A high-performance base layer that doubles as your kid’s softest and coziest set of pajamas? Yup, that pretty much describes our thermal long johns, designed for daytime adventures and a good night’s sleep.
To achieve this design goal, we rely upon a natural fiber engineered by Mother Nature’s patient evolution: merino wool. No other fiber—manmade or natural—can quite match merino’s unique properties.
First, it’s soft. Really soft. Really super soft. Measuring in at 18.9 millionths of a meter, each merino fiber in our collection is incredible fine—which translates to itch-free next-to-skin comfort and softness.
At pop-up shops, parents are often surprised by the soft handle of merino and ask us: “This is really wool?” Yes, it’s true. Merino sheep produce the finest softest wool you’ve ever felt. We source our merino fabric directly from New Zealand, where merino sheep roam mountainous meadows.
While you’ll notice its softness first, merino’s unique qualities do not end there. Merino wool is a natural temperature-regulator, thanks to an insulating effect created by tiny crimping in its fibers. As a result, the wearer is insulated against hot and cold temperature swings—keeping you warm in the cold and cool in the heat. No synthetic fabric can replicate this effect quite like merino.
Merino also naturally wicks away moisture and retains heat even when wet—a key performance metric for winter play in the great outdoors. Cotton, on the other hand, robs the wearer of warmth when wet and dries slowly. In contrast, merino continues working hard to keep the wearer comfortable in dry and wet conditions. In fact, merino can hold up to one-third of its weight in water before it even feels wet!
And, unlike synthetic fabrics which stubbornly cling to odor (that is, bacteria!), merino is naturally anti-microbial which means your little one will have a better-smelling garment that needs less washing. What parent doesn’t need a little help cutting down on laundry?
If you’re like us, you are also drawn to merino as a natural fiber as opposed to, say, a petroleum-based fiber like polyester. If we’re heading outdoors, we just feel better wearing a high-performance fabric engineered by nature instead of plastic-based clothing.
Because let's talk about the issue of plastics. Every year, several millions of tons of plastic enter our oceans. This floating plastic includes microfibers that become separated from our synthetic clothing in the wash. These micro-plastics from synthetic clothing find their way into our streams, rivers, and oceans. And they never biodegrade. Those polyester baselayers will leave their mark on this earth for a LONG time.
Merino wool, on the other hand, is naturally biodegradable. In fact, if you were to bury a merino t-shirt in the ground, chances are it’ll be completely gone in less than a year! Merino will always return to the Earth.
Merino wool will always represent the soulful base of everything we make. After all, Mama Nature knows best.