A guide to choosing the best wool

What does what is written on the care label really mean and what is best? Here is our guide to help you choose the best wool garments.

100% wool
Mixing wool with synthetic fibers results in a much lower production cost, but no benefits for you. Pure wool is renewable, requires less energy in production, does not emit microplastics and is biodegradable.

Sensitive skin?
If you are usually sensitive to wool, a good alternative is to choose alpaca wool, which does not contain lanolin and is therefore hypoallergenic. Another option is wool mixed with silk.

Wool is also mixed with cotton, but can be more difficult to keep clean as cotton often needs to be washed hotter than wool.

Can you trust what is written on the laundry label?
Not always. It is the manufacturer of the garments who decides what is written there, and it is not checked. If you are holding a garment that does not feel like pure wool, despite being labeled 100% wool, then it is quite possible that you are right.

Wool washed at 40 degrees?
Finishing treatments such as Superwash are also not included on the care label. Superwash means that the wool is covered with a thin plastic film. Other finishing treatments change the natural fiber structure of the wool.

These finishing treatments ensure that the garment does not shrink - so if a wool garment is marked with a 40 degree wash, which untreated wool cannot withstand, then you know that this is the case.

Loose vs. tightly spun wool?
Wool yarn can be loosely or tightly spun. Tightly spun yarn gives garments that feel harder, while loosely spun yarn gives softer and more “fluffy” garments. Tightly spun yarn tends to give the garment longer durability, as the fibers are held in place better. Thick yarn can also give a longer lifespan than garments knitted from very thin yarn.

Here, one is not necessarily better than the other - it's about what you want for different uses.

Short vs long fibers?
There will still be differences in quality: yarn spun from only short fibers will shorten the lifespan of the garment regardless of whether it is tightly or loosely spun, and whether it is thin or thick. Short fibers fall out of the thread more easily and cause holes more quickly.

The best indicator of this is usually the price of the garment - long fibers are used in the highest quality yarns, and high-quality productions command a higher price.

The importance of craftsmanship
The quality of the finished wool garment depends just as much on how it is knitted. Skilled craftsmen know how to use different yarn qualities in the best possible way.

Another sign of good craftsmanship is that the garments are knitted “fully fashioned”. This means that the different parts of the garment are knitted in their final shape, instead of being cut out of a large, rectangular piece. This is done by manually removing one stitch at a time while knitting, so that the shape changes, just like in hand knitting. It requires specialized craftsmen and is more time-consuming than “cut and sew”. The result is garments with neater seams, better fit and elasticity. It also leaves no cut-off scraps.

Certifications
Reliable certifications are also good guides. They can tell you about working conditions, animal welfare and environmental concerns.