Merino wool sweaters offer a lot to love. Soft, strong, naturally thermoregulating, anti-stink, and water-repellent — it’s hard to refute the natural properties of a merino wool sweater. So there’s no doubt that in the outdoors, merino wool is a beloved staple. But $400 worth of love?
Vollebak, the bombastic builder of such oddities as a $3,000 wooden jacket, today announced its new Planet Earth sweater, made with merino wool and a dash of cashmere for extreme softness. However, the price tag taps out at a whopping $395 per sweater.
Why so costly? Well, the brand explains that this is a 3D-knitted garment with no seams. Here’s what that means.
The Perks of 3D Knitting
Vollebak claims that it 3D knits each Planet Earth sweater from a single merino-cashmere thread, which piqued our interest. 3D knitting works much like 3D printing, but for textiles. Vollebak says it eliminates two key issues, seams and waste, by using a single thread to knit.
To be clear, there are other similarly knit products from brands like Smartwool. But these do have seams, even with largely knit fabrics.
This is where Vollebak takes it a step further by 3D knitting. The completely seamless sweater, it says, reduces the chance of skin irritation and chafing significantly, and it brings the comfort factor up a notch. Seamless clothes also follow a more natural body curve than seamed clothing for a more flattering cut.
With zero seams, it claims, also comes zero waste. The process of using only one strand of thread for an entire sweater means each sweater uses the exact amount of thread needed, eliminating excess trimming and wasting material. This practice reduces surplus material that can end up in a landfill or recycled, which still takes time and resources to reuse.
Why Merino Matters
