A merino clothing brand built on protecting its wearers from everything their surroundings might throw at them
Armadillo Merino create exceptionally well designed and high quality merino clothing for those pushing their limits in the outdoors and in tactical and professional environments. Worn and loved by the pros, this well established brand aim to provide unrivalled comfort and protection to those who need it most. If their clothing goes unnoticed on its wearers, they’ve succeeded! Read on to see why we love Armadillo Merino so much, and why you should too.
What we love about Armadillo Merino products
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Merino wool
It’s hard not to love merino wool and all its magical properties. From odor control to thermoregulation, it really is a gift from nature – especially for those active in the outdoors. You can read more about this wonder wool in our article on what makes merino clothing so awesome.
So what are the properties of Armadillo Merino clothing?
- It is moisture wicking and moves any sweat or moisture away from the skin
- You can wear it for days on end, and somehow it doesn’t smell!
- It keeps you cosy and warm in cold conditions
- I doesn’t itch like wool made from thicker fibers
- It won’t melt or drip when it burns
- It is naturally fire resistant and will stop burning as soon as the source of the flame is no longer in contact with it
- It helps to keep you cool in hot conditions
- It naturally protects you from harmful UV rays rated to SPF40+
Can someone tell me why we’re not all wearing merino all of the time?! I honestly wear my Artemis top more than any other item I own. Totally love it. And it’s an eco-friendly clothing option too, especially when compared with other technical outdoor clothing. More on that later.
The design
The high quality fibers of Armadillo Merino are certainly pivotal to the success of this hard working brand. But what really makes their clothing stand out from the rest of the merino wool flock, is the exceptional design of their garments. This stuff is made with the most extreme environments in mind, so any comfort the wearer can gain from being in an Armadillo item is vital.
Design features of Armadillo Merino clothing
Designed for tactical and professional users, Armadillo Merino garments features include:
Long backs
This is ideal for tucking your top into your pants or Long Johns for draft exclusion. And if you don’t want to tuck in then the extra bit of length ensures that you won’t be exposing your mid-riff even when reaching high or bending over.
Flatlock stitching
There’s no point having non-itch, soft merino if it’s just going to irritate your skin at the seams. So this is an essential detail that all of the Armadillo garments feature.
Long arms and cuffs
Keeping your wrists warm and covered really helps when it comes to staying warm due to the blood flowing close to the skin in that area. Long cuffs make sure your wrists stay undercover and cosy at all times.
Thumb loops
To further prevent the draft from creeping up your sleeves, and to provide even more warmth and protection at the wrists, most of the long sleeve tops have thumb loops – also useful to keep your sleeves down when putting other layers and gloves on and off.
Seamless shoulders and armpits
To keep irritation and chafing to an absolute minimum, many of the garments are seam free at the shoulders and/or armpits – areas where the body moves the most or carries loads.
Tags and labels
As with the seams, internal labels can be an unnecessary and unwanted irritation. So all the Armadillo Merino labels are discreetly placed on the outside of the garment.
Yep, pretty exceptional! Check out a few of our favourite Armadillo Merino items, their design features, and what the items are ideal for.
Workhorse performance clothing
The attention to detail and specificity of the designs is such that anyone wearing the clothing won’t even notice how great it is… just as it should be. The last thing a fire-fighter wants to be worrying about, as they prepare to enter a burning building, is an annoying label or seam scratching at their skin. Not to mention whether their clothing will give them third degree burns if it catches alight. These people need performance, and Armadillo Merino provides clothing that is designed to give them exactly that.
Excellence in the outdoors
So what about wearing Armadillo Merino in less life threatening situations? Are their designs suited to performance in the outdoors? Well, if you’ve ever done a week-long hike in a synthetic top that rides up at the waist under your backpack because it isn’t long enough, then you’ll know the answer to that question! Add in some extreme conditions and challenging circumstances that require you to focus fully on the task in hand, and you’ll be highly thankful that you don’t notice your clothing!
Behind the brand
With every great company comes a story that is worth telling, and this is certainly the case with Armadillo Merino. The company was founded as a result of co-founder, Andy Caughley, wanting to do something about the soldiers coming back from Iraq and Afghanistan with burns and injuries from the clothes they were wearing. He wanted to provide clothing that they could trust, even in the most adverse conditions. And so Armadillo Merino was born.
We have had our products go to space, and worn by professionals operating in some of the highest risk places and environments on earth. They keep coming back saying they love Armadillo Merino. These professionals demand a lot of their kit, and we stand by our commitment to help to protect them with the world’s most advanced next-to-skin clothing.
Andy and fellow co-founder, Hamish Morrin, work tirelessly to constantly improve their products offering nothing but the best to Armadillo wearers all over the world.
Eco friendly
One of my favourite things about merino clothing is the fact that it is biodegradable. With clothing being one of the fastest growing waste streams in the western world, it is essential that more of us move towards buying and wearing items that not only lasts for years, but that are also biodegradable. Synthetic garments can take 30-40 years to biodegrade. Merino clothing, under 1 year. So once you’re done with your magical merino, just dig a hole and bury it! Only make sure you’ve got yourself a replacement that can deal with all that sweating you’ll do digging the hole!
Animal welfare
It’s all very well boycotting synthetic clothing, but the biodegradable alternative doesn’t grow on trees! We mustn’t forget the wooly jumpers that do such a great job at growing themselves exceptional wooly coats each year for their farmers to shear right off them!
Thankfully, most merino establishments take the welfare of their flocks as seriously as we take merino clothing. Armadillo Merino source their wool from ZQ Merino in New Zealand. To read more about their commitment to animal welfare, and other amazing merino facts, head to www.zqmerino.co.nz.
Our favourite Armadillo Merino items
This year Armadillo have extended their women’s range and also improved upon some trusted favourites. Here’s a few of their items that we really love:
Artemis – Women’s Long Sleeve Crew Neck
A great looking base layer for all kinds of active adventures, and time of the year
Features: | Double layered cuffs, thumb holes, long back |
Fabric weight: | 195g/m2 = 8.2oz/yd2 |
Fabric: | 100% merino wool, rib knit |
For more info, read our full review of the Artemis
Hawk Raptor – Men’s Long Sleeve Zip Top
An excellent base layer for skiing and winter adventures
Features: | zip neck, thumb loops, seamless shoulders |
Fabric weight: | 195g/m2 = 8.2oz/yd2 |
Fabric: | 100% merino wool, rib knit |
Light Hiker Sock
Warm enough for year round use but light enough to fit into heavier hiking shoes
Features: | crew length, reinforced heel and toe |
Fabric weight: | 72g / 2.53oz (pair) |
Fabric: | 72% Merino Wool 18%Polypropylene 10% Elastane |
Check out how they compare to our other favourite hiking socks
Johnnies – Men’s Long John Bottoms
Perfect for skiing and winter hiking
Features: | easy access fly, gusseted crotch, wide waist band |
Fabric weight: | 170g/m2 = 7.2oz/yd2 |
Fabric: | 100% merino wool, jersey knit |
Rhea – Women’s Short Sleeve Crew Neck
Ideal for summer trekking, or as an extra layer at cooler times of the year
Features: | seamless shoulders, long back, also available in blue and black |
Fabric weight: | 170g/m2 = 7.1oz/yd2 |
Fabric: | 100% merino wool, rib knit |
Kojak Beanie
Designed to fit comfortably under helmets, ideal for snowsports and mountaineering
Features: | covers ears, double layered headband, flattened seams |
Fabric weight: | 170g/m2 = 7.1oz/yd2 |
Fabric: | 100% merino wool, jersey knit |
Polo – Men’s Elite Short Sleeve Polo Shirt
Great for staying technically casual but coolly smart!
Features: | three button polo collar, generous back length, super soft |
Fabric weight: | 145g/m2 = 6.1oz/yd2 |
Fabric: | 100% merino wool, jersey knit |
Liking the look of this high quality, long lasting merino clothing brand? We thought you would! Check out the rest of the Armadillo Merino range to find your perfect partner in crime that you’ll be lost without.
And the best bit? You can get 20% off when you use this COTW20 code at checkout.
Enjoy!