The Wool Wire | February 5, 2026

News snippets from the wool world

Hello, my friends,

I've been saying "wool is your friend" a lot lately—and not just because it's been so cold. Wool really is your friend. It soothes and comforts and feeds and buffers and conducts and blocks in ways no single manufactured fiber can do, at least not without adding a ton of dubious chemicals to the mix.

And so this week I propose that we celebrate all the ways in which wool is our friend. Starting with the place where we spend approximately one-third of our lives: in bed, trying to sleep.

A new study by British Wool and the IWTO, with funding from Welsh Government, confirms that wool comforters offer superior heat conductivity, insulation, and humidity buffering.

Wool emerged as the warmest fibre type...with the study confirming that wool is a better insulator than down by 17%, synthetic by 25% and feather and down by 30%. Thermal testing also concluded that wool retains more heat over time, meaning it will maintain a more consistent temperature throughout the night than any other fibre type.

Translation: Wool really does keep your body comfortable so you can fall asleep and stay asleep.

New research puts wool bedding in pole position

New research conducted by British Wool, the International Wool Textile Organisation (IWTO) and Bangor University has concluded that wool is the ultimate…

Furniture News

What's up in Wales?

If you want to dig deeper into what's happening with wool in Wales right now, this article will get you where you need to go. The piece explores efforts underway to unravel the complex legacy of wool in Wales, with a hopeful eye to a reconciliation and resurgence.

Our seismic climate crisis might feel insurmountable on an individual level, but supporting local artisans and small businesses is one simple way to protect the rural economy against fast fashion. Increasingly, the rise of social media ‘knitfluencers’ amongst younger generations and the proliferation of visible mending fashions not only promotes the preservation of traditional Welsh craft skills, but also hints at a younger cultural appetite for an experience that feels organic and real. Wool is a timeless offering: a small protest in the face of what can feel like a synthetic and disposable world.

Hear hear!

Spinning towards the future: how is Welsh wool tackling our worn-out ways?

Julia Bottoms unspools Welsh wool’s colonial history and explores the research helping wool fight against fast fashion and the climate crisis.

Buzz MagazineBuzz

Is that a dash lamb?

We might spend a third of our lives in bed, but many of us also spend a significant amount of time in our cars. I'm happy to report that Volvo engineers are doubling down on their investment in wool—not just on the seats but on the door panels and dashboards too. What better way to soothe your traffic-wary soul than by being swaddled in wool?

These words warmed my heart, from Sara Erichsen Susnjar, Volvo’s Senior Design Manager for Color, Materials & Finish:

“We, as Volvo design, we always want to work with natural materials,” Susnjar said. “So, wool is like the most premium material that we can think of, like, in furniture design and interior design, and it’s actually a very durable material. So bringing it into the car, it has such nice characteristics, the material—it’s soft, it’s durable, it’s premium looking.”

Volvo Wants to Put Wool in Every Car, and Not Just the Seats

Automotive tastemakers have backed themselves into a corner, defining modern luxury as the absence of tools and tactility. Volvo’s leaning into its roots for a solution.

The DriveAdam Ismail

From fleece to fertile ground

Deep winter is when we start to dream of gardening season, and we know what a good friend wool can be in the garden. Canadian entrepreneur Lindsey Weber continues to push the envelope with her WoolGrown products that amend soil and help suppress weeds. But lofty marketing claims will fly only so far without hard data.

This spring, WoolGrown partnered with the Ecological Farmers Association of Ontario to conduct farmer-led research at a local fruit tree nursery until 2026. The study compares the effectiveness of the wool felt mat, raw wool, wood chips, and a hemp mat. The trial will monitor product degradation and measure soil and plant benefits.

Once that trial is complete, work will begin on a second trial comparing WoolGrown fabric to traditional landscape fabrics—and I look forward to the results.

Keeping comfy in your coat

Speaking of swaddling in wool, can we talk about the wool coat for a minute? I loved this account of one woman's quest to replace her beloved brown wool coat. For anyone living in the back woods of LL Bean territory, as I am, the brands will be new. But I appreciate the level of serious work Simone Kitchens put into her quest—and the attention she paid to every possible detail.

My Last Wool Coat Lasted a Decade. I Went on a Hunt to Replace It.

It needed to be long, brown, and single-breasted.

The StrategistAlex Mill

Felted feet

What better accompaniment to that wool coat than a pair of wool slippers? I was happy to see writer, editor, and cookbook author Lily Ritter given a chance to wax poetic about her Glerups wool slippers for Outside.

Ritter disproves the notion that wool slippers should only be worn at home. Ever since getting her first pair of Glerups in 2019, she's worn them everywhere—including while grocery shopping and running through airports.

Help, I’m Fully Codependent on These Wool Slippers

Six years in Glerups and I’m still wearing them everywhere but the shower

OutsideLily Ritter

On that note, I'll let you go.

Thanks, as always, for your readership and your support.

Until next time, stay warm and be well,

Clara