Clothing

Are Smart Wool Garments Worth The Price?

by theminimalistmom |

Are you struggling to find quality clothing that will last? Me too. I’ll be sharing a few of my finds, and yours, on the blog.

For years people have told me, on this blog and in person, that smart wool garments were a great investment. They were durable, functional and, get this, didn’t smell even after repeated wears. I was intrigued. But the price. Ouch.

My sister wore a few smart wool items as she hiked through the Swiss alps. She came back convinced that the garments were worth the expense when she had no access to laundry facilities and was hiking eight hours a day.

The rumours were true: smart wool really did keep odour at bay, was cool in the heat and warm at lower temperatures.

Because she could wear things a few times before washing she didn’t need to back as much. Okay, I was ready to give them a try.

Smart wool garments are expensive. Like really expensive. And this is coming from someone who is open minded about investing in things that will last and that I will get great use out of. But because I want to have less clothing that I wear more often I decided to bite the bullet and test run some garments.

The biggest investment piece we bought was a black hooded zip up lightweight jacket for my husband. Chris received the Icebreaker Quantum Zip Hoodie for Christmas 2012. We both got a pair of socks and I got a t-shirt(like this but without the print on the front). Soon after Chris also purchased an Icebreaker t-shirt.

My Icebreaker / Smart Wool garment review three years after purchase and use.

We didn’t love all of our garments but there was one clear winner.

First, my women’s t-shirt was not a stylish cut as I had hoped. At the time I was living in the Isle of Man and ordered everything online so I wasn’t able to try things on for fit. This is on me because I didn’t inspect it in person first.

The t-shirt also had an embroidered logo that I hadn’t noticed when ordering. This moved it into more hiking/workout territory for me. I’ve kept my eyes out for smart wool t-shirts with no logo, no print and a stylish cut but still haven’t found anything that really fits my needs.

All that to say, the t-shirt has been worn for workouts and all the hype is true: it’s lasted really well, doesn’t hold odor and works for different climates.

Icebreaker Women’s t-shirt: B

Our Icebreaker socks didn’t fair so well. Holes in heels after one winter. Now, I wore my socks as slippers around our house in the winter so they got almost daily use. And, big catch, Icebreaker has a lifetime guarantee on their socks. But I just found out about that so those socks were not returned for new ones. Icebreaker socks: C+ with return policy

My husband had the best success with his Icebreaker Smart Wool clothing.

His dark gray v-neck t-shirt is versatile and in a pinch can be worn casually to work. If I compare it to his regular cotton t-shirts the Icebreaker smart wool t-shirt has blown them away. It still looks great, the color hasn’t faded, it still holds its shape and, yeah!, does not hold odour. Icebreaker men’s t-shirt: A

But the biggest winner has been the Icebreaker Hoodie. It was/is a staple of his wardrobe for three years. It worked perfectly for our climate here in the Pacific Northwest and in the Isle of Man as a warm layer in winter and a lightweight jacket in summer. It was worn almost daily for three straight years.

The only fault I can give this jacket is that the pocket design wasn’t great. We had an ahem, incident, where a passport fell out of the front pocket. I think this older model of the jacket had a pocket design that wasn’t meant to hold things, just warm hands.

This jacket was worn so much that Chris wore it out in three years of heavy use. As you can see from the photos above the sun bleached areas of the jacket into a purple shade, a small hole appeared near the elbow and the cuffs frayed.

I’m going to send this to someone to upcycle into a smaller garment(s). For Christmas 2015 Chris received his second Icebreaker hoodie. Happy to report the pocket design has been changed and will securely hold a passport.

Are Smart Wool Garments Worth the Money?

Here’s a cost and use breakdown for the hoodie my husband wore almost daily for three years:

  • Bought for roughly $250 CDN.
  • Use: 3 years, around 250 days/year (probably more).
  • Cost per use: ¢33/wear
  • Convenience of having a all-weather base layer/jacket that goes with everything: priceless.

After three years with some smart wool clothing I would recommend them to anyone. If you’re someone that spends a lot of time outdoors they can be a perfect layering piece, are very durable and you can wear them multiple times without washing. Ideal for camping trips, and adventures big and small.

Still on the hunt for more clothing that will last… will keep you updated.

Any other merino wool/smart wool/Icebreaker fans out there?

  • so, here we go with some of my research and experience:

    try iomerino – they’re form Australia, so customs apply when ordering to the UE. Besides, this is a rather pricy 100% merino brand, but given the current sale, it’s acceptable, as compared to pricing level of other similar brands. Quality is top-notch, noticeably best of all merino garments I’ve come across, although not by a wide margin (http://iomerino.com/)

    I could also recommend super.natural (from Germany) for their 50 merino/50 poly mix which feels and performs like pure merino, but is clearly more durable. It’s my personal fav (I have more than 10 items by super.natural and keep buying them for everyone I love and care for). Also, they have a very clean, quiet design, “German upper class” as we call it here in Europe. For me, it’s a plus 😉 (www.sn-merino.com/)

    Then you have a number of Scandinavian brands such as Devold, Ullmax, Janus, etc. which mostly produce 100% merino items, all at reasonable prices. I tried Devold and Janus, they are as good as 100% merino goes.

    Notable American brands include also ibex, who currently run a massive sale, but this is because they are soon closing business permanently, so this bears some risk of not being able to return the items that do not fit. If I lived in the US, i’d definitely give their Gallatin 400 g/sq. m. 100% merino pants a try. (ibex.com)

    My personal, experience-based recommendations would be – no matter what is your sport, if any at all – to go for a lightweight 125g/sq. m merino neckwarmer (can be paired with a similarly thin beanie). Super comfortable, weighs next to nothing and is a versatility champion. I highly recommend getting the original from buff or a similar from other merino manufacturers – just make sure it’s lightweight (buffwear.com)

    I also found that at least in Europe’s large sport goods retailer Decathlon, you can actually get the best merino deals available, but this is for a very limited range of merino products they offer, specifically only 4 for women and men alike (longsleeve, short sleeve, 1/4 zip longsleeve and tights), so 8 items altogether. In terms of performance, they are just as good as top brands I mentioned above. They are priced at 20-30% of what you would have to pay for brand items. Also highly recommended, based on personal experience (https://www.decathlon.co.uk/Buy/merino)

    Last but not least, there is a growing market of merino-engineered garments in which merino is combined in various ways typically with polyester, but also other fibers for some specific characteristics. These seem to be based mainly in the US and priced ludicrously, but are very interesting at the same time. Have a look:

    Oliver’s Apparel https://oliversapparel.com/products/porter-hoodie
    Outlier: https://shop.outlier.nyc/shop/retail/
    Mission Workshop https://missionworkshop.com/products/the-steppe-merino-wool-hoodie
    Chrome Industries: https://www.chromeindustries.com/product/merino-wool-cobra-hoodie/AP-111.html
    https://www.kitsbow.com/products/merino-am-hoodie

    Last but not least, there are interesting brands that I did not have an opportunity to lay my hands on (yet! ;)):

    Ortovox, a very pricy, outdoor/mountaineering brand
    Wooly clothing – reasonably priced, but no shipping to EU https://www.woolly.clothing/ (which is a pity, because their jogging pants fill the general niche in merino, which is pants – apparently, manufacturers are reluctant to make track pants from merino wool)
    Rab – same as for ortovox: https://rab.equipment/us/
    Mons Royale – also very expensive, flashy design, not exactly my style, interesting nonetheless: http://store-eu.monsroyale.com/
    QOR: https://www.qorkit.com/265-merino-full-zip-hoodie-3702ae.html
    Woolx: https://www.woolx.com/products/

    Finally, to get merino clothes at reasonable prices, my suggestion is to regularly check internet outlets for deals on merino clothing. This is how I get all my merino garments and I can usually get them with at least 40% discount which often goes as high as 60-70%. Apparently, apart from the obviously expensive basic material, there is also a lot of “premium factor” calculated in the price, so the manufacturers are willing to reduce the price upon launching new season collections. The outlet market for merino clothing is really huge, specifically because it’s so damn expensive. Hope this helps! Cheers from a merino junkie 🙂

  • In terms of durability, I’ve had better luck with Smartwool (the brand) than Icebreaker. I was very disappointed in Icebreaker, actually – holes, broken zippers, etc. Patagonia has started making some merino wool base layers, once what I have wears out, I will try theirs as I support the company’s work and their products are usually high quality. So far, I have not had luck with incorporating any of these types of clothes into my day to day wardrobe. They’re too sporty in cut and in the small details. But I do wear wool socks every day!

  • Chalky digits is another brand that is popular here in NEw Zealand, it’s NZ made so more expensive because of that but their pieces are classics and last really well. I think they ship overseas ? When I did a wardrobe purge I found their garments were ones that lasted really well and I wear for several seasons. They are more causal than outdoor wear. Some pieces are cotton, some merino.

  • Thank you for posting this! It’s funny, Mr. Picky Pincher has been trying to sell me on Smart Wool socks for years. Maybe I just needed to hear it from someone else to be convinced! I’m trying to do a better job of buying high-quality items that last a longer time, but with more upfront investment. My crappy Hanes socks only last so long.

  • I discovered merino wool clothing about three years ago and have been a huge fan ever since. I wear an icebreaker zip cardigan almost every day. I don’t know how they do it but that thing is at the same time tight fitting and super stretchy – it was one of the few items of clothing I could wear (and zip) well into the ninth month of pregnancy! It’s the most expensive item of clothing I’ve ever bought and the best value for money at the same time.
    I also own a long sleeved shirt by the brand Paley Hi, also great quality.
    For socks I can recommend ‘woolpower 400’ – my boyfriend has been wearing them for three years almost every day, washed hundreds of times and still like new without holes or wearing thin! We bought them on Amazon.

  • Hey Rachel! Check out http://www.thelasthunt.com – it’s a Canadian on-line outlet and they have TONS of Icebreaker stuff on their site. Plus it’s all in Canadian dollars and they ship to Canada (obviously!), no duties, etc. I bought an Icebreaker dress for $44 (regular $199!) as well as a number of other things over the years 🙂

  • Try untouchedworld.com or kathmandu.com. Both New Zealand companies and known for good quality goods as we do a lot of outdoor activities here. I’m not sure about their availability in Canada but both ship internationally. We get a lot of cheap merino stuff here which is fine for around town/home kind of stuff but you get what you pay for. Also, if you ever get the choice try socks or gloves etc in a possum blend – awesome!

  • FYI i contacted Smartwool/Icebreaker about returning some of socks that hadn’t worn as well as the others (holes, major pilling) and they wouldn’t accept them back. So the “lifetime” policy isn’t really. Other socks we got from them fared better but after the run around from their customer service I’m back on the hunt for another brand to try as I won’t buy icebreaker again.

    • Darn tough socks! They have all heights (no-show to over the calf) and thicknesses (thin summer weight to thick extra cushion winter weight) for men, women and kids. They also can be washed and dried with your normal laundry. Plus a no questions lifetime warranty! Just save up all socks with holes & ship them together for replacements. This becomes more economical if you have a family and can send in many pairs at once. Many reviews online of customers who have successfully used this warranty.

      I’m in the process of replacing all my old cotton socks. Only down side is cost, but $20 for a sock that will last a lifetime is a great deal. Buy once, cry once.

  • Darn Tough socks, SmartWool base layer, Icebreaker T-Shirts, and some Minus33 stuff thrown in as well.

    SmartWool is great for base layers, I’ve found that I don’t much care for their outerwear though.

    Minus33 and Icebreaker have nicer looking outerwear, along with Arc’teryx (the synthetics I own) it makes up most of my wardrobe. I do have an outdoorsy look though, so people who like a more formal or fashionable look might not be happy with it for everyday wear.

    The Darn Tough socks also have a warranty, but I can’t speak to how well that works, three years (I walk around 2k miles per year, and I only own four pairs of socks, so they’ve been heavily used) later and I only have a few thin spots.

  • As so many have already said, Sierra Trading Post. Get on their email list and you’ll get deals on top of deals. For me the inbox hassle is worth the savings. I buy all my Smartwool, Icebreaker, and Ibex clothing items either from STP or REI closeout. I’ve bought from 6pm.com before as well, no issues with the merchandise, but high return shipping costs as their return location must be in the middle of nowhere, so I have to be really sure of what I’m buying from them. I wear my merino wool all the time and love them, and when I travel I wear one t-shirt and take one extra, and that’s all my shirts! They all make different weights of t-shirts, and the lightest weights are very thin, which does translate into less durability, especially for us cat lovers. Once they are no longer fit for outside wear, I use them as sleep wear. I’ve tried lesser brands and haven’t had as much luck with durability, washability and fit, so I stick with the brands that have worked well for me.

  • I have a couple thoughts… First, you might also want to consider silk, as another natural fabric. I have found some silk long underwear at garage/estate sales for a song. The fact that it is in good condition for decades speaks well to it’s durability.

    Second, a good site for discount merino wool is 6pm.com. they do closeouts of last year’s styles. You might run into odd sizes or colors, but it’s worth checking out. You can search by “merino” and get a plethora of options.

    • I was keen to try silk. The organic silk jersey I tried is very fragile and easily catches on, say, a rough fingernail, pulling unsightly threads and even laddering… very disappointed, as the style and colours meant the items would be good for layering.
      I do like silk chiffon basics, very thin but a warm underlayer and generally, a good layering item.

      Generally speaking, I was also disappointed in my trial run of an Icebreaker merino T-shirt, on sale and still expensive. The biggest size was XL (women’s) and that wasn’t very big (quite small arm-scyes), in my view. Also, it wasn’t very long (and I’m only 5’2″). With a bust, the crew neck was pretty high, along with the logo issue. I didn’t feel it took on less odour, either – maybe some people sweat more or something? I passed the T on to my daughter, who seems happy with it but then she doesn’t need to look smart and like her dad, doesn’t seem to sweat much.

      I also felt I had to take special care with laundry – not everyone in my household pays attention to what goes in the dryer, so things that don’t survive a dryer are a no-go for us! So that means that apart from merino wool, the linen knits I tried only lasted for a short while before being passed on to kids, due to shrinkage…

      My favourite T-shirt at the moment is 65% polyester, 35% viscose – I usually avoid polyester like the plague but this one is great.
      I knit my own wool socks (sock yarn is generally 75% wool, 25% polyamide for strength) and darn as necessary but they seem to me to last very well indeed despite daily wear in winter (and yes, it’s a fact that even wet wool warms!).

  • I wear black wool t-shirts daily for at least 6 months a year. I own Icebreaker & the Cosco Segments t’s, which I have been buying, 4 at a time, for years. For dress, I buy Sarah Paccini Essential T’s in viscose at a much higher price. Black t-shirts with wool drawstring pants are my uniform. & I wear jeans about twice a month.
    When I first started buying the “Segments” t’s, they were less than $14.00 & thicker. Now, at $20.00 they are thinner. I own Icebreaker in various weights, but generally thicker since I use them for skiing.
    All of them get holes in the bottom before long. At the end of April, I toss the worst of them. Icebreaker stands up better, but I wear them less often. Even the expensive Sarah Paccini, which for me are the perfect all year weight are equally fragile. But frankly, the newer Cosco Segments are the worst.
    I know three others who have the same problem with their t-shirts. I’ve even had the same hole appear in a very fine Eric Bompard cashmere sweater.
    I take very good care of my clothes, hand washing the expensive t’s & cashmere. That the holes always appear in the same place, in items of different weight, not just to me, but others, suggests that these fabrics are just too fragile for daily use. Even at $20. a pop, if I only get 30 wearings, it’s not quite the bargain I thought it was. Im not sure I’ll be restocking my Cosco t’s next fall. It’s too bad, since they’ve been a staple for so long.
    Finally, I wish I knew why the current crop of wool sweaters are not holding up when I still own 10 -20 year old sweaters, like my old Eileen Fisher wools & silks. I won’t buy the new ones. They are scarcely better than Cosco Segments. Another beloved company whose quality has deteriorated. But that’s another story.

  • We wear icebreaker T shirts and LS tops, track pants,jumpers all year round having recently moved from Australia to IOM, (researching for this move is how I found you ) They don’t last as well as they did 4-5 years ago,t shirts developing small holes easily. Hedrena ( Aust) has a nice range of non sporty style merino garments which wear better than icebreaker.
    We really like merino underwear for hiking and traveling as they dry overnight, stop chilling when wet, and don’t chafe like wet cotton does, so a basic wardrobe was needed for 4 people. I resorted to sewing boxers and singlets to reduce the cost, buying merino fabric from “the fabric shop”. This has worked well.

  • I wear a black Icebreaker tee almost every day from October to April (not the same one!). The logo is also black so it’s mostly invisible and I can wear for dressy occasions or yard work. Sierra Trading Post has great discounts on wool base layers from several companies, but socks still run $8-12 per pair. I’ve not been happy with the lifespan of the socks, but our shirts and jackets have held their shape and have no pills after being worn 2-3 times a week for 3-4 years. Totally worth the investment. Smart wool seems to be cut for taller, slimmer body types-no petite sizes.

  • I was a huge Smartwool fan growing up, and my brothers and I went through each other’s laundry to steal them from each other. Buuuuut, then the original owners (the Duke family out of Steamboat Springs) sold the company to Timberland in 2008 (ish..) and the quality has gone downhill since then – HUGE difference.

    The Duke’s started another wool sock company called Point6 and it’s right back where Smartwool used to be. I have a pair of 4 year old Point6 socks on my feet right now!

  • So, couple things here:

    Smartwool is a *brand*. Icebreaker is a *brand*. Merino wool is a fabric. 🙂 You don’t get Icebreaker Smartwool – you get Icebreaker merino, or Smartwool merino, or Patagonia or Darn Tough, etc.

    I’ve had holes develop in lighter-weight garments (150-160g ones) from various brands; they’re not designed as solo outerwear in most cases. Best things I’ve found are Darn Tough socks, with a lifetime warranty on them. Husband’s developing a hole in a sock — we’re about to test that warranty! 🙂

  • I am a huge fan of Mountain Equipement Coop. We have had excellent success with their in-house brands of clothing. We have the toaster snow suits (we live north of Montreal) for the kids and all of the suits have kept at least 3 kids warm. The one my two year old is wearing has been handed down 7 times! MEC has a page on their site to purchase second hand and these suits also have great re-sale value.

    MEC also has a rock solid garantee. One of our snowsuits feel apart after two years. I sent it back saying that other models had lasted musch longer and it was replaced with a brand new suit, free of charge. My favorite winter bib pant that I wear to downhill ski, snowshoe, build snowmen and use as rain pants in the summer (i’d say i wear them at least onece a week, year round) were bought in 2002. This winter the zipper on the leg broke and they are in vancouver at this moment being repaired, free of charge, free shipping. They ar a shell pant so i can ajust the layers underneath to make them snow pants or rain pants for cold hallowe’en nights.

  • I’ve been wearing Icebreaker for several years. I have the layering pieces – long johns in mid weight, several tee shirts, collared “polo” shirts, non-hoodie cardigans. Even a pair of trousers.My experience has been 50/50:

    – the thinner long johns are not worth the price, go for the heavier weight if you are going to spend the money.
    – Don’t invest int éh socks. Socks wear out fast, if not faster than regular wool socks. I bought several weights/styles and almost every pair ended with holes in the heel area, a few after only the third wear. Not worth the price. (I admit I walk a great deal but still!)
    – two Oasis half-zip tops had body odor problems. I could not get this out, soaking, Borax, white vinegar, washing in a better machine (not the coin operated machines in my building). I wrote to customer service and they wondered if it was the batch. They were older pieces and I admit I never followed up on this.
    – liked the tops and layering pieces so I got the Villa trousers. I wanted pull on convenience, not to look like the Lulu Lemon yoga wear that I see around town, plus something that would not fade. Alas, they stretch as you wear them. The waistband elastic started to give out too. I even tried shrinking them in the dryer. They drank inwards not in length. 🙁
    – bought the first run of the Bliss cardigan – all the buttons broke off in about six months. The buttons themselves were cracking and falling to pieces, even the extra spare button (and they had “Icebreaker” written on them.)

    Pros:
    – doesn’t fade like cotton
    – pieces are machine washable – yea! I’ve accidentally tossed a few tops in the dryer and they did not shrivel up or noticeable shrink.
    – take up very little space, great for travel
    – some of the tops that are less sports related can be dressed up

    Several styles I like have been discontinued. Wish I bought a second heavier weight zip hoodless cardigan that fits so well but they discontinued the style. I wrote and asked if it was coming back as it was one of their 320 weight basics at the time. Alas, no. So if you really like it – watch for it to go on sale and get another.

    Icebreaker is adding more styles and taking away some sales. They seem confused as to what market they want to go after. I am no fond of the pattered tee-shirts, just give me the basics. I suspect they are growing a little too fast, and quality has suffered. I bought their mittens to layer and came home and realized they were two left mittens. When I went to exchange them at a store that sells a great deal of Icebreaker, the sales lady said they have noticed the quality control is not what is used to be.

  • I’m not sure if they deliver to Canada, but a site called Sierra Trading Post in the US sells overstock of smartwool and Icebreaker items, in addition to other merino wool brands for discounted prices. They also typically have 40% off coupons if you sign up on their site w/ your email address pretty often. The prices become pretty reasonable when factoring in all of the discounts.

    We buy all of our pieces from Sierra…merino wool is great!

  • Well, I am a HUGE fan of Smartwool, but with a few reservations.

    First the Pros:
    It’s warm… like really warm, and this is coming from a person who is always cold. I have tried other brands of Merino wool, and while it was warm too, I didn’t find them to be as comfortable against the skin as Smartwool. My step-mom knew someone who worked for them, and apparently they have some sort of special process that actually scrapes the barbs off of the wool so that it isn’t scratchy. The odor control stuff is also very true – I wear mine for days at a time. I basically wear only Smartwool tops and socks all winter long these days.

    Now the Cons:
    Well, we all know that it ain’t cheap, but I’ve also had some problems with longevity. Now, I have two situations that others might not have to deal with, so take that with a grain of salt. I’ve got cats who tend to inadvertently snag delicate knits with their claws, and the Smartwool seems much more susceptible to this than say a cotton knit t-shirt would. Also, we have a problem with carpet beetles – which we’ve been trying to mitigate without resorting to chemical warfare. The carpet beetle larvae LOVE to eat things like wool – so that might be a contributing factor to the holes as well. Last summer I stored all of my Smartwool in plastic ziplock bags and that seemed to prevent any storage related problems. Finally, not all Smartwool is equal in my experience – especially in terms of tops. Some are very stretchy, and some have almost no stretch at all – I think it’s a combination of the kind of knitting stitch that’s used as well as the fact that some of their products are a blend of wool and spandex. So if you’re buying online, be aware of that.

    All that being said, I’m still a big fan. Since I can’t afford to pay full price for the stuff, my solution is to buy socks when they’re on closeout at REI – you have to settle for crazy colors, but I’m fine with that. For tops, I’ve bought most of mine on eBay, either lightly used or factory seconds. They’re still not exactly cheap, but much better than paying full price.

    • Cat – I love this run down on your experience and the tips for finding deals. I didn’t add in that we bought one pair of long john bottoms for our eldest in smart wool. The were great for keeping him warm while being very trim (he could wear them under jeans) but they snagged early on in the knee which was disappointing. I don’t think I would buy that thinner style and stretchy weave of smart wool long johns again because of that experience. The knits they use for hoodies and the t-shirts is much more durable.

  • My husband has an Icebreaker top that came as part of a deployment uniform kit 13 years ago and he still wears it. We don’t get much more than frost a dozen times a year so it’s mostly been the to and from work ride, but it’s held up well. Some small holes but still very functional. I sold all my Icebreaker stuff years ago because while they’re warm, they were still stuck in the hiking/sports design and I (despite the lack of snow) wear thermals around 8 months a year. I just want comfortable warm clothes that aren’t stripey or bright pink and blue, and thermal layer that I can, you know, layer. Sports inclined stuff does not play well when layering with everyday clothes. Crew necks are particularly useless.

    I always though that since the UK and US had actual snow in winter that it’d be easy to find Merino/warm stuff to wear – in Australia we do have a few companies/labels, like Merino Skins and Wilderness wear that make awesome warm stuff, It’s just very utilitarian and ‘I’m going on a hike!’ kinda stuff. Cheaper than Icebreaker, less colour options and basic style but warm and durable.

  • I am a huge fan of smart wool. My husband and I do a lot of backcountry canoeing (up to 3 or 4 weeks in the middle of nowhere at a time) and we both swear by our smart wool base layer pieces. Not only does it have the properties you listed (odour-absorbing, durable, etc.) but thing base layers will keep you cool in hot weather and warm in cold weather AND will keep you warm even if they are soaking wet. For us, that’s a huge plus – even if we don’t successfully navigate a set of rapids, we’ll be wet, but not cold! 🙂 That being said, I don’t wear my smart wool shirts as every day tops, I use them just for canoeing & camping. I agree with you that it’s difficult to find a stylish cut in most smart wool tops. I did pick up a merino tank top at MEC last spring that is a slightly more stylish cut. The pieces we own have held up well through many adventures – I highly recommend investing in a few key pieces for outdoor activities.

    • I didn’t realize that they kept you warm even when wet. Makes me want to run in mine more (we get a lot of rain here). Thanks for sharing your smart wool tips and experience. They are such expensive pieces I know people, myself included, hesitate to buy them.

  • I have the Icebreaker Bliss cardigan, as well as one of their heavier shirts for layering and have been thrilled with them both. (Their pants fit a little strange on me, so I relegated them to indoor lounge clothing.) Also, my Ibex dress from several seasons ago has been wonderful. I wear SmartWool socks all winter long and can’t get more than 2 winters out of them, though. Costco makes hiking socks similar to the SmartWool ones. Finally, last year Costco carried Seg’ments brand wool v-neck long sleeve t-shirts and mine has worn extremely well. They discontinued them in our market (NW Indiana/Chicago) for some reason, though. I grew up in Florida and “smart wool” clothing has saved me from the cold for the past decade here in the Midwest! 🙂

  • My mother-in-law told me that her father used to wear wool long johns All. Year. Long. Granted, they lived outside of Nome, Alaska so it definitely got cold in the winter…but the summers did get warm,. I think he tested and proved the claim of wool clothes. I recently bought a pair of wool socks for $14 in hopes of keeping my feet dry while training for a half marathon. So far, so good! I would totally invest in other wool clothing if they had classic lines to stand the test of time.

    • Good luck on the half marathon! I’m training for one as well and just bought a pair of Icebreaker running socks. So far so good for me too. There is an Icebreaker store in Vancouver so if these get a hole in them I will be returning them right away.

  • I am on the hunt for shirts that won’t get holes in them! Practically EVERY shirt I buy gets tiny little holes on the front at the bottom; some within a couple of wears (ahem, Old Navy!). The only information I can find on this is that many people say it’s from the button on your jeans, combined with leaning against counters (as in, SAHM in the kitchen all day!) or the seatbelt in the car? So I am hesitant to invest in expensive shirts… but perhaps this smart wool you speak of is also hole-resistant??! You have got me thinking…

      • I buy at Sierra Trading Post online. They are an outlet for discontinued, etc. products. I have always been happy with them (over 20 years) and have no affiliation. (I’ll get nothing if you buy from them.)

    • Dear Susan S,
      I only wear Smart Wool (it’s taken me 5 years to slowly replace my minimalist wardrobe with smart wool that is resilient). I was still getting holes from the button in my jeans in my Icebreaker Tech tees, so I darned them and then switched to elastic waist jeans (cotton/merino) made by Tooralie http://www.toorallie.com.au/product-group/262-elastic-waist-slim-leg-jean/product#2974
      I’ve found this has meant I’ve gotten no new holes😃. I only switched my jeans over this year and have been wearing these for about 1-2 months and am really happy so far.
      Hope this is helpful.
      Kiri

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