Why we made the top we said we’d never make

We are merino people. We love natural stuff. We basically hate synthetics. They’re stinky. They don’t perform well in many weather conditions. And they’re bad for the environment - both when you’re washing them (micro plastics) and when you’re done with them (landfill).

So why did we make tops that are half synthetic?

We’re glad you asked.

Reason 1: Natural merino is the best, but it’s also not cheap to make. Or buy. We wanted to find a way to deliver a more affordable merino top for everyone. By blending with recycled synthetic we’re able to offer a tee or top to you at about 30% less than our usual prices, that still retains nearly all the benefits of natural merino.

Reason 2: We genuinely believe everyone should have the opportunity to wear the best possible gear to make their time outside as comfortable and enjoyable as possible. You’ll be way better off in a half merino top than you are in a synthetic one. We’d rather you wear something that was half natural, than not at all natural. And these tops still give you almost the full range of the benefits of natural merino. (If we were being hyper critical, we'd say they're not quite a silky smooth as our other ranges. Otherwise you still get natural breathability, temperate regulation and odour resistance.)

Reason 3: We want to see discarded synthetic fabric get used again for something useful and not end up in landfill. By using recycled synthetic in our garment we’re at least doing something positive with it by giving it a new life, as part of a great, high performing garment that will bring someone, possibly you, many hours of outdoor comfort.

47% natural. 100% honest. 

We will never, ever, ever try and pass off inferior blends as the real thing. We’re always super open about our fabric percentages and for many years, have been critical of companies calling their clothes ‘merino’ when there’s only been a token amount of merino in it.

And almost all our ranges have 70+% merino, and many of them are 96% or even 100%.

Having field tested these ones pretty extensively now, we can say with confidence that while it's not quite as silky soft as our more pure fabrics, that 47% natural merino is still delivering nearly all the benefits of merino. At least now you have a more affordable option.

But if you want merino, want natural, want the comfort and performance, but don’t want the price tag that usually comes with all those things, our Horizon Range might be just what you’re looking for.