Merino: The allrounder among functional materials

Merino wool is a true all-rounder: it doesn’t scratch, regulates moisture, dries quickly, breathes, prevents odours and can warm or cool. It is the perfect garment for your outdoor adventures. Just make sure the wool is animal-friendly sourced. Find out more about the popular natural fibre and what to look out for when buying and caring for it. 

 


WHAT IS SO SPECIAL ABOUT MERINO WOOL?


Have you ever seen a sheep freezing or sweating? Exactly. Sheep’s wool protects you from the cold in winter and from overheating in summer. Humans take advantage of this temperature-balancing property and use sheep’s wool to make functional clothing that insulates. The wool of the merino sheep has become a particularly sought-after natural fibre.

Merino sheep are a fine-wooled breed whose fleece is made up of many extremely thin wool fibres. These fibres are made up of the protein keratin, which is also found in our hair, skin and nails. A single merino fibre is on average about 17 to 19 micrometers thick. By comparison, a human hair measures around 50–100 micrometers. A conventional sheep’s wool fibre is typically just over twice as thick as a merino fibre (see illustration below).

Today, Australia – along with New Zealand – is probably the most influential supplier of Merino wool in the world.

 

→ You can get a glimpse of sheep farms in New Zealand in our Travel Guide: Mountains, lakes and lots of sheep on the South Island of New Zealand

 

 

fibres_merino_polyester_wool

 

 

BENEFITS AND PROPERTIES OF MERINO WOOL


We have already mentioned its temperature regulating properties, but Merino wool has many other benefits:

 

Merino wool is not scratchy

Because merino fibres are so fine, soft and crimped, they are also extremely flexible and supple. This is why merino clothing is found to be particularly comfortable against the skin, unlike the often scratchy and rough wool of ‘normal’ sheep.

 

Merino wool regulates moisture

When we exercise, we sweat and our body releases moisture to the outside. Unlike synthetic fibres, merino wool offers very good moisture management. It can absorb up to 35 % of its own weight in moisture without the garment feeling damp or clammy. When the moisture level drops, the merino fibre releases the moisture it has absorbed. This is why merino wool is considered to be fast drying and breathable.

 

Merino Wool is odourless and antibacterial

Merino fibres provide a relatively unsuitable habitat for bacteria, as the special fibre structure of merino wool makes it difficult for bacteria to take hold. Bacteria also need moisture to grow, so it is difficult for them to multiply on fast-drying merino fibres. The protein keratin also helps to break down odour-causing bacteria. Merino therefore has a natural antibacterial effect. Even after repeated wear, the products keep their promise: the clothes dry quickly, do not smell and therefore need to be washed less often.

 

Merino wool warms and cools

Merino wool is thermally insulating because there are small air chambers between the many fine, crimped wool fibres. These do not conduct heat or cold and therefore insulate optimally.
In warm weather, merino wool has a cooling effect. Sweat is first absorbed by the merino fibre. In warm air, the absorbed moisture dries more quickly and evaporation is ultimately responsible for the cooling effect.

 

Merino wool repels water and dirt

The surface of Merino wool is water and dirt repellent. A residue of wool fat, lanolin, coats the wool fibre and acts as a protective layer. Merino wool fibres are also highly crimped, giving water droplets a small surface to attack.

 

Merino wool comes with UV protection

Sheep’s wool has always had to adapt to different environmental conditions. Merino wool absorbs UV rays and has a natural sun protection factor of up to 50, depending on density and weave.

 

 

 Overview: advantages of merino wool

✓ Breathable, because body moisture is absorbed quickly
✓ Antistatic
✓ Does not scratch
✓ Odourless, because of the antibacterial effect
✓ Quick-drying, due to the thin fibre structure
✓ Heat-insulating, thanks to small air cushions
✓ Cooling, thanks to rapid evaporation
✓ Less flammable than synthetic fibres
✓ Renewable, biological raw material
✓ Fibre surface is water and dirt repellent
✓ Offers natural UV protection
✓ Easy to care for

 

 

 

Merinofaser

 

 

MERINO WOOL AND ANIMAL WELFARE: WHAT IS MULESING?


As much as merino wool scores in terms of functionality, its production is controversial from an animal welfare perspective. This is mainly due to mulesing: merino sheep are bred to have as many skin folds as possible in order to produce a large amount of wool. The problem is that these folds make the sheep vulnerable to fly maggots. These maggots are mainly found in the anus and genital areas. They can carry a disease that kills millions of animals every year.

To prevent this, the lambs are usually snipped from the skin around the anus, vulva and tail with special scissors, without anaesthetic or painkillers. The wounds are then left to heal on their own. A terrible procedure.

 

What can you do about it?

Mulesing is only practised in Australia. It has been banned in New Zealand, South Africa and Germany. It is simply not done in Argentina because they do not have the special fly. So when you buy merino wool, make sure you know where it comes from.

You can also filter for the Fair Wool label in our online shop – this is only given to products that are free from mulesing.

Leading merino wool manufacturers are already very transparent about the issue. Icebreaker is one of them. On its website, the brand provides very clear information about its farmers and their animals, as well as insights into its production. The merino wool Icebreaker uses comes mainly from New Zealand and is free of mulesing.

Ortovox is also a well-known name when it comes to functional clothing made from merino wool. The company has created its own wool standard – the Ortovox Wool Promise – and also provides information about its Tasmanian merino wool on its website.

Another point: if a merino item is very cheap, it is worth looking twice at where the wool comes from.

 

 

WASHING MERINO GARMENTS PROPERLY


You don’t need to wash your merino wool garment after every use – but it does need to go in the washing machine at some point. The good thing about merino wool is that it is very easy to care for. You just need to keep a few things in mind:

 

• Read the manufacturer’s washing instructions.
• You don’t need a special detergent, but you can use a wool detergent.
• Do not use fabric softener or bleach.
• It’s best to air dry your merino garment.
• If you have a DWR treated garment, you should impregnate it from time to time.
• Some manufacturers recommend washing merino garments together with a rough garment (e.g. jeans). This will help prevent “pilling”. Pilling is when the short wool fibres fuzz together and become matted. However, when merino wool is washed in the washing machine with a coarse fabric, the fuzzy wool particles are rubbed off.

 

 

Merino Schaf

 

 

MERINO CLOTHING AT SPORT CONRAD


Whether worn as a base layer, mid-layer or as the outermost layer, merino garments offer benefits in all areas. In our online shop you will find among other things baselayer, socks, pullover & shirts or jackets from brands such as Icebreaker, Ortovox, Kari Traa, Devold and many more.

 

 

A selection of women’s highlights:

 

 

A selection of men’s highlights:

 

 

OTHER ARTICLES YOU MAY BE INTERESTED IN


The Sport Conrad material encyclopedia

Ortovox Swisswool

Vaude Green Shape

Bluesign – more about the label

Cembra: Malojas sustainable shell

 

Images: Icebreaker/Ortovox