UV Protection and Odor Resistance: Wool's Invisible Benefits

Beyond thermal regulation and fire resistance, wool still has a few tricks up its sleeve—properties that are rarely consciously noticed, but which contribute greatly to the overall comfort associated with this fiber.

Let's start with sun protection. Even completely untreated, wool naturally absorbs ultraviolet rays across the entire UV spectrum. On the Ultraviolet Protection Factor, or UPF, scale, a standard cotton T-shirt typically scores around 10, while wool garments can achieve a score between 20 and 50.

And then there's that quality everyone appreciates without always understanding the mechanism: odor resistance. Unlike many synthetic fibers, where odor-causing bacteria quickly multiply, wool literally absorbs odor molecules from perspiration, trapping them within its structure until the next wash.

This dual property explains why fine wool is gaining popularity in the field of sportswear and technical outdoor apparel, a market that would historically have been associated almost exclusively with technical synthetic fibers.

For you, these properties represent concrete arguments to share with customers who sometimes hesitate between a handcrafted knit item and a synthetic technical equivalent for an outdoor or sporting activity.

Source: The Woolmark Company, woolmark.com/fibre; International Wool Textile Organisation, Wool Notes, Issue 3 (2024).