How Warm is Wool For The Winter? (Helpful Guide and Tips)
In some regions winter can get fairly cold. The temperatures drop to -20+ and even the cold weather animals are looking for additional coats to stay warm. Winter, for many people, is a time to break out those warm fabrics in a bid to be free from the cold.
How warm is wool for the winter? 100% wool is the ideal fabric you want to have in your winter coats and other clothing items. This material resists water and helps keep you nice and warm. It beats Down because Down material becomes like mud when it gets wet. Wool is warm enough for winter.
To learn all about how warm wool is, just continue to read our article. It goes through different topics so you get all the information you need about wool and its winter use. Wool and winter go together like peas in a pod.
Tip 1: Coarse wool is not as warm as a fine wool fabric. That is why merino wool is often used for winter clothing accessories
Tip 2: For the warmest wool fabric, look for those materials made from animal hair or fur.
Wool Warmth 101
Are Wool Coats Warm Enough For The Winter?
Some people say this depends on your lifestyle. Not all wool coats are made for every activity and your lifestyle will dictate what kind of coat you will wear. But for most people who go to the office, work in a store and other similar professions a wool coat is warm enough for the winter.
That is because it is a natural insulator that helps block the cold from getting into your body. Plus, its water-resistance makes sure your bones do not get chilled by any moisture that is coming down on those not so bright winter days.
Then the weave of your coat will help keep you warm. A tight weave should also block the cold air and moisture from penetrating your warm layers and cooling you down.
Tip 3: Storing your wool coat is important if you want it to last several winter seasons. To store it properly you should place it in a plastic garment bag on a sturdy hanger and hang it up in the back of your closets. Make sure to close the bag.
Are Boucle Coats Warm?
Yes, they can be and they are great as a final winter layer when you need to go to different events or appointments. They are also comfortable to wear and should go with just about any outfit you have on. You can accessorize them well also.
Some boucle coats come with very large collars, allowing you to fold them up when the wind chill starts to get to you. They also have pockets to protect your hands if you forgot your gloves that morning.
With different styles, you can maintain your fashion sense and still stay nice and warm. You have plenty to choose from and they are almost all made from top quality materials. Staying warm with a boucle coat is inevitable especially when you match it with the proper layers underneath.
Tip 4: another storage trick is to fold the coat gently and place it in an airtight plastic storage bin. Use acid-free tissue paper t help protect the coat while it lays in storage.
Why Wool Keeps us Warm
There are many reasons why wool keeps everyone warm. The first is that wool is resistant to water. It helps keep the moisture on the outside so you do not get wet on the inside. The water is blocked from cooling you down.
Second, some wool styles have little air pockets that trap air and forms a barrier. This barrier blocks incoming cold air from reaching your body. And since wool absorbs moisture, any sweating you do, is taken away from your body helping to keep you warm.
Third, there are other wool fabrics, like alpaca, that have hollow fibers. These fibers act much in the same way as the air pockets do making sure the cold air can’t get through.
Of course, this cold protection depends a lot on how the wool was woven and you won’t get the same type of cold protection from coarser weaves.
Tip 5: The 5 best and warmest wool you can use in clothing or its accessories are merino wool, cashmere, alpaca wool, angora, and Yak or qiviut, with that last one coming from the musk ox.
Will Wool Keep You Warm When Wet?
The right kind of wool will. Its natural fibers are water-resistant and have the power to absorb a lot of moisture. This power makes sure that the water does not soak the wool and keeps the cold air from using that moisture to cool you down.
One reason for this moisture protection is because wool has lanolin in it. This natural ingredient creates water resistance that wool is famous for having. Without it, wool would be just like any other fabric and not so good when winter days become rainy or snowy.
Also, the way the fibers lay together helps keep the moisture away even when the fabric gets a little wet. All in all, wool is a good material to wear when the weather is not so nice.
How Does Wool Stay Warm When Wet?
As you have already read, wool comes with properties that make it an ideal fabric to wear even when you do not have an umbrella. Those properties band together to make sure moisture does not make it through the fabric and chill your body.
If you want a great wool fabric, you should try products made from Yak or musk ox. Their underbelly wool is said to be 8 times warmer than sheep’s wool. Plus, it is not supposed to be itchy or scratchy. It is 30 times finer than cashmere.
It is also said to be affordable so you won’t break the bank when you buy some wool accessories made from this version of wool.
Using a Wool Coat in The Snow
This will depend a lot on your activities. Wool certainly has its uses but it is not for every wintertime recreation. It may not be flexible enough for skiing or a snowball fight, but it certainly holds its own when you are doing other winter events.
Some wool coats, like pea coats, may be too short for some cold and snowy days. They do provide moisture protection but only as far as the coat is long. You may get better protection from a parka on those days.
How you use your wool coat will also depend on its size, the fineness of the material and weave, and the temperature outside, If it is not that cool of a day, the wool may help you overheat as it may be too warm
Wool Coat Temperature Range
The temperature range for wool coats will depend on how thick the wool is and how fine a weave they are made from. Thinner wool coats are perfect for those days that go from the low 50s to the low 30s.
Any colder and you should be reaching for a thicker wool coat. Once it gets down below freezing thin wool coats are of no use. One company has produced its won temperature rating for the different coats they sell.
That tells you that for wool, it all depends on how the coat was made. You can get some great versions for extremely cold weather or some nice light ones for warmer temperatures.
All this is saying is that when you shop for a wool coat, check to see if a temperature rating is in the details. Ask if you do not see one as each coat will have a different rating.
Wool Warmth Rating
It is hard to put a number to indicate how warm wool actually gets as each wool item has a different factor and there is no real objective measuring standard to go by. When comparing wool to Down, both have their warmth advantages and disadvantages.
While wool is a good insulator which means it has a strong warmth rating, it is also very heavy and may not be suited for the type of activity or event you are attending. Also, wool beats Down when the latter material gets wet.
Then the thickness of the wool material will determine how warm the fabric gets. Overall, and including all factors, wool has a very high warmth factor and is a good option when the weather turns cold.
The other drawback would be that some people find wool very itchy and scratchy but if you can handle those cons then you should be warm when you wear wool.
Is 50% Wool Warm Enough?
It can be if it is blended with the right material. Polyester is added to many wool products but that addition doesn’t lower the quality or the warmth factor of the garment. Instead, it is supposed to enhance it or at least keep it at the same level.
Then if the coat or other wool item is thick enough, you should be warm when you wear 50% wool items. Thickness plays a large role in how warm you will remain when you are outside.
Just make sure that the material that has been blended with the wool is warm and can withstand winter temperatures in your region of the country.
What Percentage of Wool is Warm?
The normal answer would be 100% as that is the highest level of warmth you can get out of wool. But there are lower percentages that will also help keep you warm. A lot will depend on the fineness of the weave when the wool is blended with another material.
It is hard to say how low you can go with wool content and remain warm as the other fabric in that blend may also keep you nice and cozy. But anything less than 50% and you would be taking a chance of not feeling warm.
Of course, other people may have had different experiences especially if their region of the country does not get as cold as Colorado or Montana. A 10% wool content may keep you warm in San Diego winters but not in the -30 degree temperatures of South Dakota.
What is a Good Percentage of Wool in a Coat?
Anything over 50%. In fact, you may not want to go lower than 50% unless the fabric blend partner is designed to handle cold temperatures. If it isn’t then leave those outfits for cool Spring or Fall days.
Also, you can’t go wrong with a 100% wool coat. Depending on its construction, this complete wool coat should keep you warm all day long even when those temperatures drop.
The wool content between 50 and 100% is also good but may not be suited for extreme temperatures. You would have to do a little trial and error to see if they will work for you in those colder climates.
Warmest Wool Coats (Which Wool is Warmer)
You have a choice and that choice may depend a lot on your wool preference if you find the material itchy, etc., or your budget. Merino wool is said to be one of the warmest wool fabrics you can wear. It is followed by alpaca wool items and then cashmere.
But you still have more options if those products are too costly. Angora is said to be nice and warm as well as Yak or musk ox wool. In fact, this last option is said to be softer than cashmere. There may be other options available but these are about the 5 warmest.
Is Wool Windproof
Only if it is spun in a new way. There seems to be a way to spin merino and other wools that help make it windproof. Being windproof means that the wind does not penetrate the clothing item or the coat.
In some clothing manufacturing, there may be holes place in the fabric so that lowers the windproof rating. The alpaca wool may be one of the better windproof wool out there but it would depend a lot on how it was woven together.
You may get a lot of wind resistance from wool materials but it may not be 100% windproof.
Leather vs Wool Jackets
Wool would win this competition if it were solely based on the warmth factor. Leather and its linings are not always that thick. That means that keeping the cold out will be difficult for leather jackets.
Wool on the other hand is a good insulator and coupled with the right lining, it should keep you warmer than leather will. Unless the leather jacket comes with a great thick wool lining, it is doubtful you would want to wear one in those regions where the temperature goes below zero for days on end.
What's Warmer Wool or Cashmere?
Since they are both wool products, the wool being compared to cashmere would have to be regular wool and not one made to be nice and warm. Cashmere is warmer than regular wool, that goes without saying.
But it will have its hands full when compared to other top wool varieties like merino and alpaca wool. And as usual, the type of weave will play a role in who wins this contest. Suffice it to say cashmere is one of the warmest wools out there.
What's Warmer Wool or Polyester?
You can’t go wrong with a 100% wool coat or accessory. It is one of the warmest fabrics on sale today and it will always be warmer than polyester. Even though polyester can be manipulated into different types of fibers and thicknesses, wool is just better.
That goes for when the wool gets wet. It resists water naturally and makes sure you have a good barrier between you and the cold. Of course, the thicker the fabric the warmer it is so polyester still has a chance to be warmer than wool only if the latter is made thinner.
How To Make a Wool Coat Warmer
About the only way to make wool warmer is for you to add an interliner. There are plenty of winter fabrics that can act as an interliner for wool. An interliner is another layer of lining, which can be Thinsulate, between the outer wool fabric and the current interior lining.
All you are doing is adding another layer to the coat to make sure the item remains warm for the winter.
Some Final Words
Wool is warm and when winter comes, you will want to have this fabric in your closet ready to go. Just make sure to store it correctly so that mold, mildew, or any bugs do not ruin the material. The drawback to wool is that it is not for every activity you do in the winter season.
