Merino in the Mix - Properties of Merino Blended Fabrics

 

 

There are various reasons why blending merino wool with other fibers can be beneficial. Especially for functional hiking apparel, blended fabrics are increasingly used, such as:

 

• Merino Lyocell (Tencel®)
• Merino Viscose
• Merino Silk
• Merino Polyester & Co
• Merino and other fibers, e.g., linen, modal (Seacell),…

 

The best merino blend for you depends entirely on the intended use and your personal needs. The following factors may speak for a combination of merino wool with other fibers:

 

• Higher abrasion resistance, e.g., when carrying backpacks
• Shorter drying time
• Softer fabric texture (for sensitive skin)
• Additional cooling effect in summer
• Enabling special knitting techniques (e.g., compression, terry, reinforcements, mesh structure)

 

To help you choose the right merino mix, here you will find a detailed explanation of the respective material combinations:

 

Merino + Lyocell (Tencel®)

What is Lyocell?

Lyocell (also known in Europe under the brand name Tencel® by the Austrian Lenzing AG) is produced in an environmentally friendly process where cellulose is extracted from wood fibers and then spun into a biodegradable fiber. The production process requires far less water and chemicals than other fibers and is therefore considered a sustainable alternative to synthetic fibers. The wood processed for Tencel® production comes almost exclusively from certified sustainable forestry (FSC® or PEFC®).

Lyocell is particularly characterized by its smoothness, high dimensional stability, and rapid moisture absorption.

 

When Merino + Lyocell?

Lyocell (Tencel®) is most often added to thin merino shirts to increase stability, accelerate drying, and achieve an additional cooling effect in warm summer temperatures. Merino-Lyocell shirts, due to their smoother fabric texture and extremely soft feel, are particularly recommended for sensitive skin types who don't get along with pure merino wool.

 

 

Merino + Viscose

What is Viscose?

There are various viscose processes in which a very soft and fine fiber is produced from cellulose obtained from trees, bamboo, or annual fiber plants.

However, the production requires more chemicals and water, giving viscose a significantly worse environmental footprint than Lyocell. Nevertheless, viscose is much more sustainable compared to synthetic fibers, as no microplastics are released into the ocean during washing.

If viscose is obtained from bamboo fibers, it is also worth highlighting that bamboo grows extremely quickly and without fertilizers or pesticides, and is available in large quantities worldwide. Bamboo as a raw material therefore rapidly binds CO² and thus has a correspondingly good balance.

 

When Merino + Viscose?

As a cellulose fiber, viscose is similar to Lyocell in its properties. Its advantages, especially in combination with merino wool, include a pleasantly soft feel and good temperature regulation. However, viscose has less tear resistance, dries slower, and wrinkles more compared to Lyocell.

 

 

Merino + Silk

When Merino Silk?

Silk has been valued for millennia for its comfortable wearing properties. A blend of merino wool with silk primarily results in higher tear resistance and a smoother feel. Both fibers harmonize very well due to their natural origin and create a natural feel-good climate.

 

How is silk obtained?

Silk is obtained from the cocoons of silkworms. Due to the elaborate "harvest," silk is traditionally high-priced. As with wool, we exclusively source animal welfare-certified products for silk as well.

 

 

Merino + Polyester & Co

When Merino with Synthetic Fibers?

Even if merino wool clearly outperforms polyester & co in terms of both function and sustainability (see practical comparison Merino vs. Synthetic Fiber), it can still make sense to combine merino with synthetic fibers for certain applications.

This fiber combination is primarily used in product development for high mechanical stress or to implement special knitting techniques. It can also prevent the fabric from becoming too heavy due to excessive moisture in people with a tendency to sweat excessively.

 

Examples of functionally sensible combinations of merino and synthetic fibers:

• Reinforcements to protect against abrasion from backpack straps or other external mechanical stress (e.g., in socks)
• Compression effect through highly elastic circular knitting (requires elastane)
• Terry inner side (air-cushion forming loop knitting technique requires more fiber stability)
• More durable construction of very thin merino fabrics (Corespun process = a synthetic fiber core is wrapped with merino fibers) e.g., in merino shirts
• Faster drying due to synthetic fiber content (for high-performance sports or extreme perspiration)

 

Merino and other fibers

In addition to the common merino blends, there are also new and innovative combinations from individual manufacturers/products, e.g.:

• Merino + Modal (SeaCell™) = Wood cellulose fiber with algae additive

Seacell™ is an exciting new development based on modal technology. Through the addition of a brown algae additive, antioxidant vital substances are transferred to the skin with body heat. More information on Merino-Seacell can be found here: Palgero

 

• Merino + Linen

When merino wool is combined with linen, a robust and cooling natural fiber blend is created, with a firmer fabric texture and a slightly mottled appearance. This fiber mix is occasionally used in T-shirts.

 

• Merino + Cotton

Cotton is rather rarely combined with merino wool. Icebreaker occasionally uses cotton for reinforcements in merino shirts and as an outer fabric for merino wind jackets.

 

 

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