Klippan Wool Blankets Compared: Gotland, Knut, Ralph, Chevron, Velvet, Stella, Harald

A classification of Klippan blankets by material, pattern and feel, so that before buying you know which blanket scratches and which one does not. No best list, no price list, no washing instructions (those are in a separate guide).

All Klippan wool blankets have the same dimensions and the same weight. The difference lies in the wool and the pattern. 130 × 200 cm including fringes, 410 grams of wool per square meter, woven in the company's own factory in Riga. Those who lay the models side by side see the colors first. Those who pick them up feel the real difference: Gotland is coarse, the pure lamb's wool blankets are softer. Everything else is a matter of taste.

One weaving mill, two wool qualities

Klippan Yllefabrik uses two wool qualities for its blankets. Pure lamb's wool comes from the first shearing of a sheep that is younger than six months. The fiber is finer than in later shearings and therefore feels softer on the skin. The lamb's wool comes from New Zealand, from farms that meet the Standard Wool Integrity NZ standard, which excludes mulesing.

The second quality is a blend: three-quarters lamb's wool, one-quarter wool from the Gotland sheep. The Gotland sheep is an old Swedish breed with long, shiny and comparatively coarse fiber. It gives the blanket body and texture, but also a noticeable scratchiness on bare skin. When choosing between the two qualities, you first decide on softness and only then on the pattern.

Gotland and Gotland Stripe: coarse, thick, for wool lovers

The Gotland wool blanket is the most substantial blanket in the range. Solid-colored, with twisted fringes, in colors ranging from natural grey to beige and caramel to orange and yellow. Natural grey is the only undyed color: it is made from light and dark fibers of the Gotland sheep. Gotland Stripe is the same quality with stripes in two to four colors.

For whom: people who like wool and are looking for a blanket that does not thin out even after years. On the sofa over clothes, at the foot of the bed, on the terrace. Not for: sensitive skin, children, anyone who wants to wear a blanket directly on the skin.

Knut, Ralph, Velvet: pure lamb's wool with a subtle pattern

These three blankets are the most similar to each other. All made of 100 percent lamb's wool, all with cream-colored fringes, all with a pattern that becomes a subtle surface from two meters away.

• Knut shows small light dots on a colored background. The pattern is woven, not printed, and looks like a fine grid up close. In the range since 2017.
• Ralph is solid-colored with fine, woven-in stripes in the same shade. The stripes are only noticeable in oblique light. The oldest pattern in the range, since 2013.
• Velvet has two sides: a diamond pattern on the front, a honeycomb structure on the back, both from the same weave. Since 2018.

For whom: anyone who wants a wool blanket that is softer than Gotland, without sacrificing the weight and warmth of a real wool blanket. Not for: people who expect cashmere or merino. Even fine lamb's wool remains wool and has a slight texture on bare skin.

Chevron, Stella, Harald, Curve: pure lamb's wool with a visible pattern

The second group of lamb's wool blankets lives for the pattern. Chevron is woven in herringbone, the zigzag from tweed weaving, in color and cream. There is also the Chevron cushion cover in the same fabric. Stella shows diamonds in two colors, designed by Birgitta Bengtsson Björk, who has worked for Klippan for years and draws her designs from Swedish weaving traditions. Harald is finely textured with a color-contrasting block stripe. Curve shows curved arches in three shades of brown.

For whom: rooms where the blanket can be a graphic element. A herringbone on a smooth leather sofa, diamonds on a grey fabric sofa. Not for: rooms with patterned rugs and patterned curtains. Two patterns side by side look restless, three are too many.

Which Klippan blanket scratches the least?

The pure lamb's wool blankets. Within this group, there is no demonstrable difference in feel: Knut, Ralph, Velvet, Chevron, Stella, Harald and Curve are woven from the same wool in the same weaving mill. What differs is the weave, and you will feel that more as texture than as scratchiness. Gotland and Gotland Stripe scratch noticeably more because of the Gotland wool content.

Good to know: Every new wool blanket sheds in the first few weeks. These are loose fibers from the weaving process, not a defect. After the first wash on the wool program at 30 °C, it stops.

Three questions before buying

• Is the blanket worn on the skin or over clothes? On the skin: pure lamb's wool. Over clothes: Gotland too.
• Should the blanket stand out or blend in? Blend in: Knut, Ralph, Velvet in grey, beige or natural grey. Stand out: Chevron, Stella or a bold color like orange and saffron.
• Who is it for? For one person wrapping up on the sofa, 130 × 200 cm is enough. Not for two people, for that you would need two blankets.

Those who hesitate between two models after reading this should take the lamb's wool blanket. It is used more often because it requires less effort. Gotland is the blanket for everyone who knows exactly that they like wool.