The short answer: boiled wool warms when it's cold, stops your child overheating when they run, absorbs sweat without feeling clammy, and sheds drizzle and wet snow. One wool layer often replaces two or three synthetic ones - so your child moves freely instead of being packed into a snowsuit.

If you're buying your first wool outerwear this autumn, this guide answers the three questions we get most: why wool, which size, and how to wash it.

What is boiled wool, exactly?

Boiled wool (Walkloden or Wollwalk in German) is a knitted wool fabric that is then treated with warm water, moisture and mechanical agitation. The fibres shrink and lock into each other, so the fabric becomes denser, more stable, and smooth on the surface.

The result is a material that:

• is dense and wind-resistant without being sealed shut like nylon;
• doesn't unravel or fray at the edges - which is why wool overalls survive several children;
• stays soft and stretchy, so a child can squat, climb and roll around.

One clarification: boiled wool is not the same as felted wool, and it's not the same as merino base layers. Merino is thin and made for skin contact. Boiled wool is the outer layer.

5 reasons wool outperforms synthetics

1. Thermoregulation - warm, but no overheating

A synthetic snowsuit traps heat and that's it. Wool fibre is crimped and holds millions of microscopic air pockets that respond to temperature and moisture. In practice: your child gets out of the pushchair, starts running, works up a sweat - and the wool moves that moisture outward instead of holding it in like a greenhouse.

This is why parents keep writing us the same sentence: “First time we came home without a soaked back.”

2. Absorbs moisture without feeling cold

Wool fibre can take on a significant amount of moisture inside its structure and still feel dry on the outside. Synthetics don't absorb - the moisture sits between the fabric and the skin and chills the child the moment they stop moving. That moment - after the running, sitting on the park bench - is exactly when children get cold.

3. It doesn't smell, so you wash it rarely

Wool refreshes itself naturally. Hanging the overall on the balcony overnight is usually enough to have it ready for the next day. For a parent that's real time saved: wool garments get washed every few weeks, not after every outing.

4. It repels water thanks to lanolin

Lanolin is the natural grease in wool. It makes droplets bead and roll off instead of soaking in. For drizzle, wet snow, a wet slide and wet grass, that's entirely enough.

Be realistic: wool is not a rain suit. For a full day of jumping in muddy puddles, or forest kindergarten in the rain, you want a waterproof shell over the top - the wool stays underneath as the warm layer.

5. It survives a second and third child

The dense structure doesn't wear thin, doesn't pill like fleece and doesn't lose its shape. Our wool overalls routinely go through two children and then sell on secondhand - which effectively halves the real cost.

Wool, fleece, or a synthetic snowsuit?

The takeaway: wool wins for daily walks, the park, the pushchair, the bike seat and kindergarten. Synthetics only win for a full day of rain and mud.

How to choose the size - the most common mistake

The most common mistake is buying two sizes up “so it lasts two years.” An overall that's too big doesn't keep a child warm - air circulates inside and they get cold, while the sleeves get in the way of playing.

The right approach:

1. Measure your child, don't guess from age. Height in centimetres is what matters - our sizes are 50/56, 62/68, 74/80, 86/92 and 98/104, and they follow actual height.
2. Take one size above current height. Example: a child measuring 80 cm → size 86/92. That leaves room for a merino or fleece base layer underneath, plus a season of growth.
3. Check the cuffs. On models with fold-over cuffs, you roll the sleeve up at the start of the season and unroll it towards spring - so one overall covers autumn, winter and early spring.
4. If your child is between two sizes, size up only if the season is just starting. Mid-winter, take the smaller one.

👉 Browse Overalls and Jackets & Trousers

What to wear underneath - the layering system

Wool works best in a three-layer system:

• Layer 1 (next to skin): long-sleeve merino or cotton. Never synthetic against the skin - it pushes moisture back.
• Layer 2 (warmth): a cotton or wool jumper. At 5-10 °C you often don't need it at all.
• Layer 3 (protection): the wool overall or jacket.

Temperature guide:

The neck rule: touch the back of your child's neck. Warm and dry = dressed correctly. Damp = one layer too many.

How to wash boiled wool

Wool is ruined by three things: heat, regular detergent and friction. Avoid those three and the garment will last for years.

Day to day:

• Air it out instead of washing.
• Let dried mud dry completely, then brush it off with a wool brush - never rub it while wet.
• Spot-clean stains with a damp cloth.

Actual washing (2-4 times per season):

1. “Wool” cycle at 30 °C, spin at 600 rpm maximum.
2. Only a dedicated wool detergent - regular detergents contain enzymes that break down the fibre.
3. No fabric softener. It clogs the fibre and kills the thermoregulation.
4. Dry flat, on a towel, away from radiators and direct sun. Never on a hanger - the garment stretches under its own weight.

Lanolising (optional, once a season): soak the garment for 30 minutes in water with lanolin. It restores the water repellency of a new overall.

Frequently asked questions

Is boiled wool itchy?
Not against the skin - which is why our overalls have a cotton lining at the shoulders and back. There's always a base layer underneath, so the wool never touches the skin directly.

Can a baby who isn't walking yet wear it?
Yes. For the pushchair, a wool overall is better than a padded footmuff, because it won't overheat the baby under the pushchair canopy.

Is it OK in the rain?
For drizzle and wet snow, yes. For a downpour or a full day in muddy puddles, add a waterproof shell on top.

Does it shrink?
Only if washed hot or with regular detergent. At 30 °C on a wool cycle with wool detergent - no.

How many seasons does it last?
With proper care, 2 to 3 children. That's why wool kidswear holds its value secondhand.

Is it warm enough below freezing?
Yes, as part of a layering system. No single garment keeps a child warm at -10 °C on its own - the layers do the work.

Ready to try it?

If you want less laundry this winter, less overheating, and a garment your second child will also wear - start with the overall.

Browse wool overalls →

Not sure about the size? Email us your child's height in centimetres at contact@farmtaleswear.com and we'll tell you exactly which size to take.