Product Review: Wazzie Wool Funnel Neck Top and Gaiter from Oiselle

For Christmas, I received two new pieces of clothing/gear that very quickly became the winter workhorses of my closet. Both are from the Wazzie Wool product line from Oiselle-- the Wazzie Wool Funnel Neck and the Wazzie Wool Gaiter. I'm going to review both of these pieces today in the blog. Spoiler Alert: I'm in love with both of them!! Read on to find out why!

Wearing my Wazzie Wool Funnel Neck from Oiselle on a recent outdoor run!

First off, a little background on what exactly Wazzie Wool is. It's similar to Icebreaker or SmartWool products in that it is a wool blend fabric using responsibly sourced high quality Merino wool. Wazzie Wool is Oiselle's proprietary wool blend fabric that is similar to those other brands. In this blog post from Oiselle, you can read even more background on the how and they why Wazzie Wool came to enter the collection back in 2014: Bird in Sheep's Clothing: Introducing Wazzie Wool.

I've always been a huge fan of wool clothing in all forms. It feels authentic somehow and truly the performance characteristics of wool are outstanding--something I learned about in depth in some of my textile science courses in college. Wool is a great fiber for sports and performance activities because it insulates very well, but best of all, it is inherently "dry" as a fiber. Wool has a somewhat magical property in that when it gets wet it doesn't feel wet, so if you get snowy or sweaty, you don't get chilled. If you get a fine gauge wool fiber such as Merino and blend it with something stretchy and soft like polyester or spandex, you also take away the itch-factor that some people notice with wool and add even more performance characteristics. Boom! Now you have Wazzie Wool! A fabric that performs well, feels warm and soft, and looks great, too.

This season, Oiselle expanded their Wazzie Wool selection a bit to include three tops, bra and underwear set, leggings, and a neck gaiter. I own one of the tops-- the Wazzie Wool Funnel Neck.

Wazzie Wool Funnel Neck from Oiselle Front

Wazzie Wool Funnel Neck from Oiselle Back

Wazzie Wool Funnel Neck from Oiselle Detail of sleeve and back seams.

Besides that this top is made of amazing Wazzie Wool, I love the fit and style of it, too. The style lines and seams are simple but stylish. The fit (I have a size 6, for reference) is good--not too loose, not too tight. I love the long sleeves with thumb hole. The overall length of the top is good at mid-hip. I also really like the color-- Bolt Lightning. It makes me think of fast, powerful running, and, well, also of Harry Potter, which I also love. I like the funnel-neck top because it gives a little more coverage and warmth for my neck and everyone knows that keeping your neck warm goes a long way towards feeling like your whole self is warm.

I have used this top for casual wear, and even have worn it to school, but it truly is made for cold weather outdoor pursuits. I've worn my funnel neck for Nordic ski one day and out for a run the next. I'm pretty sure I even left it in a wad on my bedroom floor rather than hanging it up in between. Even after the run the next day, no stink, no wet, no mustiness to be seen, smelt, or felt from this top.

But it's wool!? Don't I have to dry-clean wool? you may be asking... Nope! Not Wazzie Wool! That's the other thing that the blend of synthetic fibers lends to this material-- supreme washability. I've worn and washed this thing loads of times (har har! loads...of laundry...get it?!) and it always comes out great. Doesn't shrink or change shape and dries super fast.

Even Harvey loves Wazzie Wool...

Harvey the Vizsla loves Wazzie Wool from Oiselle, too! 

The other piece of Wazzie Wool that I own and love is the Gaiter. It's just basically a double-layer tube of Wazzie Wool fabric that you can wear around your neck. I've also seen some people wear it on their head like a really large headband. People who have this item really, really love it, as you can read here in the Ode to the Gaiter written by Oiselle professional runner Kate Grace.

The gaiter is reversible. One side is Bolt Charcola pattern and the other is solid black.

Pretty much if I'm doing anything active outside, I have this gaiter on. It has all the same performance characteristics I've already written about, plus it's double-layered because it's reversible. This means it's even warmer! See if you can spot my Gaiter peeking out in this collage below...

Winter running and skiing made better with a Wazzie Wool Gaiter from Oiselle!

If you really wanted to pamper your pooch, the Wazzie Wool Gaiter does fit nicely on a dog's neck, too, as Harvey models below:

So, what are the negatives of Wazzie Wool? Honestly, not much. For me, the biggest trouble is that I don't have enough of it to wear every day because I seriously think I would wear it all the time if I had more pieces. I get sad when I have to finally succumb and wash my funnel neck because then I can't wear it. But, really, the biggest negative for me is just that it's kind of pricey to buy. The cheapest top, the Wazzie Wool Base Layer, retails on the Oiselle website for $96.00. The Funnel Neck is I wouldn't even say that it's a bad value because I think for the quality of item that you get, the price is reasonable. It's just that I don't have an extra $100 laying around to buy another top. Maaaaaaybe it'll go on sale eventually?!! If I had an unlimited budget, I'd own one of everything of this stuff. Maybe even two or three of everything. It's that great! 

All in all, if you're looking for a fun, warm, comfortable, performance ready piece to add to your running collection, or for casual wear, or to dress up, or... anything, consider Wazzie Wool! It's amazing! It's Katie Bangs and Harvey the Vizsla approved!