ABSORPTION – Merino wool fights cold weather, and keeps you warm even if you get wet or humid. This is because merino wool is very hydrophilic. It absorbs greater amounts of moisture than synthetic fibers, and will therefore keep you warmer longer. Although it is always smart to bring extra change on challenging trips. Merino can carry up to 35% of moisture before the fabric feels humid. In other words, a fabric with 100 % merino wool can absorb moisture equivalent to 35 % of its own weight – without making you feel uncomfortable. Using wool directly on the skin reduces chills. This you will notice if you´re active and get sweaty, before taking a break.

INSULATION – Clothes made from merino wool are good insulators, because of the wrinkled merino fibers. This structure causes millions of small air pockets to hold on to the body heat, creating a buffer against the cold.

REGULATION OF TEMPERATURE – Merino wool naturally control temperature. It regulates by absorbing and releasing moisture. If it gets hot, the wool will make sure to cool itself down by evaporation. Our human bodies do something similar, we will sweat to cool down. This is how wool regulates body temperature and makes sure your don’t get too cold or too hot.

ODOR CONTROL – Merino wool has a constant and natural resistance to the growth of microorganisms, meaning odor. The wool can be used for several days without starting to smell anything as long as the fabric is dried and hung out for air after use. This is due to a combination of its excellent ability to quickly absorb sweat and allow it to evaporate, and the fact that the fibers consists of a negatively charged, ruggedly surface. Bacteria leading to bad odor thrive on a positively charged, smooth surface, as synthetic fibers often have. Actually, most synthetic fibers can increase the degree of bad odor because they create a habitat for bacteria.

HEALTHY MICROCLIMATE – The merino wool’s ability to regulate temperature and humidity, as well as its antibacterial finesse, will help create a healthy microclimate for your skin – which in turn can soothe eczema and other skin problems. An Australian study showed how children with eczema became significantly better by using superfine merino wool, meaning lower than 17.5 microns, over a longer period of time.

WOOLMARK – Devold is licensed by Woolmark and is permitted to use the symbols on our products. The symbols guarantees that the products meet the quality requirements established and controlled by The Woolmark Company. More about Woolmark

EASY-CARE – Merino wool is easy to care for. Most of the wool from Devold can be washed in the machine. The “Easy-Care” process prevents shrinkage and other unwanted surprises. Follow the washing instructions to see if the garment is fit for the dryer or not.

UV PROTECTION – Wool also absorbs UV radiation, providing a natural protection against the sun. The strength may vary from UPF 20 to 50+ depending on the density and color of the fabric.

Merino wool is one of the most sought after, premium choices for apparel in the world; simply because of its diverse benefits. If merino wool is thin enough, it will prevent itching, if its stable enough the thin fibers will not tear, if it’s as good as it gets, you would only need a small amount of water and soap to clean it. Because quality merino wool is really a direct product of the landscape around the animals, a product of grass, water, and air, it is also biodegradable. If you were to compost it, within three months it would most likely disappear. Merino wool, with its fine and soft wavelike ripples, is almost magic.

On windy, hilly, grassy farmland, where crickets bring out their fiddles at sunset and remarkably silent and fluffy sheep graze together during midday – that´s where it seems like time has stood still for centuries. Except, it hasn’t at all. The most outstanding merino sheep farmers in the world, in Australia and on Tasmania, are working hard to innovate their production, procedures, and product every year.

The dozen or so farmer-families that have made the cut for Devold’s exclusive partner list, have evolved for generations, some counting nine back, and the sheep have evolved with them. The production of these farmers is extraordinarily sustainable, remarkably environmental friendly and has eliminated harmful handling of the sheep. The farmers care for the wellbeing of both their land and their animals and have learned to know that a sheep who´s enjoying life, makes enjoyable wool. But most importantly, merino farmers believe in “handing over a farm in better condition than it was at the time of receiving”, from one generation to the next. This way of thinking does not just ensure a more efficient and sustainable farm, it also helps the quality of Devold’s clothes to improve.

It´s springtime, and “Lamby” is born under a eucalyptus tree. A few months into her life she is marked, meaning her tail is removed in order to prevent a build-up of dirt around her hindquarter. A conscientious farmer uses a rubber ring to stop the blood circulation so that the tail falls off by itself without causing Lamby any pain. She will also get an identification tag on her ear, and soon after she will be shorn for the first time, meaning that all her wool will be cut off with an electric machine instead of a Sheep Shear like before. This might be tickly, but not harmful for Lamby.

All of Devold’s Merino wool is long-fibered, which is a biodegradable type of wool with outstanding features. Garments in pure merino wool are basically made for physical activities, in summer as well as winter, because clothes made from this renewable material can absorb and release moisture. Due to this exceptional feature, you will not overheat nor start to freeze. The quality of the wool depends on how the animals are being treated. That is why “The Five Freedoms of Animal Welfare” are supported by all of the farms we work with:

1. Freedom from hunger or thirst by access to fresh water, and a diet to maintain full health and vigour

2. Freedom from discomfort by providing an appropriate environment including shelter and a comfortable resting area

3. Freedom from pain, injury or disease by prevention or rapid diagnosis and treatment

4. Freedom to express normal behaviour by providing sufficient space, proper facilities and company of the animal’s own kind

5. Freedom from fear and distress by ensuring conditions and treatment which avoid mental suffering