Most practical, most functional Winter headgear - the open-face balaclava or storm hat. In soft, warm, breathable organic Merino wool, this balaclava protects the head, chin, neck and shoulders from the cold.

• the neck and collarbone are kept warm and stops draughts
• 100% organic Merino wool fleece - so soft and warm
• the wool allows the skin to breathe, keeping it healthy and comfortable

Perfect for all outdoor exploration, forest kindergartens and the snow!

This is made in 100% organic fleeced Merino wool certified as organic by IMO to GOTS standards.

Fleeced wool is soft and fluffy to the touch, but wears really well. It's warmer and more windproof than simply knitted wool and more flexible than boiled wool making it ideal for little ones.

Merino wool is a kind of wool fibre that is very fine, soft and springy and is not itchy at all to most skins. The Merino sheep usually thrives in mountainous areas at high altitudes and its wool is naturally brilliant at keeping the body comfortable at a wide range of temperatures.

All certified organic wool comes from sheep which have been farmed organically and with high animal welfare standards. At Cambridge Baby we always make sure that no wool comes from farms which practise mulesing.

Please note that under EU labelling regulations, stating the type of wool is not allowed, only a statement of "100% wool" or "new wool" is allowed. However, this garment is organic Merino wool.

Pickapooh's's organic Merino wool is certified to GOTS organic standards by IMO. These standards are so high that even oils that lubricate knitting machines have to be analysed. With Pickapooh, you can be assured that their dyes are baby-safe, eco-safe and that all cotton threads and finishes are natural too

Wool (and thus Merino wool) has many benefits.

• Wool absorbs moisture into the centre of the fibre, so that it still feels dry on the outside. This is very healthy for your skin - your skin stays dry while the wool can absorb up to 33% of its own weight while feeling dry.
• Wool "breathes", releasing its moisture out into the atmosphere. It does this dynamically in response to the environment, so if you or your child is active and sweating more, wool works harder for you. Wonderful.
• In this way, wool is a wonderful temperature-regulator, slowing down the effects of changes of temperature and helping prevent sweatiness by absorbing moisture and releasing it in response to the environment. This makes it a wonderful fabric for babies and the growing bodies of children as well as for athletes, cyclists, skiers and mountain-climbers. It's naturally high-tec and can't be beaten by synthetics!
• Wool is also naturally anti-bacterial, dirt-resistant and very stretchy, making wonderful clothes that are easy to put on and take off, excellent for dressing babies and children.
• The health benefits of wool are being revealed time and time again. For example, it's better for the health of premature babies if they are nursed on wool rather than cotton and it's better for the skin of hospital patients if they lie on wool rather than polyester.
• Wool helps sleep too. At least two studies show that people get a better night's sleep with wool around them - people go to sleep more quickly, sleep longer and have better quality sleep too.

Find out more about the properties of wool here in our blog.

Merino wool is the wool of choice for baby and children's clothes, as well as for sportswear, because it's finer than most other wools. It's naturally springy (which makes it softer) and has a tight crimp, allowing it to trap more air, making clothing lighter as well as softer for the same excellent insulation.

Merino wool has also been proven to absorb UV across the whole range of the spectrum, giving excellent lightweight sun protection in the summer too.

Wool is naturally self-cleaning, the outer surfaces of the fibre pushing dirt down and off itself. It's naturally anti-bacterial and neutralises odours too... so after wearing, the best thing to do is to hang your wool to air.

Pickapooh's organic Merino wool is a very soft fabric so care must be taken when washing. Engel recommends hand washing as follows.

Use a detergent designed for wool which protects and repenishes wool's natural oils. We recommend one of our liquid wool shampoos in our fabric care section here.

To hand-wash your organic Merino wool, dilute your wool detergent in cool water, max 30C (luke-warm only, should feel coolish), in a bowl. For heavily-soiled areas, use a little gall soap on your woollens first, testing on an inconspicuous area first.

Add your woollens to the bowl, gently stirring and squeezing the detergent through. Rinse using water at the same temperature, otherwise your wool will be subjected to "shock" and might felt up. So luke-warm/coolish at 30C again.

Things not to do! Don't wring, soak, brush or rub vigourously as the wool fibres may be damaged and your garment felt up a little and shrink. Just squeeze the water through.

To dry, gently squeeze water out and wrap your wool clothes in a towel to remove the excess water. Air-dry naturally avoiding direct heat. So, hanging on a drying rack over the bath is good, or on a clothes horse. Mine often end up over the back of chairs or on the washing line in the shade (I haven't had a problem with the the heat of the English being too hot, yet, but direct sunlight is not good for wool).

Re-shape while still damp.

PICKAPOOH make the most marvellous, comfortable, stay-onable hats and booties, all ethically produced! They are a family-owned business from Hamburg in Northern Germany.They started designing and manufacturing children's hats in 1991 and since 1998 their hats have been solely made with natural fibres.

Their sunhats are made from 100% organic cotton with certified UV protection. Their winter hats and booties are made from organic wool and wool/silk blend fabrics jointly sourced with Disana and Engel so that customers can mix and match their outfits from products across the ranges of these brilliant manufacturers!