There are various reasons why a blend of merino wool with other fibres can be useful. This is why mixed fabrics are often used, especially in functional clothing for hiking, e.g.

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

Which Merino blend is best for you depends entirely on the use and personal needs. The following factors may speak in favor of 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 cloth, reinforcements, mesh structure)

To make it easier for you to choose the right Merino mix, you will find a detailed explanation of the respective material combinations here:

Merino + Lyocell (Tencel ® )

What is Lyocell?

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

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

When Merino + Lyocell?

Lyocell (Tencel®) is most commonly added to thin Merino shirts to increase stability on the one hand and to speed up drying and provide an additional cooling effect in summer temperatures on the other. Merino Lyocell shirts are particularly recommended for sensitive skin types that cannot cope with pure Merino wool due to their smoother fabric texture and extremely soft feel.

Merino + Viscose

What is viscose?

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

However, more chemicals and water are needed for production, which means that viscose has a significantly worse environmental impact than lyocell. Nevertheless, viscose is much more sustainable than synthetic fibers because no microplastics are released into the sea during washing.

If viscose is made from bamboo fibers, it is also important to note that bamboo grows back extremely quickly and without fertilizers or pesticides and is available in large quantities worldwide. Bamboo as a raw material therefore binds CO² very quickly and has a correspondingly good balance in this regard.

When Merino + Viscose?

As a cellulose fiber, viscose has similar properties to lyocell. The advantages, especially when combined with merino wool, are the pleasantly soft feel and good temperature regulation. However, compared to lyocell, viscose is less tear-resistant, dries more slowly and wrinkles more.

Merino + Silk

When Merino Silk?

Silk has been valued for thousands of years because of its pleasant wearing properties. A mixture of merino wool and silk results in greater tear resistance and a smoother feel. Due to their natural origin, both fibers harmonize very well with each other and create a natural feel-good climate.

How is silk produced?

Silk is obtained from the cocoon of the silkworm. Due to the laborious "harvesting", silk is traditionally expensive. As with wool, we only source animal welfare-certified products when it comes to the origin of silk.

Merino + Polyester & Co

When to use Merino with synthetic fibers?

Even though merino wool is clearly superior to polyester & co in terms of both function and sustainability (see practical comparison of merino vs. synthetic fiber), it can still make sense to combine merino with synthetic fibers for individual areas of application.

This fiber combination is used in product development, especially when there is high mechanical stress or when special knitting techniques are used. It can also prevent the fabric from becoming too heavy due to excessive moisture for people who tend to sweat excessively.

Examples of functionally useful combinations of Merino and synthetic fibers:

• Reinforcements to protect against abrasion from backpack straps or other external mechanical stresses (e.g. socks)
• Compression effect through highly elastic circular knitting process (requires elastane)
• Terry cloth inside (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 coated with merino fibers) e.g. in merino shirts
• Faster drying due to synthetic fiber content (for high-performance sports or extreme sweating)

 

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. By adding a brown algae additive, antioxidant vital substances are transferred to the skin when the skin is warm. You can find more information about Merino Seacell here: Palgero

• Merino + Linen

When merino wool is combined with linen, the result is a robust natural fiber blend that is cooling in summer, with a firmer fabric texture and a slightly mottled look. This fiber mix is ​​occasionally used for T-shirts.

• Merino + Cotton

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

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