that you can change into a dry bra quickly and let the wet one air dry.

• The newer racerback sports bra is more compressive than the regular busty bra, so if you're looking for a jogging bra it may do the trick! I did find it slightly less compressive than some of my other sports bras. Also, the fabric on this bra was thicker, so it will likely take longer to dry than the regular busty bra.

• Their merino wool undies are also wonderful! They’re slightly less “sporty” looking than other merino undies we tried, and the fabric felt mid-weight.

Darn Tough

Darn Tough is based in Vermont, and makes a nice variety of merino wool socks.

I love their cushioned hiking and mountaineering socks, as well as their thinner crew socks. Some of the patterns on these socks are pretty adorable too, Darn Tough currently has both a bear and squirrel print sock.

Icebreaker

Icebreaker is a well-established merino wool brand that makes high-quality merino wool clothes. It's one of my favorite merino wool brands, and I've had many of the pieces listed below for years.

What we loved:

• *TOP PICK* • Icebreaker wool undies for women: We tried multiple styles of their undies, and loved them all. The cuts are sporty and lightweight, and the percentage of merino wool is high (without lots of synthetics blended in). These are great for hiking and backpacking.

• Icebreaker socks: We tried a few different styles, and particularly liked their light or medium crew socks. I also liked that these socks are labeled L and R (left and right) and have a slightly different fit for each foot.

• *TOP PICK* • Icebreaker women's Tech Lite t-shirt: This was our absolute favorite merino wool tshirt. It feels nice and soft, is 100% wool, survived (without shrinking) accidentally being put in the dryer for a full cycle, and fit well.

• *TOP PICK* • Oasis 200 half-zip pullover and 200 Oasis crew top: These mid-weight layers have a silky feel and are perfect for layering. The fabric is extremely comfortable, and it's remained in great shape over many washings and multiple years.

• Icebreaker Crush jogger pants and Crush lounge shorts for women are cozy and warm, and I love them as camping pajama bottoms. One note- the string at the waist on these has an annoying tendency to get pulled inside the waist, especially during washing. I recommend tying it in a knot before washing to help prevent that.

• The Icebreaker high-rise shorts are great workout shorts! They're opaque enough to wear out of the house, and are more breathable than shorts with a synthetic outer.

What else we tried:

• Icebreaker Quantum hoodie: Overall we liked this hoodie. It was a nice weight, fit well and comes in a nice range of colors. What stops us from recommending it? There's a front pocket that (for us) didn't lay flat, and the double zipper was extremely finicky.

• Icebreaker everyday women’s cami and the Icebreaker siren cami: We liked these camis, but a few things made us feel that they may not be worth the price. First, the fabric on both was slightly coarser and itchier than other merino clothing we've tried. Also, the plastic strap adjusters concerned us, because we worried that these camis might not last for years.

• Icebreaker Sphere II t-shirt: This t-shirt was lightweight and perfect for working out in hot weather, but the merino wool percentage was fairly low (about 40%), and to us, the fabric felt more like our other synthetic blend athletic-wear tops.

Meriwool

What we loved:

• The Meriwool T-shirt. Initially I did not like this shirt, but I've changed my mind and decided it has both pros and cons.

Pros: It is incredibly comfy! It's held up well over many uses, and (as of June 2024) the price is considerably less expensive than other similar t-shirts. I've found myself reaching for it more often lately, and it's becoming a favorite (with caveats).

Cons: Despite having a lightweight description, this is definitely a mid-weight shirt. I don't mind mid-weight, it just wasn't what I was expecting. I would not wear this for a humid summer hike, but I would wear it on a chilly day or for relaxing around camp in fall or spring.

Also, The t-shirt did seem to run about 1-2 sizes small. The large fits more like a fitted medium t-shirt, and the sizing only goes to large.

Finally, I dislike the reflective logo on the shoulder area. It prevents this t-shirt from being multi-purpose, making it hard to "dress up" for casual use.

What we tried:

• The Meriwool men’s boxer briefs were (impressively) 100% merino wool and were more affordable than others we tried. Our testers found these undies a little warm for day-to-day wearing, but they might be a good choice for colder days. Also, these undies didn't hold up to regular wear and tear, and developed runs in the fabric within a few months.

REI

What we loved:

• The REI men's 185 base layer top and the REI women's base layer top. These t-shirts were impressively 100% merino wool, and the fit was great. I will note that the fabric felt slightly stiffer and not as soft as other brands we tried, but if the texture doesn't bother you, this is a great shirt.

Smartwool

My first introduction to Smartwool was their socks. Smartwool socks are still my favorites, and I think they make great gifts for hikers too!

What we loved:

• *TOP PICK* • We especially loved the classic hike full cushion socks (if you're hiking in a heavy boot) and these shorter Smartwool ankle socks (for biking).

• We also tried their hike light crew socks, which we love for hiking in our favorite trail runners.

• *TOP PICK* • Smartwool's classic thermal crew top and classic thermal bottoms are cozy 250 heavy-weight thermal layers that feel like a sweatshirt / sweatpants combo. We really liked them as camping pajamas.

• The Smartwool headband comes in lots of colors and fun prints, and I like the texture. It also stays in place really well (instead of sliding up and off while I walk). It's become a favorite of mine for winter trail running.

• Need more coverage than a headband? We found this Smartwool beanie to be extremely warm and comfortable, and this Smartwool neck gator is perfect for keeping your neck warm and dry.

WoolX

WoolX merino wool clothing comes in a variety of categories. I’ve owned a pair of their undies for years and am a fan, so I was excited to try more of their clothing options.

We initially loved almost all of the WoolX items we tried, but over time, have found that many of their items pill and show heavy wear after only light use. The items listed below as ones we like have not begun to show early wear and tear, but we still would hesitate before purchasing again.

What we loved:

• Undies (men's and women's): These seemed very similar to the Icebreaker undies! The fit, fabric and performance was fantastic. Additionally, these undies hold up well to regular wear and tear.

• WoolX hats, such as the Kaylee beanie and the Baylor beanie: The beanies were warm, cozy and cute. The Kaylee beanie was lined and warmer than the Baylor.

• Men’s base camp hoodie: I was initially disappointed in this hoodie because I expected it to be thicker. (It's significantly thinner than the women's Ryann hoodie.) However, it's turned out to be a nice base layer and (so far) hasn't begun to pill.

• Women’s shirts: We loved the long sleeve and short sleeve shirts we tried, with a caveat. If worn as casual-wear with bottoms that don't have a button to rub the shirt, they last a long time. If worn as activewear with a backpack, the fabric pills easily and if worn with pants with a button, the fabric quickly wears thin from rubbing.

What else we tried:

• Duralite Stella leggings, cushioned ankle socks, and the neck gator: These items seemed great at first, but the fabric pilled quickly.

• Women's Ryann hoodie: While it is fairly comfy, we found that the sleeves were too short and the hood was too small to actually use.

• Merino Flex McKenna leggings and Dani bike shorts: We found the seams on our shorts came undone after a few wears, and the fabric on the inner thighs of the leggings wore thin within a few wears. Also the synthetic outer layer meant they weren't very breathable.

Woolly Clothing Co.

Woolly Clothing Co. is based in Seattle and designs both activewear and casual clothes.

What we tried:

Women’s hipster brief undies: I’m not sure what happened here, but these ran huge. I ordered my usual size, and they were saggy and too big to wear.

Wool&

We typically focus on outdoor gear, but I’ve heard a lot about Wool& and their merino wool dresses, and wanted to include them in this post.

A friend of mine is doing the 100-day wool dress challenge and is thrilled with her dress. She actually recently wore the dress for all three days of a multi-day backpacking trip we did together!

We tried two of their 160 gsm (lightweight) dresses. The majority of their dresses are lightweight.

My dress (the Fiona Fit and Flare) didn’t fit quite right. It was perfect in the shoulders but too loose in the upper body. I also found myself wishing it was slightly heavier fabric and a more structured fit. For me, this wasn’t a win.

Another friend tried the Charlotte V-Neck Midi Dress, and while she found the fit flattering, the fabric felt slightly itchy to her.

So it's worth noting that even though most people find merino wool smooth and soft, if you have very sensitive skin it's possible you may still pick up on a bit of irritation.

Merino Wool Clothes Brands We Didn't Test

There were a handful of brands that we opted not to test, despite seeing many, many ads for their clothing, because we the majority of items we saw included a low merino wool percentage. This was especially true when we saw higher percentages of synthetic fibers than merino wool.

Always check the fabric specifics before paying a premium price for merino wool!

I hope this guide has acquainted you with some of the nuts and bolts of shopping for merino wool clothes. And maybe you've already discovered a few of your own favorite items for outdoor wear — let me know in the comments!