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.

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 been 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.

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.

AllBirds

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

Branwyn

Branwyn sells merino wool bras and women’s undies.

• 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! The fit was a bit off for me (the racerback part pressed uncomfortably on my shoulders), but if it fits you well, I'd recommend.
• 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.

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.

• Icebreaker women's Tech Lite t-shirt: This was a great basic 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.
• 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.

Meriwool

REI

Ridge Merino

So far we've only tried one item from Ridge, but were so blown away by how much we loved it that we'll be trying more soon.

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!

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.

Woolly Clothing Co.

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

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!

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!