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Best Wool Blanket
Wool blankets offer a variety of benefits like warmth, breathability, and insulation. While wool may have a reputation as a scratchy material, many wool blankets made today are among the softest on the market. The best wool blankets combine the traditional benefits of wool with softness and comfort, making for extremely versatile bedding.
Known for their durability and classic style, wool blankets are warm, breathable, and moisture-wicking, meaning they pull moisture away from the body and allow it to evaporate. Wool is also hypoallergenic and naturally resistant to dust mites. And though it’s renowned for its warmth, wool excels at temperature regulation.
There are certain pitfalls to consider when looking for a wool blanket. For example, wool blankets tend to have a higher price-point than those made with other materials. They can occasionally feel scratchy, too, depending on how they’re made.
We’ll break down the best wool blankets on the market and discuss which options may appeal to certain shoppers.
The Best Wool Blankets
In-Depth Reviews
With its soft feel and minimalist design, the Brooklinen Pure Wool Throw Blanket provides coziness without feeling overly heavy. We highly recommend it as a throw blanket or as extra layering in bed to help you get a good night’s sleep.
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Pros
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Virgin lambswool makes for extra soft feel
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Can be returned or exchanged up to 365 days after purchase
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Handmade at a family mill in Germany
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Cons
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Machine washing not recommended
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Expensive pricing may be a barrier for some shoppers
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Price
$249
Material
100% pure lambswool
Sizes
51″ x 70″
The Brooklinen Pure Wool Throw Blanket is a versatile model that’s handmade at a family mill in Germany using lambswool, a softer form of wool that comes from a lamb rather than a full-grown sheep. The use of lambswool means you get the warmth and insulation of wool without the scratchiness that characterizes certain types of wool blankets.
The lambswool in the Pure Wool Throw is “virgin,” meaning it’s not recycled, so all the best attributes of wool are preserved, including breathability, strength, and moisture-wicking properties.
The Pure Wool Throw Blanket measures 51 inches by 70 inches and is available in two neutral colors, maximizing its versatility and making it fit stylistically in a large array of settings. While some wool blankets can only be spot-cleaned, this model can be taken to a dry cleaner if it gets dirty.
The Pure Wool Throw can be returned or exchanged within 365 days of purchase. It comes with free shipping and returns for U.S. orders.
Best Value
Quince Chunky Hand Knit Wool Throw
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Wool blankets can be expensive, but this hand-knit beauty from Quince is very affordable compared to the competition without sacrificing quality or longevity. The chunky open design is also ideal for people who tend to overheat in bed.
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Pros
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Open-knit design promotes airflow to ensure excellent temperature control
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Wool and acrylic blend is exceptionally soft and cozy
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Available in three neutral colors
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Cons
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Only sold in one size
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Blanket can only be dry cleaned
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Price
$130
Material
80% wool, 20% acrylic
Sizes
50″ x 60″
The Quince Chunky Hand Knit Wool Blanket walks that fine line between high quality and a reasonable sticker price. Made from a durable blend of 80% wool and 20% acrylic, the blanket’s open-knit design ensures plenty of airflow while still feeling soft and cozy. You can also choose from olive, neutral grey, and off-white palettes to accent your household decor.
One size is available. Measuring 50 inches wide and 60 inches long, the blanket is ideal for single-person use. Quince does not recommend machine washing the blanket, so you’ll need to arrange for dry cleaning if stains or smudges occur. Keep this in mind when deciding if this blanket is right for you, as care may lead to additional expenses.
Quince offers free standard shipping for all orders. The company’s generous sleep trial runs for an entire year, giving you ample time to test out the blanket and decide if it’s right for you.
Most Comfortable
The Company Store Legends Luxury Lambswool Blanket
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Made of all-natural lambswool, this blanket provides a great balance of softness, breathability, and insulation. This makes it a great option for sleepers looking for a wool option as their primary blanket in bed.
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Pros
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Made of 100% lambswool
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Available in five color options and three sizes
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Can be personalized with a monogram for a small fee
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Cons
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Pure lambswool construction drives up the price-point
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Monogrammed blankets cannot be returned for a refund
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Price
$299
Material
100% lambswool
Sizes
70″ x 96″ 90″ x 96″ 110″ x 96″
The Legends Luxury Lambswool Blanket from The Company Store is a wool blanket designed specifically for use on a bed. It’s made from lambswool, which is softer than wool from adult sheep but still exhibits excellent insulation and moisture absorption, making it an appealing option for sleepers looking for a balance of warmth, softness, and breathability.
Wool tends to sleep warm in the winter and cool in the summer, so this blanket will likely work well for anyone who struggles with temperature regulation at night. It features a self-hem rather than a fringe, making it a better fit for a bed. However, if you’re in the market for a throw blanket, The Company Store offers this blanket in a smaller throw version with a fringe.
The Legends Luxury Lambswool Blanket comes in three sizes and five colors. For an additional fee, you can add a personalized monogram or full-length word that’s 11 letters or fewer. You can choose from 24 thread colors and nine fonts.
The Company Store offers free ground shipping to the contiguous U.S. Orders in Alaska and Hawaii carry an additional shipping fee. The Luxury Lambswool Blanket comes with a 90-day return window for items that aren’t personalized.
Softest
LL Bean Washable Wool Blanket
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The L.L.Bean Washable Wool Blanket is distinguished by an anti-felting treatment that makes it machine-washable. Not only does this make care easy, but it means the blanket avoids the itchiness that can characterize certain types of wool.
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Pros
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Showcases a combination of strength and softness
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Can be washed in large commercial machines
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Woven in the Pacific Northwest by Pendleton Woolen Mills
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Cons
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Not ideal for people who prefer crisp bedding
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Only sold in one pattern
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Price
$259
Material
100% wool
Sizes
66″ x 90″ 80″ x 90″ 90″ x 90″ 108″ x 90″
The L.L.Bean Washable Wool Blanket is woven by Pendleton Woolen Mills, a 160-year-old textile company based in Portland, Oregon, that’s known for its high-quality woolen products. During manufacturing, this blanket undergoes a specialized treatment called anti-felting in order to make it washable. This process prevents the wool fibers from interlocking so that the blanket can be machine-washed without shrinking or damage.
The anti-felting treatment has another desirable outcome: softness. In fact, this blanket actually grows softer with each wash, making it a great choice for shoppers who prioritize both ease of care and a soft feel. The Washable Wool Blanket is also yarn-dyed, meaning it retains its color through multiple wash cycles.
The L.L.Bean Washable Wool Blanket is available in twin, full, queen, and king sizes. It’s currently available in one plaid color option, a bluish hue called indigo buffalo check.
The blanket ships for free to anywhere in the U.S. You also have the option to pick it up at any L.L.Bean location. It can be returned within one year as long as it hasn’t been damaged and meets certain other conditions.
Best Temperature Control
Nest Washable Wool Comforter
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The Nest Washable Wool Comforter is composed of wool fiber fill encased by a breathable cotton cover. The result is a cozy yet lightweight blanket that provides both warmth and temperature regulation.
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Pros
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Cotton cover with a sateen weave
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Fully machine-washable for easy care
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Excellent temperature regulation
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Cons
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People who enjoy the hand-feel of wool may not like the cotton shell
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Wool may shrink over time
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Price
$224
Material
100% washable wool fiber with cotton sateen shell
Sizes
64″ x 88″ 86″ x 90″ 104″ x 94″
The Nest Washable Wool Comforter is similar to a traditional comforter, but instead of down or polyester, it’s filled with wool. The 100% wool fiber fill is lightweight and provides many of the insulating properties of a traditional wool blanket.
It’s complemented by a cotton sateen cover with a cool, silky feel. The combination of these breathable materials makes this comforter a great choice for hot sleepers looking to stay cool without sacrificing comfort.
The Nest Washable Wool Comforter comes with corner loops that make it simple to secure inside a duvet cover. It is machine-washable, but in order to keep the wool fill from shrinking, it’s important to follow the care instructions outlined by the manufacturer.
This blanket is available in twin, queen, and king sizes, and it comes with a 30-night sleep trial. Nest Bedding offers free shipping to the contiguous U.S.
Why You Can Trust Us
Our team of experts has years of experience in the sleep product industry. In our reviews, we focus on the facets of each product that we think are most important to consumers, including materials, construction methods, and customer service policies. Over the years, we have reviewed countless blankets, leveraging our extensive industry knowledge to focus on the products we think deliver the best sleep experience.
How to Choose a Wool Blanket
With many wool blankets available to choose from, you’ll want to consider wool type, quality, warmth, softness, price, size, and other factors to pick a blanket that’s best for you.
Type
The type of wool may be one of the most important factors to consider when shopping for a wool blanket. The wool type will affect the comfort of the blanket as well as its cost. A cashmere blanket is luxuriously soft but expensive, while a short-staple sheep’s wool blanket will be more affordable but feel coarser against the skin. In many cases, Merino or lambswool offer a nice compromise between affordability and solid all-purpose performance.
Quality of Materials
The quality of wool is determined by many factors, including the age of the animal from which the wool came as well as how the fibers were processed and woven into a fabric. Be aware that wool may be mixed with other materials. In some cases, this is a cost-reducing choice on the manufacturer’s part and may yield a blanket that lacks the characteristics of 100% wool.
Warmth
Not all wool blankets provide the same warmth. A thick wool blanket is ideal for cold winter nights, but a thin wool blanket can be great for warmer months and layering year-round. To a lesser degree, warmth also depends on the type of wool. Alpaca, for example, is known as one of the warmest wools.
Feel
Some sheep and alpaca wool has thicker and shorter fibers that can feel itchy or even abrasive. However, Merino and lambswool tend to be finer and softer, so they are often used in blankets. Cashmere and angora are very fine wools with a superbly soft feel. Consider looking for a softer wool if you have sensitive skin or prefer a cozier blanket.
Weave
Wool blankets are often made using a plain or twill weave. These weaves are both fairly tight and create a dense material with strong insulation.
Price
The cost of a wool blanket varies widely depending on materials on construction, usually from around $50 to well over $1,000. The price generally reflects both the type and amount of wool used. Anticipate paying less for a blanket made from sheep’s wool and considerably more for a cashmere or alpaca blanket.
Size
You can find wool blankets in any number of sizes, from baby blankets to king size models. The larger the blanket, the more it will cost, so buying a blanket with a size that matches your needs can help you get the most value from your purchase.
Design
Expect to find wool blankets in a range of colors and designs, from modern to classic. Wool easily takes dyes, and wool blankets are available in virtually all common colors.
Ease of Care
While some wool blankets can be cleaned with machine-washing on a delicate setting with cold water and then air drying, many require hand washing or dry cleaning. While not the easiest material to care for, the good news is that you typically don’t need to wash a wool blanket as frequently as other types of blankets. Always check the tag on your blanket for specific instructions about how to properly clean it.
What Is Wool?
Wool is made from the fleece of sheep or hair from other animals like alpacas and goats. The process of making wool involves harvesting fleece or hair and then spinning it into fiber. Humans have been producing wool for thousands of years.
Wool is an excellent material for blankets. It offers strong insulation and breathability, and its natural moisture-wicking properties help you remain dry and comfortable throughout the night. Additionally, wool is fire-resistant and allergy-friendly, making it a safe choice for bedding. Keep in mind some wool blankets feature a blend of wool and other materials, which can affect their feel, performance, and cost.
Types of Wool
There are several types of wool that can be differentiated by the breed of sheep or type of animal that the material is derived from. All of these wool types share certain general characteristics but remain unique in their own ways.
Merino
This wool comes from Merino sheep and is often considered the highest quality sheep’s wool. Its ultrafine fiber is thinner than that of other sheep wool, which accounts for its softness. Due to its feel and breathability, Merino wool is often preferred for products that are meant to touch the skin, such as blankets.
Cashmere
Cashmere wool comes from the undercoat of Cashmere goats. Cashmere has thinner fibers than Merino, making this wool incredibly soft against the skin. It is more rare and thus more costly. Nevertheless, it is often a top choice for those who prioritize a soft and cozy feel.
Alpaca
This wool comes from the alpaca, an animal native to South America that is similar to a llama. Alpaca wool is more expensive than sheep wool but offers notable strength and insulation. Not all alpaca wool has the same feel, however. Alpaca fibers can be very thin, which yields a soft wool, but some alpaca wool has thicker fibers that some may find rough or itchy.
Lambswool
This wool is harvested from the first shearing in a sheep’s life, which usually happens when a lamb is around 7 months old or younger. Wool produced from this shearing is extra fine, so lambswool is often used for fabrics where softness is a high priority.
Benefits of Using a Wool Blanket
The most well-known benefit of wool is its temperature regulation. Wool will keep you warm, just as it does for the animals it comes from. It will also keep you dry, so if you’re prone to nighttime sweating, you should consider using a wool blanket.
- Temperature Regulating: Wool has all of the properties that go hand in hand with superior temperature regulation. Wool offers excellent insulation by trapping air between its crimped fibers. At the same time, wool can prevent overheating by wicking body moisture. Wool can is more absorbent than cotton, and the breathability of the fibers allows that moisture to quickly evaporate. Together, these characteristics help keep a sleeper dry and warm.
- Durable: Wool is a sturdy material that stands up well to regular use. Most wool can be stretched significantly without compromising the fabric, so it’s a good choice if you’re looking for a blanket that will last for years. The durability of a wool blanket varies depending on the type of wool used as well as the blanket’s thickness and construction.
- Eco-Friendly: Wool is a renewable resource and is biodegradable. It can even be organic, which means that the wool was produced using sustainable and environmentally friendly practices. The eco-friendly properties of wool make it a popular material in blankets as well as other bedding products such as mattresses and pillows.
- Fire-Resistant: The shape, structure, and material composition of wool makes it naturally fire-resistant. Unless exposed to a direct flame for a prolonged period, wool will smolder rather than create big flames. From a fire safety perspective, this makes wool a compelling choice for a blanket.
- Allergy-Friendly: Because wool stays dry, it is inhospitable to mold. It is also resistant to dust mites. These factors make wool a great choice for many people who have allergies and other sensitivities. Wool blankets made from wool varieties with thicker fibers may feel itchy to some people, but this is due to the rougher fibers. This issue can be avoided by choosing a softer variety of wool.
Still have questions?
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Send an email to [email protected] with your questions and we’ll help you find exactly what you’re looking for.
Logan is a Certified Sleep Science Coach with a deep understanding of what it means to struggle with sleep. Her years of experience researching and testing sleep products – including mattresses, natural sleep aids, and bedding – are critical to her role helping lead the editorial team. As a chronic insomniac, she aims to bring her findings to anyone struggling with getting adequate rest. Her expertise is in creating informative, trustworthy, and useful health content. When she’s not testing mattresses or researching CBT-I, she enjoys spending time in the sunshine with her husband and her dogs Pepper and Winston.