MichaelW

In the battle for natural, performance-fabric supremacy there can be only one winner, but which is best, New Zealand's fairest quadraped or its arch nemesis, Panda-food.
Two packages arrived today, one containing 2 Superfine Merino T-shirts , the other, 2 bamboo-viscose T shirts.

I've already been using the Merino versions for a couple of years with no complaints but Im going to try and run a scientific and objective comparison.
Both have a really nice feel, they are a bit stretchy. Washing instructions are fairly similar but wool needs a bit more care.
The most difficult test will be wickability, I dont break into a sweat on my commute.
I'll try and find some volunteers at work for odour-testing (Ok this may be the hardest test).
I'll keep you posted.....

d2create

Awesome! To me there are three advantages to wool...
1. Wickability/quick drying
2. Temp control
3. No body odor

Would be very interested in how bamboo compares in all 3 segments.

jdmitch

I'd be very curious to see how the Bamboo shirts work. This thread is going in my watched folder.

CliftonGK1

Are there no Sasquatch in NZ or the UK? I've noticed that on merino jerseys I have to go all the way to a 3XL to get something which will fit, and apparently I'd need the same if the bamboo people offered one.

I'm curious to know if the bamboo shirt stays warm when it's sopping wet, similar to merino wool.

tjwarren

+1

HardyWeinberg

Bamboo is the same as any other polyester.

CliftonGK1

Breathable, sheds water nicely, not very warm when wet, and smells like a week old roadkill after wearing it for 150 miles?

HardyWeinberg

CliftonGK1

Ack!
I mean, I like certain articles of poly gear: I have a Performance Tundra II full zip neon jersey I wouldn't trade for a wool longsleeve. I also don't like wool shorts/tights. But I have to wash all those things every couple of days, unlike my wool jerseys which get a light wash once every 3-4 weeks.

Metricoclock

I've used bamboo sheets on my bed before even, was not impressed with the way they held up.

I don't really think bamboo will out perform or out wear wool, and I am always confused when people keep saying wool requires more care. The merino jersey's i have and even Kashmir sweaters i wear while cycling all get washed with my regular clothes on cold, then just laid flat or hung on a drying rack to dry. My Smartwool socks go through the whole wash cycle with the clothes even to the drier. Heck even my merino jersey's are holding up better than my synthetic ones.

Crank57

Had some bamboo socks. Loved the way they felt. Hated the way they fell apart after 2 rides.

tbreen

Tried both and merino always wins out for me. I've had both bamboo tees and socks and the problem - and it's a big one - is that bamboo absorbs loads of water/sweat/rain, and then you freeze cos it takes forever to dry. My merino gear dries far faster and still keeps me warm when its damp. I can wear the same gear for days on end even if I've got soaked (sudden downpours are a fact of life where I go in summer). No contest IMO.

ratell

I think with bamboo it makes a difference the blend. Most of them are a blend with cotton and the degree and quality makes a tremendous difference. I have a bamboo shirt that I've been using for a year now. Still looks new and I haven't found it to absorb water excessively.

Jarery

For those with bamboo that fell apart after a few uses, id have to ask if you bought it at wally world. I have loads of bamboo shirts, socks, underwear, hoodies, , towels, sheets, etc. I have none for cycling though as I dont believe its the correct use for the material.

Of the bamboo articles I have, they hold up as good as any other. Comparing workmanship of articles of clothing isnt the same as comparign the material. And as another poster mentioned, there is a large difference in the blend or if its 100%.

tbreen

Did an experiment this weekend (well she did anyway). Washed 2 merino t shirts with 2 bamboo t shirts and 2 cotton t shirts (all pretty much the same weight) and hung them to dry on the line about 10.00 Saturday morning. Now remember how hot it was. The merino dried very quickly, wearable by midday. The cotton ones were dry by the late afternoon. The bamboo ones still felt damp at 8.00 in the evening when she took them in. She had to hang them out the following morning to finish drying. She says even her heavy linen trousers dried faster the the bamboo.

SWWMBO says - given how bamboo hangs on to the wet stuff, it's fine if you're just mooching around town or on a beach, but she wouldn't wear it for anything involving action outdoors (at this point my mind goes elsewhere......) But I get her point. Anything so slow to dry is not good for any outdoor activity where weather is a serious factor. Oh - and she also says the bamboo t's doesn't look as good after one wash as her merino t's she's been washing and wearing for two years.

Rhodabike

Huh? It's not polyester, it's made from the bamboo plant. Similar characteristics to cotton, perhaps not as strong. Should be mixed with cotton for more durability.
Me, I love polyester. The fabric snobs can have their wool; I smelled like a wet sheep the first time I got caught in the rain in my one and only wool jersey years ago. Plus, it never stopped itching.
Good quality synthetic wicking fabrics shouldn't hold odors if washed fairly soon after every use. I've got undershirts that are eight years old, made from Polartec Powerdry, and they're as good (and non-odorous) as new.

CliftonGK1

That's the problem. I get to work and simply hang my jersey to dry without washing it since I'm just going to put it back on to ride home in 9 hours. Then when I get home, I don't run my washing machine every night... so if it's a poly jersey, it might sit for 3 - 4 days (or even until the weekend) when I finally get around to doing laundry.

My wool jerseys get hung up in front of a fan or out on the line in a breeze and they're fine to wear the next day. And the next. And even the rest of the week without any stank. Quality merino wool jerseys don't itch, and I'll take the "damp wool" smell after a rainy ride for the convenience of not having to do laundry on a daily basis.

To each their own, I suppose. If I lived in AZ or TX where it was a bazillion degrees in the summer, I might decide that the inconvenience of doing laundry more often is worth the trade for a lighter wicking fabric. It was 45 degrees this morning and kind of damp; wool is highly appreciated up here.

MichaelW

So far, the bamboo T is OK but not as good as wool. It does dry slower so Im not sure I would take it touring. We have got a mini-heatwave coming up so I'll get to test them as wicking fabrics.
The Bamboo fabric has a very soft, smooth feel and has not shrunk or roughed up. I like it as a casual T-shirt.