"Queen among textiles" is the nickname merino wool has earned thanks to its excellent properties. In this article, you will learn why it is so popular, where it comes from and how it is processed. At the end, we also bring a few interesting facts about merino wool in numbers.
It is 100% natural fiber without synthetic additives. Natural fibers are characterized by being produced by plants (cotton) or animals (wool), growing spontaneously, without the need for human intervention. Merino is obtained from specially bred sheep of the merino breed. It is very pleasant and soft, thinner than any other wool. It has found its use mainly in the textile industry. It is said that once you try it, you will never want anything else.
13 reasons why merino wool is so popular
1. 100% natural material
A purely natural material, no artificial synthetics full of chemicals. It is not manufactured using chemical substances or oil. On the contrary, merino wool fibers contain amino acids and natural protein - keratin.
2. Works as a thermal insulator
It captures heat thanks to the structure of the hollow fiber, which has many protrusions that retain the heat produced by the wearer of the clothing. In simple terms, this means that you will not feel cold in merino wool clothing. Body temperature will not change, even with changes in the intensity of movement.
3. Keeps you dry
Merino wool is a highly hydrophobic fiber and thanks to this property it can absorb a lot of moisture. It is one of its most important properties. It can carry moisture away from the body by evaporating sweat into the outside environment (if you have only one layer of clothing, e.g. a merino t-shirt), or retain it within itself (if you have additional layers of clothing). The advantage is that the wearer of the clothing does not feel the moisture at all, even though the wool retains it. It can absorb moisture up to 35% of its weight, without you feeling even a hint of moisture.
4. Despite its dense structure, it breathes
Thanks to the irregular surface structure of the fibers and their natural crimp merino wool is able to breathe. Even though the wool fabric is dense, it is very breathable unlike synthetic fibers.
5. It doesn't scratch, it's pleasant to the touch
It is the finest type of sheep's wool, which makes it very pleasant to wear and it does not scratch at all. Fineness is determined by the diameter of the hollow fiber. The higher the value, the finer the wool. Merino wool fibers are thin, up to 3 times finer than human hair, and they bend during wear. Thanks to the flexibility of the fibers, we do not feel any scratching while wearing them.
6. Hypoallergenic and antibacterial property
It has excellent antibacterial properties thanks to sheep's fat - lanolin, which binds harmful substances and viruses and prevents their decomposition. Merino does not smell, despite absorbing moisture in the form of sweat. In addition, it is suitable for people who need to be cautious when choosing clothing due to allergies. Merino wool should not cause any allergic reactions because it is a natural material, and not synthetic. Merino wool is even recommended for people with skin problems.
7. Suitable also for warm weather
A huge advantage of merino wool is that it is suitable for year-round wear. This means that you can wear it both in warm weather and in winter. In summer, the material pleasantly cools, and in winter it keeps you warm, so you don't need to wear too many layers of clothing. It is perfect for sudden temperature changes, e.g. when moving from an air-conditioned room outside into the heat or vice versa. In summer, merino provides much greater comfort compared to cotton. With merino wool, you don't have to worry about odor or a feeling of moisture.
8. Self-cleaning property and easy maintenance
Lanolin, present in sheep's wool, not only binds harmful substances but also protects against dirt and repels grime. Thanks to this property, merino wool is not demanding to maintain. Often it is enough just to air it out overnight. When washing, it is recommended to use wool detergents. The use of fabric softener is not recommended. The gentlest way of washing is hand washing or machine washing inside out, on a delicate program at a max temperature of 30°C. After washing, it is not recommended to wring or rub the garment, just gently press out the water and let it dry naturally.
9. Water repellency
Another great property of merino wool is water repellency, again thanks to the lanolin content. The material is able to bind water into droplets, which tend to run down the surface.
10. Elasticity and flexibility
Clothing made from merino is very flexible and elastic. The material is non-crease, which makes it easy to iron. The elastic fibers can stretch up to 30% after washing, but shrink back after drying.
11. UV protection
It has a protective factor of UPF 20+, which helps block harmful sun rays. Thanks also to this great property, buying merino outdoor clothing is very advantageous.
12. ECO - does not burden the environment
Suitable for everyone who wants to be an ecological consumer and cares about our planet. Wool can be considered a renewable resource, since every year the wool growth process starts again from the beginning after shearing. Sheep feel no pain after the wool is removed, but shearing is nevertheless necessary. By shearing the sheep, we not only obtain wool for making great products, but we also save their lives. When a sheep has an excess of wool, it cannot effectively regulate its body temperature, which can lead to overheating or even death. In that case, by consuming merino wool, we are actually helping both the sheep and ourselves.
Since merino wool is a natural material, it also becomes compostable, and thus does not burden the environment. It takes approximately a year for merino wool to biologically decompose.
13. Fire resistant
Merino does not melt, nor should it ignite in the presence of fire. Compared to synthetic fibers, it ignites at much higher temperatures. Nylon starts to melt at a temperature of 320°C, polyester around 452°C, while a temperature of 570 to 600°C is needed to ignite merino wool. Even cotton, which is also a natural material, ignites already at a temperature of 225°C.
Due to the fact that the wool batcannot melt onto the skin when ignited, as is the case with synthetic materials. Thanks to its fire safety, merino wool is very often used in public spaces of hotels, airports, etc.
How is Merino wool made?
Currently, the best producers of merino wool in the world are in Australia and New Zealand. They raise sheep on farms in cooler and more humid regions, where temperatures range from +35 to -20 degrees. Thanks to its unpredictable climate and special breeding conditions, the Australian continent has become a leading producer of merino wool. Besides Australia, merino sheep are also raised in other countries such as Russia, the USA, the United Kingdom, France, Turkey, Brazil, China, Canada, and even South Africa. Despite such enormous competition, about 80% of wool production comes from Australia.
Wool is grown year-round on merino breed sheep, which produce a new fleece every year. On average, two to four kilograms can be obtained from one sheep of merino wool per year. There are also top individuals capable of producing up to 10 kg.
Merino wool is composed of a natural protein called keratin (the same protein as the one found in human hair) with a small amount of calcium, sodium, and fat lanolin - also called wool grease, which is secreted by the sheep's skin and serves to protect the fleece. Wool grease is water-repellent and has antibacterial properties, thanks to which it reduces the amount of bacteria in the wool, and thus also odor. The surface of each fiber is covered with microscopic scales, which are important in the production of traditional woolen fabrics and felt.
Fiber length is recorded in millimeters, thickness (fiber diameter) and also fineness are given in microns. One micron equals one millionth of a meter. These are the main measurements used to determine the quality and use of wool. Since not every wool is the same, and differs in thickness, its use is also different.
It is divided into three main categories:
- Fine: used for high-quality textiles - various outdoor clothing, coats, socks, underwear, T-shirts, thermal underwear and many others. Merino wool is the finest type of sheep's wool.
- Medium: this type can be produced from merino wool, or by crossbreeding with another breed.
- Coarse: it is produced by so-called dual-purpose breeds, which are raised not only for wool but also for meat. This type of sheep's wool is used, for example, in the production of carpets.
A bit of history to conclude …
In conclusion, let's reminisce a bit and look at how merino wool actually came into being. As we already know, it grows on sheep of a special merino breed. These are shaggy sheep, which, thanks to their enormous wool, are often up to three times as large as ordinary sheep. These sheep were bred in Spain at the turn of the 13th and 14th centuries, when local sheep were bred with sheep from England. Over the years, the breed was developed to withstand even harsher environments. Thanks to this, merino wool has excellent thermal insulation properties. In the 17th century, these sheep were so valuable in Spain that their export was considered an offense. They became a significant part of the country's income. Later, New Zealand and Australia became the main producers. Merino wool first found use in military uniforms, work clothing, and later also in functional outdoor clothing and accessories.
Interesting facts about merino wool
- on average, 2-4 kg of merino wool can be produced from one sheep per year
- there are more than 450 sheep breeds in the world, of which Merino is one of the oldest
- the average thickness of human hair is between 50 and 100 microns, while merino fiber measures 22 microns. This shows that merino fiber is truly very fine.
- the biodegradation of merino wool takes approximately 1 year
