Gear Review: SmartWool Teller/Cortina Tech Tee
A wool/poly blend that dries fast and doesn't feel itchy
Problem: Wool dries slower than synthetics. Solution: The Teller Tech Tee (and women’s Cortina), which blends 75 percent merino with 25 percent poly for faster dry times and better softness and durability than wool alone. The polyester also lends greater resiliency, reports our tester: “Other form-fitting woolies became saggy over several days of wear, but this tee held its shape and its slim (but not overly snug) fit.”
Plus, these tees feature an eyelet weave: Tiny holes in the fabric act like vents and release heat. It kept testers’ backs drier than the nine other merino tees we tested. During a four-day climb on Wyoming’s Grand Teton, the Teller Tech kept our man warm on chilly mornings and cooled him on sweaty afternoons—yet still smelled fresh by trip’s end. $70; 5 oz.; m’s S-XXL, w’s XS-XL; smartwool.com