What is a micron?
When we talk about wool, we often use the word micron to say something about the quality of the wool. A micron is a unit of measure for the diameter of a wool fibre. The micron sign looks like this: μm. A micron is one millionth of a meter.
What does a micron mean to you?
The lower the number of microns, the finer and softer the wool is. We classify wool into three main categories:
Broad – more than 29 μm
medium – 23–29 μm
Fine – less than 23 μm
The finest wool comes from Merino sheep. Merino wool has its own classification system, which further categorises the fibre.
Broad Merino – More than 22.6 μm
Medium Merino – 20.6–22.5 μm Fine
Merino – 18.6–20.5 μm
Superfine Merino – 16.6–18.5 μm Ultrafine
Merino – 14.6–16.6 μm Extrafine
Merino – less than 14.5 μm
What micron should I choose?
The micron to choose depends on the garment and application. For underwear, woollen undergarments and T-shirts, i.e., woollen clothing that sits close to the skin, you should choose a low-micron wool. Low-micron mean the garment is soft, light and itch-free. On our products in this category are between 16.5 and 19.5 microns (Ultrafine, Superfine and Fine).
If you’re looking for a woollen sweater that is a bit durable and will stay nice for a long time, choose a higher micron. High-micron = good abrasion resistance. High-micron wool comes from sheep bred for more reasons than wool, such as meat. In Norway, we have Norwegian white sheep and old Norwegian sheep that we use in our Norwegian wool products.
