What is the difference between lambskin and sheepskin?

When the Gotland lambs are born almost all of them are black. After a few months, they change in color to different shades of grey. The soft lambskins are easy to adapt and therefore well suited for sewing, putting in the baby stroller or covering furniture.

When the animals are adults, the wool has acquired firmer with clearer color changes with different patterns over the skin. This is when the skin is called sheepskin. The white breeds do not change in color, but sheepskin has sturdier wool and often thicker curls. The sheepskins are usually a little bigger and less flexible than lambskin.

Why is there such a big price difference between lambskin and sheepskin?

When we manually go through our lambskins and sheepskins for pricing, we always do it with an individual setting. There are many factors we consider when setting a price. For example, we look at the quality of the wool: How shiny it is, how well-shaped the curls are, whether they are even over the whole skin or if the wool is frizzy or ruffled in some places. The better quality of the wool the longer the skin stays nice. We look at the color: Is there any discoloration? Is there any unusual pattern or a rarer color? A sheepskin from Gotland sheep shall have a pure grey color and the curls shall preferably be the same size over the entire skin with a high shine. We also look at the shape of the skin: Does it have an even shape or is it irregular? Are there any seams or damage on the skin? Finally, we measure the size. The size doesn’t affect the price as much as the quality of the fur and color.

What is the difference between grey and white lambskins? Which one should I choose?

The most positive features of lambskins are the same no matter what color you choose. They are all beautiful, soft and give a harmonic feeling.

The white sheepskins usually come from breeds that are mainly kept for meat and milk production, for example, Dorset, Texel and Leicester. They have a big variation in gloss and curls but are all natural white without going through any bleaching process. Dorset and Texel are frizzier with firm wool which is good for the ones who want skin suitable to sit or lay on for a long time. The Leicester sheep have glossier white skin with corkscrew curls.

Grey sheepskin mainly comes from Gotland sheep or crosses with this breed. They can vary in shades from the lightest grey to almost black. To produce beautifully glossy skins with curls that last for a long time a lot of work has been done with breeding for many years.

Does white lambskin get very dirty easily?

The fact is that white lambskin is surprisingly good at repelling dirt of all kinds. Many people use them both in sofas and strollers without any problems. If you once in a while hang the lambskin outside and shake it occasionally it will stay fresh for a long time.

How big are lambskins?

Normally a lambskin is about 100 x 80 cm.

Short cut wool - approx. 2 cm    

Our short-cut skins have approximately about 2 cm long wool are they are usually quite curvy. When customers wonder how short the wool really is, we usually say that they are about as short as the ones you often see on types of furniture that are decorated with lambskin. Short-cut skins are often used for sofas and chairs.

Long cut wool - approx. 3,5 cm   

Most of our skins have a 3,5 cm standard wool length. This is a great length for being able to experience the curls and a certain fluffiness without being difficult to maintain. This length is perfect for babies, on sofas, on the floor, underneath and in bed… well, basically everywhere!

Unshorn lambskin  

An unshorn lambskin or sheepskin is not sheared in the preparation process and remains the same length of the wool as the sheep or lamb had. These days the standard is that you must sheer living sheep and lambs twice a year which means that the wool gets no longer than 8-10 cm even if it is unshorn. To keep unshorn skin, a special quality of wool is required. There are not many skins that match these criteria and therefore is the unshorn lambskin very exclusive and not so often in stock.

Hur vårdar jag skinnet bäst så det håller sig länge?

Alla skinn älskar att hänga ute och vädras då och då helst när det är hög luftfuktighet ute. Då själv-rengör sig ullfibrerna och lockarna återfår sin stadga och glans. Om det är en kall vinter kan man med fördel lägga skinnen med ullsidan neråt i snön i flera timmar. Skaka av skinnet noga innan ni tar in dem igen. Man skall inte kamma eller borsta sina skinn. Ej heller använda såpa eller annat tvättmedel än vad vi rekommenderar, då kan det naturliga ullfettet försvinna och skinnet kan då tova sig eller bli matt och tråkigt.

Buy lambskin for baby

Should I have lambskin or sheepskin for my baby stroller?

This is, by far, the most common question we get. To make it easier we have created a separate category called “lambskin for baby” where we gathered all our softest and most supple lambskins that is great for your baby. Most are smaller in size but occasionally there are some larger ones too.

Sheepskin can be incredibly stylish, but the truth is that it can be hard to fit in a stroller. We would not recommend sheepskins, no matter what size, for your stroller because the material is harder and less flexible than lambskins. The answer to this question is, from our side of the story, that you should buy lambskin for strollers!

What color should I choose for the lambskin for the stroller?

This is of course a highly individual matter of taste, and it often depends on what color the stroller has. If you have slightly darker fabrics, it can feel a bit dark with a dark grey lambskin. Many prefer a light grey or white lambskin for strollers

Should the wool be short-cut or uncut if I want to place it in a stroller?

This is mainly a question of taste.

If you have a small stroller, we recommend short-cut wool which is about 2 cm. If you want some more curly and cuddly lambskin, we will say long-cut wool which is about 3,5 cm.

Should I have a white lambskin for the baby?

If you want a white lambskin for your baby, we will definitely say that you should go for it. You don't have to be scared that the white lambskin would get extra dirty. The wool repels dirt in a completely different way than white fabrics do. All our lambskins are also washable so you can easily throw it into the washer if needed or just rinse it off in case of accidents or dirt.

Can I use the lambskin directly on my baby's skin?

Yes! All our lambskins are prepared in a way that makes your skin ready to be used immediately when you get it.