Our new Proximity collection just dropped. Merino activewear, designed for the strong girls. The ones who train hard, who sweat hard, who push through the fatigue, who grit their teeth and take one more step. Do one more rep. From rehab to strength training, for ski season or summit hikes, the goal is the same: getting mountain strong.
Introducing Proximity: the material, the design, the perks
Proximity activewear is engineered to bring natural Merino performance to your pre-mission strength and conditioning. Whatever your workout looks like, be it a gym floor or a trail in the mountains, Proximity offers natural support, natural fibres, and a better alternative in our natural playground.
The material in the Merino sports bra and leggings is a technical double-sided knit: a sleek, high-hold nylon exterior for the smooth, structured feel you're used to from studio activewear, with a Merino Tencel™ blend next to skin managing moisture and odour naturally. Soft as butter. Tough as f*ck. All the hold you want on the outside, all the performance you need on the inside.
How do Merino workout clothes perform? Here's everything you need to know about why Merino wool works so well in activewear.
First things first. What's the problem with synthetic activewear?
Most activewear is built from the same handful of synthetic fibres, dressed up in different cuts. It looks sleek in the studio, but it doesn't always perform in the real world. There's a few reasons for that:
- Synthetics don't regulate your temperature, leaving you jumping between hot when you're working out and cold when your sweat cools between reps.
- Synthetics don't retain heat when they're wet, so training in real weather conditions can get fresh, and potentially dangerous, fast.
- While some can dry fast, synthetics can also feel wet and clammy against your skin when you sweat, instead of managing your microclimate.
- Synthetics stink fast, holding onto odour-causing bacteria in a way you'll notice. As will everyone else.
- At the end of the day, synthetics put microplastics right next to your skin.
What synthetics do bring is durability, stretch, and the sleek feel you expect from activewear. What Proximity does is wrap those synthetics in Merino, keeping that sleek stretch on the outside and putting Merino next to skin so you get temperature regulation, odour resistance, and breathability where it matters.
Is Merino wool good for working out?
Yes, Merino wool is a great natural fibre for working out. Merino wool is hygroscopic, meaning it absorbs and releases up to 35% of its weight in moisture without feeling wet and clammy against your skin. That same mechanism helps regulate your temperature during exercise, so instead of spiking between hot when you're moving and cold when you stop, Merino evens out the peaks and pits and keeps your temp steady between reps. It also doesn't hold onto smell like synthetics do, meaning you can re-wear your activewear for days on end. Sans the stink. But let's dig into how that works.
My Proximity activewear is super comfy, and I love that it's natural fibres. I've loved rehabbing in it too - it's really soft and feels really good next to skin.
- Jess Hotter
Does Merino wool wick sweat?
Merino wool manages moisture incredibly well, absorbing up to a third of its weight in moisture before it reaches your skin and releasing it before you feel wet. And that's not just talk. A major four-year research programme led by North Carolina State University shows that 100% Merino wool buffers moisture 96% better than polyester, delivering superior thermal comfort during dynamic stop-go sports. Putting Merino into your next-to-skin activewear is the natural next step.
How Merino regulates temperature during exercise
It's true: Merino naturally thermoregulates when it's next to skin. When Merino wool absorbs and releases moisture, it does so gradually as conditions change. That means it responds to changing temperatures in real time: it's not only good for keeping you warm, it's also good for keeping you cool. And rather than playing catch-up when you're stopping and starting, the same moisture-releasing mechanism keeps your temperature stable right from working hard to cooling down between reps.
What's more? Even when it's wet, Merino keeps you warm. Instead of shivering in a wet, cold synthetic layer, Merino keeps regulating, come rain or shine. Having Merino next to skin, like in our Proximity activewear, gives you a leg up when you're training, regulating your temperature so you can focus on your movements, not the surprise rain showers.
Odour resistance: why Merino outlasts synthetic over multiple sessions
Merino wool naturally resists odour, thanks to a fibre structure that resists bacterial build-up. It's that bacterial build-up that really causes odour – not sweat itself. And because Merino keeps you drier and moves moisture away from your body, it also helps mitigate the damp environment that bacteria thrive in. Less bacteria, less stink. Wear it Monday, wear it Wednesday. Stink less, train more.
Is Merino wool itchy during exercise?
Not this Merino. Itch complaints usually trace back to coarse, low-micron wool - think old-school jumpers and cheap quality sweaters. Not performance Merino. Proximity uses fine Merino next to skin, which is a different fibre diameter entirely. Soft against skin, built to move.
In short, Merino is the GOAT of natural performance, making it a natural fit for the activewear you train in. Proximity harnesses all those incredible benefits, keeps the sleek and tough exterior of nylon, and puts soft Merino next to skin. Right where it works the hardest.
Shop Women's Merino now.
