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Watson’s Merino Baselayer Review: Canadian brand worth your dollars

  • Ron 

Screen Shot 2015-11-22 at 7.07.06 PMWatson’s is not a brand that is well known here in the States, but after a chance to try out their Merino baselayers through some cold Ohio spring and fall seasons, I’ve decided that they are worth your dollars.

Watson’s is a brand of Canada’s Chateau Lingerie company, which manufactures and sells products all throughout the North American continent. While the company was founded in 1945, they have continued to innovate with vertical manufacturing (controlling the process from sourcing the wool through to the final packaged product) and updated machinery.

Their Merino baselayers (long sleeve top and long-john bottoms, $55 CAD each) start with Merino sourced from New Zealand. The wool is weaved into a super-fine 18.5 micron thread that yields an incredibly lightweight, soft and breathable fabric.

Screen Shot 2015-11-22 at 7.07.24 PMWhile they would likely be a little too baggy to wear under cycling clothing, I found the Watson’s Merino Baselayer to be the perfect outfit to wear inside my sleeping bag on some recent camping trips. The fit was snug enough to keep me warm and comfortable while not feeling like I was wearing performance-oriented tights (I often wear the long johns around the house as ultra-light sweatpants). Better yet, the odor resistant characteristics of merino ensured that things didn’t get too stinky ‘down there’ after several nights of camping.

Unlike some merino clothing I’ve encountered, the Watson’s cloth held up very well after repeated washings, only showing minor signs of pilling in ‘friction’ areas.

I’d definitely recommend adding these to your Christmas list this year. The exchange rate makes these a great bargain, dropping the price to just under $42 USD. You could pay a lot more for Merino baselayers and not get a product as good as this one.

Watson’s merino baselayers can be found online at www.mywatsons.ca and at Sierra Trading Post, Cabela’s and Amazon.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received the Watson’s Merino Baselayer for free from Watson’s as coordinated by Outdoor PR in consideration for review publication.

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