Kassensturz: cheap can also be good when it comes to merino shirts
22.5.2025
Translation: machine translated
Outdoor shirts made from merino wool stay fresh for longer - you don't have to wash them as often. If you do put them in the machine, they often come out deformed and fluffy. Kassensturz has now found out which merino shirts can withstand frequent washing.
For many, merino wool shirts are the clear favourite for outdoor activities. They feel soft, regulate the temperature and don't stink as quickly as synthetic tops.
However, even woollen shirts are not immune to criticism. They are considered less durable and sometimes come out of the machine fluffy, faded and scratchy after washing.
Kassensturz took a closer look at the points of criticism together with the health tip and tested a total of twelve merino shirts for women and men.
The good news first: all the shirts performed «well» or «very well». Especially when they are washed with enzyme-free wool detergent instead of normal detergent for coloured laundry.
The test winners
In the men's shirts category, the «Abisko Wool Classic SS» from Fjällräven scored 5.6 points, putting it slightly ahead of the competition. The merino shirt retains its shape and colour when washed with both colour and wool detergent. Nevertheless, there is one point deduction: Fjallräven claims that the shirt contains 50 per cent merino wool, whereas the tested figure is only 46 per cent.
The Fjörk Merino Shirt, which we don't currently have in our range, scored best in the women's category with 5.8 points. Just 0.1 points behind is the Icebreaker «Merino Tech Lite III SS». It contains 100 per cent merino and does not perform quite as well as the test winner when washed with colour detergent. However, if you use wool detergent as recommended, the values are the same.
Functional undershirts
CHF80.–
Icebreaker Women Merino 150 Tech Lite III SS Scoop Tee Logo Reflections
The affordable alternative
The «Travel 500» from Forclaz shows little matting and almost no fluff after ten washes with enzyme-free detergent. It reacts more sensitively to detergents with enzymes: here, the shirt made from 69 per cent merino shows more abrasion than the test winner. The merino shirt is also available for women.
Functional undershirts
CHF35.90
Forclaz Merino shirt men's short sleeve backpacking - Travel 500 grey
According to Kassensturz, these shirts are also «very good» or «good»
A few years ago, I treated my merino shirts like expensive works of art. Hand wash only, dry flat and only use special merino detergent. In the meantime, the shirts have become more robust (partly due to the addition of synthetic fibres) and also forgive the occasional wash with detergent for coloured laundry.
The Kassensturz test confirms this. Eight of the twelve shirts tested scored «very good» and four scored «good». You can find a selection of the top performers in our range. Here are the ones rated «very good»
These shirts still perform «well» in terms of wash resistance.
What about animal welfare?
With merino wool, the question arises about mulesing, a practice in sheep farming that violates animal welfare.
Here, Kassensturz tries to trace the origin of the wool, which is not always successful. Nevertheless, the recommendation is to look for mulesing-free shirts and, if possible, to choose shirts with an independent, animal-friendly certification from «Responsable wool standard - RWS», «ZQMerino» or «Nativa».
You can find the full Kassensturz test and health tip as well as further information on the methodology here.
Header image: Siri Schubert
Siri Schubert
Senior Editor
Siri.Schubert@digitecgalaxus.chResearch diver, outdoor guide and SUP instructor – I love being in, on and around water. Lakes, rivers and the ocean are my playgrounds. For a change of perspective, I look at the world from above while trail running or flying drones.
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