Even if “clothing made from wood” may initially sound a little strange and scratchy, our WoodShirts, tank tops, long-sleeved shirts, boxer shorts, socks, and hoodies are actually made from a wonderfully soft fabric. Along with many environmental benefits, it also offers unique properties and optimal comfort. In short: we create wood-based clothing that feels great to wear. We’d be happy to explain in more detail what makes these unique properties so special and why clothing made from wood feels so good.

Our skin reacts differently to its surroundings depending on its type. Besides external environmental factors such as the sun, our skin can naturally react to textiles too. Many people complain of sensitivities to certain textiles, as their rough surfaces can cause itching and irritation. People with atopic dermatitis often have trouble tolerating certain fibers.

The wood fibers in our clothing have a particularly skin-friendly, smooth surface that feels gentle against the skin rather than irritating it. This means less friction, so our wood-based clothing feels like a second skin. In a study conducted by Heidelberg University Hospital, over 80% of participants said that wearing wood fibers had significantly improved their skin, and that both the skin-sensory and thermoregulatory properties impressed them.

Why we find fabrics comfortable depends not only on how they feel to the touch, but also on the skin climate they create. The extent to which fabrics regulate temperature has a major influence on how comfortable we feel. In summer or during physical exertion, our body temperature rises, as does sweat production. As sweat evaporates from the surface of the skin, it cools the body. During intense exertion, people can lose up to 1.8 liters per hour this way. The key requirement for clothing worn close to the body is therefore to ensure rapid, even moisture transport to support the body’s natural cooling effect. High water absorption capacity and a high absorption rate are therefore crucial.

In fact, the wood fiber we use in our sustainable clothing has a significantly higher moisture absorption capacity and absorption rate than cotton or polyester. Within 20 seconds, wood fibers reach an impressive maximum absorption capacity of 380%, while cotton and polyester manage just 16 to 19%. The special nanostructure of wood fibers ensures that moisture is transported quickly and absorbed into the fiber. This officially contributes to thermoregulation by enabling optimal evaporation at the fabric surface through an even distribution of liquid. Wood fiber can also hold its own against conventional fibers when it comes to drying. Although many people believe that polyester fabrics dry faster than others, polyester and wood fibers have the same drying kinetics when the textile contains the same amount of moisture. It is also worth noting that polyester fibers are closed and therefore cannot absorb moisture, meaning it remains only on the surface.

Wood fibers have very special thermophysiological properties. This means our clothing provides excellent insulation in cold weather. At the same time, in warm weather or during physical exertion, sweat is drawn away from the body and released into the surroundings to optimally support the body's cooling.

There are numerous microorganisms on our skin that are important for our skin flora. When we sweat, the moisture can cause these microorganisms to multiply and become active, which produces body odor. Through contact with our skin and sweat, the bacteria naturally also get into our clothing. In some cases, these odors are extremely difficult to remove from textiles; this problem is particularly common with sportswear made from polyester fabrics.

The fabric of our clothes made from wood stays fresher for longer because it inhibits bacterial growth. The reason is that with other fibers, water remains on the fiber surface, where it is fully accessible to bacteria. With wood fiber, on the other hand, the water is almost completely absorbed into the fiber, depriving bacteria of their breeding ground. In addition, bacteria have more difficulty adhering to the smooth fiber surface than to synthetic fibers or cotton.

Because wood fiber can wick away moisture more effectively, bacteria are deprived of the nutrients they need and bacterial growth is inhibited. Thanks to this unique odor-inhibiting property of wood fiber, our clothes made from wood stay fresher for longer, so you can wear our WoodShirts longer without having to worry about unpleasant odors.