Does Merino actually keep you cool in the summer ?

I’m planning a 3 day ride in the summer and I want to take as little kit as possible. I know that (apparently) Merino wool tops don’t smell, so in theory I can wear the same top everyday, but looking at them they all look like they’d be boiling rather than keep you cool – ie they’re better at insulating
Is that right ? or are they OK to wear when its hot ?

I’m not sure I’d go that far – if it’s hot I’d choose to wear something else like Coolmax. However they do seem to work in a much wider range of temperatures than synthetics – they might not actually keep you cool, but if you choose carefully they shouldn’t make you boil.

No. Bu then I get hot even in weather like this.

Yes they are OK to wear when it’s hot. The Australians used merino in their jerseys for the Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpar, where it’s hot and wet. (cue Goid Morning Vietnam references)

I’ve got three merino wool t-shirts from Decathlon, they’re excellent when it’s hot. Walked in them, ridden in them, fantastic. You smell a bit like a sheep though…

Off course, merino doesn’t wick nearly as good as petrol based fabrics. So basically it will keep you cool by keeping you wet.

Merino definitely stinks less. Over 3 days I wouldn’t expect to be ponging at all. But, if you’re sweating a lot it’ll get wet and doesn’t dry out quickly like man-made stuff. I prefer man-made if I know it’s going to get wet, but I do tend to smell ripe quite quickly.

Merino is basically made of magic. It’s quite amazing how resistant it is to smelliness even after heavy activity. I wore one of my merino TShirts for about 4 days running recently as an experiment of smelliness. Including a few errands on the bike and general wear after 4 days it was as if it had come straight from the wardrobe. Amazing.

Then my wife ruined the experiment by intervening. 😆

Off course, merino doesn’t wick nearly as good as petrol based fabrics. So basically it will keep you cool by keeping you wet.

Is that really true?
I’ve always found merino to wick extremely well.

Is that really true?

Define really? From my experience of merinos yes. Nowhere as good wicking wise than my patagonia or HH synthetic base layer.

It’ll get soggy but if it’ll also dry pretty well once you stop making it soggy. It is no hotter than cotton would be, but might not breath as well as nylon would.

My Shutt VR roadie kit is Merino and it wicks very well in summer, very pleased with it and I have a (Now Kiddie sized) on-one Merino LS Top which wicks extremely well ( i looked like someone had misted me with water the other day on a cold morning 😯 ) but I was toastie warm at the same time…

Bamboo threads are another good option, ther was a company doing a Bamboo / charcoal mix which was supposed to be great in the “wicking but not smelling department”

Define really?

LOL I meant scientific fact. I’ve not tried merino in the hot but in the cold, I’d much rather wear my merino than tech top.

i have never noticed any poorer wicking capabilities with my merino vs. synthetic tops, i have to say.

Have a look at Rab’s MeCo stuff. It’s a mix of merino and Cocona – carbonised coconut husks or something on those lines. It has merino-like anti-pong properties, but wicks and dries more like a synthetic and is also more durable than merino, which bobbles and eventually holes when used with packs. People generally don’t talk about merino durability, but it’s not good on the abrasion front, which is why very light merino fabrics tend not to exist. Adding polyester or similar ups the durability as well as the wicking properties.

Merino doesn’t wick particularly well. What it does do is absorb moisture in vapour form and hold it away from your skin, so it can be relatively damp, but still feel comfortable. the flipside is that eventually you can overwhelm it and it dries relatively slowly.

The bamboo stuff is okay, but ime of it, more like a cotton alternative. Not super-fast wicking etc, but nice and comfortable for general use.

i have never noticed any poorer wicking capabilities with my merino vs. synthetic tops, i have to say.

It depends on how much you sweat. If you sweat relatively little, both will work fine. If you sweat a lot, you’ll likely overwhelm both, but the synthetic will dry faster. If you’re somewhere in the middle, synthetics move moisture away from your skin faster and dry quicker.

I love merino but find it stays clammy in the pub post ride. Now wearing synthetic inside a merino for cold rides and it is much better when drinking ale for 2 hours.

A few other things to consider

– how your body works in hot weather will affect how you get on with merino, e.g. do you “run hot”
– merino comes in different weights and one persons experience with a heavyweight fabric won’t necessarily apply to lighter ones

I’ve got loads of merino stuff but generally prefer it for colder weather than hot. I run fairly hot, and my experience of the “keeps you cool when its hot” aspect matches Juans comment “keeps you cool by keeping you wet”, if its hot enough that you start sweating a lot, then you get a good cooling effect from evaporation but I don’t find it particularly pleasant!

The no pong thing is great though – I did 2 weeks in Nepal sleeping and riding in a smartwool base layer without it getting nasty.

I got the merino bug a few years ago and rashly bought loads of the stuff.Yes it keeps you warm but its wicking isn’t as good as synth and I find myself using the patagonia capilene I got in a sale more and more. I think the problem is as somebody said already, you can’t get merino as fine as synth without it self destructing. I am certainly not going to throw my merino away but I don’t think I’ll buy anymore, I’ll just smell like a ferret’s jockstrap.

yeah no merino for the TransV though gary 😉

i think i must not have used it in hotter times, then, as i haven’t had the tops that long. either that or i’m not trying hard enough!

All my merino stuff whether thick or thin soaks up sweat and stays wet. I wouldn’t use it when it’s hot as it feels too hot and thick to me.

Warm is ok (say up to 20ish degrees) but more than that and I much prefer ‘petrol’ based clothing. I do sweat a lot though so possibly some less sweaty people may find wool more acceptable when it’s hot.

It is magic in the way it doesn’t smell though.

I did a 10hr pairs XC race last summer, had a nylon Assos jersey and a Rapha Lightweight Merino (Smartwool) jersey. I changed most laps until I found I was getting really clammy and cold in the nylon jersey but stayed nice and snug in the merino top.

I think that is prob is to do with the merino/synthetic contstruction of the Rapha shirt, but I pretty much only wear sportwool jerseys in summer now. Regular merino is lovely as 3 season base layers, but as above it does stay wet and get all heavy, wouldnt wear one in the heat.

Anyone sees any Icebreaker long-sleeve 200 base layers on sale please do a PSA. Lovely fit and last for years.

I use baabaa merino tops in winter and often ride with a long sleeved one next to my skin and a synthetic short sleeve over that, once I’m warm. With a windproof to wear if we stop.
Have used a baabaa long sleeve in summer too, on it’s own, but really reckon it can be too warm and deffo wicks slower than synthetic.

Merino wicks better than petrol based fabrics, however it then holds onto the moisture more tenaciously. It provides better insulation when wet than petrol based fabrics. in hot weather this property works like the magic thermos that knows to keep your ice from melting in hot weather, and stop you’re tea going cold in cold weather.

Theres a PDF somewhere from the Sportwool people that explains all this

The merino can absorb mush more water before it feels wet.

Australian Athletes Stay Cool Under Pressure PDF download available on that page.

sv – Member
The merino can absorb mush more water before it feels wet.

I would agree with that.

I only have one Merino top (I need more) but I do get warmer in it compared to my man-made stuff, especially on clammy days.

It is amazing stuff though, other half still doesn’t believe the no smell thing but I have managed to get away with 3 rides so far without her washing it this time. Only thing I would say is don’t overdo it as it will still be dirty and it’s not the best for your skin. I let her wash it after my 1st “lets see how long it lasts” experiment when I started getting itchy. 😀

Cheers for all the replies.
Merino it is then 🙂

+ you get thin merino and thicker stuff. See no reason by something a bit thinner than my long sleeve top wouldn’t be fine on summer days. Especially with short sleeves.

Have a look at Rab’s MeCo stuff. It’s a mix of merino and Cocona – carbonised coconut husks or something on those lines. It has merino-like anti-pong properties, but wicks and dries more like a synthetic and is also more durable than merino, which bobbles and eventually holes when used with packs.

+1

I’m a big merino fan but I love my new Rab MeCo top.

look into which one you get though as they vary a great deal.

Some keep you warm some cold. Also think seriously about wearing something for 3 days close to your skin. Your body gets rid of the toxins for a reason. Just because it doesn’t smell doesn’t mean its good for you.

A combination base layer that is both synthetic and merino will give you the better performance than a 100% merino as you get the best of both worlds. merino keeps you comfortable and the synthetic fibres (generally polyamide) dry it out.

9 times out of 10 a polyester base layer is better for high intensity activity as it doesn’t hold moisture like merino does.

Personally for a 3 day ride I’d look at a couple of light weight polyester base layers, They are super light weight and take up a lot less room than a merino one, Plus you get to wear a fresh top each day.

Merino – Cool when its hot, warm when its not.

i find bamboo much softer and less smelly – much nicer in summer too. its always my choice

from the icebreaker merino’s mouth…..

baaaaaa……

ahhhh, I feel at home with all those flattened vowels…