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Best Merino Wool Pants for Men

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    What are the best Merino wool pants?

    Merino wool is a great fabric because it’s versatile. In fact, Merino is one of the most popular fabrics for outdoor and sports clothing, as well as for travel. It’s lightweight, dries quickly and can be used for any season. Apart from that, it’s odor resistant, and need less washing. To learn more about the benefits of Merino wool, scroll down. But let’s start with a list of the best Merino wool pants.

    Here are some of the very best men’s Merino wool pants.

    Best Merino Wool Pants for Men

    What are the options? And which one to choose?

    Which are the best Merino wool pants for men?

    1. Icebreaker Merino Men’s Shifter Pants (click for more details)

    Classic jogger sweatpants made of natural Merino wool.

    Overall, the best Merino wool pants for men, our favorite.

    The pants are versatile and can be worn outside, to the gym or at home. They are perfect for cool-weather running or walks in chilly weather. The pants are lightweight, soft, non-itchy and odor resistant, just like all Merino clothing. These aren’t 100% Merino wool pants — they are made of natural Merino wool which is spun around a nylon core to create more durable fabric. The fabric is blended with Lycra for additional elasticity.

    The pants feature an elastic waistband with an internal drawcord, and two hand pockets.

    MATERIAL WEIGHT: Mid-weight (260 GSM)

    2. Woolly Clothing Merino Wool Jogger Sweatpants (click for more details)

    Classic Merino wool sweatpants with an elastic waist and drawstring. 

    The Woolly Clothing Merino sweatpants are made of Merino wool, and combined with Elastane for extra stretch and flexibility. Being made of Merino, these pants are naturally odor resistant, moisture wicking and itch free. All of it makes them the perfect pants for outdoor running and walks in cool weather. The sweatpants feature flatlock seams and tagless interior for extra comfort.

    Four-way stretch ensures maximised freedom of movement. If it’s really cold, the sweatpants pants can be worn as Merino base layer bottoms.

    MATERIAL WEIGHT: Mid-weight (250 GSM)

    3. Naturwool Merino Wool Joggers Lounge Sweatpants (click for more details)

    Comfortable Merino wool lounge pants / sweatpants for men.

    The pants are versatile and can be worn outside, to the gym or at home.

    As they are made of Merino wool, they feature temperature regulation properties. This means the pants keep you warm in winter, and cool in warm weather. You can wear them at home as lounge sweatpants, too. The pants are lightweight, soft, non-itchy and odor resistant, just like all Merino clothing.

    Planning a winter hike?

    Wear these pants under your hiking pants as thermals.

    MATERIAL WEIGHT: Mid-weight (240 GSM)

    4. Woolly Clothing Merino Wool Longhaul Pants (click for more details)

    Durable and stylish casual Merino wool pants for men.

    Looking for casual Merino wool pants for everyday wear? These Woolly Clothing Longhaul pants may be just the right pair for you. Made of Merino Wool (66%), cotton (29%) and elastane (5%) blend, they are naturally moisture wicking, odor and wrinkle resistant. And they are lightweight and stretchy. All of that makes them great for travel.

    Being versatile, they feature a timeless style that fits in anywhere.

    The pants have 5 pockets, including a hidden zippered passport pocket.

    MATERIAL WEIGHT: Mid-weight (215 GSM)

    5. Big Bill Wool Hunting Cargo Pants (click for more details)

    Warm, durable Merino wool pants for cold weather.

    Made in Canada, these are one of the best Merino wool pants for winter. Crafted of exceptional quality Merino wool, the Big Bill cargo pants work great for outdoor activities such as hunting, working outside and camping. Due to their fabric weight, they are perfect for cold weather wear, also for activities that include a lot of sitting in one spot.

    The fabric is premium Merino wool blend — 80% Merino wool and 20% nylon. Nylon is added for extra durability and prolonged use. These pants are thick and warm. So, they are not for summer. Just like other Merino wool pants, the Big Bill winter pants will keep you dry and sweat free. Plus, they are odor resistant and somewhat water repellant.

    The pants feature several functional pockets. There are two front pockets, two back pockets and two large side pleated cargo pockets.

    MATERIAL WEIGHT: Heavy-weight (400 GSM)

    Best Merino Wool Base Layer Pants For Men

    6. Merino.tech Merino Wool Base Layer Pants (click for more details)

    High quality, multi-purpose Merino base layer pants for men.

    Overall the best Merino wool base layer pants, our favorite.

    The best part about these Merino wool pants / men’s base layer pants is that they are versatile. You can use them for almost any purpose, except for maybe a wedding, haha. They can be your Merino wool long underwear, jogging pants, everyday pants or ultra lightweight work pants. Thanks to their design they look good everywhere.

    The pants are lightweight, extra comfortable and super easy to take care of — they are machine washable, dry fast and doesn’t really smell. Perfect choice for busy people.

    Comes with a pair of Merino wool hiking socks.

    FABRIC WEIGHT: Mid-weight (250 GSM)

    More: Best Merino Wool Base Layer Pants For Men

    Man wearing a red t-shirt

    5 Reasons to Choose Merino Wool Clothing

    Is Merino wool itchy? Is Merino wool warm?

    These are some of the most popular questions about Merino wool. Here are the top benefits of Merino wool, and also answers to those questions.

    1. Odor Resistance

    Merino wool is a naturally antibacterial and odor-resistant material.

    What it means is that it doesn’t really smell. Well, of course, you shouldn’t expect wearing it for months and feeling 100% fresh. It will start smelling at some point. But it takes much longer for Merino wool clothing to get to that point, and that’s a really, really good thing about Merino wool clothing, and one of the reasons this material is so widely used in activewear, especially in high-performance activewear.

    Being odor-resistant, natural Merino wool clothes need less washing. That is one of the reasons why Merino activewear is so popular among hikers and travellers (especially backpackers). And as you don’t have to wash Merino wool clothes that often, there’s less synthetic pollution.

    2. It’s a Natural Material

    Merino wool is a wool from merino sheep (New Zealand, Australia).

    And wool is a 100% natural material. For most of us, it also is much safer than synthetics. It doesn’t cause any allergic reactions, for example. In fact, Merino wool allergy neutrality is one of the top reasons why people choose Merino clothing. Being 100% biodegradable, Merino wool is also safer for the planet.

    While wool in general, is known for being an itchy fabric, with Merino wool we, people, have found a way to get away from that. Merino wool isn’t as itchy (or itchy at all) because of being finer.

    3. Outstanding Moisture Management

    Merino wool fabric adjusts to you and the climate.

    If it’s hot outside, Merino keeps you cool. It does it by transporting all the sweat away from your skin. If it’s cold outside, the wool keeps you warm. It’s all possible due to its fully natural moisture management system and moisture wicking features. Nature has made it this way. However, if we talk about the cold weather adventures, in order to stay warm it’s equally as important to choose the right fabric weight of your Merino clothing — not all Merino wool clothes are good for winter.

    4. Breathability

    Great breathability is a must in activewear.

    This is the feature that allows you to stay comfortable longer.

    Merino wool is extremely breathable, and that’s why Merino is one of the most popular fabrics for outdoor and sports clothing.

    5. Ease of Use and Longevity

    Merino wool activewear and clothing is versatile — it can be used for all occasions.

    It is also very easy to take care of Merino wool clothing.

    Merino wool is machine washable and long-lasting.

    But make sure to refer to the care instructions of the manufacturer of your hoodie, shirt, base layer or pants. As the instructions may differ. In some cases, if it’s a blend of Merino wool and some man-made fabric, it may also be recommended to hand wash it only.

    Hiking in the forest during the winter

    Are You Looking for Base Layer Pants?

    Merino is one of the most popular fabrics for outdoor and sports clothing.

    It is also often used for base layers. Merino wool base layers are great. They are itch-free, odor-resistant and warm. Due to temperature regulating features of Merino wool, and its outstanding moisture management, Merino base layers can keep you cool if the temperature rises, and warm — when the temperature drops.

    Great breathability is a must in a base layer pants and shirts.

    And Merino wool thermals indeed have great breathability.

    More: Best Merino Wool Base Layer Pants For Men

    How to Find the Best Merino Wool Pants?

    How to find the best Merino wool pants? What to look for?

    Let’s make this super simple.

    Generally speaking mostly it’s about these 3 simple things.

    1. Fabric Weight

    What are you going to use them for? In what weather? Do you need these pants for hiking in cold weather, sports, or you plan to use them only at home?

    Fabric weight is one of the main characteristic of Merino wool clothing.

    These 160 GSM, 200 GSM, 250 GSM (other times – g/m2), … to put it simply, they show how thin or thick is the fabric. The bigger the number, the warmer the pants will be. If you want something for everything, look for 200 – 230 GSM. They are usually called midweight pants. For cold weather and, especially for activities that include a lot of sitting or standing in one position, look for pants with GSM of at least 250. And wear them with an extra protective layer, as they definitely won’t keep you warm on their own.

    2. Style

    What are you going to use them for?

    Do you need a pair of Merino wool pants for travel or lounging at home? Gym? Or you need a base layer to wear under your pants?

    There are all kinds of pants, and each has its own purpose. Merino wool sweatpants are for lounging at home, gym and walks. Merino wool casual pants are versatile — they can be used for traveling, everyday wear or office. Base layer pants are designed to be worn under the hiking and snow/ski pants for extra warmth. If you are looking for a warm pair of pants for cold winter weather, choose warm cargo pants (e.g, Big Bill Cargo Pants).

    3. Your Budget

    Decide upon your budget.

    And choose the pants that fit into it, and the ones that suit your needs the best. There’s no reason to pay more for features you don’t need. Likewise, it’s not a good idea to get cheap Merino wool pants, if you plan to use them a lot — higher price often also means better quality and comfort.

    What is your experience with Merino activewear? What’s the best merino wool pants you have worn?

    Featured photo by RODNAE Productions from Pexels


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