Why We Use Merino Wool

Virgin Merino Wool

We use 100% pure virgin Merino wool in everything from our mouse pads to our coasters, desk pads to laptop lifts. The quality and purity affects how the product feels, and to get the best hand feel we had to keep the product pure.

How It's Made

Our wool comes from merino sheep, which produce a very fine fibered wool. The wool is shorn from sheep and then felted together through a combination of pressure and steam into a 3 mm thick mat. The felting process creates a very strong, dense material. It’s water resistant. It’s insulating. It’s protective. And the quality and purity of the wool that goes into that process determines the quality of the final product.

Infographic of simplified manufacturing process of wool felt: Fibers and compressed and steamed to produce a condensed felt slab.

Not All Felt is Created Equal

There are a ton of different kinds of felt out there, in a variety of colors and compositions. Here’s how four common types are created:

Infographic showing the different types of wool felt combinations: 100% merino wool, wool combined with wood pulp-based rayon, wool combined with acrylic material, and completely synthetic based wool.

First, we tried 100% pure merino wool—it was dense, soft to the touch, and looked great with our desk collection. But it’s also very expensive. Over the next couple of months we tested alternative felts to see if we could reduce the price. Unfortunately, all the synthetic and combination felts that we tested were noticeably rougher to touch. The fibers weren’t as fine, and they didn’t pack as densely as pure wool felt. The desk pad is something that you’ll touch a lot—to get the right texture and quality, 100% merino wool was the only option.

The Grovemade Walnut Wood Desk Shelf System with headphone stand and wireless iPhone charging pad on the 100% merino wool desk pad.

Natural wool felt resists fraying, the cut edges are crisp and clean, and the feel on your skin is soft and cushioned. We source the wool felt and then die-cut it in house and add the leather tab. Using the right material means that the desk pad gives you spatial organization, softness and warmth, all while protecting your desk.