6 Great Companies That Make Sheep’s Wool Insulation

Image courtesy of Havelock Wool.

Sheep wool has become a common material for insulation due to its many advantages.

From being a natural fiber to having a high R-value, sheep wool insulation can spare you the dangers associated with synthetic, man-made insulation.

If you are seeking a more natural and healthier insulation option, reliable companies that make sheep’s wool insulation should be your target.

Companies like Havelock Wool, Oregon Shepherd, Wool.Life, and Sutherland Felt manufacture 100% sheep wool insulation in the US. Others outside the US, like Eden Renewable Innovations in the UK and Lehner in Austria, have unique wool Insulation with polyester blends and chemical-free treatment.

We took the time to explore some of the main companies manufacturing sheep wool in the US that have stock for purchase at the time of writing this article.

We also included unique cases from the UK and Austria as alternatives abroad. Keep reading to discover what makes each one unique.

1. Havelock Wool

Havelock Wool is a sheep wool insulation manufacturing company in Reno, Nevada. The company manufactures 100% sheep wool insulation for residential buildings and vehicles.

Their insulation is designed to last the entire lifetime of the structure or automobile, providing air purification, moisture control, noise buffering, and natural heat-cold management.

Havelock imports its wool from New Zealand, the third largest sheep wool producer in the world according to International Wool Textile Organization (IWTO).

The wool is high-quality, mold-resistant, and treated with 1% boric acid to deter insects. The insulation also has a high R-value. For example, the batt for home insulation is produced in R20, R13, and R7 versions.

Havelock Wool offers high-quality cleaning (referred to as scouring in the industry), consistent wool provision, reasonable pricing, and sound animal welfare policies.

Havelock Wool has a long list of select distributors in the US, Canada, and Australia. For orders and inquiries, you can contact Havelock Wool using the details provided on their website.

We’ve written a detailed review of Havelock Wool’s insulation product, which you can read here.

2. Wool.Life

Wool.Life is the manufacturer behind TempeX Sheep’s wool, a 100% wool insulation option created from New Zealand sheep wool.

Wool.Life considers itself the only company in the market that manufactures insulation with sheep wool straight from the farm and without any chemical additives like boric acid.

You can order both residential or van insulation from Wool.Life. You can also choose between batt blankets, loose fill, or traditional batts.

Whatever your choice, the sheep insulation will do a great job of insulating your living space by providing the following:

• Air purification
• Moisture control
• All-weather comfort with R4.1/inch wool insulation value

The company is based in Dalton, Georgia. You’ll find the company’s contact details on the bottom-right corner of their homepage.

3. Oregon Shepherd Natural Wool Insulation

Oregon Shepherd Natural Wool Insulation is a decade-old sheep wool manufacturer linked to the Magruder Farms in Clatskanie, Oregon.

The company prides itself as ‘purely American’ because it produces 100% sheep wool insulation using wool from sheep in the region and around the US. Prioritizing US wool serves to support sheep farmers in the region.

To make wool insulation, Oregon Shepherd uses coarser fibers that are less suitable for clothing. That way, no wool is wasted.

The wool fibers are passed through a process to separate the fibers. It is then air-treated and treated with borate, sodium carbonate, and casein to enhance pest and fire resistance. 

Oregon Shepherd wool is rated R3.9/inch. You can make orders or seek technical support by sending an email directly through the links on the company’s homepage.

4. Sutherland Felt Company

Sutherland Felt Company is an establishment of Sutherland Industries with headquarters in Madison Heights, Michigan. The company’s 100% cream and grey wool used in creating its felt comes from Australia and Uruguay, respectively.

Sutherland Felt Company manufactures natural wool into pressed wool felt through “wet processing.” This process entails applying pressure and moisture onto the wool, then carding and overlapping to form the layers that make the felt. As a result, insulation from wool felt is highly compact and easy to apply.

According to the company, their wool is manufactured following the SAE Standards and is the cheapest pressed wool you’ll find in North America.

Their 100% Designer Wool Pure Felt is created in various colors and densities, allowing you to order your wool insultation according to your requirements.

They offer several varieties of Designer Wool Pure Felt:

• Custom Dyed Felt
• 100% Undyed Natural Wool Felt
• 100% Natural Grey Wool Felt

5. Eden Renewable Innovations Ltd

Eden Renewable Innovations Ltd is a UK company with headquarters in Cumbria, England. It is the company behind the manufacture of Thermafleece insulation. The company has more than 20 years of experience producing pure wool insulation and other products.

Thermafleece is a 75% wool product with 25% polyester. According to the company, combining wool and polyester in these percentages outperforms insulation products with higher wool percentages.

Similar benefits are experienced from Thermafleece insulation as from 100% wool, including high moisture absorption, moth resistance, soundproofing, and fire resistance.

Thermafleece is sold both in the UK and abroad. ECO Building Resource is one of the major Thermafleece insulation online retailers and distributors in North America and Canada.

Eden Renewable Innovations Ltd produces Thermafleece insulation in 3 different qualities:

• Thermafleece Cosywool (Roll) for lofts and floors
• Thermafleece Cosywool (Slab) for walls
• Thermafleece Ultrawool (High-density Slab) for walls and roofs

6. Lehner

Lehner is the Austrian company that makes the 100% sheep wool insulation known as Isolena. The company has its headquarters in Waizenkirchen, Austria, and the Isolena wool is made from sheep from Central Europe.

Isolena insulation comes in different forms and thicknesses depending on your insulation needs and where it is installed in your home or office.

Isolena’s most unique feature is the IONIC PROTECT®, a biocide-free treatment process patented by the company.

The chemical-free process protects the insulation and other products from moths and other insects and guarantees indefinite storage without damage.

Isolena wool insulation products bear the nature plus® sign, attesting that the product is sustainable, environmentally friendly, health compatible, and can be infinitely conserved.

It also has the European Technical Approval (ETA), a mark of quality and safety. By filling out their contact form, you can contact Lehner for any of their Isolena wool insulation products.

Final Thoughts On Companies That Make Sheep’s Wool Insulation

Sheep’s wool insulation is not as commonplace as other types of insulation, such as fiberglass insulation. However, there are plenty of companies that make sheep’s wool insulation if you’re prepared to do a bit of digging.

Sheep’s wool insulation is better for the environment than many other forms of insulation and is entirely renewable and sustainable.

If you’re still on the fence about whether it’s the right option for your project, get in touch with any of the companies in this article and they’d be happy to help you. Many of them will even send you a sample so you can evaluate it personally.

If you’re interested in other sustainable materials that can offer good thermal insulation, why not read our article “Hemp As A Building Material: Pros And Cons To Take A Look At?”