I’m sure that you’ve probably heard the saying “There’s no bad weather, just bad clothing”, and when it comes to kids, this couldn’t be more true. My kids don’t care if it’s -10 degrees or if it’s a scorching 105 degrees – they all seem to have this innate desire to get outside as much as possible.
After nearly 13 years of motherhood, I’ve learned that there’s little I can do to keep them inside when they’re getting that itch to be outdoors and run wild. But, the one thing that I can do is make sure that they’re comfortable while they’re outside. That means that I’m constantly on the lookout for clothing that will keep them warm when it’s cold and cool when it’s hot. For me, it’s also a necessity that it’s excellent quality so that I can buy it once and pass it down through all five of my kids.
I recently was introduced to a new brand of Merino Wool Adventurewear for kids made by the brand Iksplor, and it’s already a major hit at our house.
Why we love Iksplor Kids Merino Wool Adventurewear so much
We first tried Iksplor Merino Wool out a few months ago. I ordered a merino wool blanket, hat, and neck gaiter for my two-year-old. Well, his older brother grabbed the mail that day, and quickly opened up the package, and tried on all of his brothers new gear. He’s never given it back! Truthfully, I’m actually thrilled that he stole it and loves it.
You see, my 5-year-old is incredibly particular about fabric, seams, textures – you name it! If I would let him, he would live in his favorite holey sweats every, single day. Finding clothing that he likes and will wear is incredibly hard, so when something works for him, I know it has to be amazing. After a solid week of him wearing that hat and neck gator EVERYWHERE (bed, meals, with friends, everywhere!), I knew that we had to get our hands on some of the base layers from Iksplor.
Iksplor Kids Merino Wool Base Layers
It should come as no surprise, but my 5-year-old loves his base layers form Iksplor just as much as he loves the hat, blanket and neck gator.
We’re in the middle of winter right now, so around the house, he’s wearing just the base layers probably 4-5 days a week (thank goodness they resist odors), and when we leave the house, he’ll just slip on a pair of pants on top. It’s been such a game-changer to have base layers that he LOVES, because now he doesn’t complain about wearing other clothes on top since his skin is only touching the merino wool (and he’s extra warm and cozy too).
I have to share a funny story with you! The day our base layers arrived, I was out running some errands and then took one of our kids to his basketball game. Dad showed up to the game with the rest of the kids, 10 minutes after I got there, and our 5-year-old was dressed head to toe in his Iksplor Merino Wool. He had on his shirt, pants, hat, and neck warmer – all BRIGHT BLUE! All I could see were his eyes and his fingers and I couldn’t stop laughing! That was when I knew that we had found a brand to love for LIFE!
Iksplor Kids Base Layer Tops
This piece is so simple, but it’s become both mine and my sons favorite. He loves that it has thumb holes so he can feel like he’s just as cool as one of the BIG KIDS. I love that it has seams that are REALLY FLAT. That means no complaints about itchy collars or seams which was previously an endless struggle. This shirt is so comfortable that he even wears it to bed (he used to sleep shirtless because he hated the way that shirts feel, so this is a big deal!).
Iksplor Kids Base Layer Bottoms
Similar to the base layer top, the Iksplor bottoms are pretty simple pieces of clothing. The thing that I love the most about them is the sizing. They fit well enough to layer over the top of, but aren’t tight which is really a great feature, especially for boys. The pants also have some extra length built into them so that kids can wear them longer. My son is currently between size 5 (in the waist) and size 6 (for length). I got him a size 5T and they are long enough that he will easily be able to get another full year of wear out of them before they prepare to get handed down to his younger brother.
Iksplor Kids Little Iksplorer Hat
The merino wool kids hat by Iksplor is made out of the same material that the base layers are, which is soft and comfortable. The hats are long enough that you can roll the end or just wear them with a bit of extra room at the top. They are really thin which makes them a great choice for active adventures like cross country skiing or snowshoeing. We always bring ours up to the ski hill on really cold days, because it’s thin enough to wear under a helmet and gives extra warmth.
Iksplor Kids Little Explorer Neck Warmer
I’ve actually been surprised how much use we’ve gotten out of this neck warmer. Typically we only use neck warmers on cold ski days, but my kids all keep wanting to wear this one whenever we go out (yes, they now all fight over who gets to wear it). It’s ultra thin which means that it feels a lot like a scarf when it’s on, yet it does a great job of keeping the cold and snow off of the kids faces. The best thing about it is how long it is. Since it’s so long, my kids can pull it up by the top of their head, put a helmet on, and viola, everything except the eyes are covered and warm!
Iksplor Kids Adventure Blanket
I am absolutely in love with this blanket and think that every new baby needs one! I’m actually really sad that they weren’t making these when my kids were since I would have used it like crazy. My babies all loved to be swaddled and we swaddled them all for 6-8 months, and this blanket has the perfect amount of stretch that I know it would wrap them up so tight and cozy.
I especially would have loved this for my youngest as we were on our family gap year when he was a baby. We were constantly on the go and his swaddling blanket went everywhere in 17 countries with us. I was swaddling him all over the world and his blankets got so gross that I eventually had to throw them away. I needed a better blanket like this Adventure Blanket! This is the one blanket that every family who is traveling or on the go with a baby needs!
Benefits of Iksplor Merino Wool
- Wicks moisture away from the body-Regulates temperature in both heat and cold
- Protects from the sun with a UPF 50 protection rating
- Resists odors and is antimicrobial
- Gentle enough for very sensitive skin
- Machine washable and dryable
Why should kids wear Merino Wool?
Merino wool is such a fantastic material and we find ourselves using it yearround at our house. It does a great job of helping kids regulate their temperature in both hot and cold so our kids are just as likely to wear it under their warm clothes skiing as they are for a day of fishing on the river.
While many people start to itch when they think of wool, this isn’t the scratchy material that you found at Grandma’s house. Merino wool is soft and cozy, and usually it’s pretty thin so it’s wonderful for layering.
As a mom of 4 very active, and already too smelly boys, I especially love that merino wool naturally resists odors and is antimicrobial. It’s one of the only things that I’ll let my kids wear multiple days in a row (without being grossed out), and that they can even wear to bed AFTER a full day of adventure. If I could keep them from spilling on it, they may never have to take it off. KIDDING (sort of).
Iksplor Merino Wool Protects kids from the sun
Iksplor Merino Wool is rated to UPF 50 which is perfect for high altitude adventures where the sun is so much more intense.
Last year my doctor found 5 different spots of skin cancer on my neck and scalp that had to be removed and it became glaringly obvious that I needed to protect my skin better.
The shocking thing was, that my doctor told me that at least 80% of the damage that my skin had, probably happened while I was still a kid. WHAT?!? That was a serious wake-up call for me to really be more diligent about protecting my skin. Finding clothing that has a high UPF rating always makes me feel so reassured in their since I somehow always miss a spot or two when I’m slathering the kids in sunscreen (and all those chemicals in sunscreen…ack!).
Iksplor currently only makes sizes up to a 6T, but I would really love to get some of their tops for my older kids to help protect them from the sun as well!
Iksplor Merino Wool is machine washable and DRYABLE
One thing that I love about Iksplor’s merino wool is that I can put it in the DRYER. Every other piece of merino wool that we own needs to be air-dried, but it’s so refreshing to be able to throw these in the dryer. With 7 people in our family, I really don’t have the time or energy for laundry that has special needs!
Is it worth spending the money on Merino Wool for kids?
It’s true that anything that’s made out of merino wool is going to cost more than a synthetic material. What you have to remember is that you’re paying for a really high-quality piece of clothing that can be worn multiple times a week, all year long. If you’ve got multiple kids, it’s really a no brainer since merino really lasts a long time so you can plan on passing it down through multiple kids.
We’ve bought plenty of cheap gear over the years, and almost all of it was just junk. We consider buying good quality outdoor clothing for our kids an investment in our family and the things that we love to do together. If something makes it easier for our kids to ski, bike, camp, and hike with less whining, then it’s absolutely worth the price!
Honestly, I could go on and on about how much we love Iksplor Merino Wool, but it’s honestly how we feel. Especially the fact that my son loves them so much, and it’s really hard to find clothing that works well for his sensitive skin and sensory issues.