The Wool & Prince Boxer Briefs 2.0 are anti-microbial, odor-resistant, and sweat-wicking. Merino wool is surprisingly soft for wool. Performance is key for long-haul travelers who go on extended trips across multiple climates. Look at Aviator. 53% Merino, 47% Polyester | Lightweight (175 gsm) | Slim fit | Gray (light & dark) | $$$$, Pros: Classic yet casual style | Fantastic all-around performance | Packs down small, Cons: Wish there was more Merino wool | Limited color options. Dont try to replace your entire closet all at once. Thats often just a way to get you to spend more money on an ugly shirt. So, whichever your travel style, theres a functional, versatile piece of Merino wool gear for you! The design is professional yet fashionable. TheMidweight Franconia Womens Bottom($75) are 100% merino wool with a fabric weight of 235 grams, which means theyll keep you warm on your cold weather travels. They come in different weights, colors, and patterns depending on your style. If youre particularly sensitive to merino consider an outer layer for warmth rather than a next to skin base layer. A d*mn comfortable t-shirt that you can wear anywhere, anytime. Pack some travel wipes, for crying out loud! Because no matter how far you are away from home, Merino wool gear lets you experience the comfort of home. Retail price is the same but the TS tees go on sale for around $50. Hell, the $98 shirt will pay for itself in the first month of saved wash time or dry clean money. So why would you ever choose merino over cotton? I mean, the material has to be sourced from the best Merino suppliers. 100% Merino | Lightweight (165 gsm) | 17.5 microns | Athletic fit | Multiple colors | $, Pros: Excellent price-to-performance ratio | Surprisingly comfy fabric | Multiple colors available, Cons: Pilling expereinced in laundry | Long term durability concerns. Now that weve covered our product picks, lets talk brands. Anyways, Im not going to dive into too many tech specs with this one. But Ive also bought shirts that looked like Swiss cheese after just a few wears. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. The fabric comes in a range of weights, expressed in grams, so you can choose a heavier version if you need it for cold weather. To prolong the lifespan of your wool, take good care of it. Ive found a bit of stretch to be handy in a dress shirt. Do not send your expensive merino wool clothes to the wash and fold. Made for travelers by travelers Unbound Merino flies in first-class on Travel Gear airlines. Merino wool has been called natures performance fabric. A high-quality piece of merino wool clothing has the sameor even superiorbenefits of technical apparel but is made from a natural fiber. Merino wool fibers make for great shirts because they are much finer than regular wool varieties. Now theres a new generation of technical apparel companies making wool button down shirts and dresses for work or casual wear. Finally, merino is lightweight and easy to pack. I find a lot of brands crazy weird fit and length in merino shirts. Wearing merino is a great way to pack less because it can be a warm fabric relative to its weight or thickness. 100% Merino | Lightweight (190 gsm) | 17.5 microns | Slim-to-Regular fit | Multiple Colors | $$$, Pros: Literally designed for travel | Minimalist style | Ultrasoft fabric, Cons: Some user-reported shoulder seam issues | Sizing may run small. For example, all of the following fabrics are considered wool: Other types of woollambswool, melton, and shetland woolare all made from sheeps wool. The shirt still looks clean, apparently doesnt smell and is wrinkle free. Wool & Princes Button-Down Shirts ($128-148) are my favorite merino dress shirts. Well, its simply because Merino.Tech offers a great price point. HUNDRED. Outlier is at the high end of prices, but even cheaper merino tees are $50 or more. And in my experience, wearing Merino wool sleeves in hotter climates can actually help cool you down. And what you get is one of the best Merino wool travel shirts on the market. Plus, it dries faster when you do wash it. Can confirm that their shirt runs long. The solution is a midweight wool or a blend. However, in the world of tropical travel, we think Icebreaker has a better t-shirt option: the Cool-Lite Merino Sphere crew. Youll find socks for men and women in a range of heights, underfoot cushioning, and fabric blends. While this does help with the long-term durability, we tend to find it not as comfy as a pure wool button-down. OTOH, my w&p button down is outstanding fit in a medium regular, and Outliers cut one in a medium fits just perfect all around, and I stuck with it for my Merino tees. Sorry to necro, but I was wondering if you notice a difference in quality between the 2 brands. Honestly, its my go-to utility layer when Im backpacking, and the same performance qualities transfer to the travel world. Woolx has found the proper combination of long-term performance and style, especially for those always on the go. It may just be the perfect wool button-down, but I dont want to get too far ahead of myself. A human hair, for comparison, is 50-100 microns, up to 6x the diameter of finer merinos. Most notably, theyre designed to stretch with your legs so that they never bunch up. Whether you want clothes that can go days without washing or simply the perfect tee to take with you on amulti-climate trip,merino wool is up for the challenge. Yet, if you want a 100% wool shirt, youre a bit out of luck with this one. Thats how I got started. This slim-fit polo is crafted from ultralight 150-gsm fabric, so you dont sweat when running to your gate. Every attribute that you need on the road happens to be a strength of merino wool. I picked up 2 pairs of wool and prince boxers and for some reason one of them has become absolutely ravaged by holes whereas the other seems fine. Plus, since it comes in three distinct colors, theres a style thatll match any pair of work slacks. They make them super long for my body type. Id even venture to say its one of the softest tees on this list. Still, Icebreaker has an excellent warranty policy, and the fabric is corespun with TENCEL for extra strength (and sustainability). This weight of fabric will be the most versatile for a variety of climates and will be more durable than a featherweight merino layer. So, whether Im killing time on a layover or jetting off for a foreign backpacking trip, I know that I have a versatile, functional piece of gear for whatever the road throws at me. Depending on the item, I usually prioritize durability over softness because the former is such a risk with the wrong merino. We seem to be the same size. The best merino wool socks can last for years. Their air dry shirts for much more like a reg tshirt. In all honesty, its probably the best-looking piece of Merino wool travel gear that I own. You might associate wool with itchy especially if youve ever owned a big, coarse wool sweater. So, lets take a close look at some of Merinos top-notch travel properties. Merino wool is a great travel fabric because its incredibly versatile. Pay for good quality wool or choose a cheaper synthetic. 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FTC Disclosure & Transparency: To maintain genuineness and authenticity, Merino Wool Gear DOES NOT sponsor products. No, not Merino wool, at least. To maximize versatility, look for a lightweight top around 170-200 grams. Merino can be used as a base layer or outer layer in the winter or a t-shirt in the summer. Still, there is affordable gear out there without sacrificing quality. The fabric is ultrasoft (17.5-micron fibers), and the lightweight 165-gsm material is exceptionally breathable. We recommend packing to dress in layers. My preferred socks for fall and winter are the Hiker Micro Crew Midweight Hiking Socks for Men or Women ($24) made of a blend of wool, nylon, and spandex. The Wool & Prince Button-Down may be the perfect addition to your travel wardrobeweve been testing it for three years and have few complaints! Lay your clothes flat to dry. A nylon blend is generally more durable but also more expensive than a polyester blend. Merino clothing is an investment, but you can easily get your moneys worth on a trip. Taylor Stitch 95% merino tees are a much better length for me. I just don't want it to end up skin-tight. They seem too good to be true. You might be wondering what the merino hype is about and whether its worth its (often high) price point. And if you like wearing sleeves in hot climates (like me) Icebreaker has a long-sleeve version, too. I have one that is a bit too long, and I'm considering drying it. All in all, I find it a bit ironic that a brand named Icebreaker has one of the coolest Merino wool tees out there. Moreover, if you like the design but are looking for a different style, check out some other Merino wool gear that Ibex offers. One of wools superpowersmerino or otherwiseis that it acts as a cooling, sweat-wicking fabric in hot weather and a warm, heat-retaining fabric in cold weather. Outliers merino tee is the softest that weve found. Yet, the thing we love most about the Unbound Merino crew neck is the simple, no-frills design. So, in reality, theres not too much to worry about. And, their crew-neck Merino tee is a must-have in any travelers kit. Polyester and other synthetics are made from petroleum. But high-quality wool has been used for years in dress clothes too. The brands and products above are a mix of 100% merino wool and merino wool blends that are up to half polyester or nylon. Merino is a versatile layer for most climates. Common types of wool come from a variety of animals, not just sheep. Honestly, this is it when it comes to the key to my travel capsule wardrobe. Instead, we prefer to rely on the brands that have been around for years and proven themselves as well as the newer generation of brands bringing original ideas and high tech products to the market. The reason is that I can wear the 24-hour crew for, well, 24-hours! What more could you want? But to travel on a budget, I dont think you will find a better choice for an affordable Merino wool travel tee. In other words, traveling with Merino wool allows you to pack less to adventure more. Wool is a broad term for any fabric made from the natural fibers that form the fleece of animals. You wont smell bad in merino, but you might stink in synthetics. Cheap wool is the worst value you can find. I reviewed and have pics up on the site if you need a detailed review. We believe that the cost is justified for a natural, sustainable fabric like merino. If you need a shirt more fashionable than a simple tee or base layer, you can still wear Merino wool. Heck, even some of the Merino wool travel shirts Ill cover could be considered formalwear! All in all, its the comfort of Merino travel clothing that truly makes it a cut above the rest. Clothing companies also blend merino with nylon or polyester for increased durability. No more layover stink. But why? Perhaps its because I was forced dressed in bland-colored khakis and a navy polo for nearly a dozen years. With Merino wool, your clothes will stay fresh all day long. A short tumble dry, especially on low or no heat, can help work out some wrinkles. Honestly, it helped me itch my travel scratch for at least another few months. Blending in another material can improve merinos performance. So, if this shirt is so great, why do I have it as a value pick? Travel Pro Tip:Merino wool is not as quick-drying as synthetic clothing, so always allow a couple hours for your laundry to dry on the road. Its honestly like a performance tee with a collar, which is an underrated combination. Sometime in the last few years, the number of merino brands and clothing items has exploded. So for the last decade, traveling and Merino wool have gone hand-in-hand for me. Heres the $120 t-shirt that we promised. Ive bought merino socks that lasted me for years. Oh yeah, and its relatively affordable unlike anything at the airport. Well cover how to wash merino wool clothing at the end of this article. Melton wool is perfect for a thick, heavy peacoat but would make for a terrible t-shirt. So, its only fitting to include their Solstice Hoodie as our Most Versatile Merino wool travel shirt. People Socks dont have all the features or design options of fancier brands. We always love when new members join the flock! Merino wool is an investment. 100% Merino | Lightweight (165 gsm) | 18.5 microns | Regular fit | Black or Gray | $$$, Pros: Ultrasoft Merino fabric | Functional & stylish shoulder cut | Excellent breathability, Cons: Fabric tends to wrinkle under chest | Length a bit long. The thrill of exploring the outdoors in an unfamiliar country has always appealed to me. And while early versions of this tee had some seam irritation, I think Unbound has finally designed out that issue. Ive had a few of their Ts for years and the ones Ive accidentally dried are getting almost too short. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. After socks, tees should be your next base layer. Did they get noticeably slimmer in addition to shorter? Give your socks a quick hand wash in the sink, let them dry overnight, and start the process over again the next day. The ultrasoft Merino is comfortable and odor-resistant! Your merino wool clothes will work across a range of temperatures and will manage moisture well. i know in their button downs i wear a Medium Regular. If youre willing to try it, here are two boxer briefs for men to consider. Mac Bishop, the founder of Wool & Prince, wore the same merino wool button down for 100 days straight, without washing it, to prove how great merinos anti-odor properties are. Yes, I know that some of these Merino wool travel shirts are pricey. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); We scour the clothing world to find you the best products crafted from Merino wool. Superfine merino is evenwrinkle-resistant, so youll look great even when stepping off an eight-hour flight. Two attributes justify the cost of good merino over cheap merino. You can dress it up or down and yes, it has pockets. Theyve held up so far without any holes. Unbound Merino has become my go-to for basics including short ($75) and long sleeve tees ($95). For button down shirts, visit thewomens section of Wool & Prince. Depending on the brand, your merino clothes will feel more like a cotton t-shirt than the wool sweater that you might be imagining. You should feel just as happy wearing a merino tee on its own as under three layers. Sign up for the latest and greatest gear delivered right to your inbox. When Im packing for a trip, even trips of a week or more, I never bring more than three pairs of merino wool socks. However, merino isnt as smooth as a slick polyester fabric and can still feel a bit scratchier than cotton. Luxury, ultra fine merino can be as small as 17.5 microns. If youve read any of our reviews before, you may know how much we love gear from Ridge Merino. Instead, buy basics that you can wear alone, in combination, or just as one of multiple layers in cold weather. 52% Merino, 35% TENCEL, 13% Nylon | Featherweight (130 gsm) | Regular Fit | 4 colors | $$, Pros: Breathable, featherlight fabric | Offset shoulder seam = less chafing | Drop-tail hem, Cons: Material may be see-through | Fabric may wrinkle over time. Merino wool blendsdiscussed belowcan offset some of the durability issues. Theres something just so sleek and stylish about the Olivers Convoy LS Tee. Some of the best brands use merino blends to maximize performance. Im 58 athletic 170, and medium regular is my size for wool & prince. 100% Merino | Ultralight (130 gsm) | 17.5-18.5 Microns | Classic fit | 12+ styles | $$$$, Pros: Classic, professional look | Dozens of patterns | Multiple fabric thicknesses available, Cons: Fabric doesnt feel entirely durable | A bit more expensive than other options. TheUnbound Compact Travel Hoodie($165) packs down to the size of a t-shirt and can last for weeks without needing a wash. A great travel hoodie isnt about tons of pockets and a bunch of gimmicky features (like some crowdfunded hoodies). Blending fibers can bring out the strengths of each while offsetting the respective weaknesses. And, people often ask:isnt wool itchy? People never believe merinos anti-odor properties. We like it, we just wish it were more female-focused! I consider myself a minimalist and am always on the hunt for the best performing clothes, especially for my travel wardrobe. Basically, nasty odors from your skin get trapped in the moisture within the fabric, not the material itself. Not all merino is created equal. These underwear are a blend of merino wool, nylon, and elastane. A pair of unisex People Socks will run you about $10, less than half what youll pay competitors. Like other wools, merino is naturally temperature regulating. If youre new to merino wool, start with socks. The level of comfort, odor resistance, versatility, and performance of Merino wool gear makes it the top choice for weekend warriors and digital nomads worldwide! Merino cant compete with cotton on price. For example, you throw on this shirt with a packable down jacket, and youll be warm down to temperatures below freezing. The drape and cut are some of the best Ive seen. Its sort of like a safety blanket, but much, much more comfortable. And sure, I have long-term durability questions. Buy the good stuff. Has anyone experienced their shirts shrinking up any? Usually, that means two separate bags and lots of disorganization. View cart for details. I could not get mine to shrink even though I tried to. Yes, one hundred and twenty dollars. Bombas has donated more than 50 million items to more than 3,500 community organizations to date all thanks to supporters like you. We still wear them regularly because ties are fun (when youre not required to wear them), and theyre far classier than even the most respectable vintage concert tee.