Icebreaker clothing review

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:

  1. We plan on packing very light – carry-on backpacks only, which means only a few changes of clothes
  2. We plan on spending a lot of time in hot places
  3. I sweat in the heat, so that could get smelly
  4. 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.