Minus33 sent me clothing for review. All opinions are my own.

I have a condition called Ehlers Danlos Syndrome (EDS), and 80% of people with EDS have a condition called POTS. I haven’t officially been diagnosed with POTS but I have a lot of symptoms of it so I’m pretty sure that I’m in that 80% that overlaps. 

One of the main symptoms I experience related to POTS is poor temperature regulation. My body just isn’t good at keeping me comfortable. I often feel cold when other people think the room is comfortable, yet if I use blankets or layer up my clothing, I sweat excessively. Sometimes even if I don’t layer up, I sweat excessively. I seem to notice my temperature regulations most in the winter. Last winter I was changing my socks three or four times a day. Most days I stay inside as I work from home. Yet even though I was just putzing around the house or working from the couch, my feet would be sweating like crazy. Pretty gross, and pretty annoying to have 4x more socks in the laundry than a normal person would have. I started googling to see if I could find advice from other people with POTS to see how they cope with sweaty, cold feet. I found a forum where people were talking about how much wool socks, and wool clothing in general, helps with their temperature regulation trouble. I bought some wool socks and they’ve become my daily norm. On a particularly sweaty day, I’ll wear two pairs, but most days I can just wear one pair because wool is so much more effective at keeping my skin dry and comfortable. 

Why Wool Makes Sense For Everyone

While I imagine that not many of you have pots, I know lots of people can relate to getting overheated from “warm” clothing in the winter. You’re cold, so you put on a super fuzzy sweater or hoodie, and then 20 minutes later you’re too warm so you take it off. The cycle repeats all day. Sound familiar? 

That’s often due to “warm” clothing not being breathable. I can’t deny that I like fleece and other soft, fuzzy or furry fabrics – but most of them just don’t breathe. Wool is an awesome fabric because it can keep you warm while also being breathable and moisture-wicking. Pull on a wool long sleeved top and you’ll stay warm without overheating. Same thing with socks! Ditch those furry blanket like socks for wool socks and your tootsies will get warm without getting sweaty. 

I was sent four products from Minus33. They all include merino wool. None of these products are itchy or scratchy. Many people seem to associate wool with feeling rough. I’m not sure if that association is based on a certain type of wool, or a way that wool garments used to be made, or what. All I know is these products aren’t rough. In fact, I’d say these pants are very soft, and the shirt is soft. I wouldn’t call the socks soft, exactly – but they aren’t rough or scratchy. 

I was sent two types of socks. 

The first pair are lightweight no show socks. These are quite sleek for being wool socks. I can wear these in all of my shoes with absolutely no issues, even though I have wide feet. They are ventilated across the top and have a little extra cushion across the heel and toe so they’re comfy to wear. These are a great everyday sock for me. I can see these appealing to people who like to run or otherwise workout. 

The Minus33 socks come in sizes small through XL. Check their size chart to figure out what sock size you are. I usually fit a women’s 7.5 shoe and the size medium socks fit me well. 

The second pair of socks was quite similar. These are Microweight no-show wool socks. They’re microweight socks but they’re full cushion. I do feel the difference in the bottom of these socks, having cushion across the entire bottom rather than just the heel and toe. However, these are still really thin socks that do a great job of being breathable and moisture-wicking. I have no problem at all wearing these in all of the shoes that I own, despite having wide feet. If you’re looking for wool socks that aren’t bulky, the microweight line from Minus33 is a great choice whether you go with full cushion or light cushion options. 

This top is the Minus33 OSSIPEE women’s crew top. This is considered a midweight, and that’s exactly how it feels to me. A bit heavier than a typical 100% cotton t-shirt, but not thick or bulky at all. This top is 100% merino wool. It is pretty soft and smooth. It could be used to layer with, but I’ve just been wearing it as a shirt when hanging out around the house. I typically find myself most bothered by my temperature regulation issues in my hands, feet and legs for the most part. Clinical strength anti-perspirants keep my underarms dry, and I don’t really notice myself getting too sweaty in my arms or trunk area usually. So, I wasn’t really sure if I’d get as much benefit from a wool shirt as I would other wool items…but I’ve found myself reaching for this top again each time it’s clean. It’s comfortable to wear and keeps me cozy. 

I’ve enjoyed wearing this around the house so far, but I’ll also plan to reach for it if I go snow sledding with my nieces and nephews, or otherwise plan to spend a lot of time outdoors. I think it’ll make a nice shirt for layering up for being out in the cold. 

It fits me a little looser than I would usually expect for the size that I ordered. I think the Minus33 sizing system is slightly generous compared to most brands that I shop from. If you’re between sizes, you may be able to size down. 

The bottoms I was sent are the Woolverino midweight leggings. These can be worn as leggings around the house, or used as a base layer when bundling up to go out into the cold. So far, I’ve just been wearing them around the house. They’re so comfortable that I enjoy sleeping in them. These are 85% Merino, 13% Nylon and 2% spandex. I find that they loosen up after a day of wear, likely due to having less spandex in them than many other leggings. 

These are slightly thicker than some thin leggings I have (100% cotton or lularoe type leggings) but they don’t strike me as thick. They’re really easy to bend and move in, so I’d gladly wear them while working out. I love wearing them to bed because I find that I sometimes wake up overheated when wearing other bottoms. These help keep me comfy overnight! I love that I’ll also be able to use them to bundle up ond says when I am going to be spending a lot of time outdoors in the winter. I think they’d make a great gift for anyone who spends time outside in a cold climate. Especially those who enjoy hunting, skiing, snowboarding, sledding or other outdoor winter activities. 

Buy it: You can shop from Minus33 online at Minus33.com. 

Emily

Hi there! I am Emily Evert, the owner of Emily Reviews. I am 28 and live in a small town in Michigan with my boyfriend Ryan and our two pugs. I have a large family and I adore my nieces and nephews. I love reading memoirs, and learning about child development and psychology. I love watching The Game of Thrones, Teen Mom, Sister Wives and Veep. I like listening to Jason Isbell, John Prine, and other alt-country or Americana music. I created Emily Reviews as a creative outlet to share my life and the products that I love with others.

Follow Emily on Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram

www.emilyreviews.com/category/emily