r/MerinoWoolGear

Hi, I've recently been trying to put together some activewear outfits, mainly for casual long-distance cycling. The consensus seems to be that Merino is ideal for shirts, jumpers and underwear. However, it doesn't seem to be popular for shorts and trousers, probably because it would wear out or get snagged.

Basically, what materials should I look for in bottoms to get the benefits of Merino underwear? My Denim shorts are horrible for summer cycling, but maybe lighter Cotton or Linen?

Also, I'm currently looking at cheap, 100% merino tops second hand. Usually from high-street brands. Maybe this isn't a good idea in terms of wool quality? Are there any blends that are prefered? I'm trying to stay away from Polyester.

Thank you.

Six months ago I posted here asking if anyone would even care about a 17.2 micron merino t-shirt made in Europe. The response floored me.

To the five people who volunteered to test early samples and gave me brutally honest feedback — you know who you are. You told me when the neck wasn't right, when the weight felt off, when my copy was too technical. This product is better because of you. Genuinely grateful. 🙏

To everyone else who upvoted, commented, DMed, or just lurked and added to the waitlist — you kept me going on the days this felt impossible.

Woon is live today at www.woon.pt

There's a launch discount on the first production run — limited to the units we have. No artificial scarcity, just the reality of a small first batch.

The Perfect Tee. 100% merino, 17.2 microns, 145g/m², RWS certified, made in PT. Everything we talked about, finally real.

Thank you, r/MerinoWoolGear. This community made this happen.

I work in the healthcare industry and wear almost exclusively long sleeve shirts as they look more professional. I’ve found that I can wear 125gsm wool with a vest (most hospitals/clinics are kept cool) and still be happy. I’d like to add a few new pieces to the rotation but I’m having the most difficult time finding lightweight. Absolutely nothing over 150gsm. Icebreaker has one that I own, and another from a brand called Alpine fit.

Does anyone else have good recs?

I’m looking for a genuinely good merino beanie that isn’t itchy. I’ve tried a couple random “100% merino” hats before and either they felt scratchy after an hour or started losing shape fast.

I’m trying to avoid just grabbing another generic one off Amazon, AliExpress, Alibaba, or some department store rack with a fancy outdoor label slapped on it. I’d rather buy one solid beanie that’ll last through hiking, camping, and everyday winter use.

What brands/models have actually held up for you? Bonus if it works well during active use and doesn’t get swampy from sweat.

New to wool. Would like to start a conversation regarding these or other finishing technologies. Obviously we want to avoid superwash, so which of these are acceptably clean? My initial research shows that these techniques do not involve any plastics or chemicals touching our skin. Is that true?

Any recommendations for brands that do quality merino thermals for everyday wear in wintertime would’ve much appreciated…. I am based in Australia. I am wanting to get rid of my synthetic or synthetic blends and replace with merino. :-)

I've learned my body is pretty particular about my underwear, so I've switched everything over to 100% cotton, but if you're familiar with hiker lingo, cotton kills, and I need something that dries out quicker.

I jumped to exofficio first, but the synthetic fiber they use in their boxers was so rough it chaffed my tip (pardon my french) so bad it would sting for days after running a few miles.

So I was turned off of synthetics and went to icebreaker merino, since they were the only 100% merino wool boxers I could find. They felt great, but on multi day backpacking trips, the boxers wouldn't wick my creases properly, and I ended up with a horrible case of jock itch on day 3 of a backpacking trip.

I thought maybe the solution would be icebreaker briefs, since the fabric rests more naturally in those areas, but in the ensuing time since I've purchased my boxers I've seen many many reports that the quality of Icebreaker is in the shitter.

So I humbly ask you experts in this sub, where tf should I get merino wool boxers that wont cause me some kind of harm when I'm backpacking consecutive big mile days.

Are any of you guys tall and have found a brand that fits? So far I've seen rei and llbean that have tall sizes and I really need some tall sized merino shirts for travel so I am looking for recommendations,

I see a lot of merino apparel devotees on Reddit so I'd like to introduce myself. My name is Steve Noa. I am a career wool buyer and trader in Australia. After decades of seeing my industry shrink and ignore the casual market potential for merino, I decided to do it myself. I founded TheMerinoPolo around 3 years ago and grown very quickly going from a handful of products to now 600 SKUs.
We have over 550 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️reviews. We also ship worldwide. Check out our website if you're in the market for merino.