Review: Smartwool Merino/Cotton T-shirt
What we liked
The material mix! (contrary to expectations…)
The ‘mountain horizon’ graphic
What we didn’t
Price is quite high for ‘only’ 50% merino. Lots of competition from pure merino tees at this price point
The Verdict
THE SHORT READ…
Being a merino wool fan, I was prepared to hate a 50/50 Merino/Cotton mix, but wearing it changed my mind - softer-feel than most pure merino, plusher than cotton, with some of the stick-resistant properties of merino. It’s become my favourite tee.
THE LONG READ …
A lovely tee for all but the hottest days days.
Fabric - 50% Merino, 50% Cotton - my first thought was “What?? Why would you do that to merino??”, but then I felt it: so soft in the hand - softer than many pure merino fabrics but more plush than pure cotton. More stretch than cotton. I love the feel of this material, holding it and wearing it.
Construction - Top-notch, as you’d expect from Smartwool. Nothing fancy, solid seams, and has retained it’s shape well after many washes now.
Fit - M is a nice relaxed fit. Good body length, though the sleeve length is about as short as you’d want it for an M.
Performance - I wear this in any situation where it’s not super hot. Me, personally, I’ve never observed the whole “merino also keeps you cool when it’s hot” claim, and on hot days, this feels a bit warm on me. But any other time, it’s lovely. And will keep you noticeably warmer than a cotton tee would on a cooler day. It does as they say and for me keeps the stink at bay way longer than a plain cotton tee does. And if it does get sweaty, it’s not as clammy as a cotton feels.
SUMMARY…
A suprisingly lovely material combo - and currently getting a lot of wear on me due to just how lovely the material feels on.
The only downside to me seems to be the RRP - at £55-60 a pop, it seems on the expensive side compared to even many pure merino tees these days. However, there seem to be quite a few specials around, so maybe you can find a bargain, I think you’ll love how it feels.