Woolpower – The ProAdventure Guide
Woolpower: The Base Layer We Actually Wear
We've been stocking Woolpower for years now. More importantly, we've been wearing it — on kayaking trips in Welsh January, snow camping in Sweden, running in sub-zero temperatures, and standing on river banks in biting wind coaching paddlers. It's the base layer our staff reach for first when the cold sets in, and we've never found anything we'd rather have on.
This is our honest guide to what Woolpower is, how it works, and which garments are worth starting with.
What Is Woolpower?
Woolpower is made in a single factory in Östersund, Sweden, and has been since 1969. Nothing about the manufacturing process has changed in over fifty years. Every garment is sewn from start to finish by one person, who then sews their own name tag into the finished piece. That's not a marketing gimmick — it's the reason quality is so consistent.
The brand shares its owners with Gransfors Bruk axes: Daniel and Adam Brånby run both companies with the same philosophy. Make things properly. Make them to last. Don't cut corners.
Woolpower's wool comes from Merino sheep in the Argentinian part of Patagonia and Uruguay. Everything — from raw yarn to finished garment — is produced in their Swedish factory, which means they control both quality and environmental impact at every stage.
Why Ullfrotté Is Different
Most people who try Woolpower are surprised by how it feels. It's not itchy in the way older woollen base layers used to be. It feels soft, substantial and almost terry-towelling-like against the skin — that's the Ullfrotté construction at work.
Ullfrotté is a terry loop-stitch. Rather than weaving the fibres flat, the knitting process creates small loops that trap air between the fabric and your skin. Since air is one of the best insulators there is, you get excellent warmth from a relatively modest amount of actual wool. The merino sits next to your skin on the inside; the more durable polyamide sits on the outside to protect the loose knit. The result is a garment that has the softness and natural odour resistance of merino with the durability of a synthetic — and that actually stays warm when damp, which most flat-knit merino doesn't.
Because there are no longitudinal seams (everything is made on tubular knitting machines), there's nothing to rub or chafe. The 200-weight garments in particular are the most comfortable base layers we've ever worn for high-output activities.
The Range – Which Weight to Choose?
Woolpower Lite The thinnest option in the range. Best for high-output activities — mountain biking, running, ski touring — where you need just enough warmth without overheating. Also works well as a standalone top in mild conditions. If you're new to Woolpower and tend to run warm, start here.
Woolpower 200 The workhorse of the range, and probably our most-sold garment. The 200 is the right base layer for most cold-weather outdoor activities — winter walking, kayaking and paddlesports, camping, climbing. It's warm enough to matter, thin enough to layer over easily, and comfortable enough to wear all day. Pete wore his for five years straight, across kayaking, skiing, running, stand-up paddleboarding and wild swimming in Wales, and it's still going. Available as a crew neck and in long john bottoms.
Woolpower 400 The 400-weight full zip jacket is in a different category — it's a substantial mid-layer rather than a base layer, and it is extraordinarily warm. If you spend long periods standing still in cold weather — winter camping, coaching, winter fishing, working outdoors — this is the garment. It also works beautifully over a 200-weight base for the coldest conditions. Leo Hoare, one of the leading paddlesport coaches in Wales, put a full Woolpower kit through its paces in the Alps and on the Welsh coast and described it as the warmest he'd ever been. He wasn't given to overstatement.
Woolpower 400 Socks Don't overlook the socks. They're thicker than a multi-sport sock but thinner than a dedicated walking sock, and they've become an everyday staple for our staff through autumn and winter — comfortable enough for approach shoes and close-fitting boots, warm enough to make a real difference from September to April. Three or four pairs in rotation and no sign of significant wear after years of regular use.
A Few Things Worth Knowing
Velcro is Woolpower's one enemy. The terry loop construction that makes Ullfrotté so warm is the same thing that makes it snag on velcro. Keep it away from velcro in the wash and you'll have no problems.
It washes well. Machine wash up to 40°C with similar fabrics and it comes out looking new. Our staff confess to treating it with considerably less care than recommended — tumble dried, washed with everything else — and it still performs.
It stays warm when wet. Unlike flat-knit merino, which can feel cold and clammy after a soaking, Ullfrotté retains its warmth even after full immersion. That's why Pete wears it white-water kayaking — something he wouldn't do with any other wool product.
It doesn't need washing after every use. The natural odour resistance of merino means you can wear it for several days of activity before it needs a wash. Useful on expeditions, and kinder to the fabric.
Start with the socks if you're not sure. We say this to everyone. The socks are the lowest-commitment way into the range and they'll convert you.
What Our Team Says
Pete (founder, paddler, skier): "I spent four years trying to get a Woolpower account. Supply is limited and there's only one factory. When we finally got one I understood why it's so hard to get hold of — once people find out about it they don't want anything else."
Clive (staff, mountain biker, paddler): "Machine washed, tumble dried, rolled up in a ball and chucked in a cupboard — and it still performs. Having worked two rafting seasons, over 2000km on a bike and a fair bit of climbing in Snowdonia, my Woolpower Lite base layer is still going strong."
Leo Hoare, Getafix Coaching (independent reviewer): "Swimming around in icy conditions under a drysuit. Skiing in minus-10 white-outs. Two weeks camping high in the Alps and mountain biking in wild wet Wales. The combination of a 200g crew with a 400g zip crew on top and Woolpower bottoms and socks is the warmest I've been for years."
Shop All Woolpower at ProAdventure
We carry the a good Woolpower range in our Llangollen shop and online. If you're not sure where to start, call us on 01978 860605 — we're happy to help you choose the right weight and style for how you use it.
Shop All Woolpower →