The beautiful, rich appearance and soft texture make a natural Australian sheepskin rug that will add a touch of luxury to your home. How do you choose which ones are the best for your rug with many sellers out there? How does the quality compare between Sellers? Are there better choices that I can make? Here is what you should look for when purchasing an Australian premium sheepskin rug.
Sheepskin Wool Density
The wool density is defined by how many wool fibres are in a square inch. A good Sheepskin will have a higher density wool pile. Unfortunately, the Wool pile density is not something with a number or rating, so it is a very much experience. Like those from OZwool Sheepskin, whose team grew up on the Southern Tablelands on an Australian Fine Wool Sheep Station, the best sheepskin are selected for their high wool pile density, and These are merino based Breeds.
Wool Pile Loft
The loft is the wools ability to stay straight and upright. Good sheepskin loft will mean that it doesn’t flatten quickly, and the fibres don’t get easily matted, tangled or become curly. The wool pile loft is related to the wool pile fibre diameter. If the wool pile is too soft, the diameter will be smaller, e.g. 17micron’, while an excellent supportive mid-range wool pile loft of around 21 microns to 23microns will offer the best loft and still provide softness. Higher micron wool fibres from 28 microns to 30 microns will deliver a higher loft but not be soft. Hides are selected for their purpose. Longwools with a good wool pile loft are selected for lambskin rugs, whereas higher hides with a higher wool fibre micron are chosen for their supporting abilities – e.g. medical underlays.
Don’t be attracted by “softest” as it may not be the best for you.
Wool Pile Length
The length of the wool fibres varies depending upon the intended use. If you are looking for a longwool Floor rug or Throw, anything 55mm is excellent. If you can get 65mm to 70mm, then this is better, but remember that sheepskin is a natural product, and longwool lambskins are unshorn – so they have the wispy tip.
A 26 -28mm wool pile length is premium for medical underlay uses. 25mm is the sweet point for car seat covers to manage support and wool fibre shear. Ugg boots and moccasins are more suited to the length of 16mm to 18mm wool.
Sheepskin Colour
Sheepskin is a natural product; there is no such thing as a pure colour naturally. All coloured sheepskin and lambskin are dyed using an ANSO dye (same as used in clothing). The Ivory or natural colour is not dyed but has added whiteners (not bleached). Hence, there may be some dark spots from the original hide in some cases of an Ivory or lighter colour. These are not faults or flaws but natural.
Feel
Sheepskins silky, soft feel is perhaps its most enjoyable feature. A Premium Australian longwool unshorn sheepskin should be plush, which adds comfort whether you put it next to the bed, on your couch or the floor. You should be able to tell the difference between a low-quality sheepskin rug and a high-quality one by touch alone.
Thickness and Texture
The leather on a good sheepskin rug should be reasonably thick and firm but still feels supple and soft. It should not easily wrinkle and slide on the floor. As it is a natural Hide, the leather layers should not delaminate or peel apart on the underside. OZwools quality sheepskin rugs have the leather side that is buffed, giving that smooth finish. Low-quality ones easily crack and peel apart.
Defect-free
Scratches, cracks, small holes, and other defects are often found on cheap sheepskin rugs, which can be due to diseased sheep but are mainly caused by bad production procedures and quality control. A premium sheepskin rug should be free from these defects.
Smell
Sheepskin undergoes quite a few processes before the finished product is released. Suppose one or more of these processes are mishandled. In that case, the sheepskin rug will retain an unpleasant smell, whether because of the sheepskins natural smell of the chemicals used in the tanning process. Like those from OZwool, Australian sheepskin rugs are free from chemical smells or other bad odours.
Sheepskin Size
These products are natural and are produced from well-fed sheep and taken care of; a single high-quality sheepskin rug is more uniformly shaped and larger than cheap ones. The general rule is that the longer the single pelt, the wider it will be. These are no minimum or maximum size, but the most common single rug is a minimum of 105cm long. Rug selection for doubles and bigger is based on hide size, wool pile length, wool density and lustre and look. If the pelts don’t match, they will not form a tremendous multiple pelt rug or carpet. The most common size hide in the unshorn longwool lambskin range is the 105cm one. Sizing is measured on the hide side, not the wool pile side. Measuring on the wool pile side can add 12 to 14cm to the hide size.
Natural Sheepskin Shape
This is as important as length. A good sheepskin rug should have a full shape. The neck area should be rounded. Low-grade sheepskins are usually thinner and longer, and the neck areas are pointed.
Selecting a good, premium sheepskin rug shouldn’t be that complicated if you know what to look for. Better yet, please leave it to the experts at OZwool Sheepskin, as their eye is quite thorough. They have a wide range of sheepskin products that have undergone rigorous processes to ensure that you only get high-quality sheepskin rugs.
