Point 6 Zip Front Top
Most durable wool
Our take Merino’s many benefits—stink resistance, retaining warmth while wet, wicking—often come at the expense of durability. But this 100-percent merino top fixes that by using compact-spun yarn, a thinner, condensed thread that’s stronger and more resistant to pilling and wearing down. The result: Our samples still look pristine after a season of backcountry skiing with a heavy pack, trail running, and mountaineering. Flat-stitched seams (which are resistant to abrasion) also help. “The cuffs and seams on merino tops often fray early on me,” one Arizona tester notes. “But even though I was handling wood, moving rocks, and grabbing for ledges, these sleeves held up.”
The Details The cut is roomy, allowing for easy mobility, and the fabric feels soft next to skin. The yarn also doesn’t bag out easily: “I wore this for four straight days in the Grand Canyon, but it never got too loose,” one tester reports.
Trail cred “On a trip in Colorado’s Flat Tops Wilderness, the day started below freezing, but by 10 a.m. it was 50°F and sunny,” one tester reports. “I stayed comfy and dry the entire time.”
10.3 oz.; m’s S-XXL,w’s XS-XL