Smartwool 150 vs 250 – Guide for finding suitable clothing

I thought that it would be important to highlight that “150” and “250” in the title refers to the number of weight that the clothes have. For example, Smartwool 150 would mean any product from Smartwool that weighs 150 grams.

Quick Overview

	Smartwool 150	Smartwool 250
	Check BEST Price	Check BEST Price
Suitability	For warm or cool	For Cool to cold
Often used as	Next-to-skin base layer	Second piece in layering system
Excellent for	Baselayer for the outdoors	Cold-weather sports
Year-Round Fabric	Yes	No
Price	Less Expensive	More Expensive

Why do you need the suitable Merino Wool Base Layer?

To have an awesome outdoor adventure, you need to start with the suitable Merino Wool base layer to keep your body comfortable. Depending on the weather or the temperature, your needs may change.

Also, it is important to note that Merino 150 and 250 are not the only materials used to make clothing. Here’s the full list of Fabric, Construction and Technologies included:

i) Merino 150 (150gram)

What’s it made for? – Year-Round Base Layer

ii) Merino 250 (250 gram)

What’s it made for? -Cool to Cold Weather Base Layer

iii) PhD® Ultra Light

What’s it made for? – High-Energy Activities in Warm Weather

iv) PhD® Light

What’s it made for? -High-Energy Activities in Cool Weather

v) PhD®

What’s it made for? -High-Energy Activities in Cold Weather

In fact, most of the ski socks are made from this material. For example, you can check out the Smartwool PhD Ski Light Elite or the Smartwool PhD Outdoor Light Crew Socks.

vi) SmartLoft (60 and 120 gram)

What’s it made for? -Cool to cold Weather Midlayers

vii) Merino/TENCEL® blend

What’s it made for? -Travel and Everyday Adventures in Warm Weather

viii) Recycled Wool

What’s it made for? -Layering in Cool to Cold Conditions

Smartwool Company Background

The Smartwool is a Private American Company founded in year 1994 by 2 ski instructors, Peter and Patty Duke.

In 2005, The Timberland Company acquired Smartwool. Later, in 2011, Smartwool became a subsidiary of VF Corporation because they acquired The Timberland Company.

Smartwool is a renowned for manufacturing products by using Merino Wool. The company has invested a lot of resources to produce odor-reducing and anti-microbial fabric.

Smartwool makes it a point to establish long-term partnerships with wool suppliers that are really strict with ensuring animal well-being and husbandry standards.  

What is Layered Clothing?

To better the comparison better, I thought it would be useful to clarify the different layers of clothing.

There are mainly 3 layers of clothing: (1) Inner Layer; (2) Mid Layer; and (3) Shell Layer.

The Inner Layer is aimed to provide comfort by keeping your skin warm and dry.

The Mid Layer (also known as the insulating layer) should ensure that heat stays in your body.

While the Shell Layer should protect you from external elements such as wind or water. This helps to keep your Inner Layer and Mid Layer safe from external elements as well. 

The Smartwool 150 is commonly used for Inner Layer clothing and are often engineered to remove moisture from skin.

While the Smartwool 250 is often used to make the Mid Layer or Shell Layer which helps ensure that the body is kept warm.

Merino Smartwool 150

What is Merino 150? (150 grams) – This basically refers to a clothing that weighs 150 grams.

Product Line – Here are some of the products that uses Merino Smartwool 150 to manufacture:

Merino Smartwool 150 Features

Suitability – Merino wool is one of the favorite materials for hiking and climbing. Why? One of the main reasons is that Merino wool socks prevents moisture from building up on your feet and prevents odors from emitting from your feet.

Suitable Heating Mechanism – The Smartwool 150 is often used as Next-to-Skin Base Layers. They work with your body temperature to help with the heating and cooling system. This helps to keep your core temperature at an optimal level.

Year-Round Fabric – The Smartwool 150 is created for Year-Round Base layers. This material is one of the layers in the Smartwool layering system that works with the body’s natural cooling and heating system.

Increased durability – The Merino 150 is made with a Core Spun technology where the Merino fibers are wrapped around a nylon core which increases durability of your clothing, but it still maintains sufficient comfort.

When to use – Usually, the Merino 150 is used as a fabric for mild weather base layer tops and bottoms or casual tops. Sometimes, they are used to make accessories as well.

Warning

It still depends on your preference – Although the Smartwool Merino 150 is said to be wearable 24/7 a week, you may want to take it off if it gets too hot or too cold.

For example, if you are used to the cold, being out in the snow at -15 degrees Celsius with he Merino 150 would be comfortable for you. However, if you are not used to the cold, you may need to purchase clothes made from Merino 250 for more comfort.

My Thoughts

Excellent Baselayer for the Outdoors – 150g of Merino Wool is suitable as the baselayer of the outdoors too. It helps you to get up easily in the morning too especially when it’s chilly. 

Merino Smartwool 250

How is it used? – You can wear a single layer of Smartwool 250 in cold weather and it should sufficiently keep you warm.

Alternatively, a Smartwool 250 material can act as a baselayer for very cold weather.

What Activities its ideal for – With the material thickness, this material is better for stop and go activities.

Product Line – Usually, the apparels made with the 100% Merino Smartwool 250 fabric include base layer bottom, base layer tops, hoodies and cold weather accessories (such as beanies and gloves).

Here are some popular products that is manufactured by Merino Smartwool 250:

Merino Smartwool 250 Features

What is it made for – Materials made from Merino 250 is suitable to be used as cool to cold weather base layer.

Usually, the Merino 250 is used as the second piece of layering system in the clothing.

Activities its suitable for – Usually, the 250g fabric is fitted as the second piece of cloth in the Smartwool layering system.

The Merino 250 is the ideal base layer for stop-and-go or even cold weather activities. The manufacturers focus on making the cloth warm and breathable as they are important features of comfortable winter clothing.

Feel of the fabric – The Merino Smartwool 250 feels incredibly soft.

The Structure of the fabric – The material is made with an interlock knit, which is suitable for warmth and loft without bulk. Also, this helps the fabric to naturally resist odors.

Warning

Expensive – Apparels made form Merino Smartwool 250 are often more expensive than apparels made from other materials.

Heavy when drenched – The Merino Smartwool 250 is Thick and absorbent, which means that it will also absorb all the surrounding moisture and it weighs heavy too. This may be especially important if you are travelling in areas drenched with water. Your clothing may get heavy and uncomfortable if it’s wet.

My Thoughts

Best Material for Keeping you warm – Merino wool is one of the best material to keep your body warm and dry.

For example, the SmartWool Merino 250 Crew has earned its reputation as one of the best materials to keep us warm. It has a really simple design but its really effective against the cold weather.

It has excellent temperature regulation, it’s really cozy and really breathable. It’s the thickest Merino Wool fabric offered by smartwool and it should be the warmest one you can get.

Awesome construction and durability – With the Merino Smartwool 250, you will understand that they have weaved in a bit more than other fabrics. Although this means that apparels made form this material has a higher price-point, it also means that they are heavily constructed.

What about the socks?

The socks from Smartwool are generally made from a material called PhD, especially socks for winter sports.

If you would like to look at an example, a good one would be the Smartwool PhD Outdoor Light Crew Socks.

I did not categorize them into either categories because they are not made from either Merino 150 or 250, but generally the materials used to manufacture the socks is Merino Wool.

Smartwool Men’s Hiking Light Crew Socks – These pair of socks are made from 60% Merino Wool, 30% Nylon and 1% Elastane. The socks is made with light cushion, which is ideal if you travel in a variety of trails and road terrains.

Smartwool Outdoor Light Over the Calf Socks – You can read a full review about this pair of socks in my article on the Best Warmest Socks for Hunting Review. It’s made from 76% Merino Wool, 23% Nylon and 1% Elastane. It’s definitely made for cold weather activities. However, if you would like to have a comparison of the best brands in the industry, you can check out our article on Darn Tough vs Smartwool too. We have made both brands to go head to head, facing off to see which brand provides the best socks you can find for hiking, hunting or pretty much any other outdoor activities.

Concluding Thoughts

Merino wool is more expensive compared to other kinds of materials, but it is one of the best materials for temperature regulation and it prevents odors. It’s definitely made for outdoor sports.

Generally, the people who start using Merino wool would not turn back. This material is generally really comfortable, soft and stays dry on your skin. Now, it’s a question of picking an apparel that is made from Merino Smartwool 150 or 250.