Everyday Carry

The Drop: Unbound Merino Active Line

Authored by:
Mikey Bautista
The Drop: Unbound Merino Active Line

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It's a big EDC market out there, and tons of awesome gear is released all the time. We made The Drop to help you discover the latest and greatest essentials worth a spot in your EDC.

Many athletic clothing brands often use synthetic materials as part of their apparel lineup. You'll see things like "quick-drying," "odor-resistant," and "breathable" as part of their features, leading you to believe that these high-performance garments were exquisitely engineered to have those invaluable features to assist you in your workouts.

But nature actually figured all of this out centuries ago. Merino sheep are a fantastic fluffy source of some of the most performant wool on the planet, and many clothing brands—like Unbound Merino—have put it to good use. Merino wool is natural, sustainable, and has vastly superior properties over similar materials used in clothing, even those oriented to athletic pursuits. It insulates well, is soft but not scratchy, is anti-static, hydrophilic (it can absorb up to 30% of its own weight in moisture while still feeling dry), and, best of all, anti-odor too. Add those up and it's a spectacular material to use for even the most demanding clothing.

Unbound Merino's new Active Line is all this and more, introducing a lineup of athletic wear for both men and women to be the last gym clothes they'd need. All of merino's best features come to play in a collection that includes shirts, tanks, and shorts for every activity, with odor resistance, moisture-wicking, fast-drying, and lightweight packability, allowing the material to shine while you work up a sweat. Clean lines and neutral colors pair with thoughtful features like raglan sleeve cuts and split hems to maximize their utility in and out of the gym. And when you're done with your sets, Unbound Merino has an entire catalog of apparel to level up the rest of your wardrobe.


What we like: Merino wool has all the benefits of performance clothing while being all-natural and sustainable, and cuts and designs specifically for active users are a welcome addition to the gym bag.

What to watch out for: Like most merino wool apparel, the material still comes with a bigger price tag compared to most regular cotton or synthetic clothing. The advantage is, due to its reusability, you don't need to buy many to last days' and weeks' worth of workouts. Also note that the Active Line is currently on pre-order and will ship in early May.

Final verdict: More merino good, purpose-designed for the gym even better.

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Mikey Bautista

Director of Everyday Carry Operations


About the Author
Mikey Bautista is an everyday carry (EDC) expert who has been working with the EverydayCarry.com team for nearly a decade, starting with an interest in EDC as a hobby and ending up as a writer for the site in 2014. Through the years, he’s led the site in editorial content and writing about products across every category, from knives to bags to flashlights and everything in between, as well as discovering, bringing exposure, and building bridges with many brands in the industry. Today, he is the site's Director of Everyday Carry Operations, leading the editorial team and managing day-to-day operations.

He has lived through many personal and professional lives, spending nearly a decade in the workforce management industry, a minor career in gaming, and has lent a hand with entrepreneurial efforts back home in the Philippines. He has also been an active participant and helped build a number of significant social communities online, both for EDC and his other hobbies.

Mikey has been at the cusp of gaming, technology, and the internet since the ‘90s and continues to lend his experience, expertise, and authority to all his pursuits. When not online, in a game, or watching movies, you'll find him in the gym, speedrunning his next hobby, or talking at length about EDC with anyone willing to listen.

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