Zorali Merino Thermals – Reviewed & Tested

Skeptical of any garment claiming to be both 100% merino wool AND 100% itch-free, Jess slipped on Zorali’s thermal lineup at the start of Melbourne’s winter. Now she’s emerged, warm, mostly scentless, and surprisingly impressed.

If you’ve ever worn a pair of 100% merino wool thermals in the past ten years, you’re probably still itchy. Recently, top brands have reduced the itch-factor by using innovative blends to create sleek, silky-soft merino thermals with less itchy wool content. Le Bent uses rayon from bamboo, icebreaker uses TENCEL, a natural wood fibre, and Wilderness Wear uses 50% ultra-fine Schoeller polypropylene.  

I have no idea how that’s done or how it’s less itchy, but somehow still just as warm. It’s because of this that after one horrendously itchy pair of 100% merino thermals – purchased a decade ago – I’ve always opted to buy thermal blends so that I’m not trying to claw my skin off moments after I put them on.

So when I read that Zorali had come out with 100% merino wool thermals and claimed they were ‘super soft’, I was more than a little sceptical. Surely not. If the big players in the outdoor space haven’t figured it out, how have these guys just waltzed in and nailed it? 

Zorali provided my cynical bod with a pair of 100% Australian merino leggings, a T-shirt, a long-sleeved top, and a long-sleeved hoodie to test out. 

Lovely natural colours

Why I’m the right person to review Zorali Merino Thermals

Aside from inevitably being the one person to rock up to the beach wearing long pants and a hoodie in the middle of summer, I’m known to wear thermal clothing almost all year round. I live in a house that’s pushing 100 years old with no insulation, and it gets cold enough in there that for three months of the year, I can see little clouds of my exhaled breath while indoors. 

Naturally, I’ve worked my way through a tonne of thermals. I’ve nabbed the ones on sale in the Aldi winter sale, rocked black and white striped Kathmandu ones while looking like an escaped cartoon criminal on camping trips, and worn thermals on top of thermals to beat the shivers. 

So when the opportunity to review these Zorali thermals came up, even though I remained dubious, I jumped at the chance to finally see what the next price bracket of warmth might deliver.

Jess has tried heaps of thermals but is rarely inclined to spend what some of the most well-known brands are asking

Performance

Warmth

The first pair of leggings Zorali sent me was a size too big. This meant that they were tight below the knee but exceptionally roomy above. Unfortunately, I didn’t figure this out until I popped them on as the sun went down on a mid-week camping trip. ‘Ah well, they’ll be right’, I thought.

Turns out it was an excellent way to test the advice that thermals should be tight-fitting. As I lay down tucked up in my sleeping bag (in mid-June, so it was bloody freezing), my butt and thighs were just as cold as my nose – the only part of my body not ensconced in some form of wool or sleeping bag.

Check the size guide! You want a snug fit

After organising a size that was snug from top to bottom, I tried again and sleep came a lot easier that night. You definitely want these leggings to be snug, not loose. I’ve lived in mine throughout winter. They fit under my jeans when I go to work, are a perfect pair of pyjamas, and I can wear them comfortably 24 hours a day while hiking and camping.

Read more: What To Wear When Hiking – A Beginner’s Guide

Odour Control

Merino works by trapping smells within the fibres so that our noses don’t pick it up. As a result, it’s typically fine to wear it multiple days in a row without leaving a cloud of stank in your wake. Tim from We Are Explorers once wore an icebreaker shirt every day for a week without washing it, and was amazed at its odour-preventing ability – even after it was subjected to a mosh pit, hike, rock climb, and bike ride. 

Given that the entire range from Zorali is 100% merino, and what Tim wore from icebreaker was a fabric blend, I figured I could basically treat this like a second skin for at least a week, and I shouldn’t smell, right? Unfortunately, I was wrong.

The pants are awesome – I wore them every day for three consecutive weeks around the clock (perks of working from home!) – and there was no detectable odour that prompted me to finally pop them in the wash. Perhaps my legs just don’t sweat? The T-shirt and long-sleeved top were a bit smellier, though. I got through three days at home before I couldn’t stand it anymore and had to wash them.

Note: That was when I was inactive – no exercise, just working on a keyword and doing standard chores around home. 

Once I started hiking in the smell gradually built up in the tops. The pants stayed odour-free

After wearing both the T-shirt and long-sleeved top on a day hike, I can conclusively confirm that I wouldn’t want to wear these on consecutive days of activity, unless I could pop a jumper over the top to block anyone smelling me! To be fair, if you wear deodorant (some thru-hikers will leave it behind to cut weight), the aroma is mostly deodorant on days two and three, but all my sniff tests post-day one resulted in a scrunched nose and reluctance to put it back on.

I checked product reviews on the Zorali site, and heaps of people in the comments say that they don’t smell after wearing these. And sure, I smell less than I do when I wear non-merino items hiking, but I wouldn’t say I don’t smell at all. The Zorali merino tops will leave you smelling fresher than if you were wearing cotton, but they’re not magic – especially if you tend to sweat a lot. 

Durability

Every single pair of thermals I’ve bought over the years, especially the merino from Kathmandu, has turned into a pilled mess within a few wears. I’ve worn at least one item from Zorali every day this entire winter so far, and aside from some minor pilling around the seams (particularly at the wrists on the longer-sleeved items), and a little bit of fluff accumulation on the leggings, they still look basically new.

Tough stitching

I’ve been really impressed with how well each item has kept its shape after multiple washes and being stuffed into bags and closets. I’ve worn these thermals more in the last two months than most of my thermal items would normally be worn in multiple years. There’s some pilling, but far less than I expected from 100% merino.

Comfort

Itchiness

I was so ready for itchiness to be a problem, but the opposite is true. These are so silky smooth I keep stroking my arms and legs as if I’m a velvet couch. The texture is nothing short of gorgeous, and I love pulling these on for the day. Itchiness isn’t even a question. I enjoy wearing them so much that I purchased another long-sleeved top in black so I can wear it under my uniform to work.

No itch has me smiling throughout my hikes

Breathability

For hiking, these merino items from Zorali are a dream. I wore the leggings (under my pants – because they’re see-through in the right light), and the long-sleeved top to hike up The Pyramid in Girraween National Park early one morning in June, and it was the perfect combination. With over 200m of elevation up a slick rock face, I was sweating it out from exertion as much as fear in a matter of minutes. 

After cooling down and resting at the peak, I didn’t feel sweaty or uncomfortable for a moment. I was able to be fully present in the moment without being distracted by feelings of being too hot, too cold, or unpleasantly damp from my sweat. The pants/long-sleeve combo was perfect for the winter morning.

Breathable, and a little bit see-through

Later in the day, it warmed up to a balmy 18ºC and sunny – and I still had my thermals on under my pants. My top half was ok in the long-sleeved top, but my legs got uncomfortably hot, fast. This was most likely because I had less breathable hiking pants on over the top, though, so I can’t count this as a mark against the thermals themselves. 

I’ve been nothing short of comfortable every time I’ve worn them, from night kayaking on the Gippsland Lakes in Victoria to swanning along short hiking trails in Queensland in the middle of a sunny winter’s day.

Design

Fit

In order for thermals to work well at regulating your temperature, it’s important that you have the right size. There’s a size chart on the Zorali website, and you’ll save yourself the headache of swapping back and forth if you check it before you order. 

The leggings are snug without feeling tight, and I’m really impressed at the way these fit. Every other pair of thermal tights I’ve bought have been so overwhelmingly tight around the waist or thighs that they were instantly uncomfortable, but Zorali has clearly put work into understanding body shapes, and these are snug-fitting from top to bottom without squeezing the life out of you.

The long-sleeved top should also fit snugly against your skin. Unlike most thermal tops I’ve tried before, it’s got just enough room that I’m confident wearing it without something over the top. It might not be as insulating as some skin-tight ones, but I get a lot more wear out of it, and it’s great to sleep in. I particularly like that Zorali has used a generous sleeve length and added thumb loops (the hoodie has them too!). 

Comfy fit, not skin-tight, with good length on the sleeves and body

Most brands go wrong by inserting them into standard-length sleeves. The result is the feeling that you’re cutting off your own circulation when you use them. But Zorali has made the sleeves that extra bit longer and there’s no discomfort or pulling when you use them. The lower part of my palm has been snugly warm this winter, and I’ve got those thumb loops to thank. 

The T-shirt is a boxier fit that’s more flattering. I tend to get pretty bloated while hiking, especially on multi-day trips, so tight-fitting tops generally aren’t my preference. The roomier style is flattering without being tight around my tummy, and I love that about it. This performs really well in warmer weather by itself, but if you’re using it to keep warm, I find it pairs best with the long-sleeved top underneath.  

The boxy tee is a fair bit shorter than the long-sleeved base layer

The hoodie is really long and great for keeping your butt warm around camp. But the hood, for some reason, is massive. Maybe to accommodate bike helmets? It’s so big that without a beanie on, I simply can’t use it – it blocks my vision! It’s a heavy fabric, so it falls over my face. I’ve got around this by wearing a beanie or cap. The fabric is also quite heavy compared to the other items and it tends to bunch up in places, which is a bit annoying. 

Why?

Sustainability

From tracking the environmental impact of their products via Life Cycle Assessments to planting over 776,000 trees, Zorali’s got an actual roadmap to net-zero emissions that’s way more than just marketing fluff. The company has been swapping out chemical-heavy practices for cleaner water usage and committing to biodiversity through regenerative sourcing and habitat restoration. They’re a certified B-Corp, seriously fighting the good fight when it comes to protecting the planet. 

Many B-Corps stop at that certification, but Zorali is also a proud partner of Climate Neutral, is bluesign certified, adheres to both the Global Organic Textiles and Global Recycled Standards, and 100% of its products are made from recycled or organic fibres.

Essentially, the brand is committed to keeping its footprint light, processes transparent, and products as gentle on the planet as they are on your skin. There’s also a decent focus on ethics in the supply chain, including factory visits, though the information here is more general.

It’s been a pleasure watching Zorali grow into a company that actually cares

The merino used is 100% Australian (reducing shipping miles), Woolmark® Certified for quality, and adheres to the Responsible Wool Standard, a voluntary code focusing on the welfare of the sheep and land they graze on.

Overall, Zorali is tackling an impressive range of sustainability goals, with a high degree of transparency and third-party verification. I’ll be excited to see a full transparency report as a next step, as it grows.

Price

The long-sleeve hoodie is $130 RRP, the leggings $100 RRP, the long-sleeved base layer $110, and the T-shirt $90 RRP. Before getting the opportunity to review these for free, I’d classed them as too expensive.

But while I was reviewing them, I actually purchased an additional long-sleeved top for $110 – the most I’ve ever spent on a top that wasn’t a coat or jacket. I’ve literally worn it every single day it hasn’t been in the wash for the past two months – I love it. It keeps me warm and the olive colour is gorgeous. 

Obsessed with the olive green

The hoodie I’ve found less useful. I only really use it while hiking because I don’t have use for the hood unless I’m really cold, sitting around a campfire (and I can’t use it unless I’ve got a hat on). On the other hand, it’s a jumper that offers awesome breathability, warmth, and a hood to protect your head. At the same price point, you’ll often pay a lot more elsewhere. I don’t tend to wear it outside of hiking, so the cost per wear is pretty high for me, but it might not be for you. 

The T-shirts are great for warmer days on the trail and hitting the gym. I’ve got a lot of wear out of the leggings, T-shirts, and long-sleeved top, but whether they’re worth the price tag depends on how you’re using them. 

I wear the leggings and long-sleeved shirt daily to keep warm, and they’ve been a godsend. Worth every cent. 

The T-shirt feels overpriced for what it is, though. While it’s gorgeously soft and does what it claims to do, there are a lot of tees out there that deliver the same results. But if you’re going to wear it to the gym, the trail, and around home, which you can because it’s very versatile, then it could be the right choice. 

Final Thoughts

I went into this review process fully expecting to regret my life choices, but as often happens when you take a leap into the unknown, I was pleasantly surprised. While the price still gives me pause, the warmth, texture, and breathability have won me over. Aside from the hood on the hoodie being excessively large, my complaints are pretty minimal. 

Do I recommend them? I think the fact that I’ve worn them every day for two months speaks for itself – it’s a non-itchy yes from me!

I just really love a good thumb hole, ok?

FAQS Zorali Merino Thermals

Are Zorali Merino Thermals really itch-free even though they’re 100% merino wool?

Yes, despite being 100% merino wool, Zorali thermals are surprisingly soft and completely itch-free, thanks to their silky texture and quality fibres. Our reviewer Jess was expecting this to be an issue, but it wasn’t.

How well do Zorali Merino Thermals control odour?

Zorali’s merino leggings offer excellent odour control even after extended wear, while the tops are best for 1-3 days of use before needing a wash – especially with active use.

Are Zorali Merino Thermals worth the price?

The leggings and long-sleeved tops are considered worth the money for daily wear, comfort, and warmth. The hoodie and T-shirt offer less value, depending on how often you use them. Zorali’s merino is 100% Australian, and the company is hitting sustainability goals, which is worth factoring in when deciding on value for money.

How do Zorali Merino Thermals perform for hiking and outdoor activities?

Zorali merino thermals are breathable, warm, and ideal for cold-weather hiking. They regulate temperature well and remain comfortable even during intense activity and changing weather. Jess only ever got too warm when wearing the leggings under hiking pants on a day that warmed up, which was to be expected.