I’ve been singing the praises of merino wool in these pages for over five years. Most people have come around to the fact that merino wool is a super fiber; it’s both sustainable and quite remarkable in its capabilities. Merino wool somehow manages to be comfortable in 95-degree heat, and it’ll insulate you against below-freezing temperatures. Unlike synthetic fibers derived from petroleum, merino wool resists odors and is naturally breathable. What’s not to love? The price.
Merino wool isn’t cheap. That’s why I love these merino T-shirts from Quince: They’re just $42.
Quince
All-Season Short Sleeve Base Layer Tee
The Quince All-Season T-shirt is 100 percent extra-fine merino wool with a 165-gsm weave, which is perfect even on the warmest summer days where I live. (Admittedly, I think the hottest it got this summer was 92 Fahrenheit). I like the relaxed fit here as well. It’s neither skintight technical nor overly loose and baggy. It fits like a T-shirt is supposed to. That’s what Quince does well in a number of categories: offer a solid, no-nonsense, competitively priced merino wool T-shirt that fits well and feels great. As an added bonus, Quince offers free shipping and free returns for 365 days. I haven’t actually tested either—I haven’t needed to, my Quince T-shirt is still going strong after two years of use. But there are plenty of customer reviews on Reddit suggesting the company does honor that offer.
Not sold on the idea of a wool T-shirt? I understand. When I started testing merino, I too had visions of lumberjacks in plaid and itchy sweaters someone’s grandma had knitted. None of that is merino wool. Merino sheep have thinner, softer wool, which has evolved to keep them comfortable across a wide range of temperatures and is comfortable to wear next to your skin.
One wool myth that’s not just a myth is care. Merino isn’t cotton. Quince’s care instructions for the All Season T-shirt say to wash it in cold water and lay flat to dry. The latter is important, as hanging merino wool to dry will stretch it out (because of the water weight). Can you throw it in the dryer? Yes. I have, for testing purposes only. It will shrink, and it will wear it out much, much faster, but you can do it.
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