Nothing makes me go ‘ahhHHH‘ quite so much during a long hike or a grueling bike ride as the perfect pair of socks.

The right pair of socks can make or break you.

And as far as I’m concerned, the right pair is a pair of merino wool socks.

If you already agree to that statement, are already familiar with merino wool socks and just need to pick up the best pair of merino wool socks of 2018, in the table is the ones we have a love for years as they are the best socks for everyday life and most activities.

Below you will find other recommendations for more specialised activities or fit.

And if you feel like you need to dig a bit more before to commit and need a bit more guidance to help you choose the right pair for you, have a closer look to our FAQ section just below.

Everyday Wear Recommendations

Merino wool socks are highly recommended for hiking and the general outdoor community. But why shouldn’t our daily pieces of clothing have the same high quality standards than outdoor activities? For this reason, merino wool has been rather popular along long-term travellers: normal people who just want reliable casual wear.

We have tried a LOT of “normal merino wool socks”! Here are the ones we recommend. At the bottom of the article, you can find other options we have tried over the years but did not buy again and why.

Nonetheless, socks you want to wear everyday need to be lightweight so it can work all year around. A too high weight wool fabric would be too warm during summer. We don’t want any extra cushion as it needs to fit our usual shoes. While the height should be somewhere between above your ankle up to the mid-calf, you might want to think if you prefer a usual crew height or a “no show” sock depending of your personal preferences or if you are gonna wear it with ankle height shoes or with boots.

Here are our favorite for every-day office usage, cycling to work and even CrossFit training:

Our pick for men MEN: Darn Tough Vermont Merino Wool Dress Crew Light Sock 46% Merino Wool Incredibly durable. They work well with dress shoes or sport shoes due to the light cushioning. Check price on Amazon

Material : 49% Nylon, 46% Merino Wool, 5% Lycra® Spandex

: 49% Nylon, 46% Merino Wool, 5% Lycra® Spandex Cushioning : Light

: Light Drawbacks: The merino is a little coarser than other merino socks.

These socks are crew socks, so they come to mid-calf length. They have a thin layer of cushioning, so you’ll find that they work well with dress shoes or sport sessions.

I’ve worn a pair of these weekly for four years before I finally retired them.

See on Darn Tough’s site | Check price on Amazon

Our pick for women WOMEN: Darn Tough Vermont Women’s Good Witch Crew Light Socks 65% Merino Wool They are your perfect casual pair, that will work for most activities in most seasons. Check price on Amazon

Material : 65% Merino Wool, 33% nylon, 2% Lycra Spandex

: 65% Merino Wool, 33% nylon, 2% Lycra Spandex Weight/Cushioning : Light (good for most weather)

: Light (good for most weather) Advantages: incredibly durable, works well for everyday shoes, all purpose seasons and activities.

Like a lot of people, I own a pair of those, for a long time and they are the ones I used the most all year around. They fit tight to prevent blisters. The height works great for my Doc Martens in Winter. However, while I love their colorful stripes, I wish I could get a second pair in a plain simple black or with dots like these cute ones but higher up so I could wear them with ankle shoes too.

See on Darn Tough | Check price on Amazon

Low height alternative: everyday version for women

WOMEN: Darn Tough Vertex Tab No Show Ultra Light Material : 54% Nylon, 40% Merino Wool, 6% Lycra® Spandex

: 54% Nylon, 40% Merino Wool, 6% Lycra® Spandex Cushioning : Ultra-Light

: Ultra-Light Advantages : incredibly durable, works well for everyday shoes thanks to no-show sock height and low bounce training such as weightlifting or CrossFit

: incredibly durable, works well for everyday shoes thanks to no-show sock height and low bounce training such as weightlifting or CrossFit Drawbacks: The merino is a little coarser than other merino socks. I have a previous version of this pair that I wear during Spring and Summer or while travelling with ankle height shoes. The new model has now additional front and back tabs which helps to put them on and keep them tight in place no matter what. It is an improvement for sure, even though I feel it loses a little bit in terms of fashion style when worn with street ankle shoes.

I bought them in 2015 to tell you how incredibly durable Darn Tough socks are. Those have no cushioning at all, which is what I like to wear in normal shoes as well as in my training shoes during my weightlifting training. However if you need a pair of No Show socks for running or higher impact training, keep scrolling under our Working Out and Exercise Merino Wool Socks section below. See on Darn Tough | Check Price on Amazon

Hiking Socks



Good hiking socks go high over the calf and have a certain amount of cushioning. Although, if you wear trail runners and hike in warmer condition, the 1/4 sock height might suits you better. In any case, you need to make sure they fit well to avoid blisters.

Darn Tough Women’s Vermont Hiker Boot Full Cushion Sock Material : 69% Merino Wool, 27% Nylon, 4% Lycra® Spandex

: 69% Merino Wool, 27% Nylon, 4% Lycra® Spandex Rating out of 5 stars : 4.8

: 4.8 Price range (estimate) : $19.99 – $24.99

: $19.99 – $24.99 Designed for: hiking and outdoors For women looking for a pair of premium quality hiking socks, Darn Tough is the #1 choice currently. The thick cushioning will keep your feet comfortable on long hikes or working on your feet all day long. See on Darn Tough’s site | Check Price on Amazon

Alternative Women Merino Wool Socks: Enerwear Women’s Merino Wool Trail Socks Material : 86% Extra-Fine Merino Wool, 10% Polyester,3% Nylon,1% Spandex

: 86% Extra-Fine Merino Wool, 10% Polyester,3% Nylon,1% Spandex Rating out of 5 stars : 4.6

: 4.6 Price : 4 pairs for $24

: 4 pairs for $24 Designed for: hiking and everyday wear in Winter These 86% extra-fine merino wool socks will keep your toes very comfortable while going easy on your wallet. They are good for hiking or simply keeping your feet warm during Winter. See on Amazon

Darn Tough Men’s Vermont Hiker Boot Full Cushion Sock Material : 69% Merino Wool, 27% Nylon, 4% Lycra® Spandex

: 69% Merino Wool, 27% Nylon, 4% Lycra® Spandex Rating out of 5 stars : 4.8

: 4.8 Price range (estimate) : $21.49 – $36.95

: $21.49 – $36.95 Designed for: hiking and outdoors One of the most popular merino wool socks, ever. These socks are a great choice for long hikes, but also if you spend a lot of time on your feet. Someone wrote a review saying that these socks kept his feet in great shape despite walking 10 miles a day at his job. While not super thick, they are very warm, thanks to the 64% merino wool, which is quite high for a sock. Keep in mind that because these have very cushioned soles, they a little bulkier. Check these socks at Darn Tough’s site | Check Price on Amazon

Alternative Men Merino Wool Socks:Fun Toes Men’s Lightweight Merino Wool Socks Material : 50% merino wool, 40% nylon, 9% polyester and 1% spandex

: 50% merino wool, 40% nylon, 9% polyester and 1% spandex Rating out of 5 stars : 4.4

: 4.4 Price range (estimate) : 6 pairs for $27.95

: 6 pairs for $27.95 Designed for: everyday wear Darn Tough and Smartwool can be pricey (although arguably good value for money). Therefore, if you’re looking for a budget option when it comes to merino wool socks for men, these fun toes offer remarkable value. See socks on Fun Toes’s site | Check Price on Amazon

Working Out and Exercise Merino Wool Socks

WOMEN: No-Show Light Cushion Athletic Socks Material : 51% Merino Wool/45% Nylon/4% Lycra Spandex

: 51% Merino Wool/45% Nylon/4% Lycra Spandex Cushioning : Light – which actually feel like a lot of cushion on the heel

: Light – which actually feel like a lot of cushion on the heel Advantages : Perfect for running

: Perfect for running Price (estimate): $9.00 – $16.00 Those are probably the most comfortable training socks you can find (I mean, there are 205 reviews on Amazon!!). Because I am so use to have flat sole training shoes without any cushioning for my CrossFit workouts, I basically only wear those with my running shoes for distances from 5+ km. If you have ankle high trail runners and plan on hiking in warmer condition, you can also use those. On the other hand, they don’t work great for me for yoga. I prefer to use the ultra light without extra padding that I recommend in the Every section at the top. See socks on Darn Tough | Check Price on Amazon

Darn Tough Men’s No-Show Light Cushion Athletic Socks Material : 51% Merino Wool, 45% Nylon, 4% Lycra

: 51% Merino Wool, 45% Nylon, 4% Lycra Rating out of 5 stars : 4.7

: 4.7 Price range (estimate) : $16

: $16 Designed for: exercise and sports These are Darn Tough’s most popular athletic socks for men: there are 849 reviews on Amazon! While not cheap at $16 dollars a pop, Darn Tough also gives a 100% money back guarantee. The tabs help you put them on just a little faster and stay in place. They have a form-fitting fit, which is important so they stay perfectly in place while working out. The light padding and cushioning under the heel offers great support for running.

On the other hand, if you are big into weightlifting, you might consider the Darn Tough Vermont Men’s Vertex Tab No Show Ultra-Light which don’t have any added padding. The Smartwool below are great too. Check these socks at Darn Tough’s site | Check Price on Amazon

Also great

Smartwool Men’s No Show Socks Material : 63% Merino Wool, 36% Nylon, 1% Elastane

: 63% Merino Wool, 36% Nylon, 1% Elastane Rating out of 5 stars : 4.4

: 4.4 Price range (estimate) : $13.95

: $13.95 Designed for: exercise and sports No-show socks are perfect for running or working out. These SmartWool pair work very well as a pair of travel socks, and testers found that they fit exceptionally well. Check on Smartwool’s site | Check Price on Amazon

Ski and Snowboarding Merino Wool Socks

Darn Tough Yeti OTC Cushion Socks – Women’s Material : 68% Merino Wool, 28% Nylon, 4% Lycra® Spandex

: 68% Merino Wool, 28% Nylon, 4% Lycra® Spandex Rating out of 5 stars : 5

: 5 Price range (estimate) : $25

: $25 Designed for: skiing and snowboarding Very cute mountain socks with a perfect amount of cushioning along the bottom of the foot. These will keep you warm. Some people have reported feeling tight around the calves though. Check these socks on Darn Tough’s site | Check Price on Amazon

Minus33 Men’s Ski and Snowboard Socks Material : 78% Merino wool, 15% Spandex, 4% Nylon, 3% Polyester

: 78% Merino wool, 15% Spandex, 4% Nylon, 3% Polyester Rating out of 5 stars : 4.4

: 4.4 Price range (estimate) : $16

: $16 Designed for: skiing and snowboarding Minus33 is a US-based company that has exploded onto the merino wool scene in recent years. They combine high quality with reasonable prices, and these ski socks are no exception. They offer full cushion for comfort and 78% merino wool to keep your feet warm and dry no matter how many runs you get in. Check these socks at Minus33’s site | Check Price on Amazon

The search: Merino wool socks we have tried but won’t buy again and why



The The Darn Tough Vermont Women’s 1/4 Merino Wool Ultra-Light Athletic Socks are very good socks overall. High quality and highly durable. Unfortunately, I found the ¼ height size is rather inconvenient for me as it is too low for my Doc Martens and too high to go with ankle height shoes. I find ¼ height size only works for summer trekking in trail runner shoes which is not my case, but then would probably go for something with a little bit more cushioning such as the Darn Tough Vermont Women’s 1/4 Cushion Socks.

Casual socks in merino wool have been the type we have tried which got the most of hit and missed. The Darn Tough Women’s Merino Wool Mini Stripe Shorty Light Cushion Lifestyle Socks were part of them. Got holes in them which seems very unusual of my experience with Darn Tough Vermont socks. The thin straps are very cute though.

I got the same issue with my pair of Janus Wool Socks (see picture above) even though I would really love to find a pair of simple black socks made in merino wool for everyday wear.

All the Icebreaker men socks I tried I found were to feel quite coarse and quickly got holes.

Finally, we also tried the Ribbed Sock from Finisterre as it is one of our favorite brand for casual wear in merino wool but I found that they didn’t keep my feet warm and dry and they didn’t last very longer, either.

Do you have any recommendations? I’d love to hear them in the comments!