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Comment by jgoldber13 | Hacker News Reader

I use merino wool rather than cotton or synthetics. It wicks sweat, doesn't chafe and doesn't smell after sweating in it.

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From the article: "Although wool was associated with high bacterial counts, the odor intensity ratings were the lowest for wool"

I bought a bunch of clothes from the techwear brand Outlier and found their synthetic pants are basically indestructible, but the wool shirts get holes in them if you scratch them on anything.

It's always possible I have moths though.

I bought a pair of socks from them a few years ago. They are definitely my favorite socks. Definitely second the merino wool train for comfort.

They had discontinued them as they were like $30 for a pair! It looks like maybe they’ve refined the process as I’m seeing similar looking socks on their website for $70 for ten pairs.

Nope, had the same experience. The wool was very fragile, the pants after 5 years and >1000 wears have stitching that's coming loose but the textile is still totally fine, with the exception of some holes from campfire embers (user error).

I wear only merino wool underwear. It gets holes often. That and the cost are the only downsides. Merino wool is incredible for temperature regulation and odor prevention.

Icebreaker sells some good stuff. Get em on sale though

What types of garments do you use that are made from merino wool, and what sports do you engage in?

Not the op, I have some winter running base layers made of meriono wool and and I swear by merino wool glove liners to wear when running outside on the cold. I don't think anything wool would be suitable for exercise when it's warm, but I've never tried it.

The merino wool mixes from REI work well in warm weather, especially when hiking where the temperature experienced can swing wildly due to sun exposure, sweat, and wind. It has the benefit of keeping warm even when wet much like wool but it breathes better.

Not OP, but I have socks, underwear, and a shirt. The shirt I feel a bit meh about, because the durability hasn't been great and it was expensive (but very comfortable). Socks and underwear have been great for skiing, cycling and just days when I walk a lot. I can wear my Darn Tough socks to Disneyland in the summer and they have no smell after a day, whereas cotton socks would be very unpleasant. The ski socks are nice since as long as they're dry they're usually good to go the next day. I have gotten my merino stuff to smell eventually, but it's taken multiple days of heavy usage. And in the meantime, it's a much more comfortable to wear material.

Not OP, but I run, hike, bicycle, ski, backcountry ski, practice yoga, indoor rock climbing, and more in merino wool t-shirts, underwear, and socks.

I find Ibex makes the highest quality tees (their tencel/merino/nylon shirts are incredible for hot summers) and underwear. Icebreaker also makes a variety of good stuff.

I generally look for some amount of nylon for durability, but I have a few 100% merino shirts from icebreaker that I've worn intensively for years with no problems.

I did have some pilling issues with the merino/tencel blend from ibex which is a shame. Gorgeous fabric at first; still feels luxurious.

Laundry is a bigger deal since it's wash cold and dry flat with many of these; that can be a cost, equipment, and/or lifestyle adjustment.

I'm often able to wear the same clothes many days in a row without issue.

For pants, I prefer nylon+elastane blends, but it's hard to find. Prana used to make good things here but their Brion II line was a significant drop in quality.

How different is nylon + wool and $biodegradable_fiber + wool for the environment?

Probably depends on the biodegradable fiber? Organic cotton uses a _ton_ of water. I'm not sure about viscose/rayon/tencel but I imagine it's often less water-intensive but it can be pretty chemical-intensive.

I don't know how bad nylon is to produce, but the durability it adds to clothes is probably an overall net win for the environment; compared to other plastics we consume, it does a lot of work (I've worn some items for years).

Note Prana has recycled nylon in their Brion II line, but unfortunately the quality is way worse; it pills immediately. Environmentally, I'd much rather buy non-recycled plastics that last a lot longer, so I consume/waste less overall.

But the tldr is that I don't know :)

Anything that an electric pill shaver can't fix?

I am a long distance rec runner, and I use merino wool throughout the year (4 seasons in Canada). Since I started running ~ 15yrs ago I tried various blends/synthetics, nothing comes close to reduced odor, nor performance in general.

Can you tell me what brands and styles you use in the different seasons? I'm also in Canada, run a lot, and have a hodge podge of stuff. Always interested in what other people have found good.

Straight up Smartwool. I use the same weight usually and just change out the height based on winter vs summer. But some of the other brands of 100% wool work well for me too.

Does it need any special care when washing? Can I throw it with my regular clothes in the washer and use regular detergent?

> Can I throw it with my regular clothes in the washer and use regular detergent

Usually yes, but it might shrink if dried in the dryer.

I usually throw it in a garment bag with the wash. Then take it out before it goes in the dryer.

Garment bags also help me remember which things have to be taken out before getting tossed into the dryer. Otherwise I tend to just throw the whole washer load into there like a big dummy. =)

You should use special wool detergent or just soap, regular detergent destroys the protein in wool and ruins it with time. This is a common mistake and why people get holes in their garments.

I’m curious to learn more about your suggestions, but Icebreaker’s website [0] suggests this isn’t necessary:

“Use a normal warm or cool machine wash cycle with regular powder or liquid detergent. Separate light and darks as usual. Don’t use softeners or bleach.”

[0] https://www.icebreaker.com/en-us/caring-for-your-icebreaker....

Well, you gotta make money somehow ;)

I own Icebreaker garments btw, here's what Miele says:

Biological detergents contain certain enzymes that are there to remove proteins from a garment. This is how they are effective at cleaning things such as egg from clothing. However, silk and wool are also made up of proteins. Biological detergent cannot differentiate between a bit of egg stain and a bit of silk so the enzymes will eat away at it.

This results in very small, randomly placed, holes on a garment. They won’t appear after the first wash, but tend to appear after several washes once the enzyme has gradually eaten the fabric away.

I don't have an opinion here since I haven't owned many wool garments over the years, but:

In your previous post you stated that "regular detergent" destroys wool. This post from Miele seems to be about specific "biological detergents."

The vast majority of detergents (at least here in Sweden) contain enzymes. Just make sure you don't have it in yours.

Personally I wash my wool with soap like they did back in the day, no worries.

Interesting! Thanks.

I would hand wash in a sink and air dry, and my wool stuff gets holes pretty easily even with delicate care. Depending upon your sweat odor and which layer of clothes the wool is used in, it may pass a sniff test and you may not need to wash it after each use unlike polyester.

Ideally special merino wool detergent. Or a regular wool detergent. Normal detergent will ruin it.

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