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The best wool socks: that’s a complicated question. What do you mean the best wool socks? Are they the best wool socks for hiking? Or the best wool socks for working out? Or the best wool socks to wear all the time? In this best wool review, we’ll compare Myles Socks vs. Bombas Vs. SmartWool vs. Darn Tough Socks vs. Duckworth Socks and many more!
Best Merino Wool Socks: The Quick Overview
There is a simple truth with many men’s products there is no “perfect merino wool sock.” Sure, there are some options better to wear in hiking boots or to wear every day.
There are socks that are 100% merino wool and socks that are a merino and nylon blend. There are socks with a reinforced heel and without a reinforced heel.
All of the socks on this list are high-quality wool socks. You can’t go wrong with any of them. You just need to find the right socks for you.
Bombas Socks
Price: $19 – $24
What are they best for? Comfort, giving back, variety of styles.
What are they worst for? An overwhelming number of styles
Comfort: 10/10
Durability: 9/10 – but backed by a lifetime happiness guarantee.
Darn Tough Socks
Price: $15 – $35+
What are they best for? A variety of different styles, thicknesses.
What are they worst for? Not as comfortable as Myles Socks or Bombas, but heavier duty.
Comfort: 8.5/10
Durability: 10/10 – backed by a lifetime guarantee.
Myles Apparel Socks
Price: $25
What are they best for? All day, everyday use.
What are they worst for? Only 2 styles if you want something different or wild colors.
Comfort: 10/10
Durability: 9/10 – but backed by a 5-year guarantee.
Duckworth Socks
Price: $24
What are they best for? Outdoor activities
What are they worst for? Dress clothes.
Comfort: 10/10
Durability: 9.5/10
Very comfortable, but more geared toward adventures outside.
That is a tough question and I will touch on all the finer details in our best men’s sock roundup.
The best merino wool socks: why are we even having this conversation?
To be honest with you, I started writing this ode to my favorite pair of men’s socks with little to no intention of going down a rabbit hole. As you’ve seen in our many reviews of things like our Public Rec ADED Pants Review — I can somehow find a way to write thousands of words about something as simple as glorified sweatpants (that I love, BTW).
But I had no idea the rabbit hole that awaited me when searching about the history of socks. Then, I started to wonder, “Why even wear socks at all?” I frequently wear Allbirds (see our full Allbirds Review) and don’t wear socks 80% of the time. Well, as they said in Jurassic Park — Hold on to your butts. Or, in this case, your feet.
Why do we even wear socks? A Quick history
One of the roles of socks is absorbing perspiration. As the foot is among the heaviest producers of sweat in the body, it can produce over 0.25 US pints (0.12 Liters!) of perspiration per day. What?! That’s nuts. Or feet. Or some other part.
Socks were first invited to, as you might imagine, simply keep your feet warm. But as they quickly turned into a fashion statement — brightly colored socks that went past the knee became all the rage.
I, for one, am not one that prides themselves on having a good “sock game” as the kids these days say. I just would rather my socks do their job than be a fancy fashion statement. As you’ve seen in posts like our Buck Mason Review, I keep things pretty nondescript.
Fun fact: The modern English word sock is derived from the Old English word socc, meaning “light slipper”.
Anyway back to my best sock roundup.
The best merino wool socks overall: Myles Apparel Merino Socks Review
Myles is quickly shaping up to be one of my go-to men’s brands. They are listed as the best workout short in our Best Men’s Clothing Guide and even in our Best Hoodie Review.
Simply put, Myles makes super high-quality items for the active guy. I’m not a marathon runner, thank goodness, but I do like my clothes to be versatile, comfortable and look good, without obnoxious branding. Myles fits the bill perfectly here.
Myles said their socks are: “The first pair you’ll grab after laundry day.” And that is 100% true. As I mentioned, I don’t wear socks very often, but when I do (usually with a pair of Hari Mari Boots or Zerogrand Shoes), I wear my Myles socks 99% of the time. When I don’t, it’s usually just because they are dirty.
Also, check out our Myles Review.
Myles Socks Review: What makes them the best wool socks?
The Myles Wool Socks are made from Merino Wool. I had no idea what made Merino Wool special until I dived into this review. Merino is a breed of sheep that is prized for its unique wool. Merino Wool is thinner and softer than regular wool—making it easy to wear. It’s naturally soft, thermoregulating and odor resistant.
Don’t get me wrong, these aren’t magic socks that you can wear for weeks on end without them stinking, I still wash them — but I usually can get two wears out of them if I need to before washing them.
I also like that they aren’t super bright or obnoxious. They have some subtle branding including “Make Moves” (the Myles slogan) embroidered on the back, but other than that, they are simply grey, blue or black with the Myles light blue stripes. They are super simple-looking but have just enough something to look a little fancier than a solid color sock.
The Myles Wool Socks are incredibly soft and just easy to wear.
But here’s what happens when you have a favorite sock:
You wear them out.
But here’s the good news: Myles stands behind their product. They have the 5-year Quality Guarantee. Here’s what their website says:
Every piece of Myles gear is made for the long run, which means it’s built to last. That’s why we promise to replace or give store credit for any item purchased through our website with defects that are not the result of expected wear and tear for 5 years from the time of purchase. It’s the right thing to do for our customers who put their trust in us to deliver durable, quality apparel, and the right thing to do for the planet because poorly made gear turns into waste.
Myles 5 year GUARANTEE
In the photo pictured above, I had for about a year. I simply emailed their customer support, they sent a return label for the items to get inspected/renewed and a brand-new pair of socks my way. It was that easy.
The Myles Merino Wool Socks Review: The Styles
The Myles Merino Socks come in two styles: Crew and Low Profile. The Crew socks are perfect for boots and wearing with pants. The Low Profile sock isn’t 100% no-show, but it is really close.
When I do wear socks (I used to wear more tennis shoes when working out, but now I wear the Allbirds Tree Dasher – see the full Tree Dasher Review for more information) with athletic shoes, I do wear the Myles Merino Low Profile Socks.
These are my favorite men’s wool socks.
Other Great Merino Wool Sock Brands to Check Out
Bombas Merino Wool Socks
As we wrote about before, Bombas is a great sock brand, but a little on the expensive side, and we still prefer the Myles Merino Sock to the Bombas socks. As the Myles website says, they are the first pair I grab out of the dryer. However, they do have a great no-show sock. Check out our Bombas Promo Code for even more savings.
Bombas also has a happiness guarantee, here’s what they say:
Our #1 priority here at Bombas is your happiness. Which means we stand by our product 100%, no matter what, no questions asked, no holds barred, no ifs, no ands, no buts. If you have a problem, we will solve it. Refund it. Send you new socks. Whatever it takes. Just reach out to our Customer Happiness Team. We’re here for you. Happiness. Guaranteed.
Best Merino Wool Socks Runner Up: Darn Tough Socks
This is another great brand that makes socks in all kinds of different styles, colors and thicknesses if you need more variety in your life – or just a thicker sock.
I, personally, wear The Standard Crew Light Cushion socks in dark grey.
They also have tons of other styles from Hiking Socks to socks to wear while snowboarding or skiing to running socks.
Darn Tough Socks go beyond Myles 5 Year Guarantee and they have a Guaranteed for Life promise:
Our unconditional lifetime guarantee is simple. If our socks are not the most comfortable, durable and best fitting socks you have ever owned, return them for another pair. No strings. No conditions. Socks are guaranteed for life.
That’s pretty amazing.
Their socks are pretty comparably priced to Myles Socks – they run anywhere from $15 – $30+ for their socks.
Darn Tough Socks have a ton of thick wool socks and cozy socks. If you are looking to keep your toes toasty, then check out all the different options.
Best Merino Wool Socks for Outdoor Adventures
If you’re going to go on an adventure outside, get some Duckworth Socks.
As you’ll read about in our full Duckworth Wool Review, what makes Duckworth Wool so amazing is the tough Helle Rambouillet Sheep.
The extreme conditions make for versatile merino wool. It cools your feet when hot and warms them when cold.
Merino wool is naturally moisture wicking and one of the best reasons for wearing merino wool socks.
The Duckworth Socks take this up a notch and are technically a blend merino wool – 67% Montana Merino Wool, 24% Nylon, 6% Elastic, 3% Lycra,
Duckworth Hiking Socks
$24 – The best to keep your feet warm
- Simply awesome socks
- Moisture-wicking
- Quick-drying
- Super-versatile
This allows you to keep your feet cool, your feet dry and feet comfy. That’s what makes this one of our best socks.
Duckworth even makes a sock JUST for sking.
It’s not designed for everyday wear and will keep your feet comfortably warm – and cool – even in ski boots and snow boots.
Best Wool Socks: The longest-lasting – Bombas vs darn tough vs. Myles
To be 100% honest, you can’t go wrong with any of the brands here.
Darn Tough – Lifetime
Darn tough provides an “unconditional lifetime guarantee.
Bombas Socks – Lifetime
Bombas Socks has a happiness guarantee – with no time limit.
Myles – 5 Years
The least generous of the guarantees, but let’s be honest: 5 years out of 1 pair of $25 socks is pretty amazing.
Duckworth
Unspecified. They don’t give a timeframe. Here’s what they say:
“If your product fails due to a manufacturing defect, we will work to get that replaced as soon as possible in order for you to enjoy your next outdoor adventure swaddled in Merino.”
Best Wool Socks: The Final Verdict
If I need a thicker sock for the snow, this is really the only time I reach for my Darn Tough Socks. I’ve only got a couple of pairs and have had zero problems with them, however, the Myles socks are simply more comfortable.
Do you have any questions or comments about our best wool sock roundup? Let us know in the comments below!
Recommended Product:
Myles Merino Wool Socks
A great, all around wool sock that can be worn year-round. Naturally odor resistant and super comfortable! Also comes with an amazing 5-year guarantee.
The Myles Merino Wool Socks are just the socks that I wear the most often. I don’t need to wear them in super cold weather or need them to keep my feet warm. I don’t need thicker socks, either.
I just need a pair of socks to keep my feet comfortable and not stink. In this list, you can find great options to keep your feet dry, feet comfortable, or wear as hiking socks. Just make sure that it matches what you are going to be doing in your socks!
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