10 REASONS TO CHOOSE WOOL

  1. Pure wool is 100% natural, 100% renewable, 100% sustainable, 100% biodegradable, if you love the planet – use more wool!
  2. It is warm but it is cool too because it adapts to the wearer – that’s why sheep are so snug and content!
  3. Wool is flame retardant and will often self-extinguish. Fire-fighters like it because it produces less smoke and toxic fumes – making it a safer choice for the home.
  4. Strong and long lasting – wool carpets and rugs can take lots of heavy wear and are known to look better for longer – quality always lasts!
  5. Sleep well with a wool bed, pillow, duvet and blanket – scientific tests show that wool will create a sleep climate perfect for you… deeper sleep, lasting comfort and sweet dreams.
  6. Wool has hypoallergenic and anti-bacterial properties – it makes the air that we breathe cleaner and better.
  7. Wrap your babies in wool so they breathe easy… wool will keep them cosy and warm but not too hot as it cleverly changes to their temperature needs and is good for their skin.
  8. Insulate with it, soundproof with it, wear it, walk on it, wrap things with it. The world’s oldest renewable fibre is also the most versatile and modern.
  9. Sheep are amazing – they graze peacefully, grow wonderful wool, we use it to make beautiful textiles and the whole process begins again… no depletion, just sustainable and sensible.
  10. Wool is smarter than any other fibre – it travels a long way on its journey from the sheep to finished product but it never loses any of its remarkable qualities and it looks and feels fabulous too.

 

WOOL FACTS

GENERAL

100% NATURAL
Wool grows naturally on sheep, it is a keratin protein fibre, similar to human hair and is 100% natural and not man-made.

RENEWABLE
As long as there is grass to graze on, water to drink, air and sunshine sheep will produce a new fleece every year, making wool a renewable fibre source.

BIODEGRADABLE
At the end of its useful life, wool can be returned to the soil or the marine environment where it decomposes, releasing valuable nitrogen-based nutrients into the ground/ocean.

When wool is disposed of in soil or water, it takes a very short time to break down, whereas most synthetics and plastics are extremely slow to degrade, if at all.

BREATHABLE
Wool has a large capacity to absorb moisture vapour (up to 30 per cent of its own weight) next to the skin, making it extremely breathable, and comfortable to wear in extremes and changes of temperature.
Wool fibres are crimped, and when tightly packed together, in yarn or fabric, form millions of tiny pockets of air. This unique structure allows wool to absorb and release moisture vapour either into the atmosphere or via perspiration from the wearer – without compromising its thermal efficiency.

MULTI-CLIMATIC/ TRANSEASONAL
Whether it’s hot, cold, humid or dry, wool garments are one of the most breathable. Wool can absorb and release twice as much moisture vapour as cotton and thirty times as much as polyester.

When worn next to the skin, wool works as a dynamic buffer in the micro-climate between the fabric and the skin, regulating humidity and temperature.

Thanks to its hygroscopic abilities, wool constantly reacts to changes in body temperature, maintaining its wearer’s thermophysical comfort in both cold and warm weather.

While the exterior layer of a wool fibre is hydrophobic (water-resistant), its inner layer, its cortex, is hydrophilic (water-loving). The cortex can absorb about to one-third of its weight in moisture without feeling damp.

RESILIENT
Due to wool fibres being like a coiled spring they return to their original shape during wear and have a natural resistance to wrinkles. They resist tearing and are able to be bent back and forth on themselves over 20,000 times without breaking.

PROTECTION
Since the Stone Age, wool has been appreciated as one of the most effective forms of all-weather protection known to man, and science is yet to produce a man-made fibre which matches its unique properties.

For thousands of years, sheep have been able to adapt to even the harshest of environments, as their wool protects them through hot, cold, damp and dry seasons.

COMFORT STRETCH
Due to its crimped, zig-zag, structure, wool has a natural elasticity so wool garments have the ability to stretch comfortably with the wearer and then return to their natural shape, making them resistant to wrinkling and sagging.

Wool maintains its appearance in the longer term, adding value to the product, reduces the requirement for excessive laundering and extending its lifespan.

EASY CARE & STAIN RESISTANT
The protective outer layer on a wool fibre makes wool products resistant to staining. Many wool products can now be machine-washed and tumble dried.

Recent innovations, in white goods and wool treatments, mean wool items are no longer hand-wash only.

ANTI-STATIC
Merino wool is naturally anti-static which means it also attracts less dirt, dust and lint.

ODOUR RESISTANT
Wool is far more efficient than other textiles at absorbing sweat and releasing it into the air, before bacteria has a chance to develop and produce unpleasant body odour.

As wool absorbs the sweat moisture vapour it leaves less perspiration on the skin and is easily refreshed by airing. With wool’s natural ability to shed dirt and bacteria it can be worn longer between washes.

A SAFE SOLUTION
High in water and nitrogen content, wool is naturally flame-retardant. Wool does not melt, drip or to stick to the skin causing burns, and when subject to extreme heat it produces less smoke and less noxious fumes.

Wool’s requires high levels of oxygen in order to burn and has a far higher ignition threshold compared to other fibres which prevents the spread of flames.

UV PROTECTION
Wool provides good protection from the sun and has a naturally high level of UV protection, which is much higher than most synthetic fibres and cotton.

As a natural fibre, evolved over millions of years to protect sheep against the elements, wool absorbs UV radiation providing protection from the sun, making it a good choice for a wide range of outdoor activities.

WOOL IS GOOD FOR THE SKIN
Recently published research has demonstrated that wearing superfine wool next to the skin is therapeutic for eczema sufferers, challenging misconceptions that all wool is prickly and itchy.

Medical professionals from across the world have reviewed research papers published during the past 100 years to critically assess scientific studies claiming wool causes allergy. Debunking the ‘Myth of Wool Allergy’ the researchers conclude that there is no credible evidence wool is an allergen. It found that if a fabric does cause sensations of itch and prickle on the skin then it is because of the large diameter/coarseness of the fibres and not due to the fibre type being wool.

SLEEP
It may surprise you to learn that wool could be the solution to a better night’s sleep. Wool is a natural sleeping aid, so if you’re not sleeping well, switching to wool bedding is one way to improve your sleep quality.

The 7 Surprising Sleep Benefits of Wool – It keeps you cool, It keeps you warm, It stops you getting sweaty, Wool defeats dust mites, It defends against fungal spores, naturally safe and is naturally sustainable.

WOOL FORMS PART OF A NATURAL CARBON CYCLE
Sheep consume organic carbon by eating plants and store this in their fleece. Fifty percent of a fleece’s weight is pure organic carbon stored in a durable, wearable form.

 

CARPETS/INTERIORS/INSULATION

HARD WEARING
A wool carpet pile will bounce back quickly and keep its shape for longer than any other carpet. Ideal for busy areas in the home and longevity.

WOOL CARPET IS NATURALLY SAFE
Wool is not known to cause allergies and does not promote the growth of bacteria. It can even reduce floating dust in the atmosphere as the fibre’s microscopic scales are able to trap and hold dust in the top layers until vacuumed away.

WOOL CARPET IS HEALTHY
Wool naturally reduces dust particles, provides thermal insulation allowing the room to remain a comfortable temperature, converts sound energy to heat, therefore dissipating noise, and is comfortable to walk on.

CARPET CLEANING SAFETY
Wool carpets have a natural resistance to spills and stains and can be cleaned easily with a natural water solution of mild detergent. Unlike polypropylene carpets which are cleaned with bleach, leaving toxic residues.

NATURAL INSULATOR
The crimp in a wool fibre provides consistent resilience to ensure insulation efficiency. Used in the home, wool insulation helps to reduce energy costs and prevents the loss of heat energy, thus reducing carbon emissions.

As wool contains moisture, it is fire resistant, extinguishing itself when the source of flame is removed. It is also a very effective for airborne and structure borne acoustic insulation, significantly reducing noises that can be heard throughout a building.

Wool fibres are breathable, meaning they can absorb and release moisture without reducing thermal performance unlike fibre glass-based products.

Wool does not support combustion and will extinguish itself in the event of fire.

SAFE TO TOUCH AND WORK WITH
Wool is perfectly safe to touch and requires no specialised safety clothing or equipment. Wool insulation is easy to install, causes no irritation to the eyes, skin or lungs and wool fibres present no hazard to health.

AIR QUALITY
When used in interior textiles such as carpets and upholstery, Wool absorbs and locks away pollutants such as volatile organic carbons (VOCs) from the air more rapidly than other fibres.

NOISE REDUCTION
Wool carpets and interiors have two distinct advantages to significantly improve the acoustic performance of a room, as it acts as a sound absorber and reduces impact noise.

Sound absorption is important in both commercial and residential applications because it assists in creating a more pleasant environment in which it is possible to eliminate or reduce unwanted or unpleasant sounds and focus on those which are desired.

 

LONGEVITY

SLOWING DOWN FAST FASHION
To combat the current throw-away culture, research shows that the average life of a wool garment is 2-10 years, compared to 2-3 years, or less, for garments made from other fibres.

WOOL CONTRIBUTES TO A CIRCULAR ECONOMY
Wool fibres are high quality and durable, capable of reuse, repair and recycling, ultimately reducing landfill disposal. Wool is routinely upcycled into woollen-spun knitwear, insulation and geotextiles; all of which contribute to a circular economy.

REUSE
Wool is the most reused fibre. Even though wool represents only 1.2% of the virgin fibre supply, surveys have shown it represents about 5% of clothing donated to charity.

RECYCLE
Wool is one of the most sought after recycled textiles for converting into new long-lasting products, such as garments, mattresses and upholstery.

REPAIR
Repair and invisible mending are ways to extend the life of favourite wool items. Visible mending is now becoming as way to individualise your garments with design and mending patterns and techniques.

 

WELFARE

WOOL IS WELFARE ASSURED
Woolgrowers actively work to safeguard the environment and improve efficiency, endeavouring to make the wool industry sustainable for future generations.

Farmers conform to the strictest standards of animal welfare as embodied in the IWTO Specifications for Wool Sheep Welfare included in the Dumfries House Declaration.

FIVE FREEDOMS
The IWTO Five Freedoms form the basis of strictly enforced national animal welfare legislation in each of the major wool-growing countries.

The IWTO Specifications are premised on the Five Freedoms of Animal Welfare as set forth by the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE): freedom from hunger and thirst, freedom from discomfort, freedom from pain, injury or disease, the freedom to express normal behaviour, and freedom from fear and distress.