9 Icelandic Clothing Brands for your Outdoor Adventures

9 Icelandic Clothing Brands for your Outdoor Adventures

Clothing for outdoor adventures is not hard to come by in this day and age. For those looking to shop locally, odds are that you will get your hands on a design that is just right for you, and if that doesn’t work out, online stores are there to save the day.

Because those of you coming to this selection are from across the globe, for some time now, we have been looking at several brands that make great quality outdoor clothing, at times focusing on a single brand, and other times focusing on brands from a particular country.

We have gone through a number of countries so far, including those of the Scandinavian peninsula, which are part of the Nordic countries, in which Iceland is a part of, too.

Iceland is a country with a rich history and some of the most impressive geological landscapes in the world. Active volcanoes, strong winds, and cold temperatures are just some of its characteristics, and with those come particular clothing requirements.

While Iceland brands have primarily been focused on providing quality winter designs that could withstand the harsh weather, some innovative and impressively stylish brands have emerged in the last few decades, too.

Today, we will be looking at 9 Icelandic brands that make great designs for both activewear, as well as for a casual day out.

Let’s take a look!

Contents:

1. 66° North

66 north brand website
66° North official website

We could not compile a selection of Icelandic outdoor clothing brands, or any other type of brands, for that matter, without including 66° North.

A brand established nearly a century ago, 66° North was founded by Hans Kristjánsson in 1926.

It was originally a brand that catered to the fishermen of Iceland, who worked in tough and challenging conditions, requiring clothing that could withstand the weather and harsh seas. It is a brand renowned for its incredibly high quality and functional clothing, with designs for a variety of outdoor activities, both professional and amateur ones.

66°North - About us

This video will be loaded from YouTube.com, a third party. If you click "Play", you accept their terms of service, and their use of cookies.

Throughout the decades, 66° North has expanded its design range and has also won an award for the Snaefell jacket.

Another thing that bears mentioning is their dedication to sustainable means of production, through ethical and responsible means of sourcing their raw materials.

They instruct customers on proper care for their products and offer repair services that help extend the lifetime of their designs, thus reducing the impact on the environment.

For those looking for high-performance clothing, this is one of the top three Icelandic brands in the outdoor clothing market.

66°North produces mainly in Europe but also has a few products that are handmade in Iceland like the premium Sölvhóll Collection.

Don’t miss: 9 Scandinavian Shoes and Boots Brands for Rain and Cold Weather

66°North - Snaefell jacket

This video will be loaded from YouTube.com, a third party. If you click "Play", you accept their terms of service, and their use of cookies.

2. Cintamani

cintamani website
Cintamani official website

Another one of the most renowned Icelandic brands, Cintamani‘s story begins in 1989 and the name of the brand means ‘jewel of good wishes’ in ancient Sanskrit.

This is a brand that provides lots of variety and many versatile designs, which are primarily winter wear, made to withstand the worst weather conditions that arctic winters have to offer.

We would like to mention in particular their merino wool base layers and underwear, which are perfect for winter weather and can be worn under pants, jeans, and other outdoor clothing.

In their product range, you can find both functional outerwear, such as jackets, coats, and parkas, but also other clothes and accessories, too, for a well-rounded experience.

You might also like: 9 Norwegian Clothing and Jacket Brands for Your Outdoor Adventures

3. ZO•ON Iceland

zo on iceland website
ZO•ON Iceland official website

ZO•ON is a brand inspired by Icelandic nature, made by outdoor enthusiasts for outdoor enthusiasts.

Jon Erlendsson and Martti Kellokumpu, its founders, established the brand in 1994 with the purpose of designing clothing that would provide much-needed protection against the arctic cold for fishermen, hikers, skiers, golfers and anyone else who enjoy the outdoors as much as they themselves do.

To really provide the best experience with their designs, ZO•ON has developed and relies on a number of technical fabrics, which are versatile and perform at different levels, oftentimes complementing each other.

Their collections are harmonious not just in their looks, but in their functionality, too, with pieces that go along with others, thus providing an experience that is hard to match. Designs for adults and children are available, including accessories.

When it comes to manufacturing, as you can read on its Faq page, ZO•ON makes its technical products in China and Vietnam and sources its cotton in India. All this while following a high-quality standard.

ZO•ON Black Label

This video will be loaded from YouTube.com, a third party. If you click "Play", you accept their terms of service, and their use of cookies.

4. Icewear

icewear brand website
Icewear official website

With a history that dates back to 1972, Icewear is a specialist brand when it comes to woolen garments. The brand itself was founded nearly 10 years later, in 1984, with the intent of expanding its product range and designing outerwear for a variety of outdoor activities.

Their products are quite impressive and appealing in terms of how good they look. However, their performance is also impressive and the high quality of materials used, for example, Icelandic wool, is evident in the longevity of these garments.

While you will find parkas and technical jackets for guaranteed protection against the elements, their knitwear is definitely worth a try as it is where the brand’s design philosophy really shines through.

And if by now, you’re still wondering if Icewear is a good brand, we think it is, but it also depends on what you’re looking for. You can also read their customers’ reviews on Trustpilot here.

Icewear wool products and outdoor clothing

This video will be loaded from YouTube.com, a third party. If you click "Play", you accept their terms of service, and their use of cookies.

You might also like: 8 Swedish Outdoor Clothing Brands (Our Favorites)

5. Inklaw Clothing

inklaw brand website
Inklaw Clothing official website

A brand focusing on minimalistic but quite eye-catching designs, Inklaw clothing (Website not available at the moment) is popular in the country due to its style and quality.

Their designs are more oriented towards streetwear for men and women, but they also feature a number of winter wear and jackets, which provide adequate protection against the cold and weather.

This is a brand endorsed by celebrities due to the unique and easily-recognizable style of their designs.

Inklaw was established in 2013 and you might be surprised to know that its founders were only 19 years old at the time. Nowadays, Inklaw is one of the few brands that is entirely comprised of handmade products, designed by Guðjón, one of the founders.

But a quality brand requires quality marketing, which Róbert, the other founder, takes care of.

Their passion for hip-hop was what inspired their streetwear designs, which grew quite quickly in popularity, partly due to being one of the few brands of its kind in the country.

Read also: 9 Finnish Brands for Outdoors and Casual Wear

6. Farmers Market

farmers market brand website
Farmers Market official website

Farmers Market is a high-end Icelandic clothing brand, established in 2005 by Bergthora Gudnadottir and Jóel Pálsson, a couple that drew inspiration from their passion for music and arts. Their designs are renowned for their stylish and chic look, featuring options for men, women, and children.

The materials used by the brand are sourced through sustainable and responsible means, with a considerable focus on recycled content to reduce the impact on the environment and help their clothes be more ethical and eco-friendly.

While you will not really find technical clothing in their product range, their coats and other outerwear are stunning and ideal for a day out in town in the cold of Icelandic winter.

Their sweaters and knitwear are definitely worth a try and we especially like the woolen coats. Along with Icelandic wool, the brand also uses materials that come from different countries.

You might also like: 8 Danish Brands for Outdoor Activities

7. Swimslow

swimslow brand website
Swimslow official website

Swimslow is a brand that differs from the rest quite substantially. As its name indicates, this is not technically an outerwear brand, but rather one focused on swimming.

Iceland offers beautiful hot springs and beaches, which require swimsuits to enjoy comfortably in the company of others.

Swimslow is an interesting brand, which makes sustainable swimwear that is manufactured in Italy but designed in Iceland.

They are made of recycled materials and feature weaves of rugs and fish nets that are made in Slovenia and then finalized in Italy, per the OEKO-TEX® standard.

While their product range is slowly expanding, featuring a swimwear brand is a first in our selection and Swimslow is definitely worth a try.

Read next: 9 Finnish Shoes and Boots Brands: Our Top Picks

8. The Icelandic Store

The Icelandic Store official website
The Icelandic Store official website

The Icelandic Store is a brand that doesn’t sell only clothing but also home products, accessories, and food. The company started small in Reykjavik in 2008 as a family-run business and since then it has expanded to become a global brand with customers from all over the world.

What’s important to note about this brand is that it uses only local materials, from Iceland, and the manufacturing is also made in Iceland. Their main products are sweaters that are hand-knitted in Iceland using high-quality wool from Icelandic sheep as you can read on their About and FAQ pages.

Don’t miss: 6 Norwegian Shoes and Boots Brands: Our Favorites

9. The Handknitting Association of Iceland

The Handknitting Association of Iceland official website
The Handknitting Association of Iceland official website

The Handknitting Association of Iceland is all about knitted products as you may have guessed from its name. This brand was founded in 1977 and sells wool sweaters for men, women, and kids as well as blankets and accessories such as hats, beanies, and mittens.

Their handmade products are knitted in Iceland and the wool is 100% sourced from Icelandic sheep.

Read next: 9 Danish Shoes and Boots Brands: Our Top Picks

– – – –

This concludes our selection of Icelandic brands and we hope you found them as interesting as we did! Below you can find some frequent questions that people usually make about clothing brands from Iceland and our answers.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are these Good Brands?

Overall, these are all good brands, with good customer support and beautiful designs. However, it usually depends on what you’re looking for in an outdoor clothing brand. For example, you may prefer companies that manufacture in a particular place, and this brings us to the next question.

Are these Brands “Made in Iceland”?

Not all these brands are “Made in Iceland”, only a part of them. Also, some of them have a part of their product lines made in the Nordic country and the rest elsewhere.

We’ve written in the descriptions above if the brands were making their products (or some products) in Iceland, from the information we could find during our research. So, pay attention before buying, especially online, and maybe ask the seller first, if this is important to you.

Because there is a myriad of possible configurations. For example, some brands only design their products in Iceland, others only use Icelandic materials while producing elsewhere, and only a few design, manufacture, and source their wool and other materials in Iceland.

Nothing wrong with either of these companies’ choices, just that you, the customer, should make informed decisions when shopping, in our opinion.

Moreover, the price should also give you an overall indication of the product manufacture because, for example, a sweater that is handmade in Iceland with locally-sourced wool will take around 20 hours of work as you can read here, and will most likely cost more than $200. Also, on Reddit, you’ll find some interesting discussions about this.

– – – –

And that’s all for this article! Do you have any other questions or something else to add? Let us know in the comments below.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

To learn how we use your data when you comment, read our Privacy Policy.