Merino wool shirts

I bought for a cold weather trip to Normandy last winter and loved them! I wear around the house now in coastal California…haven’t tried them in heat.
I was cost resistant but bit the bullet and glad I did. I bought “ unbound “ brand.

Yes, they are. I have been wearing merino wool for more than 10 years. I really have a hard time wearing anything else as anything that is not a natural fiber really is uncomfortable on my skin now. I even wear socks, undies and bras that are made of merino wool. I am a breast cancer survivor and am supposed to only wear a certain type of bra but even those hurt so I switched to those made from merino wool. I typically wear one outfit (all merino wool) for 3 to 4 days without washing (I do wear an apron in the kitchen to protect my clothes). Merino wool does not stink, dries quickly, and can be worn for days without needing to change. TMI, but underwear is changed everyday...but now socks can be worn for at least 3 days at a time before I change them. I could not go back to wearing something other than all natural fibers now--yes, I am spoiled. It also makes packing a breeze since it can be worn for multiple wears. At night, just hang up the clothes and put them back on in the morning...makes carryon only a breeze!

Thank you for your responses. Sounds like it is a good investment!

ukkrazy
Do you have a favorite company? I have REI wool underwear and both my husband and I have l/s merino t-shirts from Costco. I've been thinking about getting a tank top, and I'm curious about bras. Sometimes I'm really bothered by synthetics so wear a lot of cotton, but it's getting harder to find 100% cotton tops.

Last year I purchased merino wool clothing to wear while walking the Camino De Santiago September to October 2024. I wore a merino tank top in the summer (very hot summers in my area of California) and it was very cool and comfortable. The merino T shirts and sun hoodie I wore on the camino were fantastic: they wash and dry quickly (I hung them to dry at home, but once on the Camino where it was unseasonably damp and rainy, I used dryers and they shrank very little). They resist odor. No other fabric feels so good on my skin. And to my surprise, once back home after walking the Camino I wear them often: the T shirts to work out at the gym, doing yoga, weight training and pilates; and the sun hoodie on walks. If over 55 degrees I wear the sun hoodie alone, if in the 30s I wear my fleece over it. Merino wool is fantastic.
From Ridge Merino I own a T shirt, the sun hoodie and an athletic bra. Love them all. I have SmartWool and Darn Tough merino wool hiking socks which are great, and one ArcTeryx T shirt which was much more expensive than the Ridge Merino. It's as good but I don't see that it is better for the price. I also purchased IceBreaker (on sale as it is costly also): 2 long sleeve light weight tops and one T shirt. Love them as well.

I've become a recent convert to merino and I love it. I started off wearing merino base layers for hiking and walking the dog in the cold and found them to be excellent in responding to body temperature and I've now progressed to buying pretty much any clothing item in merino. I like that it's a natural fibre however bear in mind that some products are coupled with synthetic fibres.

Merino wool shirts are great for any time of year. I love the Bombas ones as they are very thin, but also have Woolx and Icebreaker. The Bombas ones shrink a lot in length, which is party why I like them as I am short waisted. I wash them in cold and hang to dry, yet they still shrink the first time.

Check out Merino Tech, WoolX, and Allbirds as sources. I wear them on all but the hottest days. Over 80 degrees I veer toward other options.

I've gone through several, in different brands. My first choice for travel. However, I might be the only one who has experienced them wearing out quicker than most other types. Every one I've had would eventually show small holes (not at seams) that I believe are insect damage (silverfish most likely).

Mine get small pinholes after a while as well, in the same area. It took me a while , but now I blame my stomach LOL.. Considering how often I wear them, like always, I think it is still longer than the fake materials…which often don’t last one washing…and they look and feel so much better. You can have a tailor darn the pinholes holes (or seamstress at dry cleaners) or just fix them yourself, which is what I do. I don’t buy anything else now.

I love my Woolx t-shirts and they are fine in the summer, up to a point. If it's really hot, I do prefer cotton. I did buy the Woolx tank top but still found it too warm on hot days - like a sunny 80 degree day. I absolutely recommend the long sleeve Woolx for winter, they are toasty warm and you can get heavy weight tops and lighter weight long sleeves. Sign up for their emails and they'll send you discount codes. You can sink wash if you want but they seriously do not smell after days and days of wearing them!

Never wore wool much, the old ones used to scratch a lot more. Looking at doing it now. Is the old advice still recommended about putting cedar wood blocks (in drawers) or hangers (closets) to handle insects that like to munch on these?

I tried wool Tees a few years ago. I found them hot when it was really hot (Paris during a heat wave) and then decided that contrary to everything I'd read yes, they made me itch. I had a good brand - Icebreaker that was then co-branding with Cabelas. The fabric had a lovely sheen to it but they just did not work for me. I, too, got the pinholes.

The cedar blocks do work but to me you need to keep them in a lidded bin WITH the cedar blocks for prevention of insect damage.

I recommend trying one to start with to see if they work for you.

Thanks. Will ease into it.

The plastic bins are an obvious better idea. I don't remember those being around back when I first wore wool. :)

• Mine get small pinholes after a while as well, in the same area

I had this problem on both wool and cotton over the years. I switched to buckle-free belts (look up Unbelt) and have not had a problem since. There are cheaper ones, too, but Unbelt is the best IMO.

Thank you everyone for all the information. It is very much appreciated.

It shrank a little. There are no problems in other aspects.

Woolx is having a sale right now. Just got a top for $63 that is usually $90.

The small holes in merino wool tops are an issue. I think they are caused by using laundry detergent with stain removers that eat into the wool. And wool is more likely to get holes in it from rubbing on the button of your jeans and on the belt buckle. Or if your crossbody bag rubs against your tops.

As for wearing a merino wool top in warmer weather I have worn my long sleeve tops comfortably up to temperatures of about 75 degrees. I often wear short sleeve merino tops comfortably in 90+ degree weather.