Get Camel Wool Smart Before Getting Camel Wool Rich

Why camel wool (also called camel hair) is so valuable and why some sources consider it superior to other types of wool? Camel wool comforters and camel wool pillows typically cost more than sheep wool comforters and sheep wool pillows. Camel wool is hard to obtain because camels are usually found in the wild whereas many other wool producing animals are raised in farms. Only a small number of camels are domesticated.

The best camel wool is gathered from two-humped Bacterian camels of Gobi desert, Mongolia (China). Camel wool can be of two kinds. The outer protective fur is called guard hair. It is coarse and inflexible. Camel also have fine, fluffy, soft shorter fiber of the insulating undercoat called cashmere or down. Camel hair can be shorn before the molting season or collected by hand during the 6-8 week long molting season lasting from late spring to early summer. The humps on the camel backs are usually not shorn as they protect the animal from the heat in summer. The fallen clumps of hair were typically harvested by Mongolian “trailers” that followed camels during the molting season and collected it along the trails.

Adult camel can produce only 10 to 20 lbs of wool annually. The finest and softest white camel hair is obtained from baby camels. Since it is a premium fiber, camel hair is usually blended with other types of wool to make it more economical. Blending also makes the coarse guard hair soft and plush. Alternatively, long coarse camel hair can be removed by combing and carding the wool.

Camel wool stabilizes body temperature. Its thermostatic properties can insulate the animal from the extreme cold conditions in the desert at night and keeping it cool from the heat in the day. The same qualities are transferred when producing camel wool filled comforters and pillows.

Camel hair is lightweight because it is hollow. It is lighter than the sheep wool. That hollow space in the center acts as a vacuum making the wool super insulating without added weight. Camel hair provides the best insulation of all the wools, which is why it is used for comforters, coats and Mongolian tents (“yurts”).

Camels produce longer fibers than sheep. That results in a more durable finished product. Camel wool filled comforters and pillows are likely to outlive bedding products filled with other types of wool. In addition to developing long guard hair Mongolian camels also produce short undercoat that protects the animals from extremely cold Gobi’s winters when the temperatures drop to minus 55 degrees F.

Camel cashmere is finer than most lambs wool. Bedding items filled with camel cashmere have softer, more delicate feel.

Camel hair is also extremely waterproof, which is why the Mongolian herdsmen use it for coats and the outer layers of their yurts. Like lambs wool, camel hair wicks away moisture caused from perspiration and breathing. That makes it a very unwelcome environment for mold and mildew that thrive in moist conditions.

Like lambs wool, camel wool is breathable. Wool comforter reduces heat and humidity by 50% enhancing your sleep.

Like lambs wool, camel hair naturally repels moisture and dirt so is inherently clean.

Like lambs wool, camel hair is resistant to combustion due to the protective lanolin coating found in the wool.

Camel hair cannot be exposed to heat as it may remove lanolin from the fibers and can damage the structure, resulting in broken fibers and decreased durability. Removal of lanolin also makes the wool more flammable.