I had always scoffed at the $80-100 (CDN) T-shirts by the guys at Icebreaker. I mean, seriously, how could that possibly be worth it? Another example of a “premium” brand overcharging for the prestige of wearing something with their name on it.
Then I started researching my clothing options for this trip. Three important factors to consider:
- We plan on packing very light – carry-on backpacks only, which means only a few changes of clothes
- We plan on spending a lot of time in hot places
- I sweat in the heat, so that could get smelly
- I don’t like to be smelly
And that’s how I came across Icebreaker – the brand I had always snickered at. Every review I read was, well, AMAZING. High-quality, comfortable, great fit, not itchy, and . . . they don’t smell. Some reviews talked about wearing an Icebreaker T-shirt for a few weeks without noticing any odour. No way. I was skeptical.
So I bought one. A Tech-lite T-shirt. On sale for $80. That hurt a bit. But after my first day of wearing it, my conversion to the Cult of Icebreaker had begun. This was my new favourite T-shirt. It fit perfectly. The merino wool material felt soft and, dare I say, luxurious.
I wore it all day and all night. Then the next day and night. No smell. Then I worked out in it. Nearly soaked in sweat. I laid it out to dry. A few hours later I buried my face in it and inhaled. No smell. So, I put it back on. I wore it for four more days, eventually throwing it in the wash simply because I thought I should. It still didn’t smell! Even my wife agreed, and she has the nose of a bloodhound.
I don’t mean to be dramatic, but this is kind of life-changing. Even if we weren’t going on this trip, I would be converted to Icebreaker clothing. Now, a month later, I have taken advantage of a few Black Friday sales and bought 3 more T-shirts, a button-up shirt, a hoodie, some underwear, and socks. I’m saving most of it for the trip, but all the items look and feel amazing.
Again, this review is completely unbiased. Truth is, I liked the shirt so much I tried to contact the company to see if they would send me more stuff. I got an email back saying they were overwhelmed by requests and couldn’t accommodate any more!
Honestly, I wonder if I will ever buy another kind of shirt.
6 MONTH UPDATE
The only shirts I brought on this trip are Icebreaker: 4 t-shirts, one button down and one hoodie. I love them all. No regrets. Two out of the four t-shirts seem to get smelly a little sooner than the others, but I can still wear them days at a time, especially if I’m not sweating too much. Fit and comfort are awesome and they roll up very small for packing. Well worth the money.