Merino Wool Socks

I'd look at REI (or on their website) or on the Smartwool website.

I'd also look at the Kirkland Brand at Costco. They are not 100% Merino, I think last time I looked at a label they were 80% or something. They are inexpensive but pretty good. I am very hard on socks and they will last me 2 winter season before I run them thru at the heels.

I have never seen white ones for summer. Smartwool (and probably other brands) has lowcut or no show socks for summer.

I like Darn tough socks.

https://darntough.com/

I have found some of the Smartwool products (shirts and socks) to be itchy.

I swear by my Darn Toughs! They have a few different types, but for me the best ones are the hiking socks with minimum 50% merino and some padding. They do have some white ones too.

https://darntough.com/collections/shop?v=products&type&q=white&fallbackQuery=while#/pf:ss_gender:Men

Sierra often has a wide range of merino socks. I have a pair that are off-white.

I wear Darn Tough brand, and the wool content varies on the style and weight of the sock. 55% to 60% wool is common to what I buy. They do have shorter white socks, but make sure to check the materials content because they do sell some that are don't contain any merino. I use the Darn Tough website or Amazon.

For my husband and son, I do order from REI, but I've never purchased white socks.

Smartwool socks will prevent odor for days. I've been wearing them for years--the brand, not the same socks. (LOL)

You can get them in white.

Another fan of Darn Tough socks. With our cold temps in Bend, we wear a lot of merino wool socks. We use to get Smart Wool and after one season the heel always wore out. The Darn Tough have lasted several years which I appreciate considering the cost. The percentage of merino wool seems to vary with the different styles. You might check the different websites if you want white or just google white merino socks.

Thanks all!

REI brand socks with a high merino wool content of 78% have been more than satisfactory...and for years. For me, such still function satisfactorily if wet and are comfy during cold and warm adventures. Other brands, at that price point, typically offer a lesser content of the amazing fiber.

The brand I have found that does not wear well is Bombas, but they are nice and soft up to the point where they get holes in the heels. I have yet to wear out a pair of Smartwool socks, but my husband;nd has managed to go through a few.

I'm a Nurse and have worn every brand of Merino Wool socks there is =
My 2 favorites are SockWell (esp their MerinoWool & Bamboo blend) and DarnTough.

Be sure to wash on cold and hang to dry.

For winter wear, the best are Ducks Unlimited over the knee 80% Merino Wool. Trouble is they dont fit in every shoe. But where I live when the temps are below zero I appreciate them and my long johns..... And when standing in cold rivers fishing..... https://carolinahosiery.com/collections/ducks-unlimited/products/ducks-unlimited-mens-merino-wool-wader-socks-1-pair

A Darn Tough user as well. I wear them every day of the year in various styles. As mentioned, check the wool content as they sell many styles that have a greater content of manmade fibers than wool and the title may not make that clear. I find Darn Tough lasts longer than Smartwool. I get them at gobros.com and buy them when they are on sale, usually 25% off. They do have a 15% sale going on now with no minimum purchase.

So what's the right percentage of merino wool for socks used for travel in various seasons?

I just spent a foolish amount of time searching and there are things labeled as merino wool socks that have like 7% or so merino with the rest synthetics!

OTOH some of you are saying the all or nearly all merino fabrics are itchy ...

FWIW, I recently used Darn Tough's lifetime warranty process to replace a pretty old pair that wore through. It wasn't fast (mail them in, wait for processing, get credit, order new ones to be shipped) but I got a brand new pair in a different design, as the one I had was no longer available. I have other brands (Smartwool, REI) that have held up reasonably well too, but they don't have that type of guarantee. Just make sure to follow the cleaning instructions, typically washing them inside out and not using the dryer (things I fail to do regularly, BTW). With good care any brand should last a good long while.

L.L. Bean has a good selection of merino wool socks.
I believe the content is 80% merino wool for most of their men's and women's socks.

typically washing them inside out and not using the dryer

About this, mentioned by CL; this works for all knits, and jeans, too, if you want them to last.

“Itchiness” in wool is related to the fiber size—-diameter and staple length. The diameter of natural fibers is measured in microns. Human hair is around 50-75 microns; merino wool ranges from 11-22 microns. Other, coarser wool fibers can range up to 30 or more microns; cashmere (which is from goats, not sheep) ranges from 15-19 microns. Silk fibers are even finer, at 10-13 microns.

“Staple length” refers to the length of individual fibers, with merino ranging from 2-5 inches (this depends in part on when and how the sheep is sheared). Letting the coat grow longer to produce a longer staple before shearing is more expensive.

The finer the fiber (20 microns or less) and the longer the staple, the less itchy the finished fabric will be, down to zero itch in most Merino. The itch is caused by the cut ends of the fiber pricking your skin. Long, fine fibers bend easily and have far fewer cut ends exposed; shorter, coarser fibers expose more cut ends even when not bent. They make the wool feel “scratchy”. I remember the popular Shetland sweaters I wore as a teen—-they could not be worn against the skin.

Actual allergy to wool is rare, and generally a reaction to the lanolin in the wool, not the fibers themselves.

https://spinoffmagazine.com/faces-wool-merino-sheep-part-ii/#:~:text=Merino%20fiber%20has%20an%20annual,are%20used%20for%20making%20socks.

https://darntough.com/blogs/the-alternate-stitch/science-merino-wool-fibers

https://www.icebreaker.com/en-us/move-to-natural/is-merino-itchy.html?selectLocale=true

Quality merino, from a reputable company like Darn Tough, Icebreaker, Smartwool, etc.should not feel itchy at all. Cheaper merino, with a fiber size greater than 20 microns, can be itchy. So can cashmere—-I made the mistake of buying a $99 cashmere turtleneck at Macy’s—-knowing it was Chinese cashmere, which is lower quality. I could not wear it at all—-it was especially itchy around the turtleneck (where the fibers are most bent). Off it went to the thrift store. I hope someone found a way to wear it.

As for blends, a certain amount of nylon is necessary in socks to make them more durable, together with a bit of Lycra or elastase for stretch. I checked both Darn Tough and Smartwool, and see mens’ hiking socks in the range of 56% merino, 41 % nylon, and 3% elastane. My Icebreaker hiking sox are 63% merino, but some of the mens’ sox are more in the range of 52-56%.

For clothing, the fabric varies. Most of our Smartwool and Icebreaker tops are 100% merino, but some of the short-sleeve tees have some nylon (mostly as a core around which the merino is wrapped). And some are merino blended with Tencel lyocell, a rayon-like fiber made from wood pulp (or bamboo). I like this blend a lot—-it is lightweight, smooth, and I can toss it in the dryer with no ill effect.

Lola, thanks for this very helpful and comprehensive explainer !!! Now I feel I am armed with some information to help me make some choices. Thank you!

This thread got caught in my craw for some reason and sent me on a wild goose/sheep chase to find a good deal on good socks.

I found on Sierra Trading Post (see how backward-looking I can be?) some 62% merino hiking socks by a company called Point 6, in Colorado. The wrapper insists that the wool is 'exclusively sourced from New Zealand sheep stations' and the socks made in the USA -- there is a flag right there in the top corner of the wrapper.

They are offered in six weights from ultra light to extra heavy.
I got the light.

So far they are great.

The wrapper also says they are guaranteed for life but I don't think it would be fair to hold them to that when I got them from Sierra clearance.

avirosemail--I love those socks! I bought mine from a local store and went back for more. I take those to Iceland with me and my feet stay plenty warm. They have held up great too!

A little late, but echoing everyone else who says Darn Tough! I've been exclusively wearing them for years with few exceptions and their warranty is unparalleled in this day 'n age.

For cycling and hiking, I also like Sock Guy who sells fun patterns and colors and still manufactures in the US.

Another vote for Darn Tough!