Let’s not mince words — wool is the king of cold-weather textiles. The product of shearing an animal, cleaning the coat, carding it into slivers and spinning it into yarn, wool is simple enough. But wool is high-tech, too: the cuticle of wool fiber is hydrophobic, meaning it dispels water quickly, and because those same fibers aren’t straight, you end up with air pockets that trap heat. Wool even wicks moisture and prevents the kind of bacteria build-up that usually leads to odors.
These attributes make wool the perfect material for blankets and throws. Get one to drape over the arm of your favorite chair, or simply keep it in the trunk of your car to safeguard against emergencies. It's also worth noting that wool blankets are one of the few mass-produced products that are still fairly commonly made in America. Though there are only a handful of quality woolen mills in America that are still in operation, with the most prominent being Faribault Mill in Minnesota and Pendleton in Oregon, their blankets aren't that difficult to find, and fully half of our picks for the best wool blankets below are indeed made in the USA.
