WOOL FACTSWOOL IS
NATURALLY
BREATHABLE
Wool fibres are naturally breathable. They can absorb large
quantities of moisture vapour and allow it to evaporate, making wool
garments feel less clingy and more comfortable than garments madefrom other fibres. In contrast to synthetics, wool is an active fibre thatreacts to changes in the body’s temperature, keeping the wearer comfortable.
Accordingly, wool garments are one of the most breathable of all the common apparel types.
Wool’s natural resistance to odour is another key reason why wool wins for activewear.

EFFECTIVE MOISTURE AND TEMPERATURE MANAGEMENTMOISTURE VAPOUR UPTAKE
40
WATER VAPOUR UPTAKE (%)

Wool helps to protect the bodyagainst changes in temperatureand moisture levels duringexercise. Exercise causes thebody’s metabolic rate andtemperature to increase, andthe body responds by initiating
cooling mechanisms to maintainits core temperature. As physicalexertion can take place in a range
of environmental conditions– from skiing in the Arctic torunning in a desert – the type ofclothing worn has a major impact
on the performance and healthof the body.

Wool

CottonNylon

Polyester

3020100020406080100

RELATIVE HUMIDITY (%)

Figure 1: Moisture vapour uptake of wool and other common apparel fibres.

WOOL IS NATURALLY BREATHABLE

WOOL’S NATURALCRIMP PROVIDES
SUPERIOR INSULATION
The inherent natural 3D crimp of the wool fibre traps pocketsof still air, insulating your skin from the cold environment andkeeping you warmer. Wool maintains a drier microclimate
next to skin, keeping the wearer warm and dry.

WOOL REDUCESPOST-EXERCISE CHILL
Wool reduces the rate of skin cooling and the severity of
post-exercise chill, which can range from uncomfortable todangerous. When you stop exercising in very cold conditions,
you can experience three times more chilling in synthetic
garments than when wearing wool garments. This is due towool fibre retaining – and only slowly releasing – moisturefrom within its structure, helping to maintain a higher skintemperature and less rapid cooling.
Unlike most synthetic fibres, wool is hygroscopic. It absorbs
water vapour from its surrounding environment far more
effectively than other common apparel fibres. Wool canabsorb up to 35% of its weight before feeling wet andclinging to the skin. As absorption occurs, wool releases
heat, keeping the wearer feeling warmer and drier in cold
damp conditions. One kilogram of dry wool can release heatequivalent to an electric blanket running for eight hours.

RELATIVE HUMIDITY
Environmental conditions:
5°C/85% RH

100%
WOOL
WADDINGTEMPERATURE
Environmental conditions:
5°C/85% RH

22.1%

27.8%

31.9°

29.5°

22.7%
22.9%

28.7%
29.5%

32.5°
33.2°

30.3°
30.7°

100%
POLYESTERWADDING

16% 18% 20% 22% 24% 26% 28% 30%

100%WOOLWADDING

100%POLYESTERWADDING26° 27° 28° 29° 30° 31° 32° 33°

34°

Figure 2: Wool-filled jackets keep the skin microclimate
drier (left) and warmer (right) across the torso, comparedto polyester-filled jackets. This has been tested in cold,
damp conditions during walking at 5°Celsius/85%
relative humidity.

WOOL KEEPS YOU COOLERIN HOT, DRY ENVIRONMENTS
In warm environments, wool fabrics can feel up to twotimes cooler to touch than synthetic fabrics, because wool
conducts more heat away from your skin. When it is hotand dry, wool keeps you cooler, by transferring moisturevapour away from the skin and allowing it to evaporate.
Wool fabrics can move 25% more moisture away fromyour skin than polyester fabrics, equivalent to an ambient
temperature drop of up to four degrees Celsius.

ODOUR RESISTANCE
Wool garments and textiles are naturally odour resistantdue to the fibre’s unique properties. Wool’s complex
chemical structure enables it to absorb and lock away
odours within the fibre, only releasing them upon washing.
See the Wool is Naturally Odour Resistant fact sheet for
further information.

WOOLMARK.COM

WOOL IS NATURALLY BREATHABLEREFERENCES–– Li Y. The science of clothing comfort, Textile Progress,
vol. 31, 2001, 1 – 135.
–– Li Y, Holcombe B.V, and Apcar. Moisture Buffering Behaviourof Hygroscopic Fabric During Wear. Text.Res.J., 1992, Vol62,619-627.
Wool is an active fibre that reacts to changes in bodytemperature as well as the environment Y. Li, “The scienceof clothing comfort,” Textile Progress, vol. 31, pp. 1 – 135,
2001. p 95.
Wool garments are the most breathable of the common
apparel types: A. Rae and R. Bruce, The Wira Textile Data book,
Leeds: The Wool Industries Research Association, 1973, A64.
The type of clothing being worn can have a major impact
on the performance as well as the health of the body:Laing R. M. and Sleivert G. G, Clothing Textiles and Human
Performance, Textile Progress, vol. 32, no. 2, pp. 1 -122, 2002.
[28, p. 1]
Wool maintains a drier microclimate next to skin, keeping
the wearer warm and dry. Troynikov, O. Hutton, S., Watson,C. & Nawaz, N. Thermo-physiological comfort of Stop-go sports
apparel – Sweating Thermal Manikin Studies, RMIT, 2013/
Australian Wool Innovation p100.
Figure 1: Moisture vapour uptake of wool and other fibres
showing how wool is one of the best of the common
apparel fibres:–– Rae and R. Bruce, The Wira Textile Data book, Leeds:
The Wool Industries Research Association, 1973, A64–– Speakman J. B & Cooper C. A. The Adsorption of Water byWool, Part I – Adsorption Hysteresis, Journal of the Textile
Institute Transactions, 1936 27:7, T183-T185 (http://dx.doi.
org/10.1080/19447023608661680).
–– Urquhart, Alexander Robert B.Sc., A.I.C. and Williams,
Alexander Mitchell M.A., D.Sc. The effect of temperature on
the absorption of water by soda boiled cotton, Journal of theTextile Institute Transactions, 1924, 15:12. (http://dx.doi.
org/10.1080/19447022408661326)
The inherent natural 3D crimp of the wool fibre traps pocketsof still air, insulating your skin from the cold environment andkeeping you warmer: W. Von Bergen, Wool Handbook, Thirded., vol. 1, Wiley Interscience, 1963, 205.
Wool protects the body against changes in temperature andmoisture levels during exercise: Li, Y. Holcombe B. V. andApcar F., Moisture buffering behaviour of hygroscopic fabricduring wear, Textile research Journal, 1992, 619-627.
Wool reduces the rate of skin cooling and reduces the severityof post-exercise chill, which can range from uncomfortable todangerous: Gavin, T. P. Clothing and thermoregulation during
exercise, Sports Medicine, 2003, 941- 947.

WOOLMARK.COM© April 2018 The Woolmark Company Pty Ltd. All rights reserved. GD2405

When you stop exercising in very cold conditions, you could
experience three times more chilling in synthetic garments
than you will wearing wool garments: Troynikov, O. Hutton, S.,
Watson, C. & Nawaz, N. Thermo-physiological comfort of Stopgo sports apparel – Sweating Thermal Manikin Studies, RMIT,
2013/Australian Wool Innovation, p99.
Helping to maintain a higher skin temperature and less rapid
cooling: Holmer, I. Heat Exchange and Thermal Insulation
Compared in Woolen and Nylon Garments During Wear Trials,
Textile Research Journal, 1985, 512-518.
One kilogram of dry wool can, on absorbing 35% of its weightin moisture, release heat equivalent to an electric blanket
running for 8 hours:–– Stuart, I. M and Schneider A, M. Perception of the Heat ofSorption of Wool, June 1989, 324.
–– B. Holcombe, Wool Performance apparel for sport,Advances in wool technology, Woodhead Publishing
Limited, 2009, 272.
Figure 2: Skin temperature and relative humidity during
walking at 5°Celsius/85%RH show wool-filled jackets keep
the skin microclimate drier (left) and warmer (right) in cold
damp conditions compared to polyester filled jackets: O.
Troynikov, N. Nawaz and C. Watson, Thermal Performance ofWool-containing Jackets in Cold Environments, Australian Wool
Innovation, Melbourne, 2014. 14
In warm environments, wool fabric can feel up to two times
cooler to touch than similar man-made fabrics: Barnes, JCand Holcombe, Moisture Sorption and transport in clothing
during wear, Textile Research Journal, 1996, 77-786.
Wool fabrics can move more than 25% moisture (whichcontains heat) away from your skin… equivalent to an ambient
temperature drop of up to four degrees: J. C. Barnes and B.
V. Holcombe, Moisture Sorption and transport in clothing during
wear, Textile Research Journal, 1996, 77-786.
Wool has natural odour resistance: CSIRO, Odour and Toxics
Absorbtion, 2006, 1.
Next-to-skin wool garments slow the rate of change ofhumidity next to the skin,: Laing R. M. and Sleivert, G. G.
Clothing Textiles and Human Performance, Textile Progress,
vol. 32, no. 2, 2002, 1 -122.
Wool helps transfer more body heat from the skin to theatmosphere than synthetic fibres: J. C. Barnes and B. V.
Holcombe, Moisture Sorption and transport in clothing during
wear, Textile Research Journal, 1996, 77-786.
WOOL FACTSWOOL IS
NATURALLY
BREATHABLE
Wool fibres are naturally breathable. They can absorb large
quantities of moisture vapour and allow it to evaporate, making wool
garments feel less clingy and more comfortable than garments madefrom other fibres. In contrast to synthetics, wool is an active fibre thatreacts to changes in the body’s temperature, keeping the wearer comfortable.
Accordingly, wool garments are one of the most breathable of all the common apparel types.
Wool’s natural resistance to odour is another key reason why wool wins for activewear.

EFFECTIVE MOISTURE AND TEMPERATURE MANAGEMENT
Wool helps to protect the bodyagainst changes in temperatureand moisture levels during
exercise. Exercise causes thebody’s metabolic rate andtemperature to increase, andthe body responds by initiating
cooling mechanisms to maintainits core temperature. As physicalexertion can take place in a rangeof environmental conditions– from skiing in the Arctic torunning in a desert – the type ofclothing worn has a major impact
on the performance and healthof the body.

MOISTURE VAPOUR UPTAKE40WATER VAPOUR UPTAKE (%)

Making wool garments feel less clingy and more comfortable
than garments made from other fibres:WoolCotton

Nylon

Polyester

3020100020406080

100

RELATIVE HUMIDITY (%)

Figure 1: Moisture vapour uptake of wool and other common apparel fibres.