Stay Warm and Comfy: Choose a Merino Wool Base Layer

Base layers are like an extra layer of skin that is extremely lightweight and snug to fit without causing any discomfort. Base layers are an essential piece of clothing worn by women during the colder time of the year for adding an extra layer of warmth without overheating.

Whether you like the adrenaline and enjoy some extreme sport, like mountain biking, and snowboarding, or you’re just the kind of woman who’s always a little cold and want to add warmth to your body when outside, the ideal option you have is merino wool base layer women designed. But why exactly merino wool? What is merino wool?

Well, as the name suggests, merino wool comes from merino sheep and it is an extremely fine fibre, between 10 and 20 microns, which isn’t the case with the rest of the wool types that have fibres larger than 30 microns. This property makes merino wool the softest, most commonly used and most popular choice for base layers among women. Its softness, in fact, makes it the perfect clothing option for everyone – including for babies.

Is Merino Good for Base Layer?

Well for starters, when it comes to choosing merino wool base layer women say that’s more comfortable, even more than cotton, bamboo or any other natural or synthetic material. The reason for its comfiness lies in its softness of course, but also in its excellent wicking abilities to pull moisture away from your skin. That way, you won’t feel cold and wet which is of vital importance when being physically active, especially in winter.

Plus, merino wool is an extremely breathable and hypo-allergenic fabric that can also aid eczema and atopic dermatitis sufferers. Merino wool base layers and everything made from it in fact can work well at different temperatures. When the weather is warm, this fabric allows your body to breathe, and in winter, it can act as the perfect insulator, keeping your body warm and comfy. This means that even in summer you can wear merino wool sleeveless tops and feel good in your skin.

Even though these days synthetic base layers are quite popular for being thin and feeling like a second skin, it seems that wool base layers are the most preferred option because of their odour control. No matter how appealing and thin synthetic base layers are, they have poor odour control, so the chances are high for you to start feeling funky when sweaty. in fact, expect to start feeling a bad odour no matter how much deodorant or antiperspirant you have applied under your armpits.

Wool, on the other hand, has excellent odour control properties and you’ll never feel any kind of unpleasant smell when wearing it as a base layer. Even though wool doesn’t have anti-bacterial properties, somehow, bacteria can’t grow in it. The one and only downside of merino wool fabric (if it can be considered a downside) is its price. This natural fibre can be pricier when compared to the rest of the offered materials, however, its properties, longevity and durability cannot be compared with anything else.

Choosing the Right Merino Weight

As with any other type of fabric, merino wool also comes in different weights which depends on its thickness, insulation and durability. For those of you who are planning to use merino wool women’s base layers in the warmer time of the year, then you should look for ones rated at around 150 gsm (grams per square metre).

Even though a higher gsm number is also considered okay, make sure the chosen one isn’t heavier than 200 gsm. For the colder time of the year, you should choose base layers of at least 200 gsm. In fact, you can choose one that is even heavier than 250 gsm. Then again, in the end it’s all up to you and your needs, and what you find to be most comfortable in terms of cool and warm.

Is There Any Other Proper Alternative to Merino Wool Base Layers?

Well, the truth is that there’s no other better alternative on the market for the purpose. While some synthetic materials can provide you with some similar benefits like durability and moisture-wicking properties, they certainly won’t provide you with the same comfiness, breathability and thermo-insulating properties.

And even though the chosen synthetic fabric has been treated with an anti-microbial coating, still this coating will fade away after several washes and you’ll end up having the same bad odour because of bacteria growth. Merino wool, on the other hand, doesn’t make the perfect home for bacteria growth. Plus, it’s non-itchy (in comparison to other types of wool) and is extremely comfortable on the skin all the time.

When in the search for all-year-round woollen base layers, it would be better to look for ones in trusted stores. This is essential in order to be sure that you’ll get the best of both worlds – quality and comfiness.