Because wool felt is a natural product, it comes with a number of useful properties. What is wool felt? Wool felt is made of 100% pure wool, primarily sheep`s wool. It is produced by matting, condensing and pressing raw wool fibers together, and then it is dyed to achieve its rich and beautiful colors. The wool felt we work with is certified to contain natural dyes and free of harmful substances. 

Like all wool fibers, the wool fibers of wool felt have a naturally occurring oil coating on them called Lanolin. The wool fibers are also highly dense. Together Lanolin and the high density of the wool felt make it water-repellent, meaning that liquids will pool and form beads on the surface and absorb very slowly into the felt. Wool felt is not waterproof, but Lanolin and the high density create some delay, before liquids sink in. Therefore, if a spill occurs, it can be absorbed immediately with a paper towel. See Care Instructions for more info on how to care for your felt products. 

There is a common misperception that wool is only for cold weather. This is understandable, because we automatically associate wool with thickness and coziness, hence warmth. The truth is, wool is pleasant in both cold and warm environments thanks to its natural ability to regulate moisture and temperature. It is an active fiber, meaning it reacts to changes in the body's temperature, keeping the body comfortable. Let’s break this down: 

When the environment is warm, wool keeps you drier and cooler compared to other fabrics, such as cotton, nylon, or polyester. This is because wool fabrics can move 25% more moisture and more heat away from the skin. How? When wool absorbs moisture from the skin, it can absorb up to 35% of its weight in moisture, which allows the surface of the wool still to remain dry to the touch. As absorption occurs, the wool fibers transfer this moisture, which also contains body heat, away from the skin and draws it outward, where the moisture evaporates and heat escapes into the surrounding environment. 

When the environment is cold, wool keeps you drier and warmer compared to other fabrics, because it insulates your skin from the cold. How? Wool fibers have a naturally crimped shape that allows them to trap and store for longer warm air or body heat within its structure, thus keeping you warmer. Also, as mentioned above, wool fibers can absorb up to 35% of its weight in moisture, before feeling wet to the skin. When the warm air or body heat trapped inside the wool fibers meets moisture, a drying effect occurs, thus keeping you drier. 

As a result, wool felt does a good job in any season: It is pleasantly warming on cold days, like in winter, and moisture-regulating and temperature-balancing on hot days, like in summer. Therefore, our seat pads (e.g. braided seat pad) offer the right comfort and make longer sitting pleasant. 

Wool felt is naturally fire-resistant. It does not ignite easily, because wool has a high ignition temperature and needs unusually high levels of atmospheric oxygen to burn. Among the fire rating categories, wool felt falls into the best category, which represents a class of materials that exhibit the lowest fire spread rate and minimal smoke production. If circumstances cause the wool felt to burn, it does not melt or drip, and will self-extinguish when the source of the heat or flame is removed. This is because wool fibers contain naturally high levels of nitrogen, which when heated sufficiently to combust, will produce a charring layer, which in turn can prevent further spread of the flame. 

Just like wool, wool felt cleans indoor air. For example, wool carpets significantly improve indoor air quality in homes by rapidly absorbing the common pollutants, such as formaldehyde, sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides. The pollutants are then neutralized by the wool and not re-emitted back into the air. Did you also know that a wool carpet may continue purifying the air for up to 30 years? Astounding, right? Thus, wool felt can contribute to a healthier and cleaner indoor air. 

The complex natural structure of wool fibers enables the wool felt to absorb and lock away unpleasant smells within the felt, where bacteria do not thrive. Upon washing the odors are released. 

Wool felt is excellent for reducing noise or echoes, for example in a room. Think of room or desk dividers, which do just that. They screen off and dampen background noise. When sound waves hit the surface of the felt, instead of being reflected, they are absorbed by it. This performance is achieved, because felt is soft, elastic and has the right level of density. As sound is absorbed, the millions of wool fibers within the felt that are surrounded by tiny microscopic air pockets begin to vibrate resulting in effective sound absorption. Thus, any piece of wool felt in your home, will absorb sound and contribute to a noise dampening effect.   

Wool or wool felt is 100% natural and renewable. Renewable means that wool fibers are able to regrow and replace themselves. Sheep grow wool naturally and continuously by simply using water, air, sunshine, and grass. 

Wool or wool felt is also 100% biodegradable, meaning it will decompose by the action of living organisms, such as fungi and bacteria, when disposed of. When it decomposes, valuable nutrients such as nitrogen, sulphur and carbon are released back into the soil. This is also why wool is used by some as a fertilizer to foster herb and vegetable growth. Wool also biodegrades in a marine environment without polluting it. In addition, it biodegrades relatively quickly in soils and marine systems, that is, in a matter of months or years, depending on the soil, marine environment, climate, and wool characteristics. In contrast, fibers from synthetic textiles degrade extremely slowly, thus accumulating in landfills and oceans, where they damage ecosystems.