Favorite Wool Company?

I am sold on Icebreaker and have three different weights of shirts/layers. I can't say that I have tried any others, but icebreaker fits my long slender frame very well, so I have had no reason to try any other.

I will never go back to synthetics after switching to merino wool. Of course my body odor severely reacts to polyester and my sensitive nose just can't handle it… That being said, I rarely wear deodorant on a day2day basis and never get any complaints. :-) My body just doesn't agree with polyester!

I own shirts from Ibex, Smartwool, and BPL and socks from SmartWool and Teko. I think I prefer the designs of the Ibex clothing more than Smartwool.

I also have a Gramicci merino wool t-shirt and the weave is definitely not as tight is it is on the Icebreaker shirts… but it still seems to be holding up pretty decent.

Depends on your locale. But Icebreaker is great and available in many parts of the world, though the availability of styles varies by region. However, I like BPL merino as it is designed for hikers.

So the short answer is BPL and Icebreaker

I've got tops from Ibex, Icebreaker, Nau, Gramicci, and Smartwool. I have yet to get wool from Patagonia or BPL.

I'd rank them this way:

1: Ibex – best quality wool and a great fit.

2: Icebreaker – great quality wool, but the fit is just OK on me (too loose/long). They frequently have design elements that I don't like (like seam placement or lined hoods). Still, I get quite a bit of stuff from them.

3: Gramicci – great quality wool, good fit. Might be higher if they had more products.

4: Nau – great quality wool, the fit is perfect on me. However, they have design elements that I don't like (raw seams, cotton reinforcement for buttons).

5: Smartwool – good fit, good quality wool, but I've found it itchy at times. I like them more for socks than for shirts or long underwear.

Ibex is great, and especially great when on sale.

JRS

This will surprise the Aussies here. I love Icebreaker ( no this is not it…) but because it was priced at $40 I purchased a Merino top from the Kathmandu outlet . It isn't as fluffy as the Icebreaker but after a few washes still looks like new and feels great. Provably a 200 weight ,not sold any longer. It was $129 retail..
BTW that price is cheaper (AU$ =64 c US$) than the staff price for the Icebreaker 200.
Franco

Chocolate Fish Merino.
Small UK based company,products still made in NZ, using ZQUE merino, with sensible sizing.

Ibex comes a close second.

Like several of the others, I've got a mix from most vendors.

I'd rank Ibex at the top for baselayers, somehow theirs are just not itchy at all, like a cotton shirt. As much as I tried I cannot however get used to their wool boxers. They pile too much under hikes and can cause chaffing.

I'll have to throw in an odd ball for 2nd as the OR (Outdoor Research) comes in second but only for their T-shirt. It IS as soft as a cotton T-shirt, but they have really limited line up. Very high quality, but again, limited variety.

Next I'd put in Icebreaker. Their stuff is a lot like Ibex but I find the fit a little off as well as slightly more itchy.

Smartwool has got it going on for socks and I'm a die hard fan of their new PHD line up. I've got a bunch of their shirts but no matter what I do they are just too itchy. Their base layer pants are good though.

I really, really like my Patagonia wool 2 layers. Exceptionally comfortable and versatile. The least durable of my wool, but still worth it IMHO. I also have a bunch of Icebreaker and like it; the Icebreaker tends to have more of a cross-over style & fit, i.e. wear it cross-country skiing and stop by the coffee shop on the way home. Icebreaker also has more style options, in the sense of having zippered, hooded, p/o, etc. Both companies make good wool products. Unfortunately I haven't tried any Ibex yet.

After trying all the major brands over the past few years I like the Icebreaker products best. The wool is soooo soft, warm, and well fitting.

My wife and I have both had durability problems with the smartwool tops. Little holes start appearing in random places.

I have since bought an Ibex t-shirt. I prefer the fit of the smartwool (not as long) but I'm hoping the Ibex lasts longer.

Both shirts are equally soft and itch-free.

I recently bought a wool base layer from Finisterre, a British company dealing mainly with surfing gear, and it's very well-made and comfortable. For slightly colder (and sometimes much colder, i.e. winter in Lapland) conditions I favour Ullfrotte tops and long johns, particularly in the 200g weight. These are a wool mix terry cloth, extremely warm and quite light.

CFM looks very, very interesting. I like the idea of supporting a small quality company. Are they sold exclusive through thier website? Shipping to the US is well…

Icebreaker.

I've had the same problem as nick with the holes in smwartwool. The icebreaker looks like much better quality. I like how the smartwool stuff fits better, but that's just me, and i still prefer the icebreaker…

haven't tried the ibex stuff. BPL is good too stuff though, i have one of the tshirts i like.

Icebreaker. Their stuff feels softer to me than Smartwool, and they offer a nice variety.

The BPL pants I bought are nice, but so thin I worry about durability and feel I need to treat them VERY gently.

Have to chime it….

Icebreaker for shirts and bottoms and hats

Smartwool for warmer weather socks

Teko for cooler weather

I am a wool junkie…I have sworn off most all of my synthetics for base layer.

Ibex for base layers, with Icebreaker a close second. With one exception – Patagonia wool 2 for the lightest weight tops

IBEX.

I like their styles, their quality, and the fact that many of their products are made locally, providing much needed jobs to the local economy in Vermont and the region.

Moreover, because many of their products are made domestically, they use less oil and emit less CO2 per product than if the product were made overseas and shipped to the States. (Yes, I know the wool is not domestic, but energy/CO2 footprint for the wool gets spread over many products, thus the "per-product" energy/CO2 footprint is much less.)

I consider all those things in my buying decisions.

Cheers,
Bryan