Merino sheep can produce Superfine Merino fleece with a fibre that is between 16 and 21 micron in diameter, but not all do.

There are lots of strains of Merino sheep to be found around the world - the US, China, Germany, etc., but it is the New Zealand merino strain that produces the finest fleece. The fleece of other strains of Merino simply does not meet the same standards, and it is only the finest of Merino fleece that can be made into garments that can be worn next to the skin. And this is where the customer can be easily confused. Don't think that because something is labelled as "Merino" it will be smooth and fine enough to wear next to your skin. Merino fibres ranging from 18-19 Micron are considered the best for all-round performance, durability and comfort. However there is much on the market that definitely falls below this standard.

When is Merino not Merino?

Companies across the world are cashing in on Superfine Merino's hard earned reputation by labelling garments as "merino" when they are in fact a mix of merino and synthetic. They trademark names like "ActiveWool", "Powerwool", and "Prowool" - great names - except these "wools" are 75% synthetic, 30% synthetic and 44% synthetic respectively. Whilst this is not illegal, we think it's certainly misleading.

What is illegal is labelling something as "100% merino" when it isn't. This is exactly what the New Zealand Wool Testing Authority found when they tested merino fabric made in China. They discovered that it was in fact merino mixed with viscose. There is also the suspicion that ordinary wool is being chemically treated to make to feel ostensibly like merino. Only a micron count would reveal the truth and this is too expensive a procedure to carry out on all the merino coming out of China. What the experts are saying is that they do not believe there is enough quality superfine and fine merino available to meet China's needs.

What can the customer do to ensure they are getting the real thing? Being wary of buying "merino" at a low price is a good starter, because one thing is for sure, and that is genuine superfine merino is in short supply and is not "cheap". If you buy a cheap product it will NOT be the genuine article.

Putting a price on quality

We think we sell the best merino in the world. Our gear is made from genuine New Zealand superfine and fine merino wool fabric made in New Zealand by the world's leading company, Designer Textiles. What we not sell is "cheap" merino. Whilst the word "cheap" can mean inexpensive, it also means "poor quality", "second-rate", "substandard" or "inferior". "Cheap" merino will not give you the performance of our quality New Zealand-made New Zealand superfine and fine merino t-shirts and tops.

What's in a name?

If the term "Superfine" or "Fine" isn't used to describe the quality of merino in a garment, you can bet that it's because the merino being used does not meet the criteria for Superfine or Fine quality. The result is that you could easily end up buying something that will itch, pill, and shrink in the wash. We have seen some of this clothing. To put it bluntly it is poor. It feels itchy, looks poorly cut and sewn, and is rarely machine-washable. In fact we would say that if that cheap merino T-shirt or top you've seen isn't machine washable - avoid it like the plague. It's a very good sign that the quality is poor. You get what you pay for.

Micron counts

Merino comes in seveal grades, from "strong" to "ultrafine" dependent on the micron count of the fibre. Merino wool is generally less than 24 micron (µm) in diameter. Strong (broad) wool over 23 µm, Medium wool is over 22.9 µm, Fine over 19 µm, Superfine is 17.7 - 18.9µm and Ultra fine 15 - 17.6 µm. Attempts are being made in Australia to produce fleeces even finer than this, but for the most part, these can only be produced by housing the sheep in sheds. Not exactly free-range!

Ultra fine wool is still the rarest grade commercially available and can fetch prices of over NZ$300 per fleece. When a single fleece only makes 5 garments, do you really think that Chinese-made baselayer you've bought claiming to be made from "ultrafine" merino is the genuine article? We don't think so. Ultrafine merino, apart from the cost, is only really suitable for babywear, fashion garments, or blending with other fibers such as silk and cashmere.

Our Merino base layer fabric comes in at 18.8 µm, which is the new global industry standard for Superfine Merino

Ethical Manufacture

There is also the issue of where and how that "cheap" merino T-shirt is made. Most merino clothing, including Icebreaker, is made in China. Here, environmental issues are ignored, as are human rights. Wages are kept deliberately low. Some of us feel this is unethical on a variety of counts. Even worse is to manufacture in China but stil try to give the impression in advertising that it is made in clean, green New Zealand. Many companies hide where their clothing is made by having it made in China, but finished in another country so that it carries that country's "origin" label. This can even be a European country. We think this is downright dishonest even though, surprisingly enough, it's legal.

Animal Welfare

Animal welfare issues also contribute to the price of your merino. The practice of mulesing is not practiced on the New Zealand merino sheep that provide the wool for our clothing. However mulesing is still carried out on Australian (and this includes Tasmanian) merino sheep, and for all we know it is practiced on the merino sheep bred in China, much of whose wool finds its way into Chinese-made merino clothing.

For technical characteristics of merino click here