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

Merino wool is a ace fiber. The champion merino wool covering someway manages to beryllium comfy successful 95-degree-Fahrenheit heat, and merino basal layers support you lukewarm good beneath freezing. Unlike synthetic fibers derived from petroleum, merino wool is earthy and renewable.

Merino wool’s versatility means there’s a bewildering array of blends and options to take from. Here are our favourite merino wool products that we've tested by wearing and washing (usually successful acold water, and hung to dry) implicit the people of months and adjacent years successful immoderate cases. Once you're done here, don't hide to cheque retired the remainder of our apparel guides, similar the Best Puffer Jackets, the Best Hoodies, and the Best Hiking Boots.

Updated March 2025: We’ve added caller basal layers and T-shirts, and we’ve updated links and prices throughout.

Base Layers

To truly spot however singular merino wool is, commencement astatine the bottom, with the apparel adjacent to your skin. Merino truly shines arsenic a basal furniture . I's warmer for the weight, wicks moisture better, and dissimilar synthetic fabrics, merino stays stink-free for days of wear. These are the champion merino wool basal furniture tops and bottoms that we've tested. Be definite to work our layering guide for much connected however to enactment it each unneurotic and enactment comfy successful immoderate weather.

Ibex Woolies Pro Tech basal furniture unit is the champion lightweight merino basal furniture we've tested. If you privation a hard-wearing shirt, this it it. Woolies are Nuyarn (see above), which is 85 percent merino wool and 15 percent nylon—the merino wool is wrapped astir a nylon core, which increases the warmth portion being lighter (5 oz for the men's large) and much durable. This is my apical prime for each things technical. It's what I bring hiking, backpacking, and it's reviews exertion Adrienne So's prime for running, climbing and different high-aerobic activities erstwhile it’s cold. I besides emotion the Woolies Pro Tech Bottoms ($115), which are what I bring backpacking successful each but the warmest of weather. There’s besides a quarter zip version of the garment if you prefer.

Aside from comfortableness and warmth, a spot portion of the crushed we urge Woolies is that they last. Ibex is what passes for a practice institution successful this space; the institution was founded successful 1997 and has been cranking retired merino garment for a agelong time. Adrienne's parents bought her 2 sets of Ibex basal layers successful 2001 that she inactive wears today, successful the twelvemonth of our Lord 2025. Properly cared for, Woolies volition support you comfy lukewarm for years to come.

When I privation thing a spot warmer than the lightweight Woolies above, I scope for Smartwool's Classic agelong sleeve basal layer. These whitethorn beryllium the astir fashionable merino shirts around, and for bully reason: They're precise comfortable, tending to the looser side, diagnostic heavy-duty seams (read: sturdier, longer lasting) that don't rub, and beryllium disconnected the enarthrosis for much comfortableness erstwhile wearing a pack. At 87 percent merino wool (blended with nylon), these are besides precise durable portion remaining lightweight (10.3 oz for a men's large). This Smartwool shirt, on with the matching pants ($115), person been my changeless companions done a chilly Wisconsin winter.

If you're going to beryllium successful superior cold, Minus33 is the institution to shop. It calls this a midweight, but I find it the cleanable heavyweight basal furniture for snowy days. It's bully and soft, and paired with the Minus33 Expedition value hoodie below, it's plentifulness lukewarm capable for wintertime hiking and snowshoeing. The seams don't rub, adjacent with a dense battalion on, and the chopped is roomy without being excessively baggy. I've been investigating this garment for implicit a twelvemonth present and it inactive looks similar it did the time I got it—almost nary pilling and nary fraying. Note that the women's mentation is called the Ossipee, but it's functionally the aforesaid shirt.

The picks supra each person what my woman calls “that sporty look,” which the manufacture refers to arsenic “technical.” This 100 percent merino garment from Unbound is the opposite: it conscionable looks similar a agelong sleeve shirt. It's incredibly brushed and portion it does pill a spot if you tally it done the dryer (don't), it's proved itself plentifulness durable—I've been wearing it perpetually for implicit a twelvemonth present and it inactive looks similar it did erstwhile I got it. It's the long-sleeve, basal furniture duplicate to our favourite T-shirt (see below). It's connected the bladed broadside for a basal layer, which makes it cleanable for those chill upwind mornings successful the enarthrosis seasons. It's versatile too; it tin beryllium utilized arsenic a basal layer, but it besides works arsenic a T-shirt erstwhile it's not excessively chilly. Fit runs existent to size, and if the 1 you privation is sold out, beryllium patient; Unbound often updates its stock.

Other Great Base Layers:

• REI Merino 185 Base Layers for $80 (Men's): Our favourite fund merino basal layers, these REI tops and bottoms are comfortable, warm, and considerably cheaper than immoderate of our different favorites. We besides emotion the bottoms and leggings (Men's/Women's), which are likewise reasonably priced
• Ridge Merino Aspect Midweight Base Layer for $75 (Men's): This is 1 of the uncommon basal layers that you tin really wherever arsenic conscionable a T-shirt astir municipality and you won't look similar you conscionable drove successful from the trailhead, which makes it a spot much versatile past immoderate of the others here. If you privation thing multi-use, this is simply a bully option.
• Bombas Merino Wool Blend Long-Sleeve Shirts for $74: If you privation a softer shirt, we similar these, which are 50 percent wool and 50 percent Tencel, a lightweight eucalyptus fiber. Tencel is precise silky to the touch, which makes this garment peculiarly versatile—it’s lukewarm erstwhile you request it and provides UPF 50 extortion if you privation to deterioration it successful the sun.
• Kari Rose Base Layer Bottoms for $110: I americium 5'2" and conflict to find covering options that volition fit—especially ones that are meant to acceptable adjacent to the skin. As high-quality arsenic a basal furniture whitethorn be, it won't support you lukewarm if it rucks up astir your waist oregon sags beneath your hips. Kari Traa's leggings person a precise precocious waist that helps support them up. The patterns are besides pretty, for those of you who entity to parading astir the lodge successful what looks similar pajamas. —Adrienne So
• Artilect Boulder 125 Leggings for $120 (Men's): These basal furniture pants were my instauration to Nuyarn and they're an fantabulous prime for thing active—they person a ton of agelong and flexibility acknowledgment to the galore cloth panels and stitch lines that really marque sense. They're rather bladed and rather tight, but I truly similar these for moving connected chill mornings.
• Ridge Aspect Midweight Merino High Rise Bottoms: These are different large enactment fro women looking for thing that tin beryllium worn astir municipality arsenic good arsenic connected the trail. My girl has adjacent worn them nether shorts for no-gi juijitsu and they've held up great, which is simply a testament to their durability.

Merino Mid Layers

Fleece has its place, but I seldom deterioration it these days. I similar merino for my mid layers. It's amended astatine helping your assemblage modulate its temperature. The 1 spot fleece inactive wins for maine is backpacking, it's astir ever lighter for comparable warmth, astatine slightest successful mid layers.

An Icebreaker hoodie was my instauration to merino wool, and it remains my favourite overgarment I've ever owned. Alas, aft astir 10 years, excavation had a run-in with moths (see our attraction guide) and had to beryllium retired. Mine was not the nonstop benignant pictured, but precise adjacent to it. This overgarment is 100 percent merino and incredibly warm, contempt not being each that thick. That makes it a large enactment for days erstwhile the upwind whitethorn alteration considerably–it's lukewarm capable for a acold greeting but won't beryllium a load successful your battalion the remainder of the day. This is connected the tight-fitting side, truthful if that's not your happening (and it's not mine), get the adjacent size up.

Best Heavyweight Hoodie

Like the Northern Lights oregon the McRib, the thickest Ibex wool hoodie appears irregularly and with immoderate fanfare. The Mammoth Hoodie is so a big, furry beast of a garment—it's fundamentally the value of the classical American Giant hoodie but made of 85% wool chopped with 15% nylon for added warmth and stretch. Ibex says it's the warmest hooie they've ever made, and successful my week of testing, I've utilized it successful spot of a overgarment successful mid-30s temps. It has an diversion chopped with zippered pockets and thumb holes. I bash deterioration a stocking chapeau with it successful the acold due to the fact that the scuba hood is meant to acceptable nether a helmet which means it's excessively tiny to supply capable warmth for my ample shaved caput connected its own. —Martin Cizmar

Other Great Hoodies:

• Ibex Men's Indie Hoodie ($170): WIRED's commerce director, Martin Cizmar, tested this midweight wool hoodie and says it's present 1 of his "absolute favourite pieces of clothing." See what bully wool does for you? Makes you a fan. The chopped connected this 1 is sporty but not excessively choky that you can't furniture nether it. The thumb loops, zippable gangly neck, and hood marque it a batch much versatile than a emblematic wool long-sleeve shirt. Cizmar says it's cleanable for wide wintertime use, whether you're doing yardwork, biking, oregon tossing a shot astir successful the park.
• Ridge Merino Hyde Hoodie ($150): This 100 percent merino wool hoodie uses a 275 GSM terry weave merino that doesn't consciousness similar wool. Like the Icebreaker, it's a midweight hoodie, cleanable for those chill days successful autumn and spring. It features a afloat magnitude zipper, thumb holes successful the sleeves and zipper connected the pocket. I truly similar this hoodie, but for that information that it is chopped connected the longer side, which makes it look a small large, adjacent though it isn't. There's a women's version arsenic well.

There's a dearth of merino wool for kids. Perhaps the terms for thing that kids whitethorn outgrow successful a fewer months makes the economics unappealing for manufacturers. Whatever the case, precise fewer companies connection kids-size merino (see beneath for more). In fact, this Minus33 hoodie isn't disposable successful kids' sizes, but the extra-small women's acceptable my 10-year-old perfectly and continues to acceptable her arsenic an 11-year-old. You'll privation to cheque the acceptable illustration connected Minus33 for your ain kids, but if they bash fit, this is simply a fantastic hoodie. It's plentifulness lukewarm (and my girl is always cold) and durable capable to basal up to kid life, climbing trees, and moving done the woods, and the manus warmers brace good with mittens connected acold days. Best of each erstwhile kids are involved, this 1 tin beryllium machine-washed and tumble-dried. It won't shrink oregon suffer its shape, and the colors won't bleed.

Minus33 calls this an expedition-weight basal layer, but for those of america not climbing Mt. Washington astatine dawn successful a windstorm, it's truly much of a mid-layer, a pullover sweatshirt—an insanely warm, comfy pullover sweatshirt. My investigating clip was limited. After a month, my woman stole it and present refers to it arsenic a information broad and has said it's the 1 point of covering she cannot unrecorded without.

I did negociate to effort it everyplace from the formation connected chill mornings to astir the campfire connected wintertime evenings, and adjacent arsenic a basal furniture nether a puffer jacket erstwhile the temps dropped beneath freezing past winter. In each those situations I stayed plentifulness warm. The looser acceptable means it tin spell implicit a basal layer, but isn't truthful bulky you can't enactment a overgarment implicit it.

A increasing fig of studies person shown that determination are PFAs—hormone-disrupting chemicals that are commonly utilized successful a fig of plastics—in ordinary sportswear, similar leggings and sports bras. If you, similar me, are connected a quest to regenerate your polyester covering with earthy fibers, past Ibex’s 100 percent merino wool Shak Jacket is the earthy campaigner to regenerate your (my) worn-out Patagonia Better Sweater ($159).

I took this overgarment connected a travel this outpouring to Ireland. It’s amazingly dense and brushed to the touch. It kept maine lukewarm connected blustery 30-degree days, layered easy nether my rainfall overgarment and implicit my vessel top, and looked sleek capable to spell retired to dinner. In occidental Ireland, astatine slightest (“I similar your jumper!” said galore an Irishman). It doesn't battalion down rather arsenic compactly arsenic a synthetic furniture might, nor is it arsenic light, but it looks overmuch nicer and it won't consciousness similar slime connected your tegument erstwhile it gets wet. —Adrienne So

If you person concerns astir utilizing goose down jackets arsenic an insulation layer, merino wool is besides a decent substitute for synthetic insulation. Vests are similar the cheat code of layering if you similar to support your halfway lukewarm but your arms mobile, oregon you privation to get an other soupçon of warmth without adding excessively overmuch bulk. I similar to furniture Ibex's Wool Aire Vest nether my regular wool overgarment oregon rainfall shell, if I'm going retired for the nighttime oregon connected a agelong run. —Adrienne So

The Best Merino Wool T-Shirts

Wool mightiness not look similar a bully prime for a summertime T-shirt, but merino is amazingly comfy adjacent erstwhile it's warm. To a constituent anyway. On humid days implicit astir 90 degrees Fahrenheit, I usually spell with fabric oregon linen, but thing nether 90 and I'm wearing merino. There are acold much merino T-shirt options retired determination than we tin cover, but present are immoderate of our favorites. Note that portion I americium a instrumentality of unit cervix styles, astir of these are besides disposable arsenic V cervix shirts.

These are my implicit favourite T-shirts. They are the softest, best-made, best-fitting T-shirts I've ever worn, merino oregon otherwise. Yes, they are that good. They're incredibly versatile. I've worn them doing everything from backpacking successful the summertime vigor to rolling jiujitsu to sitting astir the occurrence connected chill autumn evenings. They're ne'er thing but comfy. I besides similar that they person nary logo. Unbound's Active Merino T-shirt ($95), aimed specifically astatine moving out, is besides rather nice, but it's a tighter chopped than the regular T-shirt.

When I'm heading retired hiking, backpacking, paddleboarding, conscionable astir thing outdoors, this is the T-shirt I scope for first. It's lightweight (84 percent 145 GSM merino, 16 percent synthetic) jersey knit is brushed and comfortable—not excessively blistery successful the prima (it's besides UPF Rating 20), lukewarm capable erstwhile it's cool. It's besides durable (I've been rolling jiu jitsu successful this garment for years and it's fine) and instrumentality washable. You tin adjacent propulsion it successful the dryer, nary request to babe this T-shirt.

Artilect’s blend of merino wool and Tencel (a fibre made from eucalyptus) is shockingly lightweight and versatile. This summer, the Utili-Tee became my favourite garment for climbing and backpacking. It was brushed and comfy erstwhile I was successful the histrion shade, and past magically stayed airy and breathable erstwhile I broke done the histrion enactment and the somesthesia abruptly roseate by 15 degrees successful the sunlight. The level seams didn’t origin chafing connected my shoulders oregon waist done backpack straps oregon a harness, and adjacent though it’s a flattering slim fit, it didn’t constrict the question of my shoulders oregon arms successful immoderate way. —Adrienne So

Other Great T-Shirts:

• Icebreaker Tech T-Shirt for $85: These Icebreaker merino wool shirts were 1 of my gateways to merino wool. They're warm, yet someway cool, and amazingly bully astatine stopping the wind. These shirts aren't large successful humidity; for that, I'd astir apt spell with a blend. Note that immoderate of Icebreaker's T-shirts are blends, truthful cheque the details connected your favourite plan earlier you invest.
• Minus33 Algonquin T-Shirt for $70: Minus33 knows a happening oregon 2 astir keeping you warm. The institution is successful New Hampshire, aft all. This 170-GSM T-shirt is comfortable, with a escaped chopped that works good implicit a basal furniture connected chill mornings oregon arsenic a T-shirt during warmer parts of the day. It's a large all-around prime for each but warmest of summertime days.
• Paka Tee for $55 (Women's): This isn't merino—it's a blend of integrated fabric and Alpaca wool. But it's specified a nice, comfy T-shirt I'm including it here.
• Arms of Andes Alpaca Wool T-Shirt for $75 (Women's): This mightiness beryllium a merino wool guide, but we besides diagnostic rather a fewer alpaca items, including this T-shirt, which I emotion for its astonishing warmth. This is not a dense garment and yet it manages to beryllium rather warm, particularly worn implicit a basal furniture successful winter, it does an fantabulous occupation of insulating and breathing astatine the aforesaid time.
• Unbound Merino Tank Top for $70 (Men's): Want a cooler enactment for blistery days? This vessel apical is cleanable for warmer, humid climates. It's 100 percent merino (175 GSM) and doesn't person immoderate logo oregon tag, which we like. It does spell successful and retired of banal frequently, truthful if it's sold out, cheque backmost later, Unbound often adds much stock.

Socks, Underwear and Bras

You could reason this is the existent basal layer, but we'll skip that and conscionable accidental that merino wool underwear, socks, and bras are truthful overmuch nicer than their synthetic counterparts. If you haven't tried it yet, you're successful for a treat. After investigating dozens of each, these are our favorites.

While merino wool is precise soft, astir products successful this class are blends, usually with immoderate signifier of nylon. Darn Tough socks are a WIRED favorite. They're large for skiing, hiking, climbing, and conscionable astir thing other you privation to do. These blends alteration by weight, but astir of them are astir 50 percent nylon and 50 percent merino, which makes them adust a spot faster than axenic merino portion remaining plentifulness lukewarm and comfortable. Darn Tough's socks besides last. Mine are going connected 2 years present without a worn country oregon spread successful sight.

Minus33 socks are my idiosyncratic favourite merino socks. I person respective pairs of the lighweight and midweight and adjacent 1 brace of the expedition, though those are truthful heavy and lukewarm I seldom deterioration them (they're cleanable with the temps driblet beneath 0F though). My favourite are the Lightweight Mountain Heritage Boot Wool Socks, which are cleanable for hiking oregon wearing astir town. Minus33 doesn't people a blend breakdown for these, but I would conjecture they're astir 60/40 wool to nylon, with plentifulness of some softness and agelong to them.

Other Great Socks:

• Carhartt Midweight Merino Wool Blend Crew Sock for $22: The weird happening astir socks is that, arsenic a warm-weather lover, well, I hatred socks. Every time with socks is simply a benignant of failure. That said, these Carhartts (gifted to maine by a person who was disquieted that I wandered astir successful sockless sandals successful the snow) are truly nice. They're incredibly lukewarm and soft, and they ne'er smell.

The operation “wool underwear” mightiness conjure images of immoderate lumberjack from the 1800s with hairsbreadth increasing done the weaves of his itchy, blistery agelong johns, but that's not what the merino underwear we've tested is like. In astir cases these are blends, with immoderate nylon arsenic well.

Thanks to WIRED readers for pointing retired Woolly to us. These 100 percent merino (190 GSM) boxers are fantastic and affordable. They ventilate good and set to changing conditions to support you comfy adjacent connected days erstwhile the upwind starts blistery and ends cold, oregon arsenic I similar to telephone it, hiking successful the mountains. They're connected the shorter broadside with a 4-inch inseam, but Woolly makes the aforesaid happening successful a longer cut.

These are the lone 100 percent merino underwear I've tested (there's elastic successful the waistband, but it's surrounded by wool), and they're besides immoderate of my favorites, particularly successful acold weather. These are longer than immoderate of the different boxers I've tried. These are 170 GSM, making them a small lighter, but due to the fact that they merino contented is higher, these are the warmest I've tested. After years of investigating merino underwear, these are my favourite connected each but the hottest days.

Other Great Underwear:

• Unbound Merino Boxers for $45: Unbound's boxer briefs are precise brushed and comfortable. These are 84 percent merino wool, 12 percent nylon, and 4 percent Spandex, truthful they bash person a spot of agelong to them. The 180-GSM merino is airy capable for adjacent the warmest of days.
• Icebreaker Merino Anatomica Boxers for $45: Another large brace of boxers, these Icebreakers are a precise akin blend (83 percent merino, 12 percent nylon, 5 percent elastane) to the Unbound above, but lighter value astatine 150 GSM. They acceptable existent to size and are connected the shorter broadside successful presumption of length. Icebreaker besides makes a agelong version that I tested arsenic well. They're virtually the same, conscionable a spot longer.
• Ridge Merino Wool Boxer Briefs for $35: These Ridge Merino boxers are 83 percent merino wool (170 GSM), with the remainder of the cloth made of nylon and spandex. The blend gives them a stretchier feel, and they're bully and brushed arsenic well. They mostly acceptable existent to size, and person a 6-inch inseam.

Branwyn makes what they telephone merino wool show sets. I americium a instrumentality of Branwyn’s clothes, each of which are Oeko-Tex 100 certified, which means each constituent of the covering has been independently tested against a database of up to 350 toxic chemicals. This is 1 of the astir wide known and respected labels for user safety. These acceptable existent to size. (I accidental it’s important to enactment present that I’m a small-busted woman, and that Branwyn makes a Busty Bra ($58) if you request much support.)

However, this is not rather supportive capable to spell running, which is wherefore Branwyn launched the Racerback Bra ($75). It's beauteous awesome that Branwyn got merino wool to beryllium compressive capable for mean interaction activity. I similar that it offers afloat coverage, with nary annoying tiny and twisty straps and nary padding. It precludes the request to alteration from fabric “everyday” underwear to choky nylon “sport” underwear each clip I privation to bash thing active, which is each the time. —Adrienne So

Other Great Underwear:

• Ibex Natural Briefs for $35: if you'd similar a thinner option, Ibex's earthy briefs consciousness overmuch much similar your basic, breathable fabric undies. I usually enactment adust my merino wool, but these look capable similar my fabric briefs that I threw them successful the dryer and shrank them. If this sounds similar you, you mightiness privation to size up. —Adrienne So
• Icebreaker Siren Bra for $35: I lone person 1 Branwyn bra, but these are the bras that I deterioration each different time of my life. Like Icebreaker's men's underwear, they are 83 percent merino, 12 percent nylon, and 5 percent elastane, and they acceptable existent to size. —Adrienne So
• Wool& Roam Merino Bra for $70: Wool&'s merino cloth is the softest I've felt successful my full life, astir apt due to the fact that the blend has a overmuch little merino contented astatine 68 percent merino wool, 25 percent nylon and 7 percent spandex. I tried these and Wool&'s underwear. They're insanely soft, but overpriced erstwhile compared to our different options, and you person to size up. —Adrienne So

The Best Everyday Merino Clothes

I'll confess that erstwhile I launched this usher years agone I thought of merino wool chiefly arsenic an outdoor-related fabric. It is large for that, but I've since discovered that merino is bully for everything, particularly travel, since it tin beryllium worn respective times without immoderate odors. I've tried merino pants, formal shirts, workout clothes, hats, and more. The champion worldly I've tested is below.

Merino wool pants? Yes. Merino wool each the things. I was skeptical, but I really emotion these pants. Don't fto the sanction fool you, they're not store pants successful the consciousness that Carhartts are. They're overmuch lighter and person a much fitted cut, but determination are respective limb pockets and a loop you could possibly connect a instrumentality to. Mostly, though, they're conscionable bully casual pants—not excessively heavy, not excessively light. They're a blend of 75 percent merino wool (450 GSM), 21 percent bamboo, and 4 percent elastane, which gives them conscionable a spot of flex.

These ace comfy, casual sweatpants from Ridge Merino are immoderate of the astir comfy pants I've ever worn. I don't often enactment retired successful them, I've ne'er really jogged successful them (or yogged, it mightiness beryllium a brushed j), but they're large astir the house. These are 100 percent merino wool (275 GSM) with what Ridge calls a terry cloth (they consciousness similar sweatpants).

What bash you bash erstwhile you've got bully merino wool pants, merino wool underwear, and merino wool socks, but you request thing nicer than a T-shirt? That's wherever this button-down long-sleeve garment from Woolly comes in. It's a small much formal, what you mightiness telephone concern casual, but inactive comfy and soft. The lone happening I americium not rather truthful fond of is the somewhat shimmery look, but that's conscionable idiosyncratic preference.