1. Merino Wool Benefits
Explore the Merino wool benefits that you can take advantage of. We'll guide you through the top 5 perks: warmth, durability, softness, and properties that resist unpleasant odors.
What are the benefits of merino wool?
Find out what this simple, natural fibre has to offer and read on for some tips on choosing the best garment for you!
Favoured by athletes for its odour-limiting effect, Merino wool can be worn all year round: its comfort and warmth are welcomed in winter, its softness and durability make it a good ally for the summer.
Merino Wool Benefits: Is Merino Wool Warm?
It’s not a coincidence that merino wool is a long-standing recommendation when it comes to dealing with the cold, but there are more Merino wool benefits than you'd think.
Insulating Properties: The structure of Merino wool, particularly suited for warm textiles, attaches insulation to the fiber. This makes it ideal for creating warm clothing.
Unique Composition: Wool fiber is naturally curly and thin, making it very hairy with a surface covered in scales and irregularities. This composition allows wool to "inflate," trapping insulating warm air with ease.
Warm to the Touch: Unlike smoother materials like glass, wool is inherently warm to the touch. Wool's tactile warmth is noticeable even in a room with a constant temperature.
Thermal Advantages in Moist Conditions: Wool's ability to generate a small amount of heat through exothermic absorption of moisture (e.g., rain, perspiration) is another benefit. It adds a layer of warmth, although it's essential to remember to include an insulating layer or windbreaker over your wool garment to retain this temporary heat.
So does Merino Sheep's wool keep you warm? The above points show how the properties of the wool is effective in natural insulation and offers various thermal advantages in even the most unlikely circumstances.
Merino Wool Fibre
Wool has an uneven surface that traps insulating warm air
Flax Fibre
The surface of flax fibre is smooth, it will have a lesser ability to trap warm air
Merino Wool Benefits: Is Merino wool durable?
A fibre's strength usually comes down to the specific makeup including the:
• Length of the fibre: the longer the fibre, the less "fibre ends" there are in the fabric weave and therefore there is less risk of breakage at the seams joining two fibre strands.
• Elasticity of the fibre: if it is stretchy then it better withstands the different pressure placed on the weave.
Merino wool fulfils these criteria; its fibre is naturally long (more than cotton for example) and it has a "curly" or "crimped" composition which gives it great stretch, as it can stretch out up to around 30% of its length without breaking. In addition, the twisting and interweaving of fibres during the yarn creation phase also contributes to the strength of wool garments.
Nevertheless, be aware that wool isn’t the most durable material. Some synthetic materials are more durable although they don’t have the same benefits as wool (warmth, odour control, stretch, etc.).
That’s why it’s not unknown to find wool garments reinforced with polyamide yarn that covers the wool for extra durability.
Long Fibre
Naturally curly wool is an extremely long fibre with less weak points once spun
Reinforced Wool
Polyamide yarn covers the wool strand for greater durability
Merino Wool Benefits: Is Merino Wool Itchy?
Merino wool is often considered to be less itchy than traditional wool. This is because the fibers in Merino wool are finer and softer, which usually results in a more comfortable feel against the skin.
Standard wool usually itches due to its fibre structure. If the wool strand is thick, it loses flexibility and touches the skin more during our different movements, leading to gripping points and an itchy sensation.
In comparison, the fineness of Merino wool varies between 16 and 19 microns, whereas that of wool is between 20 and 25 microns and hair is between 70 and 120 microns.
On the photo opposite, you can see the thinness of Merino wool fibre on the left, compared to human hair on the right (Photo credit: ©CSIRO).
Merino sheep, a breed originating from Spain, has been selectively bred through generations to produce the thinnest wool possible. The fineness of the wool from Merino sheep endows it with remarkable flexibility, resulting in less skin contact and a soft, comfortable sensation.
However, for those seeking extreme softness, it is advisable to choose a fabric made from very smooth fibers that don't adhere to the skin.
Merino Wool Benefits: Why Does Merino Wool not Smell?
Merino wool is well-known for its anti-odour qualities. Unlike synthetic fibres, Merino wool can absorb moisture, such as sweat, without retaining the odours. The capacity of wool to drain moisture away from the skin helps prevent the growth of bacteria, which lead to unpleasant odours. It is said that the lanolin in Merino wool also has antibacterial characteristics, which reduces the chance of odour but there is no meaningful research to confirm that. So while we can't guarantee antibacterial capabilities in Merino wool, it does reduces bad perspiration odours thanks to its absorption capacity.*
This means that the wool reduces bad perspiration odours but doesn’t eliminate them completely or permanently. And why is wool more effective than other materials? Quite simply because its absorption capacity and structure are more suitable!
In an environment at 20°C and 65% moisture, it is estimated that wool absorbs up to 18.25% of its weight in water while cotton only absorbs 8.5% and polyester (hydrophobic) 1.5%. With 100% moisture (=water poured on the fabric), the wool reaches over 30% absorption capacity.
*Laboratory test ISO 17299-3
Where do bad odours from perspiration come from?
Contrary to popular belief, bacteria are not entirely responsible for bad perspiration odours (well, not completely...).
Firstly, know that perspiration produced by the human body's sweat glands is odourless. However, this perspiration is made up of molecules where bacteria that are naturally present on the human body will thrive. These bacteria (which mostly respond to the sweet name of staphylococcus hominis) will break down the sweat molecules with the help of an enzyme. It’s this enzyme and the residue left by the bacteria once the sweat molecules have decomposed that create the bad odours!
2. how to choose a Merino wool garment?
Use the following 5 criteria to help you find the Merino wool product that’s best for you:
Warmth
For the optimal selection, evaluate your warmth needs and consider the climate of your environment: choose heavy-weight and longer garments for cold, dry weather, and lightweight, shorter pieces for hot, humid conditions. Also, Merino wool is an ideal first and second layer in the 3-layer technique.
Resistance
If you already know that your garment will be put to the test, go for Merino wool blended with a more durable fibre and reinforced inserts on friction areas.
Drying time
If your trek is forecast to be rainy or if you think you won't have much time to dry your clothes after washing, go for a garment made from Merino wool and synthetics to reduce drying time.
Freedom of Movement
If freedom of movement is your priority, choose a Merino wool and elastane garment for greater stretch and comfort.
Perspiration Wicking
If your body is prone to heavy sweating, choose garments with mesh inserts on perspiration areas to stay dry and for added comfort.
Why are there different Merino wool weights?
As knitting enthusiasts well know, the weight stated on your wool product represents the total material weight of a fabric square metre. This gives an indication on the way in which it has been woven and, therefore of its thermal performance: the heavier the weight, the warmer the fabric will stay.
The weight also helps trekkers to make the best choice if they want to reduce the weight of their backpacks as much as possible.
When and how to wear Merino wool, depending on the weight
There are two types of weight:
• Thin, from 100 to 190 g/sqm: lightweight garment that provides moderate warmth, recommended for a warm and humid environment
•Thick, from 200 to 300 g/sqm: more durable garment that provides greater warmth, recommended for a cold and dry environment
Depending on the season or time of day, you can also go for a short-sleeved or long-sleeved Merino wool t-shirt and vary overlapping of layers.
4. Frequently asked questions:
What is Merino wool?
Merino wool comes from the Merino sheep breed. These sheep are bred for the super properties of their wool. The wool is then cleaned to remove impurities. The wool is then spun to produce Merino wool yarn. Finally, the Merino wool fabrics are cut and sewn to make the finished products.
Does pilling occur on Merino wool fabrics?
Compared to other types of wool, it is less prone to pilling. However, this doesn’t mean that it doesn't pill at all.
Pilling of wool garments depends on several factors such as the quality of the wool, the way it has been spun and woven, and the way the garment is used and looked after. Although merino wool is resistant to pilling, it can still happen if it is rubbed repeatedly or exposed to rough surfaces.
How to wash Merino wool? Is it easy?
Not sure about choosing wool in case it shrinks in the wash, it pills or attracts mites?
Forget these prejudices! With very little care, your wool will stay like new and support you on your sporting adventures for a long time.
To finally convince you, read our article about caring for Merino wool: washing, drying, storage and repair.
Does Merino wool keep warm in summer?
If wool traps heat naturally, isn’t there the chance of getting too hot by wearing it in sunny weather?
The answer is no! This is down to two great properties of wool: its great ability to absorb moisture and its interaction with external conditions.
Firstly, let’s talk about its absorption capacity as wool is the champion of this!
Wool is an extremely hydrophilic fibre which means that it absorbs water easily and quickly. It is estimated that it can absorb between 20% and 35% of its own weight before feeling an uncomfortable damp effect. Perfect for those who want to stay warm and dry.
It still releases a little heat when damp, however the reverse effect takes place when it comes into contact with warm and dry air!
This is explained by an easily observable physical process: evaporation. In effect, the transition from liquid to gaseous state requires a certain amount of heat which escapes from the fabric into the air.
This process is well known by inhabitants of the desert who use it to cool the water in their fabric flask, and it's also how some of our modern air conditioners work.
In summary: water or perspiration-soaked wool loses heat if you wear it outside in dry and sunny weather due to the evaporation process.
And to make it even simpler: wool can both insulate you in winter and keep you cool in summer!
A small precaution all the same: even though wool is the best at absorption, its drying ability is still slower than other materials such as polyester for example.
Avoid soaking your woollen socks to cool down your feet! Also be aware that some brands offer garments made from wool polyester blend for a quicker drying time.
Is Merino wool renewable?
To avoid any misunderstanding, it's important to properly define what we understand by "renewable".
A renewable material is one that has the ability to regenerate itself naturally: wood, cotton, rubber, wool, etc.
This is in contrast to non-renewable materials whose quantities are limited , because they can’t regenerate on a human timescale: iron, charcoal, oil, sand, etc.
As well as being renewable, we are guaranteed that the Merino wool used in our products is ethical. Our supply comes exclusively from a livestock farm in South Africa where we are assured that:
- living and shearing conditions are decent
- the painful practice of mulesing is prohibited
It is however important to highlight that although wool is renewable, breeding animals can generate a significant amount of CO2. If you want to reduce your carbon impact as much as possible, you can switch to recycled materials.
It should also be noted that pure wool (without treatment or synthetic reinforcement), like hair, is biodegradable but decomposes over very long periods, especially in the absence of air (e.g.: buried).
