Cotton is a popular natural fabric, but merino wool is the superior choice.
Wool regulates temperature better than any other material. Among outdoor enthusiasts, you’ll often hear the phrase: “cotton kills.”—born from hypothermic experiences caused by cotton’s inability to wick moisture effectively. Wool, however, insulates even when wet, and doesn’t feel damp until it’s absorbed 60% of its weight in moisture.
Beyond outdoor gear, wool outshines cotton in everyday use. Here are five ways wool is the better option.
1. Less Odor
You may notice that your cotton shirts stink after just one or two wears and require washing. Wool shirts, on the other hand, can go for weeks (or 100 days) at a time without showing signs of odor. How does wool accomplish this? It quickly absorbs sweat which prevents the growth of odor-causing bacteria and keeps your skin dry.
2. Less Care
Thanks to its ability to stay fresh, wool clothing can be worn more and washed less compared to cotton or any other material. So save a little time, money, and energy by wearing wool. It’s better for you and your shirt. Laundry takes a toll on your clothing (not to mention the environment). So the less you do laundry, the happier your clothes (and planet) will be.
"Wore W&P tees for three weeks in Thailand, 90f+ degrees, 1000% humidity. Flat out amazing shirts, so comfortable, breathable, moisture wicking. Donated my cotton shirts when I got home and haven’t looked back."
-Shea E.
3. Regulated Temperature
Our merino fabric will redefine your take on how comfortable wool can feel. But there’s more to comfort than touch. Look at the gear-obsessed outdoor community: they’ve put their trust in wool base layers for years. On the warm end, wool wicks sweat and breathes keeping your cool. On the other, it traps your body heat and keeps you warm. If you’ve ever switched from cotton socks to wool, you’ll know what we’re talking about.
4. Wrinkle Resistance
Cotton wrinkles like crazy, and no one likes ironing. In contrast, wool fibers naturally resist wrinkling. Some wool clothing will never show a wrinkle, others simply wrinkle less. Either way, you’ll always look neater in wool than in cotton. And unlike other wrinkle resistant clothing, wool accomplishes the same feat naturally, without a harsh chemical treatment that washes off over time.
“I was pretty hesitant to spend this much on a t-shirt... a week later I was dropping off the rest of my wardrobe at Goodwill. Three orders later and I rarely wear anything but W&P.”
-Brian C.
5. Quick Dry
The breathable nature of wool means it dries faster than cotton. Significantly faster. This is great if you’re working up a sweat on the trail, or if you’re doing laundry in a hotel sink. Hang your shirt before you go to bed, and it’ll be dry when you wake up. That cotton shirt will be uncomfortably damp.
Wool will change the way you think about clothing.
As a society, we’ve been led to believe that buying lots of cheap clothing will help us look and feel good. In reality, excessive consumption creates decision fatigue, undue clutter, and cumulatively creates more stress in our lives. We really only need a few garments that we adore. Owning less allows you to have the best. Or depending on how you look at it, having the best allows you to own less. There’s a reason why guys leading minimalist lifestyles seek out wool clothing.
Want to get really nerdy about merino wool? Check out these blog posts.
What is merino?