United By Blue Journal

Autumn forest trail with golden leaves, hiker's wool socks and boots on rocky path
bison wool

Best Bison Wool Socks: The Warmest Socks You've Never Heard Of

November 18, 2023

Bison wool is one of the rarest fibers in the world. American bison produce roughly 10,000 pounds of usable down fiber per year. For comparison,...

Sunrise over mountain river valley with community gathered along riverbank

An Important Update from United By Blue

October 18, 2023

To the United By Blue Community - United by Blue was started with a simple goal - to clean up at least one pound of...

Dramatic winter mountain landscape with snow-covered peaks and lone hiker
cold weather

Best Wool Socks for Cold Weather: A Fiber-by-Fiber Ranking

September 01, 2023

Not all wool is created equal. The difference between a cold-weather sock that keeps you warm at -20F and one that leaves you miserable comes...

Hiker crossing log bridge in Pacific Northwest forest
alternatives

Smartwool Alternatives: Upgrade Beyond Basic Merino

April 10, 2023

Smartwool deserves credit. In the mid-1990s, Peter and Patty Duke founded the company in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, and introduced mainstream consumers to the idea that...

Merino sheep on rolling green hills at sunset
alternatives

Merino Wool Alternatives: Fibers That Outperform the Gold Standard

March 09, 2023

For the past two decades, merino wool has been the undisputed standard for performance socks. Smartwool, Icebreaker, and Darn Tough built their brands on it....

The 2021 Impact Report

The 2021 Impact Report

January 09, 2023

While some parts of 2021 definitely felt like the sequel to 2020, we found ourselves more prepared to navigate the ‘new normal’ and (sort of)...

What’s So Responsible About a Flannel?

What’s So Responsible About a Flannel?

January 09, 2023

We get it, The Responsible Flannel sounds a bit like an oxymoron. The thought of trusting something so synonymous with 90's grunge fashion with any...

Wool socks on rustic table next to basin of water and lavender
care guide

How to Wash Wool Socks Without Shrinking Them (Complete Guide)

January 08, 2023

Wool socks are an investment. A quality pair of bison, yak, or merino wool socks can last for years — but only if you wash...

American bison herd grazing on prairie at golden hour
bison wool

5 Reasons Bison Wool Is Better Than Merino (Backed by Data)

October 24, 2022

There are roughly 10,000 pounds of bison fiber processed each year in the United States. Compare that to the 2.1 billion pounds of sheep wool...

Deadstock 101: How We Turn Trash Into Bags

Deadstock 101: How We Turn Trash Into Bags

August 22, 2022

Patchworked together using deadstock fabric (that was originally made from recycled plastic bottles), our Deadstock (R)evolutionâ„¢ Bags are pros at putting old trash to new...

Suzanne Nagel on Founding a Yoga Studio, Sustainability, and Insanely Comfy Activewear

Suzanne Nagel on Founding a Yoga Studio, Sustainability, and Insanely Comfy Activewear

July 03, 2022

Meet Suzanne Nagel: Founder of Om Lounge Yoga in Pittsburgh, PA, arm balance enthusiast, and serial repurposer. We asked Suzanne to take our EcoKnitâ„¢ Ribbed...

Sustainable Swim: The Responsible Board Short

Sustainable Swim: The Responsible Board Short

June 28, 2022

This is The Responsible Board Short. No, it’s not going to remind you when it’s time to reapply sunscreen, that one’s still on you. But...

An Intro to Mass Balance Systems: How Cleanup Trash Becomes New Products

An Intro to Mass Balance Systems: How Cleanup Trash Becomes New Products

June 23, 2022

In our latest partnership with Corona, we removed 100,000 pounds of trash from beaches and gave thousands of pounds of ocean plastic a trash-to-treasure moment...

Hands holding recycled fiber textile near a mountain stream with wildflowers
ethical fashion

Best Sustainable Socks: Ethical Brands That Actually Make a Difference

June 22, 2022

The average American buys about 12 pairs of socks per year. Most of those are cheap, synthetic, fast-fashion socks that shed microplastics in the wash...

How To Pick Your Perfect Duffle: A Guide.

How To Pick Your Perfect Duffle: A Guide.

June 15, 2022

Summer is here, meaning the season of road trips, redeyes, and getaways is upon us. Add in regularly scheduled programming like your Tuesday cycling class...