Quality & Materials

Organic Merino Wool
Less than 1% of all wool production in the world is as sustainable as our organic merino wool is. We use GOTS certified organic merino wool for our
beanies. For our socks, we use traceable Nativa certified merino wool. Both qualities are sustainably sourced and transparently produced. The wool is mulesign free and farmed in respect for animal rights.

Merino wool has multiple advantages. To start with, it’s the ultimate insulator both in cold and warm weather. The merino wool fibre creates tiny air pockets which insulates the wearer from outside temperatures - adapting to the weather conditions and thus keeping the cold away but also having a cooling effect when needed.

Merino wool transports moisture and has highly absorbent features: it keeps you warm and dry even when it’s wet.

We use fine quality merino wool which means that the products are really comfortable, lightweight and don’t itch.

The wool production process is Bluesign certified which guarantees there’s no harmful chemicals used in our products. You can even compost our beanies at the end of their lifecycle: we avoid using superwash treatments as the warming qualities of wool tend to decrease in those.

Luckily merino wool is easy to take care of: it’s naturally antibacterial and locks away odors so usually it just needs refreshment by hanging out to air. For best washing results, take a look at our care guide.

Linen
Linen is a good option to make the products last longer because it’s one of the strongest natural fibres. It’s perfect for summer caps as it’s lightweight, has good airflow and breathability features, and is highly absorbent too.

The cultivation of linen has a low environmental impact with minimal need for fertilisers, small water consumption and succeeding even in poor soil. A material for longlasting wardrobe.

Organic Cotton
Cotton has a long history in clothing and for a reason: it’s comfortable, soft and breathable to wear. Then there’s a but: conventional cotton uses more chemicals than any other crop, which makes it also very burdening for the environment and hazardous for the farmers.

To mimimaze our burden we use only GOTS certied organic cotton. No artical pesticides and fertilisers are used which has a big impact on the health of the soil and the workers in the cotton elds. Using alternative cultivation techniques, organic farming supports soil fertility and increases biodiversity. Healthy soil
needs less water so it’s also less water intensive than conventional cotton.

Recycled Materials and Circularity
For some VAI-KO products synthetic fibres are used to better the quality, for example give strength or add elasticity. We prefer to use recycled materials in order to save energy and water compared to the dyeing and manufacturing
process of virgin fibers.

We find circularity important. The cutting waste generated from our production is the same valuable and pure organic merino wool that we use in our products.
We collect the high-quality material back into use, spin it to new yarn and minimize the waste in our production. Get to know our Cutting Waste Collection.