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Beautifully designed practical and ethically produced clothing for babies, children and adults in organic thermally regulating natural fibers. wool, alpaca, merino wool and silk.
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Advice and FAQs

Welcome! We hope you'll find some useful information on this page including answers to some frequently asked questions. Please contact us if you have any further queries that are not covered on this page.


Wool


1. A wool item has shrunk, why and what can i do?
2. Why and how is wool so good for you?
3. What is Merino wool?
4. Can you really wear wool in Summer?

Silk


5. What is so special about silk?
6. What is Bourette silk?
7. How can your silk be certified organic?


New baby


8. Why is wool great for your baby?
9. What does my new baby need?
9(a). What does an Autumn/Winter baby need?
9(b). What does a Spring/Summer baby need?
10. If I sleep my baby on a sheepskin, should he wear less clothing?



Wool

1. A wool item has shrunk, why and what can I do?

On the outside of the wool fibre are tiny scales that do several jobs. First of all, they help repel water keeping you and your clothing dry. Secondly, they help get rid of dirt, by rubbing together and pushing it off. They also protect the keratin core of the fibre and respond to changes in humidity, allowing water to pass into the core if necessary.
If they are heated or cooled too quickly, become too hot, or if they are made wet and are rubbed too much, they jam up and lock in upon themselves. This causes the natural elasticity to go, and your garment will become thicker and smaller.

You can re-size your wool to some extent by gently stretching and re-shaping it before it dries. In fact, you should do this each time it is washed. You may be surprised how much it will stretch back into shape.
An alternative method is to use your own hair conditioner to help the fibres slide apart:

  • Pile on the conditioner, and gently work it through the fabric.
  • Ease out the garment to its original proportions.
  • Air-dry, away from direct heat.

    Finally, if you have bought your woollen item from us at Cambridge Baby, and you feel its shrinkage is unacceptable, please see our returns policy.

    2. Why and how is wool so good for you?

    Wool consists of three layers.

  • The first, keratin, is a moisture-loving protein that all animal hair has. It is designed to maintain a stable body temperature which is incredibly useful to babies, athletes and your own day-to-day living.
  • The second layer is a scaly covering. The overlapping scales are tiny, but as they rub against each other they push off dirt. So it is self-cleaning, as anyone who's put their baby in wool knows.
  • The third layer is a filmy skin which keeps the rain out making wool quite water-resistant.

    You can see already that it's pretty amazing, and a healthy thing to have next to your skin.

    The two outer layers have tiny pores which allow moisture to pass through to the keratin core which absorbs it. If the temperature increases or the wearer becomes more active and begins to sweat, the moisture is wicked into the central core. Your body heat then wicks it out towards the surface, where it is released into the atmosphere. This in turn means that it maintains a stable temperature and keeps you and your baby dry and comfortable by absorbing and releasing sweat. It even does this "dynamically", which means it does it more when needed, and less when not needed. No man-made fibre can equal this.

    To keep these abilities, wool does need to be looked after. But with 99% of washing machines now having a wool cycle, this is quite easy. Just use a liquid detergent for wool or a drop of your own shampoo.

    3. What is merino wool?

    Merino wool fabric is fantastic! It is considered the finest of all sheep's wool, with good cause.

    First of all, it has all the properties of wool...

  • it's breathable, wicking moisture from the skin to the outside
  • it's water resistant (think sheep)
  • it's especially designed to be both an inner and outer layer (think sheep)
  • and it's very light for its warmth (brilliant for little ones).

    ...and its fibres are extra-fine, so that it doesn't itch. Merino wool can therefore be worn right next to the skin, creating a responsive micro-climate around the body which helps to keep the body's temperature stable. This temperature-regulating property is particularly great young babies, who find this hard to do themselves.

    Wool in general is particularly brilliant for babies.

  • Wool stays warm when wet
  • it's naturally anti-bacterial (yes, really!)
  • and naturally dirt-resistant. It rarely needs washing - a quick wipe down is fine.
    So when your baby possets, dribbles or sicks up, you don't need to run and change him/her yet again - he'll stay warm and cosy. Making for a stress-free day.

    4. Can you really wear wool in Summer?

    There are a lot of people who value a thin layer of wool next to the skin in Summer. Through its wicking and breathing properties, it can help keep you comfortable in warm weather. Sheep, of course, wear it all year long - and it took a lot of evolution to get wool fibres so perfect.

    Due to its insulating properties, it can help keep things cool and help keep things warm. Mind you, farmed sheep get shorn, so you might want to ditch that woolly jumper come June, but wild sheep keep their shaggy coats all year round - and even shorn sheep have a good few cm to help them keep cool. Our silk/wool blend items are perfect when the summer days draw in.

    Silk

    5. What is so special about silk?

    Silk and silk blend fabrics are our softest, gentlest fabrics, recommended for sensitive skins, eczema sufferers and for whenever extra comfort is needed.

  • Its hollow-fibre construction helps regulate body temperature.
  • It's highly breathable, making it a healthy underlayer. Moisture is absorbed and released outwards away from the body.

    6. How can your silk be certified organic?

    We believe that good organic farming is beneficial to the environment and to the finished product. We are excited to be stocking some of the only certified organic silk in the world! The silk worms eat organic mulberry leaves, grown with no chemical input, and because the whole process is organic, our silk is chemical-free. It is certified by IMO. Please note that only our pure silk range is certified organic; our silk blend ranges are not certified but are a very natural product of exceptionally high quality, certified as such by IVN.

    7. What is Bourette silk?

    Bourette silk is spun silk and has a warm, natural feel. It doesn't feel or look silky-smooth, as it is a different kind of silk which is created by spinning together silk strands to create a more earthy look and texture. It is less expensive than filament silk and we prefer its feel against the skin. We have chosen this high-quality, dye-free, chemical-free bourette silk for our range as we believe it represents excellent value for our customers.

    New baby

    8. Why is wool great for your baby?

  • Wool is naturally antibacterial. This is due to its lanolin (wool fat) content - as wool becomes moist, some of the lanolin converts to lanolin-soap, which helps keep the fabric hygienically clean. Combining this with it's self-cleaning properties, you can begin to understand why wool underwear doesn't get smelly. It smells fresh for ages.

  • Wool can absorb around 33% of its own weight without feeling wet. This is heaps more than man-made fibres, which typically absorb only 4% before feeling wet and uncomfortable. It's much more than cotton too. It means that your baby is more likely to stay warm and dry if he/she dribbles or possets, and you can just give a quick rub down rather than having to change him/her so often. Making your baby happier, and your life easier.

  • Wool is a great insulator. It is warm in winter and cool in summer (think vacuum flask). This is because of all the 'waves' in the fibre, which lock in air. It may seem strange to us to use wool in the summer, but many Bedouins and Tuaregs use wool to keep the heat out (they also use camel and goat hair as well as sheep's wool). This is why sheepskins are such a great choice for prams, strollers and car seats, keeping your baby comfortable and so making your life easier.

  • Wool is 'bouncy' - the springiness of the fibres gives it good elasticity - it stretches really well and goes back into shape well too. This means that it's very easy to put on your baby - and to take off of course too. Much less fiddling around with arms and things.

  • Wool is a very safe fabric and fire-resistant. It's harder to ignite than most synthetic fibres and cotton. It has a low rate of flame spread, it doesn't melt, or drip, and if it does burn it creates a "char" which self-extinguishes.

    9. What does my new baby need?

    Ha! How long is a piece of string? On a more helpful note, we have compiled this list based on what our baby used:

    9(a). What does an Autumn/Winter baby need?

  • 4 x silk/wool baby-bodies (size up if in cloth nappies)
  • 2 x silk/wool under-trousers (these then fit under all the cotton trousers you will be given and stop little legs from feeling chilly!)
  • 2 x Disana dungarees in Merino wool (as he/she gets bigger, you can still use these as roll-top trousers)

  • 2 x merino wool leggings-with-feet and/or 4 x Merino wool tights
  • 2 x Disana lightweight jumpers or granny's hand-knitted cardigans.
  • 2 x merino wool pyjamas or nightdress as night time wear (size up if in cloth nappies).
  • 2 x merino sleeping bags - one long sleeved, one Disana.

  • 1 x Disana delicate wool blanket. Perfect as an extra layer at night, or for wrapping round your baby to go outside.
  • 1 x sheepskin for use in the cot and/or as a play mat to provide comfort, support and good sleeping
  • 1 x stroller sheepskin for use in the car seat/stroller to prevent sweatiness, provide warmth, comfort, support and good sleeping.

    When the baby is a few weeks old and you're going out and about, we'd also recommend the Engel snugglesuit which goes over everything.

    9(b). What does a Spring/Summer baby need?

  • 2 x silk/wool baby-bodies if in Spring
  • 6 or more x cotton bodies (as you'll need to change these more often than wool ones). Choose silk/cotton bodies if your baby has eczema.

  • 4 x babygrows to sleep in (wear over a vest when cooler; over a wool/silk vest for optimum sleeping)
  • 2 x sleeping bags (I would use wool up until June - you can always put less on underneath)
  • 2 x cotton blankets for layering, sleeping and the pram
  • 1 x sheepskin for use in the cot and/or as a play mat to provide comfort, support and good sleeping
  • 1 x stroller sheepskin for use in the car seat/stroller to prevent sweatiness, provide warmth, comfort, support and good sleeping

    10. What should my baby wear sleeping on a sheepskin?


    This question comes from a new mother who asks "I've just brought one of your sheepskin rugs in the hope that it will help my 4 month old sleep better. Would you be able to recommend what I would dress him at night as I don't want him to over heat. At the moment he is in a vest, baby grow and 1 tog sleeping bag."

    Using a sheepskin under your baby may provide greater insulation than if your baby sleeps directly on a mattress. It's important not to let your baby overheat, so I would suggest using one layer less than you normally dress your baby in to start with. I would check your baby's temperature using your hand to his/her chest or back, to feel whether he is nice and warm (without being sweaty or hot) or cool (in which case you will know why he/she wakes up!).

    I'd also make sure that the sleeping bag is natural fibre (no polyester in the filling) as natural fibres allow your baby's skin to breathe, whereas polyester is not so good at this - meaning that it's harder for your baby's body to cool itself down naturally.

    Please note that your Healthcare Professional is the best person to turn to for advice, and we recommend doing so for the latest advice.


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