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Baselayer Lightweight Merino Midlayers Women's Socks Headgear Merino-Possum
UPF rating
0+
5+
10+
15+
20+
25+
30+
35+
40+
45+
50+
Cotton No. of samples = 14
1
3
2
2
3
1
2
Wool No. of samples = 11
1
2
8
Linen No. of samples = 36
11
10
8
6
1
Viscose No. of samples = 64
26
7
6
12
4
2
2
2
1
1
1
Polyamide No. of samples = 16
6
1
3
6
Polyester No. of samples = 43
1
2
1
1
2
3
33
Blends*
2
3
2
4
3
4
3
7
24
UPF rating
0+
5+
10+
15+
20+
25+
30+
35+
40+
45+
50+
*different mixtures of polyester, linen, viscose, and cotton fabrics.  Of the fabrics achieving a UPF of 40+,  all were thicker and/or heavier than the merino samples tested
Multi-Climate Merino
Most people think wool is only for keeping you warm in winter. Think again! Why do you think the Bedouin wear wool in the heat of the desert? Simple - because it also keeps you cool! Merino wool's amazing ability to absorb up to 30% of it's weight in moisture before it even begins to feel damp, plus its ability to allow this moisture to evaporate gently into the atmosphere, leaves you feeling cool and comfortable. Add to this the fact that Merino is anti-microbial and resistant to the fungus and bacteria that causes the stink you so often get with synthetics, plus Merino's high (~40) Sun Protection Factor, and you have the perfect fabric for summer T-shirts and tops. Merino T-shirts will work just as well for you on hot summer days as, or if you're in the mountains and the sun has gone down - freezing cold summer nights.

However, when choosing summer T-shirts and tops the fabric weight is important. Too heavy and you coul feel uncomfortable, too light and it will not absorb and release enough moisture to keep you comfortable. Both research and experience has taught us that a weight of around 180-190 gsm is the ideal weight for both summer and winter wear. anything lighter will not give the performance in terms of odour-resistance, moisture control or durability. With a 190gsm weight, your Taranaki T-shirts will perform just as well as a summer T-shirt and a winter baselayer T-shirt.

CSIRO, one of the world's leading science research organisations has published numerous research papers on the properties of merino wool. These are just some of their findings:

Temperature control
Merino garments protect you from extremes of temperature because they offer superior insulation to most textiles.

Protection from hot and cold
Merino's insulation capacity has made it synonymous with warmth, yet the ability to insulate the wearer from extremes of cold also helps protect the individual from excessive heat. Like the Thermos™ that keeps hot beverages hot and cold beverages cold, Merino insulates you from the worst of the ambient temperature. This explains why Merino has been worn by both Shackleton on his Antarctic adventures and by the Bedouin of the Sinai. No polyester or other synethic outperforms merino in either hot or cold conditions.
Humidity control
Merino also helps maintain the micro-climate above the wearer's skin by buffering changes in humidity.

Moisture transport
In hot climates or during strenuous exercise, the micro-climate above the skin becomes saturated with vapour, which will make the individual clammy unless their clothing can absorb and release this moisture. The ability to absorb moisture vapour expressed as a percentage of its dry weight is known as the fibre's regain. For synthetics the regain can be as low as 1%, for cotton it's 24%, while Merino has the highest regain with an ability to absorb 35% of its own dry weight in water. This higher regain means that Merino is better able to absorb the moisture vapour produced by the wearer and so lower the humidity in the micro-climate between the skin and the garment.

In CSIRO trials it was found that Merino transported 27% more moisture away from the body than polyester fabric of identical construction. Wearers also felt less clammy when wearing merino than wearing polyester.

Insulation due to trapped air
Since the conductivity of air is less than a tenth that of most textiles, the thermal insulation provided by a fabric is due not to the fibres themselves but the air trapped between the fibres. Merino is much finer than most other textiles, so, for a given weight, it contains more air spaces, and hence provides greater insulation.

Proof of temperature and humidity control
Merino's superior overall climate control was verified in a study conducted by the Ergonomics Unit at the Polytechnic Institute of Wales. The Institute compared a wool comforter with a synthetic comforter of equivalent weight and construction and the physiological data showed that the heat under the wool comforter was significantly lower 100% of the time. They also measured the humidity next to the skin and found that under the wool comforter it was lower 71% of the time.
Summary
Merino's superior insulation and its ability to absorb and release moisture mean it is better able to keep the micro-climate near the wearer's skin at a comfortable temperature and humidity. Plus, researchers at the University of Graz, amongst the lealding experts in the field, have found that athletes wearing clothing that transports the sweat outward have a more rapid increase in lactic acid than athletes wearing clothing made of wool. Wool's natural ability to absorb, hold and gradually release moisture, slows down the build up of lactic acid in the muscles where it can cause pain and damage.
Sources
Holcombe, B.V., "The thermal insulation performance of textile fabrics", CSIRO.
Holcombe, B.V. "The sensational comfort of wool", CSIRO.
Holcombe, B.V., Staying warm", Wild Magazine, Oct/Nov/Dec 1987.M
CSIRO, "Wool and Warmth" fact sheet
CSIRO, "Wool garments generate warmth in cool, damp conditions"
Stuart, I.M., Schneider, A.M., and Turner, T.R., Textile Research Journal Vol.59, pp 324-329 (June 1989)
CSIRO, "Wool for Active Sports: Comfort and Performance Advantages"
All figures and tables courtesy of CSIRO unless otherwise noted.

As if all that wasn't enough, CSIRO have proof of Merino Wool's many other properties:
Durable ♦ Anti-static ♦ Stain-resistant ♦ Water-repellant ♦ Biodegradable ♦ Natural ♦ Renewable ♦ Odour-resistant ♦ Quick-drying ♦ Sweat-removal ♦ Breathability ♦ Fire-resistant ♦ Elasticity ♦ Anti-wrinkle ♦ Machine-washable ♦ Soft-next-to-skin ♦

UV Protection Factor of Merino Wool
The use of clothing as a means of sun protection has been recommended in recent education campaigns. However recent academic studies show that contrary to popular opinon, many fabrics offered an insufficient ultraviolet protection factor (UPF). Light cotton and linen fabrics do not give sufficient protection against sun damage and skin cancer, nor do suncreams.

In a paper first published in BMC Dermatology 2001, 1:6 doi:10.1186/1471-5945-1-6, Consultant Dermatologist Dr Thilo Gambichler investigated 236 apparel textiles used in spring/summer clothing collections.

UPF of fabrics
According to Dr Gambichler's study, more than half the fabrics tested failed to satisfy the European recommended standard for UV protective clothing of UPF30. Of the fabrics tested, only wool, polyester and some fabric blends offered a UPF factor of 30+.

Popular Summer Fabrics: The most popular natural summer fabrics performed worst in the tests. Most of these, including linen, fell well below the recommended UPF standard. The most popular synthetic fabrics also performed poorly in the tests, with 89% of viscose samples failing the test.

Best Protection: In all the tests, only one fabric offered the best protection - Merino. Of the samples tested, the worst UPF merino provided was 40+, whilst the majority of the Merino samples provided a UPF of 50+.

Protection AND Comfort: Of the fabrics tested that achieved a UPF of 40+, all except the merino samples were either heavier or thicker than the merino. Only Superfine Merino can offer UPF of 40+ combined with lightness, breathability, moisture management, body-climate regulation, as well as being eco-friendly in that Merino is a naturally renewable resource, biodegradable and recyclable. There is no substitute, summer or winter, for Superfine Merino.

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