When winter rears its frozen head, you'd better be well-prepped with some warm layers. For that, a good wool sweater needs to be a part of your defense.
Best Overall Wool Sweater: Everlane The Grade-A Cashmere Crew
Whether it's a wintry gift for a loved one or yourself (hopefully you count yourself as a loved one, too), the bales of wool to comb through are, as far as we can tell, endless. But along the woolen way, our search has led us to some fine and superfine wool options you can and should consider.
To find the best wool sweaters, we used a combination of in-house knowledge, personal experience and brand reputation, and included a wide array of pieces that range in fabric, fit and style. We also consulted other guides and user reviews with confirmed hands-on experience to determine if a wool sweater is worth including or not.
To learn more about our testing methodology and how we evaluate products, head here.
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Best Overall Wool Sweater: Everlane The Grade-A Cashmere Crew
There's a handful of different types of wool on the market, each one with its own characteristics. Some are itchy (mohair). Others are hypoallergenic (lambswool). Most wools come from sheep, but others come from goats or even muskoxen. Cashmere is, or was, the king of wool for its incredulous softness and warmth, once requiring a weighty credit card if you wanted a cashmere sweater. Today you can find cashmere sweaters well under $100 easily, but merino wool remains the most common.
Regardless of your preferred wool type, the fabric has excellent benefits. "My personal favorite attribute of wool as an active person is the inherent odor resistance," says Monica Ebert, business development manager at the global authority on merino wool, the Woolmark Company.
"Wool absorbs and locks away odors during wear," which, Ebert says, prevents washing. The fabric can also absorb twice as much water vapor as cotton, which helps prevent a build-up of bacteria and sweat, and helps wick away moisture. That also means it can still provide insulation when wet.
Wool is also naturally flame-resistant (good news for those who love fall bonfires) and can spring back into place after being creased and compressed, making it perfectly wrinkle-resistant.
How to Wash a Wool Sweater
Most wool sweaters should be washed by hand. Some, however, can be washed in a machine — on the "wool," "delicates" or "cold/cold" setting. If you opt to wash yours by hand, first fill a tub with cold water. Next, submerge your sweater. Add a wool-safe laundry detergent. You won't need as much as a full load, though, so be conservative.
Next, swish the garment up, down and around, creating suds as you go. Pretend your hands are the washing machine. There's no official way of doing this, so get creative. Next, dump out the soapy water. Refill the tub with more cold water. Rinse your sweater clean.
If the tag says it can be machine dried, do it. If not, let it lay flat for a few hours, if not a whole day. Don't hang it dry as it'll become misshapen.
When you aren't wearing it, which is probably the spring and summer, it's best to fold your sweater and place it in a moth-free bag. It doesn't have to be one you can compress, but it shouldn't be too bulky either. This is the best way to protect your beloved knit from nosy bugs.
