I'm know wool is better than cotton. As I recall, both absorb water, the difference being that when wet cotton is next to the body it feels cold while wet wool feels warm.

I'm pretty sure that wool is better than polyester fleece, but how much better? Whereas wool tends to absorb water, I believe that polyester tends to transmit or move water. So back to my question, how much better than fleece is wool?

My original reason for posting this is because fleece is generally less expensive and easier to care for. However, since I just found some decent wool sweaters at T.J. Max for $11 each, the question is more academic.

I wear Ibex (http://www.ibexwear.com/F05/home.php) wool base layers. Love them. I also wear the Icefall jacket. Love that too. I wear the woolies for cycling, snow shoeing, xc-skiing, under a button down in the office - nearly everyday when the weather starts to chill.

All my fleece and poly baselayers smell of sweat. I ditched my poly turtlenecks last winter and went to the woolies. Care is easy - bathroom sink, a bit of Woolite, hand wash, roll it in a towel to get the excess water out, and then lay it flat to dry. (Usually overnight - but sometimes longer...) I have several woolies and mid weights - it allows me to switch up when things need washing and drying. Not sure on the care of a thick wool sweater - probably the same.




I aslo wear the Ibex road shorts. (wool blend) At first I thought they would be an early season / late season short because of their thickness - but I found them comfortable all summer. Care is similar... but I tend to hand wash all my cycling shorts...

(not a plant for Ibex - but I've been very happy with their quality, friendly service, fit - finish, and design)

For people like myself wool is less favorable due to the itch factor, except for outerwear. I picked up a winblock(?) fleece jacket from LL bean that retails for about 30 bucks that really worked well at about 6F with wind chill using a couple layers of light poly and light fleece vest underneath. Just my 02

For people like myself wool is less favorable due to the itch factor

I don't think anyone could consider Ibex/Smartwool/etc stuff "itchy"... its softer than most cotton T-shirts I own.

I don't think anyone could consider Ibex/Smartwool/etc stuff "itchy"... its softer than most cotton T-shirts I own.

Agree with that.


Smooth, nice next to the skin.
The outerwear gets heavier... the baselayers all use small fiber sizes.

I can't wear my heavy surplus wool coat with a short sleeve shirt, but I can wear the Ibex and Smartwool stuff just fine.

newskool wool clothing is totally the anwser, also oldskool merino from thrift stores...

wool is SO MUCH BETTER at managing temps and moisture, I was wearing a Ibex wool jersey and Ibex cycling shorts in 100 degree heat on a tour this summer, and felt more comfortable than i've ever felt riding in synthetic clothing even 20 degrees cooler.

I just did a four day island county tour last week, and then an overnighter up to the mountains, camping out and riding in temps in the low teens to 30, I wore a couple extra layers of wool, a wool softshell, and wool tights over Ibex shorts, and never got so sweated out I had to change out of my wool clothing.

Wool is the anwser. I've used it for about every hardcore sport I do, and wool clothing is a superior choice - it's nature's miracle fiber! (And I'm not a plant for Ibex either, its just great stuff!)

newskool wool clothing is totally the anwser, also oldskool merino from thrift stores...

wool is SO MUCH BETTER at managing temps and moisture, I was wearing a Ibex wool jersey and Ibex cycling shorts in 100 degree heat on a tour this summer, and felt more comfortable than i've ever felt riding in synthetic clothing even 20 degrees cooler.

I just did a four day island county tour last week, and then an overnighter up to the mountains, camping out and riding in temps in the low teens to 30, I wore a couple extra layers of wool, a wool softshell, and wool tights over Ibex shorts, and never got so sweated out I had to change out of my wool clothing.

Wool is the anwser. I've used it for about every hardcore sport I do, and wool clothing is a superior choice - it's nature's miracle fiber! (And I'm not a plant for Ibex either, its just great stuff!)

+1

Bek, with our love of wool is it any wonder the sheep say 'DAAAAAAAAAAADDDDDDDD" when we ride by?

I don't think anyone could consider Ibex/Smartwool/etc stuff "itchy"... its softer than most cotton T-shirts I own.
Thanks for the info, I'll give it a feel when I come across it.

I'm a recent convert as well. Abd now I'm mad I spent $$ on the synthetic stuff! Also, natural fibers are better in arid climatic, they cut down on the static shock factor!

I overheat like a bad radiator in polyester fleece. Dunno what it is about the stuff but I can barely walk across the yard without breaking a sweat. By the time I am at work, I have sweat running down my back and I smell like a plow-horse. Yuk.

Wool isn't so drastically hot, and much more absorbant. Even if I get too warm in a wool sweater, at least it soaks up the sweat pretty well.

I like fleece okay for when I am just hanging around the house, but when I am being more active, I definitely want something more absorbant.

Thanks for the info so far!

Like I said in the OP, I bought a couple wool sweaters at T.J. Max yesterday for $11 each.

For temps under 60F I normally wear 2 base layers, a short sleeve poly over a long sleeve poly and a windbreaker. I adjust the mid layer depending on the temp. I had been using a sweatshirt from 20F to 40F and have added a fleece vest or fleece jacket under 20F.

Today was 25F so I wore one of the wool sweaters. I was warm enough, but not too warm. The interesting thing was that my long sleeve poly was not as sweaty as normal.

The next time its ~25F I'm gonna try a fleece "sweater" (very high pile) I have for comparison.

On a slightly different note, do you wash (hand or machine) your "dry clean only" wool?

I don't think anyone could consider Ibex/Smartwool/etc stuff "itchy"... its softer than most cotton T-shirts I own.
I find good wool stuff very comfortable but my Mom appears to have an allgery to wool and finds even the softest wool itchy. I'm sure there are others like her but I bet it is rare.
Craig

...

On a slightly different note, do you wash (hand or machine) your "dry clean only" wool?

I hand wash mine with a bit of Woolite or other mild detergent in cold water in the bathroom sink... I don't trust a machine with it, and I do it often enough that drycleaning (aside from the enviro impacts and nasty chemicals) would be overkill.

Most of the modern wool can be machine washed and dried. I've actually heard that one shouldn't use woolite, as it strips the lanolin from the wool. I spurge on some 'wool detergent' via Rivendell.

Most of the modern wool can be machine washed and dried. I've actually heard that one shouldn't use woolite, as it strips the lanolin from the wool. I spurge on some 'wool detergent' via Rivendell.


Whoa!
That's crazy!

I was using an eco detergent from the co-op, and then found some Woolite in the bottom of the closet.
I'll have to research this!

Here's some quick info:

There is also much mythological agitation around Woolite, but it's just a publicity scam. Woolite was 'gentle' in the 50s, if you compared it to the usual regime of hot water and Tide in the machine, with bleach to boot. It was gentle mostly in that it firmly recommended hand washing. But it's not a gentle product, it's very alkaline and strips the hell out of innocent wool fibers. Leave it to the uninitiated.

http://www.fuzzygalore.biz/articles/wash_sweater.shtml

I've been using Rivendell thin woolie shirts and other stuff for a few years. I've just used the gentle cycle and I like to use Dreft or generic Target baby laundry soap. I also don't put a lot of the stuff in. I've had good luck with both durability and I like to drip dry it so it hasn't shrunk yet.

Big fan of merino wool here. The range of temperatures at which it's comfortable seems to be greater than other fibers - you're not so cold as with a regular poly jersey, and you don't overheat the way you can with fleece. The downside is that I sweat like a Republican on a witness stand, so my wool gets pretty wet. But it's warm, comfy wet.

nice post on the dishwashing detergent. Guess I'll toss out the woolite. I've always loved wool but recently started using some Ibex stuff for cycling and haven't looked back. I'm phasing out my poly undergarments now and will be replacing them with wool.

Dollar for dollar I think the poly products deliver more (cost versus comfort). There are cheap and expensive versions of wool and poly products (fleece, underwear, you name it). In either case, the fancier more advanced the product, often the better it'll perform (you get what you pay for--generally). All that said, WOOL IS KING!
To summarize: Cheap poly is usually more comfortable than cheap wool. Good wool is much better than good poly. All IMHO.

For some reason the poly stuff gives inconsistent warmth. What worked one day i.e., same route, temperature, clothing, speed, wind....doesn't always work the next...BRRR.

The wool is much more reliable. HOWEVER, if you're cycling hard with say....2 wool layers and a softshell...waterlogging sets the chill ... after about 2.5hrs. Haven't figured out how to get around that.

Another vote for merino wool here. I find wool itchy, but can suck up the moisture yet not be wet. merino wool for me has no itchy side effects, and it seems to work well in heat as well as cold temps. I recently picked up a bunch of m.wool socks... great stuff.

Another vote for wool. Have a favourite turtleneck wool sweater my wife knitted for me and it's great. Holds the heat but still breaths. Just need to figure out my outer shell that works best.

OC

I have used both wool and poly for a long time and wool is by far a superior fiber over poly fleece. Poly itself is OK as an underwear material, but poly fleece has limited use. Wool is MUCH better than poly in windy conditions. In fact, I venture to say that cold windy conditions, in wearing poly fleece is almost like being naked.

By volume, wool is much bette than poly fleece. You can fill a suitcase with poly fleece and not get the warmth factor of a nicely compressed woolen article.

Poly is easier to wash. Maybe you could find a wool/synthetic blend that can be machine washed. Otherwise, there is a lot to be said about being able to throw clothes in the washing machine.

Wool tends to felt in high friction spots which I personally like because it stays warm. Poly wears out in high friction spots.

Here's some quick info:

There is also much mythological agitation around Woolite, but it's just a publicity scam. ...
http://www.fuzzygalore.biz/articles/wash_sweater.shtml

Wow, err...I've been washing mine with jeans in cold water. If I understood the article, they say hot water and dawn or baby shampoo? I wonder if liquid ivory hand soap is OK.

Fleece isn't perfect and neither is wool. Fleece can stink, pill, can be thick, but it's cheaper, keeps you as dry as wool, no itch, and can be breathable. I think that poly fleece is thicker and "hairier" than a simply polyester thermal shirt. Poly fleece is the type of lining you put under a windproof nylon shell or in a glove. But a polyester thermal "first layer" shirt could be light as silk.
You could try both. Most likely, the cheaper wool will be itchy. But there's no reason you couldn't wear a light cheap polyester thermal between your skin and the wool sweater. These two and a windbreaker would be all you need.
Merino wool is known to be itch-free, lighter, shrink-free etc. It's more expensive, like $50-$130 for an Ibex, Smartwool, Icebreaker etc. It can require handwashing and careful drying and it can take a full day to dry. But a nice Icebreakers Tech Top is even softer than the polyester undershirts, and is thicker, like a very heavyweight T-shirt. On thirty-degree days, you'd just need this and a windbreaker shell. Wool isn't windproof whatsoever.

...clip... Wool isn't windproof whatsoever.


I find this misleading. Of course wool isn't windproof. Only plastic and variations on that theme are windproof. But, wool breaks the wind much better than fleece, hands down. Plain fleece (ie, no assistance from something else) might as well be netted for all the wind it blocks.

And, you don't need fancy-schmancy labels for high-quality performing wool. I bought a woolrich sweater about 25 years ago for $25 (made in the usa, even). It's been through numerous MN and ID winters, hikes through the bush, crammed into packs, and as many washings (but no dryers, please!). It's still lovely, no holes, no torn seams, no worn spots. For this and many other examples, I can't think of anything more functional and economical than wool (vs. fleece).

I buy merino wool tops at thrift stores for 5 bucks that I can wear next to my skin, no itch. Wool soft shells, and also boiled wool, does block the wind...Daschtein boiled wool mittens have made it to the top of Everest regularily....


and anyone who says a poly top will keep you as dry as wool, has not given their products a full vetting. wool is the 'drier' feeling base layer, and virtually eliminates the sudden, evaporative cooling induced chill down SO common with synthetic layers.....

For some reason the poly stuff gives inconsistent warmth. What worked one day i.e., same route, temperature, clothing, speed, wind....doesn't always work the next...BRRR.

The wool is much more reliable. HOWEVER, if you're cycling hard with say....2 wool layers and a softshell...waterlogging sets the chill ... after about 2.5hrs. Haven't figured out how to get around that.

What do you mean when you say "waterlogging sets the chill.." Are you saying the fabric gets saturated from your own sweat?

I wear an Ibex Tech Top merino wool shirt with a $20 REI lightly lined wind jacket. I find that all my sweat is wicked off my skin and all the moisture condenses on the INSIDE of the nylon jacket. That's pretty cool. I also find that the best feature a thermal top can have is a 6-10" zipper, preferably with a big pull tab.

Both wool and polyester have problems if you bike (or ski) for a couple of hours in cold weather and then start up again after lunch, wearing the same (now damp) clothes. But wool seems to work better -- it may be wet, but it feels warmer. My skiing answer is to bring a change of clothes and switch before lunch, so I'm not sitting around in a warm chalet in cold clothes. For biking I just stick to wool. I wash it on the machine's gentlest cycle (and yes, I use Woolite) and hang up to dry without any ill effects. Wool socks rock.

http://www.mec.ca/Products/product_detail.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524441956963&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302692723&bmUID=1135561305955

I feel the need to comment further on Woolite because I worked on the R&D team for the product. I'll pass along what I know ... just short of getting sued.

Woolite is (in round) numbers 80% surfactants (detergent/soap) while regular washing detergents are 5 - 25 % surfactant. The reason: hot water cleans better than cold water. Woolite is very expensive to produce but the profit level is better than 75% (anti-corporation folks take note). Every soaper has tried to market their own version of Woolite and never achieved decent market share because everyone "trusts" Woolite. Your grandmother and mother trust Woolite and so do you.

This guy with a Masters in Chemistry and 20 years in clothes cleaning gave me this advise:
1. Always use the hottest water possible to wash clothers.
2. Shampoo is one of the best laundry detergents. In a pinch, any soap works including bar soap.
3. Never put anything valuable in a clothes dryer.
4. Never use fabric softener on bath towels. It inhibits their ability to dry/absorb water.
5. Enzymes "die" ond lose cleaning ability over time in liquid form. Use powder products with enzymes.

one more vote for merino wool :) my poly layers also stink of sweat, where my merino wool layers smell nice when fresh outta the dryer. my gf was pretty awesome to knit me some merino armwarmers last winter, too :)

Ditto everything positive said about wool--and sourcing at thriftstores too, a great way to buy $400 worth of wool for twenty bucks.

Also add Weatherby to the list rideable brands -- I wear their wool camo hunting pants in subzero weather. The sweat beads on the outside, when you get home you're almost totally dry inside -- except for your underpants, another topic . . . .

I'm about to buy my first base layer garments so was lurking and saw this thread. It's a good read!

Do you find that wool leggings go baggy at the knees/elbows?

Does the Woolen programme on your washing machine look after the woolen cycle garments properly?