Icebreaker Kitsilano

The friendliest service. I was recommended a leggings which they didn’t have in my size. Phoned three other stores for me, and still couldn’t find one for me. No up selling, super honest, and friendly even though I gave them no sale.

My husband and I love this store and their products! Oh how I could have a complete wardrobe in wool. I find their products well made and long lasting, very comfortable and cozy. The perfect fabric for West Coast Canada. We’ve always had great service but recently they really made us happy.
We had bought a water bottle for our son and a few weeks later he dropped it just the wrong way on it’s lid, the lid shattered. We tried to get a replacement from the manufacturer but as they are in the US and don’t regularly ship to Canada it was soon becoming a painful endeavour. A $ 3 lid was going to end up costing $ 20, and we still have a useless but awesome water bottle.
We tried just going into the store and on the spot they offered us a whole new bottle. We really just needed to lid so they replaced it and off we went. It’s a small thing but very much appreciated in great customer service.

I like their thicker items but be VERY wary of their 200 line. I have at least 3 of these «200» density pieces, and they all have suffered runs (yes, just like a pair of pantyhose) in them, the boy shorts underwear suffer the quickest/​the worst and I never put them in the dryer and always place them in a lingerie wash bag when they hit the delicate cycle. IB pretends they have never heard of this issue when I raised it with them, but I have chatted with numerous other owners of their goods and they say they have a very definite tendency to run. Sadly Icebreaker just keeps feigning ignorance.
I also find their products simply don’t «wick» like everyone says they do. I wear their pieces backcountry touring. I sweat, the piece gets wet and I get chilled for the rest of the day.
To spend the money that one does on their goods, it definitely should NOT run. I’m more apt to buy helly hansen these days. Great product, more affordable and keeps me just as warm… without the runs and eventual (quick) death of the item.

This review is mostly about Icebreaker clothing but since I have indeed shopped at the TouchLab, I’m giving it the five star salute!
As a professional outdoor guide, I expect quality in my technical gear and find it worthy to spend what is necessary to receive quality products (sometimes it’s true you get what you pay for). Icebreaker has exceeded my expectations time and time again.
As a native Californian, I wanted some clothes to wear here in Canada that were super warm, comfortable and layered very easily. Icebreaker to the rescue!
Every fall I spend a small fortune on Icebreaker merino wool clothing. The fit is perfect, the fabric is soft and luxurious, I can wear it days on end without the stink one gets with synthetic clothing and even if I decide to wash it frequently, the fabric stands up to the abuse. I am wearing a pair of Icebreaker socks right now that I purchased last year, wore nearly three times a week for the last 12 months and they are barely showing wear and tear around the toe box. Not only are they tough, but they are knee high socks and they have NEVER fallen from around my calves. Amazing. I just ordered three more pairs.
When I’m sea kayak guiding, people often ask me what clothes I like to wear and how much I put on (Northern Pacific rain forests can be very wet and cool) and I’m proud to answer ICEBREAKER and LAYERS OF IT!
Yes, the pieces are expensive but I think they’re worth it. The only times I have had holes appear in my Icebreaker clothing is when I get too close to the camp fire.
I highly recommend these garments.

Went to their annual sale in Vancouver (it was still expensive, but what a great deal). I have used alot of technical active cloths non-​merino (Arcteryx, Patagonia, N. Face, Sugoi, etc) and they function well. However, IB or Merino is in a class of their own. Yes, IB is expensive and initially I was only going to purchcase 1 – 2 pieces. Ended up getting like 8 pieces + socks. You can only imagine how much that cost.
I took out the 260 g/​m2 long sleeve for a mtb ride the the other day to test it. I wore a light Sugoi shell overtop to block the wind. Sure, i sweat but it kept me warm and comfy during the 1.30hr outing. I hung it out to dry afterwards and wore it the next day around town. No stink and feels just like the way it was before I rode. Amazing properties.
Not only do I have 8 pieces to rotate from, I’ll never have to do laundry again. only kidding. From what I’ve heard you only have to wash it occasionally (depends on how much you sweat etc). Probably one of the reasons why Merino last longer, because of less washes.

Pricey, yes but worth it. Have been looking for a women’s double zipper hoodie for years and finally found some at Icebreaker. And one was purple! I also got a free pair of underwear which is something I would never have purchased but now I will go back and buy some more. So warm and toasty! Although it took me two weeks to get up the nerve to spend $ 199 on a hoodie, I’m seriously thinking about returning and buying one in black. I’ve washed the purple one (must air dry) and it is still perfect. I highly recommend this store for items to keep you warm through the damp winter.

I know it isn’t technically that cold here in Vancouver, but in my defense I’m a transplant from sunny California. I’m cold.
A friend recommended Icebreaker, I wasn’t quite convinced that I should spend that much on long underwear. However, my partner got some things, and me being me, I ended up borrowing them and found that I liked how soft everything was. Of course, him being him, he insisted I stop stealing his and get my own.
I got a base layer top and bottom. The great thing about Icebreaker stuff is you basically never have to wash it, they don’t smell, or at least that’s what they advertise. So far I’ve worn mine 2 weeks straight and they really don’t smell (yeah I know that’s pretty gross). I will wash them soon, just trying to see how far I can push it.
Inside tip: get on their mailing list, they have a warehouse sale once a year in the Fall. I haven’t been but I’ve heard that you can save tons at that event. I’m definitely planning to go next time.

I have quite a bit of merino wool: some Icebreaker, some Sugoi, some Arcteryx.
I wear the Sugoi product most frequently – it’s designed for cycling, and that’s my primary activity – and it’s held up well. EVERY piece of Icebreaker clothing I have has holes in it. I keep restitching it, but it’s gotten to be a serious problem.
Beautiful looking stuff, but not worth the price they’re asking if it wears out quickly. From an environmental standpoint, you might even be better off buying synthetic product that lasts quite a bit longer.

I. am. so. weak. So very, very weak. So weak in fact that even the thought of the man-​ram (
) makes me reach for my Visa.
Icebreaker is not really trendy, the colours are staples, the cuts are classic, the designs are simple. So why is it that for Icebreaker I’m willing to fork over all of my dough? Quality + warmth + the way it feels.
Quality: I can go multiple wearings without washing. And that on its own is good enough for me. I pack one hoodie for a 4 legged trip, wear it on each airplane ride, air it out for the day and wear it when I’m lounging in my hotel room at night. Zero airplane odour. I can wear a tank top up a mountain in the blazing sun, air it out for an hour and then wear it to dinner the same night. And I can repeat that cycle several times over. Brilliant!
Warmth: 100% merino wool in various weights equals different levels of warmth or coolness. And I own the gamut — tank tops, long sleeved undershirts, hoodies, dresses, leggings, capris, jackets — multiple.
Feeling: I like this store. The layout: Guys on the left, girls on the right. The staff know their product and can explain the layering system. They’re helpful, but not in your face. The first time I put on an Icebreaker shirt, I knew it. I was hooked.

Want to know how to convince me to come into your shop? Have an extremely ripped guy only wearing tight boxer briefs and a rams head waving from the doorway.
I’m not sure if I stumbled across their official opening or a soft opening but they were serving a variety of alcoholic and non-​alcoholic beverages to customers and the place was crawling with sales staff who greeted you at every turn. Icebreaker is an ethical New Zealand company that makes pure lightweight merino attire. One of their big selling point is that their garments do not retain odor so you can wear the thing multiple days without washing. In principle that sounds like a good thing but in practice, I’m thinking not so much. One of the salespeople also told me that if you put the barcode of your garment in online you can trace its manufacture from the shearing on down — that falls into my personal TMI category but some people might find that interesting.
Obviously people were very already familiar with the Icebreaker product line because they were grabbing armloads of the stuff like a boxing day sale at Future Shop. The price tags are not cheap — basic t-​shirts $ 69 and lightweight jackets around $ 169. I think I saw some 50% off coupons in the crowd so that may explain the buying frenzy.
Overall, the store is nicely merchandised and the sales staff is friendly and helpful. It is more expensive then what you could find at MEC but it has that fancy logo on it so for some people that might be a strong selling point.