Tested: The 7 Best Men’s Merino Wool T-Shirts for All Day Comfort

Merino wool is a natural fiber sourced from Merino sheep. Both thinner and softer than regular wool, it’s a far cry from that itchy handmade sweater knitted by your grandmother. With a host of performance qualities — including temperature regulation, odor-resistance, and moisture-wicking — it’s actually quite the super fabric. If you’re looking to upgrade your wardrobe in a big way, have a look at our guide to the best merino wool shirts where we’ve gotten hands-on to test our absolute favorites.

How We Tested

With so many wool options out on the market, it can be tough to distinguish the winners from the washouts — especially when it comes to something as oft-overlooked as the humble t-shirt. But just because tees are simple doesn’t mean they can be haphazardly slapped together and brought to market. Rather, it’s precisely because of their simplicity that every thread counts. So instead of shelling out for a shirt that’ll end up in a wrinkled heap on the floor, we much rather spend our money on quality goods.

To ensure that we’re getting the best bang for our buck, we scoured the industry and took into account aesthetic, brand reputation, merino blend, and a shirt’s purpose. From there, we made a shortlist of products to source. Once we got our units for testing, we spent considerable time with each shirt. Wearing the tees on our body doing various activities, we looked at comfort, visual style, fit, feel, and a myriad of other details that went into the overall experience.

Measurements: I’m 6’0″ tall and wear an XL on most occasions. As such, every shirt in this guide is an XL. My body type is a bit large and I have broad shoulders, so I pay extra attention to how shirts feel in the shoulder and armpit areas. I also prefer shirts that are a bit slimming, especially around the stomach.

What to Look For

Aesthetic: Like any shirt, aesthetic is a hugely important factor when deciding to make a purchase. Aside from the way a shirt fits on you, you should also be considering its sleeve length, pockets, visual details, and color(s), the last of which should be done with the rest of your wardrobe in mind.

Material Blend: While some merino wool tees are 100% made with the fabric, a lot of options are constructed with merino blends. Keeping upwards of 60% of its material merino wool, the blends often come with nylon for strength and durability or elastane for stretchiness.

Fit: Like aesthetics, fit will vary from person to person. If you’re a larger individual, you may want to downplay or even accentuate certain parts of your body. Merino can be clingy or form-fitting so keep fit in mind when picking your shirt.

Weight/Thickness: A shirt’s weight will determine how it will feel against your body. For merino shirts, weight is often measured in oz, GSM, or g/m², meaning the lower the number, the lighter it is. As for thickness, you’ll see a number in microns. Like weight, the lower this number, the thinner the material is (and usually, the more expensive).

Smartwool Merino 150 Base Layer

Best for Day Hikes: The leading authority when it comes to all things wool, Smartwool is one of the brands responsible for popularizing the natural performance fabric. As such, their Merino 150 Base Layer was an obvious pick. With flatlock seams to minimize chafing and raglan sleeves to reduce wear, this tee is a perfect option for durable, year-round comfort. Like some other options on this list, Smartwool uses a nylon-core construction for added performance benefits. But that’s not all — this tee is also naturally UPF 20+ courtesy of its merino wool fibers. If you’re looking for an understated super shirt, this one is a good bet.

Fitting true to size, the Smartwool t-shirt is incredibly lightweight and clings well to the body. For better or worse, it accentuates certain body parts like the chest (for better) and the belly (for worse), which is admittedly not terrible for a slim-fitting shirt. Wearing this all day outside, I noticed how incredible the merino wool properties showed through, such as the resistance to odors and the temperature regulation. It was a warmer day yet I didn’t feel overwhelmed by the clinginess of the fabric. I also noticed how little the shirt chafed, especially in my armpits despite being tight in that area.

On the other hand, I didn’t love the actual feel of the fabric. It’s combined with nylon, which somehow makes it a bit more coarse than its competitors, whether 100% merino or blended. Previous iterations had a slightly higher nylon content (13% instead of 12%) but this still didn’t make much of a difference. Likewise, there’s no stated micron count which makes me wonder exactly how thick the shirt actually is. The raglan sleeves are built in a way to slow down wear and tear but I personally didn’t love their length. It falls much too close to my elbows and I had to roll them up to be comfortable. There’s also a long tag around the hip that you’ll likely need to cut off so it doesn’t irritate you.

Verdict: Despite the coarse fabric and longer sleeves, the Smartwool Merino 150 Base Layer fits very well. Lightweight and cool on the body, the tee is a solid hiking option with some extra nylon –– for better or worse –– for durability and weather-resistance. It also accentuates certain parts of the body, which might be a positive attribute depending how you’re built.

Ridge Merino Journey T-Shirt

Best for Camping: Whether you’re wearing wool for work or for play, Ridge Merino’s Journey T-Shirt is a surefire way to dress for success. Although this one isn’t made from 100% merino wool, it’s for good reason: reinforcement. By spinning the wool fibers around a nylon core — a blend Ridge Merino calls its (m)Force technology — this tee retains all the benefits of wool with a touch of added durability. With a fit cut that’s longer than a standard shirt, the Journey tee is a capable offering living up to its name — it’s ready for adventure, wherever it may take you.

Unlike the Smartwool Merino 150 Base Layer above, which has a nearly-identical merino/nylon blend, the Ridge Journey T-Shirt is incredibly soft to the touch. Likewise, the inclusion of nylon makes the tee feel much sturdier than your average merino shirt. Also, despite the longer sleeves, which fall a couple inches above the elbow, they’re clingy enough down low that you can slide them up so that they stay put without having to roll them. Previous versions of this shirt were cut slim but the more accessible “modern” fit strikes a good balance so that the tee wears well while being a bit more flattering on bigger people. I also loved the longer cut which gives you extra coverage on windier days and precludes your skin from showing when sitting low to the ground.

While there aren’t a ton of color options, there are both neutral and bold colorways, giving you a wide variety in your purchase. I did notice, however, that the seams on the shoulders are a bit thick, which made them more noticeable when I wore a backpack. On the other hand, the XL I tried was true to size and never felt too small despite being a bit clingy.

Verdict: Balancing sturdiness with softness, the Ridge Merino Journey T-Shirt is incredibly comfortable and lightweight. Great for times spent outdoors, the hem is a bit longer and the wider fit is much more accessible than its slim-cut predecessor, albeit with thicker shoulder seams that pop under a backpack strap. Despite fewer colorways than your average tee, the options given cover a wide range.

Woolly Everyday Crew Tee

Best for Casual Outings: Coming from a company that was founded to prove that wool could be done affordably, it only makes sense that Woolly’s Everyday Crew Tee would earn a spot on our list. This no-nonsense tee is made from 100% 17.5-micron merino wool and features a weight of 175 GSM. With flatlock seams, a tagless interior, and an athletic fit, it’s so comfortable that you’ll forget it’s even there. Touted as a natural everyday option (just as the name implies) game for anything you’d wear a shirt for, this one is a foundational piece perfect for building out your sustainable wardrobe.

While there are currently 7 colorway options of the Everyday Crew Tee to choose from, we especially loved the uniqueness of the Kale and Grey striped option, which features a casual chest pocket. Noticeably thicker and heavier than your average merino tee, this shirt ditches the activewear pretense of its competitors regardless of the visual aesthetic. Likewise, I didn’t mind the longer sleeves here since the fabric is never as clingy as it is on the others. The longer hem also helps with making this decidedly casual rather than athletic, despite the claimed fit. In fact, if you never felt the material, you would think it were a standard cotton t-shirt.

The most comfortable of any merino shirt I tested, the Everyday Crew Tee benefits from an accessible fit and soft, pure-wool material. Not too thick or too thin, the shirt sports a tapered fit and doesn’t draw attention to itself despite having the most “aggressive” design on this list. Better yet, there are no tags on the entire shirt, which eliminates any chance of irritation. Likewise, the flatlock seams increase durability while also decreasing any annoyance against the skin. If I had to pick one aspect to improve, it would be the pocket itself, which isn’t as tight as I’d like and kept falling open when I was just sitting there.

Verdict: Unbelievably comfortable from both a softness and a fit perspective, the Woolly Everyday Crew Tee is a solid shirt that can be worn on literally any occasion. The addition of the chest pocket and the horizontal design (on the model we tested) increases its versatility even further. Unlike most other shirts we tested, this tee doesn’t lean too heavily into the activewear category and fully benefits from its 100% merino wool construction.

Proof 72-Hour Merino Tee

Best for Backpacking: Getting to the laundry mat on your camping trip just isn’t feasible. And if you’re traveling for days on end, you’re going to want to pack as light as possible. As the name suggests, this tee from Proof was designed and engineered to be worn for 72 hours straight without showing any signs of dirt or grime, or exhibiting any musty smells — such are the odor-resistant and moisture-wicking properties of merino wool. Forged in the fires of outdoor adventure, this merino tee is equally at home tackling the daily grind, bolstered with nylon for durability. UPF rated at 50+, it comes in a variety of colors — from oxblood to Aegean blue — so you can go bold or keep things classy. There are also long-sleeved varieties as well for warmer adventures.

While the long-sleeved take on the 72-Hour tee is a bit clingier with the inclusion of spandex in its fabric blend, the short-sleeve version wears much looser without the stretchy material. Proof calls this a classic fit but I actually thought it was a bit more athletic (there’s also a slim option available). I loved how the shirt fell on my shoulders and chest, and refused to cling much to my stomach. My favorite part, however, were the sleeves, which fell much higher on my arms and didn’t become annoying throughout the day I spent outside. At the moment, there are 13 colorways available for this shirt, which is a lot more than any other we tested. So even if you’re wearing this for several days (I didn’t notice much smell even after the 72-hour period), you can still scoop up more options to fill your wardrobe with.

My biggest issue with the Proof 72-Hour tee is not very big at all, but it’s still worth mentioning. Despite the fact that the hem falls rather low below my waist, it kept creeping up my gut area when I bent over, stretched, or sat down, which made me a bit self-conscious. On the other hand, the material was so soft that I kept forgetting it had some nylon in the mix. The on-skin feel was remarkably comfortable and I was glad to wear it every day that week (though people started to ask questions).

Verdict: Designed to go days without showing signs of dirt or odor, the Proof 72-Hour T-Shirt was one of our favorites. The sleeve length was much shorter and less in the way compared to the competition and the plethora of color and fit options make this the most accessible for any person, no matter their style or body type. Despite having a hem that occasionally rode up the belly area, this is an easy choice for an adventurous lifestyle.

Icebreaker Merino Tech Lite II Short Sleeve T-Shirt

Best Overall: While not every merino tee has to be made entirely from wool, a 100% blend will do better to maximize the material’s properties and benefits, even if durability decreases slightly. Before we got hands-on with Icebreaker’s Merino Tech Lite II Short Sleeve T-Shirt, we already knew what people had been saying about it. The brand has plenty of merino options, be it for running, hiking, or traveling, but this shirt just did it all –– and without leaning on any synthetics to do so. Weighing around 5.53oz, the t-shirt uses an 18.9-micron fabric with a light 150-GSM weight.

Wearing the most like a standard comfy tee than any shirt we tried out, the Icebreaker Merino Tech Lite II was the one I kept on for the longest during my testing period. It’s not only incredibly soft and agreeable against the skin but it just fits really well. When I’m standing or walking around, the shirt is lightweight and clings just enough against my body to flatter. But then, when I sit down, it seems to open up and I don’t ever feel like it’s bunching or hugging so much that it needs to be constantly pulled at or adjusted. Likewise, the hem falls at the perfect spot so that it doesn’t ride up whether you’re standing, sitting, or engaging in physical activity.

Now, here’s the rub (literally): Even though the shirt is very comfortable, the Icebreaker Tech Lite II has a decently sized tag problem. Perhaps because of the shape of my own body, the inside tag against the upper back was far too noticeable against my skin, although I got used to it after about an hour. While most of these shirts opt for a tagless design or at least sequester the tag to the inner seam at the waist, this one keeps it intact and makes it out of some type of leather-like material. To add insult to injury, the shirt keeps its paper waist tag anyway –– but fortunately, it’s low enough that it doesn’t make contact with the skin. It’s also worth noting that there aren’t a ton of color options, likely because the Tech Lite II is being phased out for the brand-new Tech Lite III.

Verdict: Our favorite among the shirts we tested, the Icebreaker Tech Lite II is versatile, soft, and extremely comfortable in both feel and fit. It falls perfectly on the body and balances clinginess with roominess, whether you’re standing or sitting. Best equipped for all-day wear, this tee is the paragon of what a merino shirt should be.

Western Rise StrongCore Merino Wool Tee

Best for the Gym: Founded with four key tenets in mind — technical fabrics, timeless styles, durable construction, and sustainable manufacturing — Western Rise’s performance clothing exhibits the less-is-more mentality to a T. By reimagining how performance clothing is made, they’ve managed to pare down menswear to the bare necessities — nothing overbuilt, nothing unnecessary. Billed as “the only tee you need,” their Strongcore Merino Wool Tee is simple in its construction yet potent in its performance. With a lean cut and a dropped tail, the Strongcore shirt is ready for any and all of your workouts.

Like the Proof shirt above, the Western Rise Strongcore has a nice sleeve height, which is preferable for when you’re using your arms a lot, such as in the gym, whether you’re curling dumbbells or gliding on the elliptical. You’ll also notice the t-shirt has a bit more heft to it than its competitors with its 170 GSM weight. This is only slightly noticeable and, when you’re in the heat of the moment, is hardly a factor. However, I did notice it offered a bit more warmth in the evening when the temperature cooled down. To enhance your closet, there are 6 different colorway options, but I would have liked something less neutral than black, brown, or white. Perhaps a lighter blue or an orange.

If you’re concerned about the style points of the Strongcore tee, you should know that the tops of the sleeves bunch up slightly in the back of the armpits. Similarly, I didn’t love how it wore tighter in the stomach area. You would expect this in a slim-fit shirt but Western Rise calls this an “active” fit. Fortunately, the inclusion of spandex gives you some extra stretch but because it clings so much down below, that stretch offsets any shape given to your chest area. It’s also important to note the higher price tag. While the quality of the tee is certainly noticeable, you’re losing a lot of the merino fabric to the inclusion of spandex (i.e., this has only 82% wool versus the 87 to 100% in other shirts). However, the increased microns allow it to be a bit softer to make up for it.

Verdict: Slightly overpriced for less wool material, the Western Rise Strongcore is still a favorable purpose-built merino shirt for the gym. It’s heavier, sure, and clings a bit too much to the stomach area but it’s also perfectly stretchy for working out and the sleeves fall appropriately for any arm movement.

Satisfy CloudMerino T-Shirt

Best for Running: There are a lot of boutique running brands that have cropped up in recent years but few have been more notable or popular as Satisfy. Creating fashion-forward designs better than arguably anyone else in the space, the French firm still manages to implement high functionality into its silhouettes. $300 is a lot to pay for a t-shirt but Satisfy’s thermoregulating CloudMerino is no joke and incredibly lightweight at just 110g. Like all of the brand’s products, this tee was built with an emphasis on quality from material origin to construction. Featuring a deliberately distressed and bleached shell, the fabric was sourced from farm-raised sheep in Japan where it was hand tie-dyed.

Definitely more style-forward than the rest of the shirts we tested, the Satisfy ClooudMerino can be worn whether or not you need the precise benefits of merino fabric. In other words, it doesn’t necessarily feel like a merino wool shirt. To the touch, it’s a bit coarser than other 100% merino tees –– though that’s not to say it isn’t still soft against the skin. Tipping the scales under 4oz, the shirt is also incredibly thin –– so much so that it’s a bit see-through. Despite the claim that this has a “regular” fit, I found it to be somewhat slim in size, albeit still within the XL territory. However, I still found it molded to my body after wearing it for some 30 minutes. Something else I liked was how well it self-irons out its wrinkles. I had this crumpled up in my bag before wearing it, but after some time, the wrinkles weren’t noticeable.

Going along with the distressed appearance, the edges of the waist hem and sleeves are made to be tattered. I’m not personally a fan of this style and wasn’t aware in the photos online that they were like this, so keep that in mind if it’s not for you. Speaking of which, the sleeves could have been slightly shorter. They fell at an awkward point in my arms and I kept feeling like I needed to roll them up. Yet, this was difficult to do thanks to the lack of cuffs. Perhaps my biggest grip, however, is that the seams chafed my armpits after a bit of activity. Also, like the Proof shirt above, the hem rode up on the belly area when sitting down, but even more so. It doesn’t help that there’s no explicit seam at the waist, which invites this type of rolling. One could only speculate if this gets worse over time.

Verdict: Sporting an assertive yet accessible design unique from other merino shirts, this Satisfy CloudMerino T-Shirt is remarkably lightweight at just 3.88oz and even seems to mold to your body type despite a clingier fit, which can all help justify the nearly-$300 price tag. We noticed the armpit seams chafed and the intentionally tattered hem liked to roll upwards but there will be many runners who love this shirt, and for good reason.

Merino Wool T-Shirt Comparison Chart

What Is Merino Wool?

As most of you are aware, wool traditionally comes from sheep fleece. And while merino wool is no different, it specifically comes from the sheep of the group of breeds called “merino,” such as Rambouillet sheep. These originally came from Spain but have since been brought to the United States for breeding.

What Makes Merino Wool so Special?

You’ll notice right away the difference between generic wool and merino wool. Ranging from 11.5 microns to 24 microns, these fibers are thinner and softer, obviating the scratchy stigma that often comes with wool fabric. Great for higher-intensity activities, merino is also known for anti-odor and temperature-regulating properties in both warm and cold environments. Likewise, the breathability of the material helps it to manage moisture better.

How to Care for Merino Wool

Unlike cotton or other materials that accumulate odors, merino wool doesn’t need to be washed after each wear. Its resistance to odors and moisture allows it to go longer between washes; you’ll be perfectly fine washing it every two or three wears, or more. When it does come time for washing, carefully follow the instructions on each shirt’s tag, as they will vary from shirt to shirt.

Honorable Mentions

Allbirds’ Soft Merino Tee is another solid budget option worth mentioning. However, with just a 30% merino wool inclusion in its cotton-heavy blend, we can see why some deem it not to be a true merino shirt.

Some of you may be wondering where the Ibex 24 Hour Short Sleeve Crew was on the above list. While we do like this pick, we couldn’t justify it over some other options at a similar price.

One issue people have with merino wool is the way it’s sourced. However, Unbound not only has a reputation for well-made clothing but this Merino Crew meets Woolmark, Responsible Wool Standard (RWS), and Worldwide Responsible Accredited Production (WRAP) certifications.

If you’re on the lookout for a running-focused merino shirt that’s not as pricey as the Satisfy pick above, take a look at Tracksmith, who specializes in premium performance running essentials that also look the part. Featuring a soft, lightweight construction, the Harrier Tee has quickly become a staple of Tracksmith’s lineup since its introduction, even amongst its employees. As with all Tracksmith products, you’ll find no unnecessary flash here — just classic colors for a tee as timeless as it is ready to run.

Fjallraven may be known for trekking-focused outdoor gear, but you might want to layer something on top of its Abisko Wool SS M merino tee, which just barely missed the cut on the above list.

Another popular 100% merino shirt is the Minus33 Lightweight Algonquin Men’s T-Shirt Crew. It comes in plenty of colorways and is lightweight for hiking or camping.

Tested: The Best Hiking Shirts

If you’re looking for the ultimate performance-focused shirts for the outdoors, check out our recent guide to the best hiking shirts where we tested out our favorites.