I Wore This Shirt and Hoodie at My Sweatiest. Yet, They Never Stank.

At 38 years of age, I’m still looking for the antiperspirant or deodorant that will work for me. That may be because I’m shopping at the local health store in order to avoid supposedly bad-for-you ingredients such as parabens, triclosan, phthalates, propylene glycol, and aluminum. While I shower and apply my granola deodorant daily, the fact that I walk between three and six miles every day, and bike, garden, exersize, and hike regularly, means that I’m sweating, and eventually stinking. It’s nothing a quick shower and a change of clothes can’t fix, but before that can happen, the situation can be embarrassing. I have tried several types of anti-sweat shirts in the past, with various levels of satisfaction, but I have hit the jackpot with Ibex’s Merino wool clothing.

Earlier this year, I was gifted two Ibex Merino wool clothing items: the 24-hour Short Sleeve Low Crew and the Shak Hoodie. On Ibex’s website, all of these items promise to have “odor-control” or “antimicrobial” virtues that allow users to wash them less often.

I decided to put the 24-hour Short Sleeve Low Crew and the Shak Hoodie to a long-term sweat experiment to test out the brand’s promises: I wore them in both extremely sweaty and social situations for weeks without washing them once. You can call me a dirtbag, but I like to think of myself as a very thorough reviewer.

Photo: Natasha Hall

Thumb holes on Ibex's Shak Hoodie. Photo: Natasha Hall

Zippered pockets and the two-way frontal zipper on the Shak Hoodie. Photo: Natasha Hall

I started by wearing the Shak Hoodie daily from the day I received it, i.e. February 14, 2024. I decided that, for the purpose of this experiment, I would wear it daily, but not necessarily all day, every day. For example, I wore it in the morning after getting out of bed and before my shower, during my work day at home to stay warm, to go on my daily walks, to bike, to cover up after aerobic classes, to garden, to meet friends at the café, etc. In the nearly three months of my acquiring the hoodie, I washed it once. And that was six days ago, i.e. April 26, 2024. Before stuffing it in the washing machine, I sniffed all the areas that should be stinking after such a long usage, and I can attest that there there was no hint of body odor. The only reason I washed it was to test out how this 100-percent Merino wool garment reacted to being machine-washed on a regular cold cycle. The answer is: It did not shrink, nor did it lose its color, lose its shape, or change textures. It remained exactly the same.

While the antimicrobial quality of the Shak Hoodie is its best asset, it’s not its only great feature:

• This hoodie keeps you warm by virtue of the fact that it’s made of Merino wool, but also thanks to clever design elements like its high neck that can be zipped all the way, and its thumb holes that prevent any drafts from coming in.
• The zippered pocket, which are not only practical to keep your hands warm but also to keep all your belongings safe.
• Despite being made entirely of wool, the Shak Hoodie is very flexible and does not get in the way of movements, no matter what you’re doing.
• It’s made of wool, but it’s not itchy.
• It’s extremely good quality. After extensive use, I can’t find any stray stiches or areas that have stretched out or lost their shape.
• It’s true to size.
• The choice of colors that Ibex offers for this hoodie may be limited but they are true to what you see on the website. I picked the color Sitka and it’s exactly what I expected it to be.

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Photo: Natasha Hall

Much like with the Shak Hoodie, I wore the 24-hour Short Sleeve Low Crew shirt for weeks without washing it. But I upped the antes by wearing it in super sweaty situations like step classes, uphill bike rides, hikes, and heavy-duty gardening in the sun, as well as in social settings with a pair of jeans. While I did not wear it daily, I wore it at least three times per week in a variety of situations from March 8, 2024, to April 26, 2024, when I stuck it in the wash with the Shak Hoodie. It seems inconceivable that this shirt, which was in direct contact with my skin for so long, would not stink after what I put it through, but it did not. Not even a little bit. The fact is I couldn’t even smell my deodorant on it. Ibex delivers on its promises — and some.

Because I’m busty, I wish the neck line of this shirt was a little lower for it to look less boxy and more flattering. Apart from this one design element, the 24-hour Short Sleeve Low Crew has some great assets:

• It’s not ichy or stiff despite being 100 percent made of wool.
• It dries very fast after a sweaty session, never leaving you cold.
• It’s true to size.
• It has no tags or labels that could itch or create discomfort. Instead, the information for the shirt is printed on the inside.
• Like for the Shak Hoodie, the choice of colors is restricted but the ones available are rich and beautiful. I chose the color tobacco, which is very much like a mustard yellow, and it looks exactly like what is displayed on the website.

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