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Icebreaker โ€” Men's Merino 260 Quantum Long Sleeve Zip Jacket

Icebreaker

Men's Merino 260 Quantum Long Sleeve Zip Jacket

JacketsSKU: IB:BA56W1:0GW:XXL::1:
A

86/100

Strong across the board โ€” well-made, safe to wear, and low planet cost.

โ†ณ Daily wear, no caveats.

Material A ยท 86Health A ยท 100Eco ยท 75Label ยท low

Why this material grade?

This product scored 86/100 on the 7-axis material rubric, based on its composition of 100% Merino Wool.

A (85+): Premium material composition โ€” strong across durability, comfort, sustainability.

Premium quality

This is top-tier fabric โ€” durable, comfortable, and well-suited for long-term wear. Even better: it's biodegradable.

Breakdown

Composition

100% Merino Wool

All-natural fiber

๐Ÿ‘

Wool is naturally antibacterial and self-cleaning. You can air it out between wears instead of washing โ€” it'll stay fresh.

๐Ÿฆ„

This is a unicorn โ€” high quality, eco-friendly, AND biodegradable. If it fits, keep it forever.

Network

Cost per wear

rough estimate
$1.10/wear ยท 200 expected wears

Reasonable cost-per-wear

How we got there

Base for Jackets: 200 expected wears.

ร— 1.00 for Merino Wool (mid-durability fiber, durability 72).

= 200 expected wears. $220 รท 200 โ‰ˆ $1.10/wear.

Missing GSM โ€” this is a category-level estimate, not garment-specific. Expect ยฑ30% variance.

Real life is messier than a formula: how often you wash, how you wash, whether you wear it inside-out, dry on low โ€” all of it shifts the number. This is the ceiling under reasonable care.

30ยฐ

Wash

cold (30ยฐC)

Bleach

Do not bleach

Dry

flat dry

Iron

low

P

Dry Clean

recommended

Cycle: delicateDetergent: mildSoftener: No

Best For

๐ŸƒAthletic Wear
Excellent

Excellent breathability (85) and moisture wicking (90) for active sports

๐ŸงฅWinter Outerwear
Excellent

Excellent warmth (90) and durability (72) for cold weather

๐Ÿ‘”Formal/Office
Excellent

Excellent durability (72) and comfort (88) for office wear

๐Ÿ˜ดSleepwear
Excellent

Excellent comfort (88) and breathability (85) for sleeping

๐ŸฉฒUnderwear
Excellent

Excellent breathability (85) and comfort (88) for undergarments

๐Ÿ‘•Everyday Casual
Good

Good comfort (88) and care ease (50) for casual wear

๐ŸŒง๏ธRain/Weather
Good

Good moisture wicking (90) and durability (72) for weather protection

โ›ฐ๏ธOutdoor/Hiking
Good

Good durability (72) and breathability (85) for outdoor activities

๐ŸŒฑSustainable Fashion
Good

Good sustainability score (75)

Tradeoffs

Health Impact

Microplastic shedding ยท skin-contact synthetic load ยท likely chemical treatments

A100/100

Low health impact โ€” predominantly natural fibers with no major treatment flags.

MicroplasticsLOW

Minimal

Skin contactLOW

0% synthetic

ChemicalsLOW

No flags

Eco Rating

75/100

Strong environmental credentials

Learn about eco ratings โ†’

Biodegradability

Biodegradable

Materials will naturally decompose.

Health & environmental impact โ†’

Label Confidence

LOW

Label confidence low โ€” multiple signals suggest the composition may be incomplete, vague, or hard to verify. Treat scores as directional.

  • โš "100% Merino Wool" claim on a jackets item is unusual โ€” outerwear typically has synthetic linings, padding, or DWR coatings that should be disclosed.
How fabric labels can mislead โ€” and what to look for โ†’

What this score doesn't measure

  • ร—Fiber grade. Staple length, micronaire, strength. "100% cotton" could be short-staple upland or long-staple Pima โ€” same label, very different fabric.
  • ร—Yarn processing. Singles count, ply (single vs two-ply), spinning method (open-end vs ring-spun vs compact), mercerization. Invisible from any label.
  • ร—Knit / weave structure. Single jersey vs interlock, knit tightness. A loose knit pills; a tight knit lasts.
  • ร—Fabric weight (GSM). One construction signal among several โ€” and high GSM can come from loose cheap yarn just as easily as from fine tight yarn. We have it for blank manufacturers, rarely for retail.
  • ร—Pre-shrink processing. Sanforized cotton shrinks ~1%; non-sanforized can shrink up to 10%. Not visible from the composition tag.
  • ร—Construction quality. Stitch density (SPI), seam types, collar geometry, manufacturing tolerances (AQL). These often matter more than the fiber itself.
  • ร—Specific chemical loads. Health Impact flags "likely PFAS / possible formaldehyde" from composition ร— category โ€” we don't lab-test individual SKUs.

We rate the fabric, not the garment. Composition is the floor of what you're guaranteed to be getting โ€” most shoppers don't have that.

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Icebreaker โ€” Men's Merino 260 Quantum Long Sleeve Zip Jacket โ€” Fabric Analysis | FabricIQ