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Merino vs cotton T-shirts

Both are natural fibers, so this isn’t a plastic-or-not question. A merino tee often costs about twice what a cotton one does, and the pitch is that it smells less and needs washing less often. Here is what the evidence supports, and where plain cotton is the better buy.

Bottom line

Merino held less odor in wear studies and, in survey data, wool gets worn longer between washes. Cotton cost less than half as much in our same-brand example and tolerates heat that can felt untreated wool. For warmth and comfort, studies point to fabric construction more than fiber.

Head to head

CriterionMerino woolCottonWhich side
Odor12Wool held the least body odor in a review of wear studies, which ranked wool, then cotton, then polyester.Cotton sat in the middle: more odor than wool, less than polyester.Edge: merino
Washing frequency3In survey data, people wore wool sweaters about twice as long between washes as cotton ones.Cotton sweaters were washed about twice as often in the same data. The survey covered sweaters, not tees.Edge: merino
Moisture3Wool absorbs about 13.6% of its weight in moisture.Cotton absorbs about 8.5%. Both take up far more than polyester (about 0.4%), so both dry slower than a synthetic tee.Depends on use
Warmth and heat456In 21 adults cycling at 8 °C, merino wasn’t measurably warmer than polyester.Runners at 30 °C had the same body temperature and comfort in cotton as in polyester. A review found fabric construction matters more than fiber.About even
Durability783Wool yarn is much weaker than nylon, and WIRED’s tester found a lightweight 100% merino tee prone to small holes. In a wardrobe survey, 100% wool garments were reported to last 5.3 years.100% cotton garments were reported to last 3.6 years in the same survey, which was commissioned by the wool industry.Depends on use
Care91011Woolmark advises a wool or cool cycle and drying flat. Untreated wool felts with heat and agitation, and felting shrinkage is permanent.Cotton withstands moderate heat; a 2024 textile review says it decomposes only after long exposure at 150 °C or more.Edge: cotton
Price (examples)128131415Alex Crane’s 100% merino Tam Tee was $148. Most merino tees in WIRED’s guide list at $70 to $95; Quince’s is $40.Alex Crane’s 100% organic cotton Crepe Tee was $68. Toad&Co’s and KÜHL’s organic cotton tees were $45 and $49.Edge: cotton
Farming footprint161718Australian merino came to about 20 kg CO2e per kg of greasy wool at the farm gate, mostly from sheep methane (wool-industry-funded study).Conventional cotton used about 2.4% of farmland but 4.7% of pesticides and 10% of insecticides in 2019, and it is water-intensive.Depends on use

“Which side” is a plain reading of the cited evidence for that row, not a score. Prices are from product pages on November 2, 2026 and change often.

Counterpoints and caveats

  • The washing and lifespan findings come from a review co-funded by the wool industry, and the washing data is for sweaters, not T-shirts.3
  • Our price row compares a few tees whose prices we read on Nov 2, 2026, not market averages. Merino tees range widely: WIRED lists one at $40.812
  • Merino needs moth-aware storage: clothes-moth larvae feed on wool, especially stained fabric. Iowa State’s extension service calls clothes moths uncommon in homes today.1920
  • Organic cotton doesn’t settle cotton’s farming question by itself: the GOTS standard reported evidence of organic cotton fraud in India in 2020.21

Short answers

Is merino better than cotton for a T-shirt?

For re-wearing between washes and holding less odor, the evidence leans merino. For price and easy care, cotton wins.1312138

Counterpoint: In our same-brand example the merino tee cost more than twice as much ($148 vs $68), and lightweight merino tees can get holes.

Does merino smell less than cotton?

Yes, on balance. A review of wear studies ranks wool lowest for retained odor, then cotton, then polyester.12

Counterpoint: The studies are small, and fabric structure matters as well as fiber.

Is merino warmer than cotton?

We found no trial that pitted merino against cotton for warmth. Reviews of clothing and body temperature find thickness and construction matter more than fiber.63

Counterpoint: Wool absorbs more moisture than cotton (about 13.6% of its weight vs 8.5%), but we found no trial showing that changes how warm either feels.

Can merino go in the dryer like cotton?

Only if the care label says tumble dry; Woolmark says those garments go on low heat or a wool setting. Otherwise dry it flat.228

Counterpoint: WIRED’s long-term tester says the dryer makes even washable merino tees pill, wear and shrink faster.

Where to find each

Scored brands have a natural-fiber share score from the labels we checked; brand pages marked unscored don't have enough checked labels yet. Picks pages list specific products from brands with mixed ranges and are not scored.

  • Unbound MerinoScored brandMerino tees
  • Wool&PrinceScored brandMerino tees and shirts
  • IcebreakerScored brandMerino tees and base layers
  • Alex CraneScored brandBoth: merino and organic cotton tees
  • PactBrand page (unscored)Organic cotton tees
  • WayveBrand page (unscored)Organic cotton tees
  • Woolx picksPicks (not scored)100% merino pieces from a mostly blended range

Fiber guides: Is merino wool worth it? · Organic cotton guide

Sources

Industry funding is noted where a study was paid for or co-authored by a fiber industry body or brand. Product labels and prices read November 2, 2026.

  1. 1Laing (University of Otago). Natural fibres in next-to-skin textiles: current perspectives on human body odour. SN Applied Sciences, 2019.
  2. 2McQueen, Laing, Brooks, Niven (University of Otago). Odor intensity in apparel fabrics and the link with bacterial populations. Textile Research Journal, 2007.
  3. 3Laitala, Klepp (SIFO, OsloMet), Henry (QUT). Does use matter? Comparison of environmental impacts of clothing based on fiber type. Sustainability, 2018. Co-funded by Australian Wool Innovation and the Research Council of Norway; lifespan data from an AWI-commissioned survey.
  4. 4Cernych et al. (Lithuanian Sports University). Physiological and psychological responses during exercise and recovery in a cold environment is gender-related rather than fabric-related. Frontiers in Psychology, 2017.
  5. 5Gavin et al.. Clothing fabric does not affect thermoregulation during exercise in moderate heat. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 2001.
  6. 6Gavin. Clothing and thermoregulation during exercise. Sports Medicine, 2003.
  7. 7Wu, Wang, Wang, Jiang (Donghua University). Highly soft, abrasion-resistant, and moisture-absorbent wool/PA56 blended yarns for seating fabrics. Polymers, 2024. Two authors work for an automotive trim company; the yarns (merino with bio-based nylon PA56) were made for seat fabric, not clothing.
  8. 8Gilbertson (WIRED). The best merino wool T-shirts for every occasion. Editorial product guide, updated Apr 2026; read Nov 2, 2026, 2026. One reviewer’s long-term wear testing, not a lab test.
  9. 9The Woolmark Company. How to wash wool. Wool industry care page, current page, read Nov 2, 2026. Marketing arm of Australian Wool Innovation, the wool growers’ industry body.
  10. 10Hassan (AgResearch, New Zealand), Carr (University of Leeds). A review of the sustainable methods in imparting shrink resistance to wool fabrics. Journal of Advanced Research, 2019.
  11. 11Choudhury, Tsianou, Alexandridis (University at Buffalo). Recycling of blended fabrics for a circular economy of textiles: separation of cotton, polyester, and elastane fibers. Sustainability (review), 2024. Funded by the US National Science Foundation; authors declare no conflicts.
  12. 12Alex Crane product page. Alex Crane Tam Tee: 100% merino wool, machine-washable, $148. Product page, read Nov 2, 2026, 2026.
  13. 13Alex Crane product page. Alex Crane Crepe Tee: 100% organic cotton, $68. Product page, read Nov 2, 2026, 2026.
  14. 14Toad&Co product page. Toad&Co Men’s Primo Short Sleeve Crew: 100% organic cotton, $45. Product label and price, re-read Nov 2, 2026, 2026.
  15. 15KÜHL product page. KÜHL Bravado T: 100% organic cotton, $49. Product label and price, re-read Nov 2, 2026, 2026.
  16. 16Wiedemann, Yan, Henry, Murphy. Resource use and greenhouse gas emissions from three wool production regions in Australia. Journal of Cleaner Production, 2016. Funded by Australian Wool Innovation.
  17. 17Pesticide Action Network UK. Pesticide concerns in cotton. NGO web page, citing ICAC data, current.
  18. 18Chapagain, Hoekstra, Savenije, Gautam (University of Twente, UNESCO-IHE). The water footprint of cotton consumption. Ecological Economics, 2006.
  19. 19National Pesticide Information Center. Clothes moths. Fact page, current page.
  20. 20Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, Yard and Garden. Clothes moths. Extension page, current page.
  21. 21Global Organic Textile Standard. GOTS detects evidence of organic cotton fraud in India. Press release, 2020.
  22. 22The Woolmark Company. Tumble drying wool. Wool industry care page, current page, read Nov 2, 2026. Marketing arm of Australian Wool Innovation, the wool growers’ industry body.

Updated November 2, 2026. More context: Why the label matters · All comparisons