If you wrote a checklist of everything you want from the gear you wear to exercise, there’s an extremely good chance it would end up looking exactly like a list of Merino wool’s natural qualities. And that’s why premium athletic gear brand ashmei, in collaboration with The Woolmark Company, uses Merino wool in its clothing. And not just any Merino either. The Woolmark Company logo is a mark that guarantees the highest quality of wool, and when you wear clothing made using Merino of that standard, you get a whole host of performance benefits in all weathers.
The first thing you’d want from your clothing is the ability to get rid of sweat as quickly as possible, and Merino wool does this like no other material. When you’re training hard, the space next to your skin fills with water vapour. If it’s left there, your skin becomes unpleasantly clammy, but Merino wool absorbs and rapidly moves that moisture away from your body to the dry side of the garment where it evaporates, keeping you dry and comfortable. Merino wool fibres absorb 20 times as much water vapour as cotton and 30 times as much as polyester.
Temperature control is another feature that would figure at the top of a sports clothing wishlist, and Merino wool ticks that box with ease. The insulating properties of the fabric combined with its unrivalled breathability and moisture management will keep you warm when the mercury drops and cool when it rises.
This makes Merino wool especially good for activities where you’ll encounter both hot and cold weather, like a day-long cycle or a run into the mountains. Merino wool works in all seasons and all conditions, including max-effort sessions under a scorching sun – or cycling 60 miles through the Australian bush to visit your nearest neighbour like this chap.
Ever better, all these properties are found in a fibre that’s also luxuriously soft next to the skin and won’t cling to your body even in wet weather – which is an uncomfortable downside of many synthetic fabrics.
It only takes one run, ride or hike in a Merino garment to recognise the advantages and become a convert, but there’s one more benefit you’ll notice if you keep wearing it. Merino wool is naturally odour-resistant so you can use your gear multiple times without having to wash it. Try that with a synthetic top and see the looks you get from those around you… And when you do wash your Merino gear, you’ll see the fabric has the ability to retain its shape, so you can set aside any concerns about your clothes starting to sag after a while.
Whatever your favourite sport, getting the right clothes can make a huge difference to both your performance and how much you enjoy it. Merino wool is the natural choice, keeping you comfortable and performing at your best in both hot and cold weather.
