Oletko Viranomainen? Meiltä 10% Viranomais­alennus lähes kaikkiin tuotteisiin - Katso ohjeet »

About base layers


户外运动, 地理藏宝, Foraging, Winter sports, Alpine touring, 狩猎运动, Trekking, How to choose -guides, Snowshoeing, 野外滑雪, 皮划艇运动 by Varuste.net / Toimisto-Jorma, 9.9.2020
Base layers, or long johns, tops, boxers, bras, etc. are an important part of your outdoor experience. There are many different material choices in the market, and many of us probably wonder which one is the best. Merino wool is something people tend to enthuse over, and some of us swear by it like there is no other choice available. But there is: there are so many shades of grey between synthetic technical base layers and those made of 100% merino wool. In this article, we present in outline how different materials work and which base layers are good for which purposes.

-30%
Devold Expedition Man Long Johns w/ Fly
体育运动‪»户外运动‪»服装‪»裤子‪»内裤‪»Long‪»男士用品‪»
Devold Expedition Man Long Johns w/ Fly
活动价 最低价 69,90 €
(55,70 €, 增值税 0)
235 g/m²
(207)
有现货
-20%
Aclima Woolnet Longs Mens
体育运动‪»户外运动‪»服装‪»裤子‪»内裤‪»Long‪»男士用品‪»
Aclima Woolnet Longs Mens
活动价 75,92 €
(60,49 €, 增值税 0)
120 g/m²
(251)
有现货
-30%
Devold Expedition Woman Long Johns
体育运动‪»户外运动‪»服装‪»裤子‪»内裤‪»Long‪»女士用品‪»
Devold Expedition Woman Long Johns
活动价 最低价 69,90 €
(55,70 €, 增值税 0)
(93)
有现货
-20%
Devold Breeze Merino 150 Longs Mens
体育运动‪»户外运动‪»服装‪»裤子‪»内裤‪»Long‪»男士用品‪»
Devold Breeze Merino 150 Longs Mens
活动价 74,32 €
(59,22 €, 增值税 0)
150 g/m²
(60)
有现货
-33%
Devold Expedition Zip Neck Mens
体育运动‪»户外运动‪»服装‪»衬衫‪»汗衫‪»男士用品‪»
Devold Expedition Zip Neck Mens
活动价 最低价 79,90 €
(63,67 €, 增值税 0)
235 g/m²
(259)
有现货
-20%
Aclima Woolnet Crew Neck Men
体育运动‪»户外运动‪»服装‪»衬衫‪»汗衫‪»男士用品‪»
Aclima Woolnet Crew Neck Men
活动价 71,92 €
(57,31 €, 增值税 0)
120g/m²
(287)
有现货
-33%
Devold Expedition Zip Neck Womens
体育运动‪»户外运动‪»服装‪»衬衫‪»汗衫‪»女士用品‪»
Devold Expedition Zip Neck Womens
活动价 最低价 79,90 €
(63,67 €, 增值税 0)
(110)
有现货
-16%
Woolpower Zip Turtleneck 200
体育运动‪»户外运动‪»服装‪»衬衫‪»汗衫‪»男士用品‪»
Woolpower Zip Turtleneck 200
活动价 92,35 €
(73,59 €, 增值税 0)
200 g/m²
(53)
有现货

100% merino wool: all the benefits of natural fiber

Merino wool is an extremely comfortable material. It feels cool when you are hot, and warm when the weather is cold. Merino wool transfers moisture from the skin efficiently, it dries very fast, and amazingly, keeps you warm even if it was damp. Merino wool products do not easily absorb odors: a merino wool undershirt or pants will likely wear out before they start to smell bad.

The thickness of merino wool garments is usually indicated by weight per square meter. For example, 140g/m2 is a thin option suitable for summer weather or works as a liner, while 300g/m2 is quite thick for a base layer.

The fiber thickness may also be indicated in microns. Merino wool is very fine fiber, which is its secret to not itching like regular wool. When talking about merino wool fiber, thicknesses range from 16.5 (super fine) to 24 microns (one-thousandth of a millimeter). Sheep wool is about twice as thick as merino wool, and anything over 25 microns may be perceived as itchy. To better understand these thicknesses: a human hair is about 30 microns.

The best thing with merino clothes is the easy care. The best care is airing after use, but you can also wash the garment if you need to. If you are washing the whole garment, do it at a low temperature. Sometimes just a stain removal is enough. Check the care instructions of your garment on its laundry etiquette. Using too strong soaps or detergents weakens the features of the natural material, so pay attention to detergent dosing and always use detergents meant for wool clothing.

There is one weakness in the merino wool. Because it is an entirely natural product, it tends to form pills, and it is not as hard-wearing as for example synthetic fibres that you cannot break almost by any means. Therefore, many manufacturers have chosen to reinforce the merino wool fiber used in their garments with synthetic fibers, which will be discussed later. Remember, even if your merino garment gets a hole or other damage, it can be darned just like any woolen garment. Another factor to consider is the price. Often, merino wool base layers are more expensive than synthetic ones.

What makes the merino so expensive?

As mentioned, merino wool garments are quite pricey, admittedly. It depends on what you compare them to, of course. Synthetic underwear is cheaper, and the more merino wool (fine natural raw material) a product contains and the finer it is, the more expensive it becomes.

The production process is worth noting. Harvesting merino wool is not easy, and caring for the sheep and their wool is labor-intensive, especially when choosing the ethical option, i.e., mulesing-free wool. All merino sold by Varuste.net is mulesing-free.

Merino wool blends: combining the best of synthetic and merino

A merino wool blend is when merino wool is mixed with, for example, acrylic, polyamide, or polyester. The materials used in the garment are indicated on the product, and we also specify this in the product description on our online store. Blends aim to combine the best features of merino wool and synthetic fibers in one product. A small amount of synthetic fiber increases durability while retaining the good qualities of merino.

When manufacturers create thicker products for example, they can design them so that the outer layer is a blend of merino wool and synthetic fibers, while the layer against the skin remains 100% soft merino wool.

By examining the ratio of merino to synthetic fiber, you can find the perfect balance for your needs. In short, the more merino wool, the closer the product is to the properties of merino wool. The more synthetic fiber is mixed in, the more durable it is, but the typical properties of merino wool decrease.

What about synthetic fiber?

Synthetic fiber has its place, and preferences vary. Synthetic fiber remains a good material choice, especially for sweaty activities. As mentioned earlier, the strengths of synthetic fiber compared to merino wool are particularly durability and lower cost. For some, lightweight and quick-drying synthetic materials are the absolute choice, especially for sports, even though merino wool garment manufacturers have also achieved good properties for sports as well (e.g., Devold). Nowadays, materials have developed so much that synthetic fibers can mimic many of the properties of natural fibers, although it can be challenging to achieve the exact same properties.


Below you will find our most popular underwear models:

-20%
Devold Breeze Merino 150 Boxer Mens
体育运动‪»户外运动‪»服装‪»裤子‪»内裤‪»Short‪»男士用品‪»
Devold Breeze Merino 150 Boxer Mens
活动价 35,92 €
(28,62 €, 增值税 0)
(99)
有现货
-20%
Aclima Warmwool Long Shorts
 
体育运动‪»户外运动‪»服装‪»裤子‪»内裤‪»Short‪»男士用品‪»
Aclima Warmwool Long Shorts
活动价 43,92 €
(35,00 €, 增值税 0)
(59)
有现货
-20%
Mons Royale Hold 'Em Shorty Boxer
体育运动‪»户外运动‪»服装‪»裤子‪»内裤‪»Short‪»男士用品‪»
Mons Royale Hold 'Em Shorty Boxer
活动价 34,32 €
(27,35 €, 增值税 0)
(32)
有现货
起 -27%
Mons Royale Hold 'Em Boxer
体育运动‪»户外运动‪»服装‪»裤子‪»内裤‪»Short‪»男士用品‪»
Mons Royale Hold 'Em Boxer
活动价 36,72 €
(29,26 €, 增值税 0)
清仓价自 33,40 €
(38)
有现货
-20%
Devold Berle Merino Bra
体育运动‪»户外运动‪»服装‪»内衣裤‪»Sports bras‪»
Devold Berle Merino Bra
活动价 49,52 €
(39,46 €, 增值税 0)
(11)
有现货
-20%
Mons Royale Sierra Sports Bra
体育运动‪»户外运动‪»服装‪»内衣裤‪»Sports bras‪»
Mons Royale Sierra Sports Bra
活动价 38,32 €
(30,53 €, 增值税 0)
(27)
有现货
-20%
Mons Royale Stella X-Back Bra
体育运动‪»户外运动‪»服装‪»内衣裤‪»Sports bras‪»
Mons Royale Stella X-Back Bra
活动价 37,52 €
(29,90 €, 增值税 0)
(26)
有现货
-20%
Devold Kvitegga Top Womens
体育运动‪»户外运动‪»服装‪»内衣裤‪»Sports bras‪»
Devold Kvitegga Top Womens
活动价 63,92 €
(50,93 €, 增值税 0)
(9)
有现货
-20%
Aclima Warmwool Long Shorts Womens
体育运动‪»户外运动‪»服装‪»裤子‪»内裤‪»Short‪»女士用品‪»
Aclima Warmwool Long Shorts Womens
活动价 43,92 €
(35,00 €, 增值税 0)
(23)
有现货
-31%
Devold Lauparen Merino 190 Boxer Womens
体育运动‪»户外运动‪»服装‪»裤子‪»内裤‪»Short‪»女士用品‪»
Devold Lauparen Merino 190 Boxer Womens
活动价 最低价 37,90 €
(30,20 €, 增值税 0)
(7)
有现货
-20%
Devold Breeze Merino 150 Hipster Womens
体育运动‪»户外运动‪»服装‪»裤子‪»内裤‪»Short‪»女士用品‪»
Devold Breeze Merino 150 Hipster Womens
活动价 31,20 €
(24,86 €, 增值税 0)
(46)
有现货
起 -28%
Aclima Warmwool Boxer Shorts Womens
体育运动‪»户外运动‪»服装‪»裤子‪»内裤‪»Short‪»女士用品‪»
Aclima Warmwool Boxer Shorts Womens
活动价 34,32 €
(27,35 €, 增值税 0)
清仓价自 30,97 €
(11)
有现货

You might also be interested in

Find your perfect Primus stove: The complete selection guide

Choosing the right stove can make all the difference on your outdoor adventures. Whether you're a solo hiker, a group camper, or an expedition adventurer, Primus offers a range of stoves to suit your needs. Here's a guide to help you decide—and a special spotlight on the innovati...

How to choose the right Fjällräven backpack

Selecting the right backpack is key to comfortable and efficient outdoor adventures. Here's a quick overview of Fjällräven's most popular backpack series to help you find the perfect companion for your journeys: Kajka Series Best for: Long hikes, even with heavier loads. Featu...

Shell layers – breathable protection against the weather

In collaboration with RAB Shell garments are essential gear for outdoor enthusiasts, providing protection from rain and wind while maintaining breathability during active use. In this article, we will cover the types of shell jackets, seam sealing techniques, and important techni...