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10 Great Wool Blankets to Keep You Warm This Winter

Moisture-resistant, warm, odor-resistant and more, wool is the best choice for a warm winter blanket.

collage of three wool blankets Courtesy

By Tyler Chin and Will Price

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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.

Products in the Guide

  • Avocado Alpaca Wool Throws

    Best Sustainable Wool Blanket

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  • Faribault Cabin Wool Throw

    Best Outdoor Wool Blanket

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  • The Citizenry La Calle Alpaca Throw

    Best Alpaca Wool Blanket

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  • Brooklinen Cashmere-Lambswool Throw Blanket

    Best Cashmere Wool Blanket

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  • Tekla Virgin Wool Blanket

    Softest Wool Blanket

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  • Herman Miller Girard Throw

    Best Designer Wool Blanket

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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.

The Best Wool Blankets

Avocado Alpaca Wool ThrowsAvocado

Best Sustainable Wool Blanket

Avocado Alpaca Wool Throws

  • Material: 100% Alpaca or Baby Alpaca
  • Size: 71″ x 51″
  • Care Instructions: Dry clean

Avocado is more known for its organic mattresses than anything else, but it brings its environmentally friendly outlook to its wool blanket, too. The brand, which is actually carbon negative in that it offsets more carbon emissions than it emits, ethically sources its alpaca wool for a blanket that does good as much as it feels good.

  • Material: 100% Merino virgin wool
  • Size: 72″ x 50″
  • Care Instructions: Machine wash, line dry

In operation since 1865, Faribault is one of the biggest names in American wool, and this USA-made blanket is one of their most classic offerings. The Cabin Wool throw is a 100-percent merino wool masterclass on how to make a soft and warm blanket. It’s hypoallergenic and resistant to fire, water and odors, making it suitable for anyone, anywhere.

  • Material: 100% Baby Alpaca
  • Size: 70″ x 50″
  • Care Instructions: Dry clean

The Citizenry is a home goods store that partners with local artisans across the globe to bring a worldly selection to its inventory. Its La Calle Alpaca Throw is made in partnership with Weavers Of Huancavelica, a Peru-based workshop that’s a family ordeal. Our tester considers this the softest blanket he’s ever felt — baby alpaca is tough to beat in that regard — and it’s beautifully woven. It’s also quite warm given its lightness, but extra chilly days will call for a heavier blanket. It’s also worth noting that the intricately woven threads snag easily, so keep this one away from pets.

  • Material: 80% Lambswool, 20% Cashmere
  • Size: 70″ x 51″
  • Care Instructions: Dry clean

Brooklinen is known for its bed sheets, but don’t knock down its other linens and textiles. Its Cashmere Lambswool Throw Blanket boasts 20% cashmere to go alongside its lambswool, adding a luxurious touch of softness. Our tester found it to be very warm and soft, with a super-rich color. However, it was maybe not quite as smooth to the touch as he expected given the amount of cashmere present.

  • Material: 100% Virgin wool
  • Size: 71″ x 51″
  • Care Instructions: Dry clean

Copenhagen-based Tekla was founded in 2017 by Charlie Hedin, who also co-founded the fashion brand Eytys – which can probably explain why there’s so much cool-kid cred behind the textiles brand. Its wool blanket is made of 100-percent virgin wool that’s been brushed for extra softness, and it’s the perfect complement for your already-cozy lifestyle.

  • Material: 82% Wool, 18% Cotton
  • Size: 64″ x 54″
  • Care Instructions: Dry clean

Legendary mid-century modern designer Alexander Girard was best known for his textile work with Herman Miller, and he first designed this colorful collection of throws for Braniff International Airways in 1965 — part of an iconic brand redesign that consisted of over 17,000 products. The modern version of the blanket is produced by none other than Pendleton.

  • Material: 100% Wool
  • Size: 90″ x 66″ (Twin)
  • Care Instructions: Machine wash and tumble dry

Washing a wool blanket in a washing machine (and drying it in a dryer) sounds like sacrilege. Yet somehow, L.L.Bean made it possible with its machine-washable 100-percent cool blanket. The retailer tapped the legendary Pendleton Woolen Mills for this wool blanket, and it shows. It’s supremely soft, and available in a universally loved herringbone design.

  • Material: Outer – 85% Wool, 15% Polyamide; Lining – Poly sherpa
  • Size: 57″ x 50″
  • Care Instructions: Hand wash

Woolrich may have closed its last US woolen mill in 2018, but it still makes many of its blankets in America and remains one of the nation’s most storied makers. This blanket is one of those US-made examples, and it even goes the extra mile by using archive fabric. And for an extra dose of Americana, it’s decked out in the brand’s iconic buffalo check, a staple print you’ll find in log cabins and camping sites across the world. Toss it over your shoulders around a campfire and it will keep you extra warm thanks to its fluffy sherpa lining.

  • Material: 100% Lambswool
  • Size: 72″ x 56″
  • Care Instructions: Dry clean

These days, Avoca sells ceramics, cookbooks and clothes but its bread and butter will always be blankets, which it’s sold since the 1700s. This new wool throw is handwoven in Ireland with a classic Donegal pattern and a pleasant application of soft tassel fringe on either end for an extra luxe touch.

pendleton harding jacquard wool blanketPendleton

Best American-Made Wool Blanket

Pendleton Harding Jacquard Wool Blanket

  • Material: 82% Pure virgin wool, 18% Cotton
  • Size: 90″ x 65″ (Twin)
  • Care Instructions: Dry clean

Thomas Kay founded Pendleton, but it was his grandsons who infused the legendary company with Native American influence. Its Jacquard loomed new wool blankets are among its most popular designs ever, and it’s pretty easy to see why: They’re gorgeous while maintaining that renowned Pendleton quality.

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