Merino is considered something of a magical material in the outdoor world. Used in everything from the best base layers, hiking socks, and technical tops on the market to the lining of good-quality winter gloves and hats, it feels luxuriously soft next to your skin. It has almost mystical powers when it comes to temperature regulation.
When you look at the specs of a garment containing (or made entirely from) merino, you might see the material listed next to a GSM number. This acronym stands for ‘grams per square metre’ and relates to the thickness of the fabric (not the weight of the entire garment, although the higher the GSM, obviously the heavier the piece of clothing will be).
