Reviewed by a textile engineer

Premium clothing, judged by the fabric.

Down jackets, merino, cashmere and selvedge denim over $100, checked for fiber, shrinkage, colorfastness and pilling before you spend.

Fabric reportLatest review

Smartwool Classic Thermal Merino Base Layer Crew

100% merino · slim fit · made in the USA · gentle cycle

  • WarmthGood
  • Odor resistanceGood
  • DurabilityMedium

Verdict: The benchmark merino thermal: soft, warm and made in the USA. Wash on a gentle cycle and never tumble dry hot.

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Kamrul Islam, textile engineer

Kamrul IslamTextile engineer, 14+ years

316lab reports behind our notes

$100+premium products only

0paid verdicts, ever

Kamrul Islam, textile engineer

Textile Engineer's Note

Shrinkage was the most common failure in the knit lab reports I've reviewed: 115 of 297. A premium price doesn't fix that. The fiber and the finish do.

Kamrul Islam, textile engineer. 14+ years in dyeing and fabric development.