Our Materials and Cost Transparency
Why do we use all-natural Merino wool felt?
We use 100% all-natural Merino wool felt, because it is durable and resilient, strong and soft, and it has a natural elasticity. In all these ways, wool felt is far superior to synthetic felt. Wool felt is one of the oldest human-made textiles. To produce felt, raw wool undergoes a wet felting process that involves matting, condensing, and pressing the fibers.
Wool felt is water-resistant, renewable, and biodegradable, because it comes from natural animal fibers—primarily sheep!
Merino sheep are prized for their fine hair and considered to be the highest quality sheep’s wool. We use Merino felt primarily sourced from Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa. The outer skin of wool fibers acts as a protective film, providing abrasion resistance. Lanolin, the thin waxy coating on wool fibers, makes wool naturally water and soil resistant. Sheep's wool is also a rapidly renewable resource (it grows back!). Since wool felt is made of sheep’s wool, it can be safely disposed of and it is 100% biodegradable.
How can you tell the difference between wool felt and synthetic non-woven fabric?
Wool felt is a surprisingly dense and padded material. While wool felt will barely wrinkle, synthetic non-woven materials crease dramatically when folded and they tends to be stiffer on one side. The flexibility of wool felt contributes to its durability. Synthetic felt tends to thin, fray, fuzz, and even tear over time. When new, wool felt will shed slightly, but with use the shedding will stop over time.
Wool felt is sustainable and environmentally friendly!
Compared to synthetic felt and other natural fibers, the production of wool has very little environmental impact. Felt lasts considerably longer than other materials. How about LEED? Wool Design Felt qualifies for LEED® certification as MR Credit 6.0 Rapidly Renewable Resource as the sheep's wool is harvested in a sustainable manner. Our felts have tested and certified to meet the human-ecological requirements of the standard presently established for products with direct contact to skin according to Product Class II of Oeko-Tex® Standard 100.
For all these reasons, wool felt can be expensive.
The Magic Sleeve is made of two 2 mm layers of wool felt. Many of our other products are made of wool felt that is 3 mm in thickness. Our special edition Magic Sleeves often have 3 mm felt on the exterior and 2 mm felt on the interior (there is more color variety for 3 mm felt). Per yard, synthetic felt is considerably cheaper (approximately one-fourth of the price of wool felt). But synthetic felt is not nearly as durable, strong, or soft. And it is difficult to recycle!
The magic is in the magnets!
The Magic Sleeve would not be possible without magnets. Each Magic Sleeve is lined with dozens of small, strong magnets. Magnet cost is contingent on the fluctuating value of certain raw materials (i.e., neodymium, a rare-earth metal). Prices for raw materials have been on the rise for over a year.
Will the magnets in the Magic Sleeve harm my device?
No, our magnets will not harm your computers or tablets. Most computers, tablets, and a variety of computer/tablet accessories contain magnets.
