I tend to be an overpacker — not because I want to, but because I never know what conditions will call for. So when I had the ability to test a few travel-ready items from Unbound Merino, it became a kind of a dare: make a few pieces work across a range of activities and destinations. And that range turned out to be absurd, from hiking in snow in the high elevations of the Sierra Nevada to navigating Seoul in 80-degree heat — not to mention flying there on a 16-hour travel day.
Photo: Matador Network
I Wore the Same Clothes for Days on End and Nobody Noticed. Here's Why.
The three pieces I tested are the Women’s Merino Travel Pants in black, the Women’s Merino Crew Neck Tee in navy, and the Women’s Compact Travel Hoodie in navy. And I came home convinced that the people who get weirdly evangelical about Merino wool may be onto something. I was able to wear the same pieces despite a huge range of weather conditions and activities. And this, to me, is the secret to going carry-on only.
Over the course of two months of testing, I’m starting to think Merino wool is the secret to stylish, carry-on-only travel — and have finally found a go-to travel outfit I barely have to wash.
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Wrinkling on the tops was minimal, if at all
Men’s and women’s Unbound Merino travel wear. Photo: Unbound Merino
Wrinkle-free usually means “wrinkle-free if you hang it immediately and never sit down.” Not here. And while three of my pieces were new, I got one of my Crew Neck T-shirts nearly eight years ago, when the brand was just starting out. I forgot I had it until I ordered the new pieces, eventually finding it shoved in the bottom of a never-used dresser drawer. And holy cow: I pulled it out, put it on, and saw only the tiniest of wrinkles. Granted, it’s black, but I have button-downs that wrinkle after two hours of wear — so going several years without visible wrinkles is pretty impressive.
My newer items held up just as well. After a 14-hour flight from Seoul to Los Angeles, the Merino Travel Pants looked like they’d spent the night on a hanger, and continued to look that way after being worn, packed, and unpacked several times. Eventually, I noticed a few wrinkles, which didn’t surprise me as the fabric is thick. What did surprise me is that they went away after walking in them for about 45 minutes. (A little research told me this frequently happens with Merino wool, as your body heat helps relax the fibers).
In June, I visited Las Vegas, and carried the Travel Hoodie for walking around heavily air-conditioned casinos. As for the T-shirts, I slept in them, walked around cities in them for hours on end, and went hiking in them in both below-freezing conditions and borderline-too-hot-to-hike conditions. The few times wrinkles appeared, they shook out just as quickly.
Two 14-hour flights, zero regrets
Me: tired. Shirt: good to go. Photo: Suzie Dundas
The pants got the hardest comfort test I can think of: two extended flight days, each of which included one 12-14 hour flight. I never wanted out of them. The waistband is elastic, the cut is relaxed with a slight taper, and the wool has enough stretch that being folded into small seats didn’t pinch or dig in like jeans do. Usually, I land from a long-haul flight and can’t wait to get out of whatever clothes I flew in, but this time, I didn’t even change between checking into my hotel and going out for dinner.
They look tailored, not technical
Unbound Merino has a modern, minimalist style that doesn’t scream “let’s go hiking” (even though you can). Photos: Unbound Merino/Suzie Dundas
What genuinely surprised me, and where Unbound Merino seems to differ the most from other Merino-focused brands, is that nothing I wore reads as outdoor gear or gear made for hiking and camping. There are no logos, no aggressive zippers or bold colors, and nothing that makes you look like you just rolled out your tent. The pants especially look professional, with clean lines, a structured drape, and a silhouette that held up at business-casual events where I normally expect to have to carry an extra outfit. I wore both my tees on their own and layered under the hoodie, and on their own they look deliberate and tailored, especially when paired with a necklace or other dressier accessory.
I’ve written about a handful of other brands that make great travel clothing, like FreeFly Apparel, and brands that make great Merino clothing, like Smartwool. However, Unbound Merino’s minimalist, professional-leaning aesthetic really sets it apart from those brands style-wise, even though the pieces are just as comfortable.
They passed the stink test, even after multi-day hikes
Stink-free, even after days of hikes that packed on the elevation. Photo: Suzie Dundas
This is the question that matters the most to me: can I wear an item for multiple days in a row without it getting stinky and dirty? So I tested it — hard. I wore a tee on a hike (10 miles, 2,200-foot gain on a sunny, hot day), during which I worked up a good sweat. Then, I wore it out to dinner without washing it. Then, I repeated that day three times in a row. When I got home, it wasn’t stinky in the slightest — so much so, in fact, that I wore it a few more times without washing it again. If I can wear it almost 24 hours in a row for days in a row during big hikes, the average person can definitely wear it for multiple days in a row of sightseeing.
I can’t credit the brand alone with why it performed so well. Merino fibers naturally resist odor and bacteria (hey, sheep never shower). But I’ve tested a lot of clothing that doesn’t live up to the hype, and have found myself having to wash clothing in hotel sinks and hope it dries overnight. Fortunately, I can’t foresee that happening with these pieces very often. Less washing also means less wear, which could be why my original Unbound Merino T-shirt has outlasted many of my cotton tees and sweaters. A few years ago, a male tester also tried an Unbound Merino T-shirt and had a similar “I can wear this for days” type of takeaway.
The real power of Merino: forgiveness when the weather shifts
Merino wool comes from Merino sheep, regulating their body heat in a huge range of temperatures. Photo: Shams F Amir/Shutterstock
As much as I love being stink-free while also skipping laundry day, I hate being cold on planes — I’m someone who wears a full down jacket on most flights. However, the shirt, pants, and hoodie all seemed like the appropriate clothing choice for a wider range of temperatures than I expected.
At first, the Travel Hoodie seemed thin especially because it weighs next to nothing and packs up as small as a water bottle. Yet it kept me genuinely warm on cold flights and in over-air-conditioned spaces. I also wore it when it was around 75 degrees and full sun in Korea, mostly because I didn’t want to carry it. Eventually, I ditched it when temps climbed into the 80s, but having one hoodie that works when you’re getting blasted with airplane AC and walking miles in summer heat is pretty rare.
The T-shirts performed quite well, too. I wore one as a base layer on a hike where I expected it to be in the mid-50s Fahrenheit, but it was more like the mid-30s. I expected to get cold. But the 100 percent Merino fabric provided more warmth than I expected, even without a down jacket to layer over it.
I always struggle with going carry-on only, as packing a few items only works if you know what weather to expect. But it also works when you can wear the same clothing no matter what the weather. I loved carrying just one outfit, rather than a hot-weather outfit and a cold-weather outfit. It’s also a point for hiking in Unbound Merino, since temperatures in dry weather drop roughly five degrees Fahrenheit for every 1,000 feet of elevation you gain. In a place like Sequoia National Park, that can be a difference of 25-30 degrees Fahrenheit on some trails. Brrr.
What makes Unbound Merino different?
Merino wool is appropriate for a wide range of temperatures, with the ability to both insulate and cool. Photo: Unbound Merino
Merino wool is used by tons of brands, and the market is crowded with products making more or less the same promises. After living in these three pieces, I’d say Unbound separates itself in two major ways: fiber quality/comfort, and styling philosophy.
When it comes to the fabric on the T-shirts, the wool is finer than most competitors. Most merino brands use 18.5–21 micron fiber, which is soft but can still feel slightly prickly against skin. Unbound uses 17.5 micron wool on the Travel Hoodie and T-shirt, so the fibers are measurably finer. If you’ve tried Merino before and found it slightly itchy, the finer fibers could make a huge difference. I didn’t find a single piece I wore itchy in the slightest, and I’m someone who is very prone to itchiness and irritation.
The second difference really comes down to design. Everything I tested is designed to look like everyday normal clothing, while brands like Icebreaker and SmartWool tend to lean heavier into outdoor and athletic wear. Unbound’s cuts and styling are deliberately closer to what you’d find in a regular clothing store. This matters if you’re packing for a variety of activities, but also want to carry the bare minimum.
Sizing and cost
Unbound Merino items in use. Photo: Suzie Dundas
Unbound Merino claims that all their sizing is fairly standard. Pant sizing is based on waist size rather than small, medium, and large, with two options for inseam length. The T-shirt fit is very straightforward; I normally wear a small, and I’m wearing a small in the above photo. The Travel Hoodie has a slightly more fitted cut, so I sized up to a medium. Both items are fairly gender neutral, so you could always buy a men’s version if you want a slightly looser fit, or a women’s version if you prefer a slightly shorter and more tailored fit. Exchanges are free, in case you do need to swap sizes.
Cost-wise, Unbound Merino is pricy. Part of that is likely due to the higher quality fibers and construction. Fortunately, the pieces need to be washed far less often than cotton, which should extend their lifespan. Still, I’d recommend washing everything on a light cycle (or by hand) and air drying to be as gentle with them as possible. Unbound Merino does run occasional sales, but you’ll need to be on the mailing list or follow it on Instagram to get the info.
To me, it’s been worth it. My two Unbound Merino T-shirts have become my go-tos most days this spring, and I’m looking forward to future trips where I can rely on the Travel Hoodie/T-shirt combo for most of my adventures. Picking up a few Unbound Merino pieces can be a good start to building a minimalist or anti-fast-fashion wardrobe, and while I’m not about to toss out my beloved cotton national park T-shirts, I am looking forward to looking slightly more put together when I travel (especially if it means having to carry a lighter bag). 