Merino wool shirt review updated 2024

My search for the perfect travel casual top lead me to Merino wool Tshirts. In this review, I’ll put four merino wool tshirts to the test, comparing four budget-friendly options. UPDATED!: It’s been almost a year since we headed out on our fulltime travels around the globe and I’ve posted an update at the bottom of this post.

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Travel Clothes for a Carry-On Lifestyle

As a full-time traveler embracing a carry-on lifestyle, comfort and packability became my clothing priorities. I need clothes that can handle different climates, wouldn’t wrinkle easily, and minimized the need for ironing. Plus, with limited luggage space, versatility is key.

My initial search led me to moisture-wicking and quick-drying shirts. However, I just recently learned about wool tshirts intriguing promise of temperature regulation – a lifesaver for someone like me who dislikes extreme heat. Reviews also highlighted their durability and odor resistance, perfect for extended wear on the go.

The Magic of Merino Wool

Here’s what I leaned about lightweight merino wool tshirts and why they are quickly becoming my travel wardrobe essential:

• Breathable Comfort: They allow air to circulate and wick away moisture, keeping you cool in warm weather.
• Odor Resistance: Wool naturally inhibits odor-causing bacteria, making them ideal for multi-day wear.
• Softness: Despite being lightweight, merino wool offers a luxuriously soft feel against the skin.
• Quick-Drying: The moisture-wicking properties allow them to dry quickly, ideal for traveler like me as we’ll need to wash clothes on the go.
• Versatility: These tshirts are perfect for outdoor activities, casual wear, and layering in cooler weather.
• Durability: High-quality merino wool tshirts are surprisingly durable and can withstand regular wear and washing.
• Natural UV Protection: The tightly woven fibers offer some protection from harmful UV rays.

One essential aspect to consider is the wool quality. Wool can vary in quality based on its fiber diameter, with finer fibers generally considered higher quality. Superfine, fine, medium, and coarse are some common wool grades.

Here are some common wool grades:

• Superfine: Superfine wool has the finest and softest fibers, usually ranging from 15 to 18.5 microns. It is often associated with luxury and is commonly used in high-end garments and accessories.
• Fine: Fine wool has slightly thicker fibers than superfine wool, with a diameter ranging from 18.5 to 20 microns. It is still considered high quality and is widely used in a range of clothing items.
• Medium: Medium-grade wool has a fiber diameter of approximately 20 to 24 microns. It is often more durable and less expensive than the finer grades, making it suitable for a variety of garments, including sweaters, socks, and outerwear.
• Coarse: Coarse wool refers to fibers with a diameter above 24 microns. This type of wool is typically less soft and may be used in applications where durability and insulation are prioritized, such as rugs or heavy-duty outerwear.

But the wool grade is not the sole factor determining the quality of a wool garment. Other factors, such as the type of wool, the processing methods, and the overall craftsmanship, can also influence the quality and performance of the final product.

Which Merino wool tshirts did I compare and why

For this review, I focused on merino wool tshirts in a similar price range, all falling between $34 and roughly $65. Since everyone has different “budget” priorities, I wanted to see how features and performance varied within this accessible range.

Here are the three contenders:

• Icebreaker Merino Women’s Spector Short Sleeve TShirt
• METARINO Merino Wool TShirt Women Short Sleeve Lightweight Crew Neck
• Merino Protect Merino Wool Tshirt Women Crew Neck

I also ordered a tshirt from Sheep Run, which I’ll add to the review once it arrives.

Merino Protect Merino Wool TShirt Women

I bought the Merino Protect 100% Merino Wool Women Crew Neck TShirt on Amazon in the color they call “Blue Gray Stripes”. It’s made of 18.5 micron diameter 100% Merino Wool and fit true to size. At the time that I ordered the shirt was available in a variety of colors though not all colors were available in all sizes. Cost $34.99

METARINO Merino Wool TShirt Women

I bought the METARINO Merino Wool TShirt Women on Amazon in the color they call “Navy”. It’s made of 100% Merino Wool and while they did not indicate the fibre thickness in micros then did mention that is it 16GSM. GSM stands for Grams per Square Meter. It is the overall weight of the fabric. This said, it is hard to judge when you’ve never shopped by GSM before, and it is hard to know what to expect. 165gsm – 180gsm are considered light weight merino wool. It fit true to size.

At the time that I ordered, the METARINO Merino Wool TShirt Women cam in three colors; dark gray, navy and black. Cost $39.99

Icebreaker Merino Wool TShirt

I order the Icebreaker Merino Women’s Spector Short Sleeve Wool TShirt in the color called “Haze”. It’s made of 90% Merino Wool & 10% Nylon, which I found a little surprising; I figured the most expensive shirt would be 100% wool, but it’s not. Reviews on Amazon mentioned that the Icebreakers run a little small so I sized up.

At the time that I ordered the Icebreaker Merino Women’s Spector Short Sleeve Wool TShirt and came in a variety of colors, but not all colors are available in all sizes. It was also the most expensive at $63.23 (why the weird price? Who knows!)

The Results

Comfort and Consistency Across the Board

The first thing that struck me was the consistent comfort across all three merino wool tshirts: Icebreaker, Metarino, and Merino Protect. They all felt soft and comfortable against the skin. Both the Icebreaker and the Metarino came in at an inch longer than the Merino Protect, but being on the shorter side myself, so length wasn’t a deal breaker.

Sheerness: A Matter of Light

There was a slight visibility issue with lighter colored shirts. However, upon closer inspection, it seemed more related to the color itself than the fabric weight. That said, the Icebreaker was the only one that exhibited enough sheerness for me to return it.

Stitching and Price: Where They Diverged

While all the shirts felt well-made, the Metarino had slightly flatter stitching when laid out flat. The most significant difference, however, came down to price. The Icebreaker was the most expensive at $63.23, followed by the Metarino at $39.99. The Merino Protect emerged as the most budget-friendly option at $34.99. Interestingly, the Merino Protect also boasted the widest color selection!

My Merino Wool TShirt Champion

While all three shirts were comfortable, for my money, the Metarino emerged as the winner. Here’s why:

• Budget-Friendly: Travel often requires stretching your dollar, and the Metarino’s price point made it a good option.
• Color: Although the color selection wasn’t as great as the others, the navy blue was my favorite of all three colors I ordered.

The seams on the Metarino were all the lie flat type seam making this my favorite wool tshirt.

Icebreaker: The shoulder seams were the lie flat type but the other seams where the same as the other brands

The Icebreaker (light blue)and the Metarino (dark blue) were an inch longer in the body than the Merino Protect (striped).

The Icebreaker (light blue)and the Metarino (dark blue) were an inch longer in the body than the Merino Protect (striped).

The Merino Protect was not very sheer. In person you can barely see skin tone.

None of the seams on the Merino Protect were of the lie-flat variety available in the other brands. (This is pic is a better representation of the color)

Of all brands tried, the Icebreaker was the sheerest and you can see skin tone through the fabric.

This Isn’t the Final Chapter

The Sheep Run tshirt is still on its way, and I’m eager to see how it compares. I’ll share my findings in a follow-up below.

UPDATE: SHEEP RUN Womens Merino Wool TShirt

The SHEEP RUN Women’s Merino Wool TShirt arrived 20 days later. It has a looser fit, true-to-size fit, and is made of 100% wool with a weight of 180 GSM. It is available in several colors not offered by other brands. The Sheep Run wool tshirt also features lie-flat seams, making it a favorable option.

Best Wool TShirt Update after just a few days of wearing

An Update to the Update: I have now worn the wool tshirts for several mid-summer days, in and around our home in central Oregon, and they are now my favorites. The actually help me stay cooler in hot temperatures. I tried wearing one of my cotton shirts and immediately took it off in favor of a wool tshirt because the cotton tshirt was too hot.

Best Wool TShirt Update – One Year-ish Later

So apparently hot and wool is ok but I’m not a fan of wool shirts for hot and muggy temperatures. Yes they allowed me to stay cool but the itchiness was intense! These did not work for me in Panama and Costa Rica but have been wonderful in Portugal, Spain, France and England.

We decide to minimize the amount of luggage we each had a backpack, a day pack and share space in a smaller roller bag so I ended up not packing the SHEEP RUN Women’s Merino Wool TShirt because of the color. Totally my fault, I should have ordered a blue one as my wardrobe color scheme turned out mostly is blue, white and black.

After almost a year of wearing the Metarino and Merino Protect wool tshirts my favorite is still the METARINO 100% Merino Wool TShirt Women, but just slightly over the Merino Protect 100% Merino Wool TShirt.

The biggest factor is that the METARINO TShirt Women has held it’s shape better than the Merino Protect TShirt and I love the color of the METARINO TShirt Women so much more.