Martin Curtis explains the benefits of British wool.

Natural

Wool is a natural fibre, not manmade. The sheep has evolved to produce a fibre that has become one of the most effective natural forms of all-weather protection known to man.

Sustainable

Every year sheep produce a new fleece, making wool a renewable fibre source. Woolgrowers actively work to improve efficiency and care for natural resources, endeavouring to make the wool industry sustainable for future generations.

Biodegradable

When a natural wool fibre is disposed of it takes only a few years to decompose. Most synthetics, on the other hand, are extremely slow to degrade.

Environmental Advantage of the Appearance Retention of Quality Wool

The benefits of durability and appearance retention reduce frequent replace and renew consumption which contributes to landfill and CO2 emissions.

Natural Insulator

Wool can insulate the home, providing and retaining heat and warmth, helps to reduce energy costs and prevents the loss of energy to the external environment and so reduces carbon emissions.

Breathable

Wool has a natural structure which allows it to absorb and release humidity either in the atmosphere or perspiration from the wearer. It is able to acclimatise to individual environments ensuring that the room or wearer is never too hot or too cold.

Wool also has a large capacity to absorb moisture vapour (up to 30% of its own weight) and sweat next to the skin, making it extremely breathable.

Durable

A wool fibre can be bent 20,000 times without breaking and has the power to elongate, stretch and recover. This is why wool products last for years. Wool maintains appearance in the longer term which reduces the need to replace and adds value to the product. Natural wool has a wonderful hue and when dyed, wool is colourfast.

Multi-climatic

Wool is active, reacting to changes in one’s body temperature to keep you warm when you’re cold but releasing heat and moisture when you’re hot.

Elastic

The natural elasticity of the wool fibre means it stretches with the wearer but then returns to its natural shape, so there is less chance of garments sagging or losing their shape.

Easy Care

Recent innovations mean wool items are no longer hand-wash only and many wool products can now be machine-washed and tumble dried. Wool fibres have a natural protective layer which prevents stains from being absorbed. They also pick up less dust as they are static resistant.

A Safe Solution

Wool has a naturally higher UV protection than most synthetics and cotton. It is naturally flame retardant due to its high water and nitrogen content, has a higher ignition threshold than many other fibres and will produce less toxic and noxious fumes that cause death in fire situations.

As wool absorbs moisture it reduces the amount of sweat left on the body, therefore reducing the amount of odour produced. Wool is not known to cause allergy and does not promote the growth of bacteria. As a carpet wool can reduce floating dust in the atmosphere as the surface of a single wool fibre is covered in microscopic scales that trap and hold dust in the top layers until vacuumed away.