Best Merino Wool Clothing (2025): Base Layers, Hoodies, Jackets & More Leave a comment

Merino wool is an excellent fiber. The most effective merino wool clothes by some means manages to be comfy in 95-degree-Fahrenheit warmth, and merino base layers maintain you heat nicely beneath freezing. In contrast to artificial fibers derived from petroleum, merino wool is pure and renewable.

Merino wool’s versatility means there’s a bewildering array of blends and choices to select from. Listed below are our favourite merino wool merchandise that we have examined by carrying and washing (normally in chilly water, and hung to dry) over the course of months and even years in some circumstances. When you’re accomplished right here, remember to take a look at the remainder of our attire guides, just like the Finest Puffer Jackets, the Finest Hoodies, and the Finest Mountaineering Boots.

Up to date March 2025: We’ve added new base layers and T-shirts, and we’ve up to date hyperlinks and costs all through.

Base Layers

To essentially see how exceptional merino wool is, begin on the backside, with the garments subsequent to your pores and skin. Merino actually shines as a base layer . I’s hotter for the burden, wicks moisture higher, and in contrast to artificial materials, merino stays stink-free for days of wear and tear. These are one of the best merino wool base layer tops and bottoms that we have examined. Remember to learn our layering information for extra on the way to put all of it collectively and keep comfy in any climate.

Ibex Woolies Professional Tech base layer crew is one of the best light-weight merino base layer we have examined. If you’d like a hard-wearing shirt, this it it. Woolies are Nuyarn (see above), which is 85 p.c merino wool and 15 p.c nylon—the merino wool is wrapped round a nylon core, which will increase the heat whereas being lighter (5 oz for the lads’s massive) and extra sturdy. That is my prime decide for all issues technical. It is what I deliver mountain climbing, backpacking, and it is evaluations editor Adrienne So’s decide for working, climbing and different high-aerobic actions when it’s chilly. I additionally love the Woolies Professional Tech Bottoms ($115), that are what I deliver backpacking in all however the warmest of climate. There’s additionally 1 / 4 zip model of the shirt in the event you choose.

Except for consolation and heat, a bit a part of the rationale we suggest Woolies is that they final. Ibex is what passes for a heritage firm on this house; the corporate was based in 1997 and has been cranking out merino garment for a very long time. Adrienne’s mother and father purchased her two units of Ibex base layers in 2001 that she nonetheless wears right this moment, within the 12 months of our Lord 2025. Correctly cared for, Woolies will maintain you comfy heat for years to return.

After I need one thing a bit hotter than the light-weight Woolies above, I attain for Smartwool’s Traditional lengthy sleeve base layer. These could also be the most well-liked merino shirts round, and for good motive: They’re very comfy, tending to the looser aspect, function heavy-duty seams (learn: sturdier, longer lasting) that do not rub, and sit off the shoulder for extra consolation when carrying a pack. At 87 p.c merino wool (blended with nylon), these are additionally very sturdy whereas remaining light-weight (10.3 oz for a males’s massive). This Smartwool shirt, together with the matching pants ($115), have been my fixed companions by means of a cold Wisconsin winter.

If you are going to be in critical chilly, Minus33 is the corporate to buy. It calls this a midweight, however I discover it the proper heavyweight base layer for snowy days. It is good and delicate, and paired with the Minus33 Expedition weight hoodie beneath, it is loads heat sufficient for winter mountain climbing and snowshoeing. The seams do not rub, even with a heavy pack on, and the minimize is roomy with out being too saggy. I have been testing this shirt for over a 12 months now and it nonetheless seems to be prefer it did the day I acquired it—virtually no pilling and no fraying. Observe that the ladies’s model is known as the Ossipee, however it’s functionally the identical shirt.

The picks above all have what my spouse calls “that sporty look,” which the business refers to as “technical.” This 100% merino shirt from Unbound is the other: it simply seems to be like an extended sleeve shirt. It is extremely delicate and whereas it does capsule a bit in the event you run it by means of the dryer (do not), it is proved itself loads sturdy—I have been carrying it continually for over a 12 months now and it nonetheless seems to be prefer it did after I acquired it. It is the long-sleeve, base layer twin to our favourite T-shirt (see beneath). It is on the skinny aspect for a base layer, which makes it good for these cool climate mornings within the shoulder seasons. It is versatile too; it may be used as a base layer, however it additionally works as a T-shirt when it isn’t too chilly. Match runs true to measurement, and if the one you need is bought out, be affected person; Unbound steadily updates its inventory.

Different Nice Base Layers:

• REI Merino 185 Base Layers for $80 (Males’s): Our favourite finances merino base layers, these REI tops and bottoms are comfy, heat, and significantly cheaper than a few of our different favorites. We additionally love the bottoms and leggings (Males’s/Ladies’s), that are likewise moderately priced
• Ridge Merino Side Midweight Base Layer for $75 (Males’s): This is without doubt one of the uncommon base layers you can truly the place as only a T-shirt round city and you will not appear like you simply drove in from the trailhead, which makes it a bit extra versatile then a few of the others right here. If you’d like one thing multi-use, this can be a good choice.
• Bombas Merino Wool Mix Lengthy-Sleeve Shirts for $74: If you’d like a softer shirt, we like these, that are 50 p.c wool and 50 p.c Tencel, a light-weight eucalyptus fiber. Tencel may be very silky to the contact, which makes this shirt notably versatile—it’s heat once you want it and supplies UPF 50 safety if you wish to put on it within the solar.
• Kari Rose Base Layer Bottoms for $110: I’m 5’2″ and wrestle to seek out clothes choices that may match—particularly ones that should match subsequent to the pores and skin. As high-quality as a base layer could also be, it will not maintain you heat if it rucks up round your waist or sags beneath your hips. 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 seems to be like pajamas. —Adrienne So
• Artilect Boulder 125 Leggings for $120 (Males’s): These base layer pants have been my introduction to Nuyarn they usually’re a superb selection for something lively—they’ve a ton of stretch and suppleness due to the various cloth panels and sew strains that really make sense. They’re fairly skinny and fairly tight, however I actually like these for working on cool mornings.
• Ridge Side Midweight Merino Excessive Rise Bottoms: These are one other nice choice fro girls on the lookout for one thing that may be worn round city in addition to on the path. My daughter has even worn them below shorts for no-gi juijitsu they usually’ve held up nice, which is a testomony to their sturdiness.

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Merino Mid Layers

Fleece has its place, however I hardly ever put on it nowadays. I choose merino for my mid layers. It is higher at serving to your physique regulate its temperature. The one place fleece nonetheless wins for me is backpacking, it is virtually all the time lighter for comparable heat, not less than in mid layers.

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) and needed to be retired. Mine was not the precise model pictured, however very near it. This jacket is 100% merino and extremely heat, regardless of not being all that thick. That makes it a terrific choice for days when the climate could fluctuate 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 measurement up.

Finest Heavyweight Hoodie

Just like the Northern Lights or the McRib, the thickest Ibex wool hoodie seems irregularly and with some fanfare. The Mammoth Hoodie is certainly an enormous, furry beast of a garment—it is mainly the burden of the traditional American Large hoodie however manufactured from 85% wool minimize with 15% nylon for added heat and stretch. Ibex says it is the warmest hooie they’ve ever made, and in my week of testing, I’ve used it rather than a jacket in mid-30s temps. It has an athletic minimize with zippered pockets and thumb holes. I do put on a stocking hat with it within the chilly as a result of the scuba hood is supposed to suit below a helmet which suggests it is too small to offer sufficient heat for my massive shaved head by itself. —Martin Cizmar

Different Nice Hoodies:

• Ibex Males’s Indie Hoodie ($170): WIRED’s commerce director, Martin Cizmar, examined this midweight wool hoodie and says it is now one in every of his “absolute favourite 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 you can’t layer below 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 good for normal winter use, whether or not you are doing yardwork, biking, or tossing a soccer round within the park.
• Ridge Merino Hyde Hoodie ($150): This 100% merino wool hoodie makes use of a 275 GSM terry weave merino that does not really feel like wool. Just like the Icebreaker, it is a midweight hoodie, good for these cool days in autumn and spring. It includes a full size zipper, thumb holes within the sleeves and zipper on the pocket. I actually like this hoodie, aside from that indisputable fact that it’s minimize on the longer aspect, which makes it look just a little massive, despite the fact that it is not. There is a girls’s model as nicely.

There is a dearth of merino wool for teenagers. Maybe the worth for one thing that youngsters could outgrow in a couple of months makes the economics unappealing for producers. Regardless of the case, only a few corporations supply kids-size merino (see beneath for extra). In actual fact, this Minus33 hoodie is not out there in youngsters’ sizes, however the extra-small girls’s match my 10-year-old completely and continues to suit her as an 11-year-old. You may need to examine the match chart on Minus33 on your personal youngsters, but when they do match, this can be a implausible hoodie. It is loads heat (and my daughter is all the time chilly) and sturdy sufficient to face as much as child life, climbing timber, and working by means of the woods, and the hand heaters pair nicely with mittens on chilly days. Better of all when youngsters are concerned, this one will be machine-washed and tumble-dried. It will not shrink or lose its form, and the colours will not bleed.

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 mid-layer, 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 mentioned it is the one merchandise of clothes she can’t stay with out.

I did handle to attempt it in every single place from the seashore on cool mornings to across the campfire on winter evenings, and whilst a base layer below a puffer jacket when the temps dropped beneath freezing final winter. In all these conditions I stayed loads heat. The looser match means it could actually go over a base layer, however is not so cumbersome you’ll be able to’t put a jacket over it.

A rising variety of research have proven that there are PFAs—hormone-disrupting chemical compounds which might be generally utilized in a lot of plastics—in odd sportswear, like leggings and sports activities bras. Should you, like me, are on a quest to exchange your polyester clothes with pure fibers, then Ibex’s 100% merino wool Shak Jacket is the pure candidate to exchange your (my) worn-out Patagonia Higher Sweater ($159).

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 below my rain jacket and over my tank prime, and regarded smooth sufficient to exit to dinner. In western Eire, not less than (“I like your jumper!” mentioned many an Irishman). It would not pack down fairly as compactly as an artificial layer may, neither is it as mild, however it seems to be a lot nicer and it will not really feel like slime in your pores and skin when it will get moist. —Adrienne So

If in case you have considerations about utilizing goose down jackets 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 the event you wish 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 wish to layer Ibex’s Wool Aire Vest below my common wool coat or rain shell, if I am going out for the night time or on a future. —Adrienne So

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The Finest Merino Wool T-Shirts

Wool won’t look like a good selection for a summer season T-shirt, however merino is surprisingly comfy even when it is heat. To a degree anyway. On humid days over about 90 levels Fahrenheit, I normally go along with cotton or linen, however something below 90 and I am carrying merino. There are much more merino T-shirt choices on the market than we are able to cowl, however listed below are a few of our favorites. Observe that whereas I’m a fan of crew neck kinds, most of those are additionally out there as V neck shirts.

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 the whole lot from backpacking in the summertime warmth to rolling jiujitsu to sitting across the hearth on cool autumn evenings. They’re by no means something however cozy. I additionally like that they haven’t any emblem. Unbound’s Energetic Merino T-shirt ($95), aimed particularly at understanding, can also be fairly good, however it’s a tighter minimize than the common T-shirt.

After I’m heading out mountain climbing, backpacking, paddleboarding, absolutely anything outdoor, that is the T-shirt I attain for first. It is light-weight (84 p.c 145 GSM merino, 16 p.c artificial) jersey knit is delicate and comfy—not too scorching within the solar (it is also UPF Score 20), heat sufficient when it is cool. It is also sturdy (I have been rolling jiu jitsu on this shirt for years and it is fantastic) and mechanically cleanable. You may even throw it within the dryer, no have to child this T-shirt.

Artilect’s mix of merino wool and Tencel (a fiber constituted of eucalyptus) is shockingly light-weight and versatile. This summer season, the Utili-Tee turned my 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 out of the blue 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 despite the fact that it’s a flattering slim match, it didn’t constrict the motion of my shoulders or arms in any manner. —Adrienne So

Different Nice T-Shirts:

• Icebreaker Tech T-Shirt for $85: These Icebreaker merino wool shirts have been one in every 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 might in all probability go along with a mix. Observe that a few of Icebreaker’s T-shirts are blends, so examine the main points in your favourite design earlier than you make investments.
• Minus33 Algonquin T-Shirt for $70: Minus33 is aware of a factor or two about protecting you heat. The corporate is in New Hampshire, in any case. This 170-GSM T-shirt is comfy, with a free minimize that works nicely over a base layer on cool mornings or as a T-shirt throughout hotter components of the day. It is a terrific all-around selection for all however warmest of summer season days.
• Paka Tee for $55 (Ladies’s): 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.
• Arms of Andes Alpaca Wool T-Shirt for $75 (Ladies’s): This is perhaps a merino wool information, however we additionally function fairly a couple of alpaca gadgets, together with this T-shirt, which I really like for its stunning heat. This isn’t a heavy shirt and but it manages to be fairly heat, particularly worn over a base layer in winter, it does a superb job of insulating and respiration on the identical time.
• Unbound Merino Tank Prime for $70 (Males’s): Desire a cooler choice for decent days? This tank prime is ideal for hotter, humid climates. It is 100% merino (175 GSM) and would not have any emblem or tag, which we like. It does go out and in of inventory steadily, so if it is bought out, examine again later, Unbound steadily provides extra inventory.

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Socks, Underwear and Bras

You could possibly argue that is the true base layer, however we’ll skip that and simply say that merino wool underwear, socks, and bras are a lot nicer than their artificial counterparts. If you have not tried it but, you are in for a deal with. After testing dozens of every, these are our favorites.

Whereas merino wool may be very delicate, most merchandise on this class are blends, normally with some type of nylon. Darn Powerful socks are a WIRED favourite. They’re nice for snowboarding, mountain climbing, climbing, and absolutely anything else you need to do. These blends fluctuate by weight, however most of them are round 50 p.c nylon and 50 p.c merino, which makes them dry a bit sooner than pure merino whereas remaining loads heat and comfy. Darn Powerful’s socks additionally final. Mine are occurring two years now with no worn space or gap in sight.

Minus33 socks are my private favourite merino socks. I’ve a number of pairs of the lighweight and midweight and even one pair of the expedition, although these are so thick and heat I hardly ever put on them (they’re good with the temps drop beneath 0F although). My favourite are the Light-weight Mountain Heritage Boot Wool Socks, that are good for mountain climbing or carrying round city. Minus33 would not publish a mix breakdown for these, however I might guess they’re about 60/40 wool to nylon, with loads of each softness and stretch to them.

Different Nice Socks:

• Carhartt Midweight Merino Wool Mix Crew Sock for $22: The bizarre factor about socks is that, as a warm-weather lover, nicely, I hate socks. Day by day with socks is a sort of failure. That mentioned, these Carhartts (gifted to me by a good friend who was anxious 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.

The phrase “wool underwear” may conjure photographs 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. Typically these are blends, with some nylon as nicely.

Because of WIRED readers for mentioning Woolly to us. These 100% merino (190 GSM) boxers are implausible and inexpensive. They ventilate nicely and regulate to altering situations to maintain you comfy even on days when the climate begins scorching and ends chilly, or as I wish to name it, mountain climbing within the mountains. They’re on the shorter aspect with a 4-inch inseam, however Woolly makes the identical factor in an extended minimize.

These are the one 100% merino underwear I’ve examined (there’s elastic within the waistband, however it’s surrounded by wool), they usually’re additionally a few of my favorites, particularly in chilly climate. These are longer than any of the opposite boxers I’ve tried. These are 170 GSM, making them just a little lighter, however as a result of they merino content material is larger, these are the warmest I’ve examined. After years of testing merino underwear, these are my favourite on all however the hottest days.

Different Nice Underwear:

• Unbound Merino Boxers for $45: Unbound’s boxer briefs are very delicate and comfy. These are 84 p.c merino wool, 12 p.c nylon, and 4 p.c 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.
• Icebreaker Merino Anatomica Boxers for $45: One other nice pair of boxers, these Icebreakers are a really related mix (83 p.c merino, 12 p.c nylon, 5 p.c elastane) to the Unbound above, however lighter weight at 150 GSM. They match true to measurement and are on the shorter aspect by way of size. Icebreaker additionally makes an extended model that I examined as nicely. They’re just about the identical, only a bit longer.
• Ridge Merino Wool Boxer Briefs for $35: These Ridge Merino boxers are 83 p.c merino wool (170 GSM), with the rest of the material manufactured from nylon and spandex. The mix offers them a stretchier really feel, they usually’re good and delicate as nicely. They often match true to measurement, and have a 6-inch inseam.

Branwyn makes what they name merino wool efficiency units. I’m a fan of Branwyn’s garments, all of that are Oeko-Tex 100 licensed, which suggests each part of the clothes has been independently examined towards an inventory of as much as 350 poisonous chemical compounds. This is without doubt one of the most generally recognized and revered labels for shopper security. These match true to measurement. (I suppose it’s necessary to notice right here that I’m a small-busted lady, and that Branwyn makes a Busty Bra ($58) in the event you want extra help.)

Nevertheless, this isn’t fairly supportive sufficient to go working, which is why Branwyn launched the Racerback Bra ($75). It is fairly spectacular that Branwyn acquired merino wool to be compressive sufficient for medium affect exercise. I like that it gives full protection, with no annoying small and twisty straps and no padding. 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 lively, which is on a regular basis. —Adrienne So

Different Nice Underwear:

• Ibex Pure Briefs for $35: in the event you’d choose a thinner choice, Ibex’s pure briefs really feel way more like your primary, breathable cotton underwear. I normally line dry my merino wool, however these look sufficient like my cotton briefs that I threw them within the dryer and shrank them. If this sounds such as you, you may need to measurement up. —Adrienne So
• Icebreaker Siren Bra for $35: I solely have one Branwyn bra, however these are the bras that I put on each different day of my life. Like Icebreaker’s males’s underwear, they’re 83 p.c merino, 12 p.c nylon, and 5 p.c elastane, they usually match true to measurement. —Adrienne So
• Wool& Roam Merino Bra for $70: Wool&’s merino cloth is the softest I’ve felt in my complete life, in all probability as a result of the mix has a a lot decrease merino content material at 68 p.c merino wool, 25 p.c nylon and seven p.c spandex. I attempted these and Wool&’s underwear. They’re insanely delicate, however overpriced when in comparison with our different choices, and you must measurement up. —Adrienne So

The Finest On a regular basis Merino Garments

I will confess that after I launched this information years in the past I considered merino wool primarily as an outdoor-related cloth. It’s nice for that, however I’ve since found that merino is sweet for the whole lot, particularly journey, since it may be worn a number of occasions with none odors. I’ve tried merino pants, costume shirts, exercise garments, hats, and extra. The most effective stuff I’ve examined is beneath.

Merino wool pants? Sure. Merino wool all of the issues. I used to be skeptical, however I truly love these pants. Do not let the title idiot you, they don’t seem to be store pants within the sense that Carhartts are. They are much lighter and have a extra fitted minimize, however there are a number of leg pockets and a loop you would perhaps connect a device to. Largely, although, they’re simply good informal pants—not too heavy, not too mild. They are a mix of 75 p.c merino wool (450 GSM), 21 p.c bamboo, and 4 p.c elastane, which supplies them only a little bit of flex.

These tremendous cozy, informal sweatpants from Ridge Merino are a few of the most comfy pants I’ve ever worn. I do not typically work out in them, I’ve by no means truly jogged in them (or yogged, it is perhaps a delicate j), however they’re nice round the home. These are 100% merino wool (275 GSM) with what Ridge calls a terry cloth (they really feel like sweatpants).

What do you do once you’ve acquired good merino wool pants, merino wool underwear, and merino wool socks, however you want one thing nicer than a T-shirt? That is the place this button-down long-sleeve shirt from Woolly is available in. It is just a little extra formal, what you may name enterprise informal, however nonetheless comfy and delicate. The one factor I’m not fairly so keen on is the marginally shimmery look, however that is simply private choice.