Deals: The Softest (And Toughest) Merino Wool
The perfect base layer, merino wool wicks away sweat, retains heat even when wet, and fights odor. But finding one that's durable (and not scratchy!) can be a challenge.
Back in 2019, I gear-tested a range of merino wool garments for an outdoor magazine story. The moisture-wicking, temperature-regulating properties of wool make it a hard-working base layer for outdoor adventure sports—cycling, snowboarding, hiking, whitewater rafting, and so on. As outerwear, it’s also a choice material for fishing and hunting, because the fiber absorbs light (instead of reflecting it), which makes you less visible to fish and game. And while I’m not ready to give up all my synthetics, I appreciate a high-performing garment that’s not made from petroleum, as is the case for polyester, nylon, lycra, polypropylene, and other man-made fibers used widely in outdoor apparel.
The downside: Some wool can be itchy, and the more delicate natural fibers can be prone to abrasion and moth-holes. It can also be expensive. (Though the right pieces are a worthy investment—and on sale right now.)
The Magical Properties of Merino
The benefits of merino wool sound almost like an infomercial: It keeps you warm in cold weather, and cool when it’s hot. It’s lightweight, wicking, and dries quickly. It can feel as soft as your favorite cotton T-shirt, but—unlike cotton—retains heat when wet. Sweat as hard as you can (for days!) and the garment won’t stink.
The anti-stink benefit was the ultimate game-changer that made me replace many of my synthetic base layers, which got funky after one use. But wool can be less durable than its synthetic counterparts. My favorite extra-fine merino wool base layers (made by Rapha, a high-end cycling brand) were soon riddled with moth holes.
It got me wondering: How long could a wool garment realistically go between washings? Would it snag on branches, abrade in slot canyons, or lose its shape on a river trip? Could it survive a year in my closet without moth-holes? I decided to put a variety of wool garments—with different blends and textile technologies—to the test.
The 2-Month Test
My methodology: Wear each item non-stop for three days—with at least one sweaty workout and no showers or deodorant. After letting the garment dry, I’d run it under the nose of my husband and my (back then) 12-year-old son, asking them for a stink-rating of 1 to 10. I’d even throw in some “control” garments—unworn wool shirts and synthetic shirts subject to the same testing conditions.
After three days of wear, my armpits reeked. But the garments didn’t. I continued to rotate through the mix for more than a month, thinking that surely some funkiness would accumulate. It didn’t. My husband and son could generally tell if a wool shirt had been worn, but it didn’t retain body odor. (My synthetic “control” shirts, by contrast, made us all gag.)
Why is that? To fact-check the “antimicrobial” buzzword, I asked wool-industry folks what that meant. They told me it’s not our sweat that stinks, but the bacteria that feast upon the salts and proteins present in sweat. Because of the molecular structure and chemical make-up of wool fibers, bacteria can’t cling to them.
Discussing this with my gear-obsessed husband, he retrieved from his closet the Icebreaker sweater he bought in New Zealand twenty years ago. Aside from a tiny moth hole, it was in good shape, and not even the slightest bit funky.
“It’s never been washed,” he said.
Ew.
While I don’t recommend that, I can say this: For my 2019 test, I spent nearly two months cycling through less than a dozen wool shirts without washing them once. When I finally broke down and did laundry, it was because of the psychological “ick” factor, not the build-up of actual odor.
Most of the wool garments performed like a dream. And the technology has come a long way since my first merino quarter-zip, which I wore for at least a decade. A natural fiber, wool is prone to abrasion and wear, so companies often blend it with synthetics like Nylon and Lycra are intended to add strength and abrasion resistance.
The 5-Year Test
I conducted my 2-month test back in 2019, on assignment for a fly-fishing magazine. Then the pandemic hit, the magazine went out of print, and the story never ran. But I continued wearing the garments, so I can now recommend, with confidence, the pieces that withstood five years of frequent wear and outdoor abuse.
Ridge Merino Convict Canyon Hoodie (above)
Cyber Monday Deal: 25% off with code CYBER2025
Of all the garments I tested, this is the piece that gets the most wear. A half-zip hooded mid-layer, it has a grid-fleece merino interior that feels soft against bare skin and a merino-blend exterior that resists abrasion. It’s extremely lightweight, stretchy, breathable, and cozy. I wear it on constant rotation—as a base-layer under overalls and waders, as a mid-layer on fall bike rides, with jeans on a plane—and I can attest that it never gets funky like a synthetic fleece.
Icebreaker Women’s Merinoloft Vest (above)
Cyber Monday Deal: 25% off
Instead of down filler, this vest is insulated with a thin layer of wool. Unlike down, wool holds its shape and retains heat when wet, so it’s my choice for fishing and river trips. I appreciate the slimmer profile, which eliminates the Michelin-Man effect of some puffer vests. Stretch side panels allow freedom to move, and zippered pockets keep keys secure. A pocket doubles as a stuff sack, so it fits in my carry-on.
Voormi Women’s High-E Hoodie (above)
Cyber Mondey Deal: 20% off
This hoodie is like a good backpacking partner: tough, capable, thoughtful, and understated. The surface-hardened thermal wool is blocks wind and resists abrasion (and Velcro snags), which makes it my pick for rock-scrambling and canyoneering in cooler temps. The balaclava-style hood covers more of your face than the average hoodie, and a ponytail pass-through is a plus for anyone else annoyed by that prickly feeling of hair on your neck while wearing a typical hoodie. Other features: zippered kangaroo pocket, chest pocket, interior pocket, thumb holes.
Voormi River Run Hoodie (on river guide)
Cyber Monday Deal: 20% off
Proof that merino wool can be light enough to wear all summer and tough enough to withstand considerable outdoor abuse action, this hooded sun shirt survived multiple years’ worth of whitewater rafting trips, backpacking expeditions, and rock-scrambling. But you don’t have to take my word for it: I saw veteran whitewater guides wearing this and swearing it survived several seasons of guiding. (Tough!) The hood fits over a ball cap and buttons under your chin to protect your neck and the sides of your face from the sun, and the thumb-holes hold the sleeves in place and shield the backs of your hands when rowing.
WoolX Brooke Quarter-Zip (above)
Cyber Monday Deal: 8% off with code BFCM
In the fall and winter, a quarter-zip or half-zip is one of my favorite layering pieces, allowing quick venting during high-intensity activities or transitioning from the cold indoors to somewhere warm. WoolX consistently delivered the softest wool in all of the products I tested, with some shirts I could even sleep in. (Other brands wore well during the day but felt itchy at night). The slim fit and sleek cut layered equally well under waders, bibs, and even a blazder. (For a looser fit, check out the Quinn Ribbed Quarter-Zip.) I wear their summer-weight tees in all four seasons.
Rapha Merino Base Layer
Cyber Monday Deal: 25% off
The garment that won me over to merino base layers was an extra-fine merino wool tank by Rapha, a high-end cycling brand. It’s still the softest and thinnest piece I own, but it’s riddled with holes from critters that eat merino wool. This has happened to more pieces I own by Rapha than any other brand. That said, I still wear them, because they’re so very soft. (The holes add a sort of out-of-the-Matrix edge.) I love the sleek cut of the long-sleeve crew and the short-sleeve crew has slightly longer sleeves that I find more flattering.
How to Shop for Merino Wool
When shopping for wool, size matters. That is, the diameter of the fiber, which is measured in microns. The smaller the number, the finer the fiber, and the softer the fabric feels against your skin.
“Wool has barbs, kind of like fish hooks,” says Dan “Butch” English, founder and CEO of Voormi. So when it feels scratchy, those barbs are to blame. Longer wool fibers can be woven together in such a way that the barbed ends stick out less.
How to Care for Wool
Wash it infrequently (seriously). When you must wash, use cold water, a mild detergent (I like Woolite) and the gentle cycle. Better yet: Hand-wash in the sink with a squirt of Dr. Bronner’s. Hang or lay flat to dry. Store in a drawer with cedar or lavender to keep moths and other wool-munching critters at bay. I make my own moth-repelling sachets from lavender from my garden and tuck them in the drawer where I store all my wool. It makes my clothes smell like summer all winter.
I want wool. Wish I could use it orienteering.
Thank you for the Christmas gift ideas!