jeannesauvage117: Thank you for your honest review based on your actual experiences. I will admit that I am so tired of influencers pushing merino wool because they get sponsored or whatever. Your review is so needed!
dcaldwell3175: Thank you for your honest review, Maggi. I’m allergic to wool, and am tired of hearing about merino clothing! In creating a suitable wardrobe for carryon only travel, I’m finding bamboo, modal, light cotton are best for me. Happy travels!
kellythomas6536: You just saved me a lot of money and trouble. Thank you!
dawnpodoijl: I bought one Merino / polyester blend tshirt on sale at Decathlon in Argentina. It is great - soft and cuddly. I wore it around the apartment for 2 days and I was ready to get another. Then we went on a walk in 80 degree heat with the sun beating ng down. I was so itchy. This morning we cleaned out our suitcases and made a clothing donation. That shirt went in the bag.
Penelope222: As a merino farmer’s daughter who has had a LOT of wool in my life, I was definitely a tad confused by some of the claims being thrown around!
71babyjay: My reason for merino wool (and other natural fibers) is because I am cleaning up things in my life. Polyester is spun plastic and I don’t want plastic. I wear bamboo, wool, silk, linen and cotton.
I’m willing to launder these carefully because they are expensive.
Jenx39896: THANK YOU!!!!
terrancerisinger6366: Thanks for all your wonderful videos. Female 70 here following you on my partner's account. Pure wool of all weights is my standard for daily midwestern US winters. I also travel with 100% lightweight wool as layers for city walking and snow walks after winter sports. I hand-wash frequently and travel with cedar blocks. I've always disliked synthetics so wear only wool, cotton, linen, silk and blends of same. My concerns with the current merino hype mirror yours, with the added note that lack of odor does not equal clean. Sweat, skin oils, food spills, trail dirt, and bacteria remain in the fabric until washed away - a basic personal care fact. The "wear it for weeks" crowd remind me of parents who have to tell children to put their clothes in the laundry even if they "don't look" dirty. Finally, not all wool is shorn carefully to avoid injuring sheep, so it's helpful to research manufacturers' safety and sustainability standards. Again, many thanks for helping us travel wisely. Stay safe as you return home! We'll be watching for your final thoughts on the Camino.
xochilguevara3429: This clarifies things for me. I didn’t know why I wasn’t experiencing what merino wool is always advertising. Thanx for the reality check!
paulaito5416: Great to hear a honest review that go against the ‘merino hype’. I personally dont think merino clothes are comfortable, it feels itchy. In low temperatures would be ok because I would wear a layer underneath (not merino) but not t-shirts in warm weather. Thanks for creating interesting content!
waxifari5528: I agree. Merino is situationally a great fabric but the head to toe travel must have hype is out of control. I am currently going with 8 usd Cloud Motion shirts from Old Navy. They are comfortable AF and durable in all types of washing. And they dry in less than 4 hours after hand washing.
AlisonMGee: I love my Icebreaker 100% merino t-shirts for travel and festivals and they're still as good as new after three years. (I bought them in sales as full price is too much.)
I hand wash them when travelling and machine wash them at home in my regular non-bio detergent. I hang them up to dry (I only tumble towels).
I find that cotton t-shirts get a bit smelly on a long hot day, even with good hygiene and antiperspirant, but merino keeps me fresh and I get a couple of days wear out of them.
duck853: All great points, and I appreciate the mostly objective perspective (3% subjective points awarded for "wool is a cold weather material"). You're not wrong. But for me it still works for my current profession. I can "smell" my cotton and synthetic tees immediately after getting to my hotel room after operating a flight. After trying merino 6-years ago, I can often get 3 to 4 flights out of my uniform undershirt without finally grossing myself out. I will sink laundry my pieces with baby shampoo I carry with me at that point. But it only works when I do laundry immediately getting to my room, otherwise they won't be dry by my wakeup call. I can be on the road for up to 17-days at a time and merino has been a game changer for me, but all your points are still true. What works for me won't work for everyone.
jurgenmuller143: German here, where is this hype for merino wool coming from? Nothing like this in Germany! We only use Merino for cold weather underwear and socks
terrycoye3373: I agree 100%! I’ve been using the same two synthetic T-shirts from Bluffworks for all my trips in the last decade, and they are still in great condition. Low sheen, fast drying, no odor, no special handling. Never going back to merino.
Z4raggs: What an eye-opening video, thank you! You've made many points that I, grudgingly, had to agree with. LOL! We've been fed the big marketing trick about merino (and alpaca) wool products. I've purchased a few items for hiking trips and a couple special items for nicer travel excursions. What I found is that unless I store my garments with moth balls, they will succumb to holes faster than by basic wear. After all, even the highest grades are still wool so is susceptible to pests who like to eat natural fibers. Again, thanks for your enlightening video!
andresalgadomarques: I completely agree. Great video as always. You seem such a nice person, it’s always a pleasure when you release a new video. Happy travels and hope your husband is doing well!
conniekitten2409: You are spot on about how fragile they feel. I have several merino shirts that I actually do love in all temperatures, but I don’t want to wear them with a backpack or cross body bag that will cause too much wear.
debragifford4926: I always enjoy your videos. I have agreed strongly with most of them. The ones I disagree with are simply because my experience has been different (both in good and bad ways) from yours. So here goes:
My experience with merino wool has been extremely positive. I like how light weight and packable it is. Easy for me to wash and dry. I try not to wear the same shirt two days in a row. I let them air out a day or two before I wear again. I always wash them when I can hang them or dry flat over night or for a full day so time hasn’t been a factor for me. Neither has the laundry detergent (I use eco-laundry sheets) or pilling been a problem.
Last year we were in Ireland for two weeks and I took five tee shirts and just rotated them. It was beautiful and believe it or not we only had 1/2 day of rain. Temperature ranged from 28-32 degrees celsius. So it was hotter than we expected and I sweat easily. Still my merino held up, I washed as needed but never had an odor (and I checked regularly to be sure).
This Saturday we are leaving for two weeks in Albania. I have mostly merino wool items packed and I am confident that they will serve me well.
But always appreciate your viewpoint and totally agree on how expensive merino is and treat my clothes very gently as a result.
tanvach: Yup, I got caught up in the merino wool hype few years ago. So. Much happier investing in quality anti-odor shirts from REI and Patagonia.
tatronix: Thank you VERY much for your honesty! Your experience with merino wool shirts resonates with me. Last year, I bought a bunch of merino wool t-shirts on the recommendation of some YouTube influencers. I came to the conclusion that they are wrong, and I suspect they are trying to push their affiliate links.
gerthantis8516: OMG! Thanks sooooooo much for speaking out. I have avoided Merino only because it seemed way too good to be true. I've used regular wool for my whole life and just couldn't bring myself to believe that Merino wool was some kind of super wool from unicorn sheep. If this were true about Merino it would also be true to different degrees in other wools. I'm sooooo glad that someone has finally moved passed all the hype and spoke some truth. I appreciate the authenticity of your reviews so much in this cluttered market of sponsor leaning, "I'm going to accentuate the good and gloss over the bad" you tubers. Thanks :)
PS. It's funny, I now use people's opinions of Merino wool to judge the quality of their channel. If they rave about it. I ask You Tube not to recommend it any longer.
sandynbtx6967: Thank you! The merino wool lobby is strong and vocal. It’s not for me.
lysan1445: All valid reasons, though I am surprised about the odour issue. I wear Merino only in winter, and while all my other pullovers smell after two days, I can wear my Merino pullovers for weeks without needing to wash them. And I check the smell daily. The one thing that makes Merino really smelly is when it is wet, and it dries very slowly. I used to buy 100% Merino, but as you say, it's not very durable and way too expensive for that. So now I buy Merino mixtures. In winter, I still prefer to wear Merino or at least a Merino mix, as it keeps me warmer than anything else while not being as cumbersome and thick as other materials.
andyburns6496: I use merino t shirts almost exclusively now. I like a natural fabric against the skin. It won’t melt on you if it catches a spark. Odour control is brilliant. Synthetic fabrics stink after one wear. For a UK summer it’s fine in warmer weather. It certainly wicks moisture away well. The main failing is with longevity. My 100% merino t shirts and tops have holes all over them after a couple of years wear. I now buy icebreaker t shirts which are 50% merino and 50% cotton. This is the perfect mix of natural fibres.
Jun 11 2025
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