New Zealand Merino Hat's for Baby Boys and Girls

Our merino hats are made from only the finest New Zealand merino wool. Merino is the finest wool available, prized for its softness and superior quality it is a functional yet luxurious. Our signature knot style hat can be adjusted to fit all shaped heads, just undo the knot and re-tie it to the desired depth. Being made from a fine fibre like merino wool means it will not itch or scratch being so close to the skin of young children. As with all natural fibres, merino wool is breathable, meaning that moisture is wicked from the skins surface and is released through the fabric to the surface to evaporate. This means a child will not overheat while wearing a merino wool hat, but will still keep them warm from the elements.

Our Range of NZ Merino Hats

Our range of hats come in sizes 0-3 months for newborns, right through to 18-24 months for toddlers. Perfect to keep little heads warm, this knot hat design will stay on wee heads and not cause irritation or discomfort. The perfect present for an expecting mother or as a gift for a baby shower. 

Merino Wool for New Zealand Babies

Merino wool fabrics are natural and come from a specific breed of sheep prized for its superior, fine fleece. Not all wool is created equal, and as such the wool fibres are graded based on fineness. The measurement fused or grading wool is referred to as microns, the smaller the micron, the finer the wool. The finer the wool, the softer the handle. Wool graded between 18-18.5microns is known for its superior fineness, and is the grade of wool we use for our merino fabrics. We have chosen this grade of wool as we believe it is the best for children’s sensitive skin, while still having enough durability to withstand use and laundering. Any finer and durability, which we believe is essential for children’s clothing which is subject to play and constant washing, would be compromised. On the flip side, if we went any higher than 18.5 microns we believe the handle would not be as soft and therefore would create irritation against the skin. As our merino garments are next to skin, base layer garments we cannot have any skin irritation issues. In addition, all of our merino wool fabrics have been sourced from New Zealand sheep and adhere to strict regulation standards being ZQ certified. To find out more about our ethically source, New Zealand merino wool please click here.

Benefits of Our NZ Merino Hats

• Superior Softness: the New Zealand Merino wool that we use for all our merino garments is made from 18.5 micron wool. This means it is superfine and luxurious to feel, so it will not itch or scratch when against the bare skin. The handle of our merino is so soft, almost with a silk like feel, that it is unlike any wool you have ever felt.
• Warm yet lightweight: the merino wool jersey fabric that we use is extremely lightweight. It is not bulky or thick which makes it perfect as a next to skin layer to keep the body warm. The ability of the fabric to breath means moisture is wicked away from the skin as it perspires and navigates through the fabric to the surface of the merino fabric, to be evaporated. Leaving the skin dry, warm and odour-free.
• Sustainable: Made from New Zealand Merino wool, ethically sourced to ZQ Merino Standards, our wool fabrics are not only good for you but good for the environment. The farmers and the sheep that the wool come from adhere to strict standards of ethics, regenerative farming practices and farmers are paid fair prices for their wool fleeces. We believe it is important to support local industries and through the ZQ certification we can be assured that such standards of animal, environmental and human ethics are being met.
• Biodegradable: being made 100% New Zealand Merino wool means that the fabric we use for our hats has come from a natural source, in this case sheep. The fleece is shorn from a sheep by a skilled shearer who essentially gives the sheep a ‘haircut’ once a year. This woollen fleece is essential to keeping a sheep warm in winter, and typically a fleece is shorn before the summer months to help the sheep to keep cool in warmer climates. It is essential sheep are shorn, and it does not harm the sheep when a skilled professional shearer shaves the fleece from the body of a sheep. Being essentially like the hair on our heads, the wool from a sheep is biodegradable. Meaning if you were to put your Wilderling merino hat in the compost, it would break down. So when your merino wool garment has finished the end of its life, it will not end up in landfill and instead in the compost being turned back into soil to start its life all over again.

Features of our Superfine Merino Hats

• Adjustable Design: our signature knot tie design is not only cute but functional. To adjust the size just untie the knot and re-tie it at the desired depth to ensure the type of fit you are after. Whether it be a tight fit or a looser, more casual look, any shaped head will be able to enjoy wearing one of our merino wool hats.
• Stretch Fabric: made from a knit fabric means the hat has a good stretch to it. This allows it to comfortably fit over a head and mould to the shape.
• Minimal Seams: we have designed this hat with comfort in mind and as such we have reduced the number of seams which can be a source of discomfort when rubbing against the skin. We also have removed any tags from the inside of our hat, for the same reason. Care information can be found on an additional hang tag, attached to the outside label.
• Machine Washable: all our merino wool fabrics are able to be easily cared for by machine washing. This is important as we want kids to be kids, and as kids they love to play and be adventurous outside. This in turn can mean more washing for parents, and we know there are other things you would rather be doing than having to handwash all clothing. Therefore we have ensured that all our fabrics are able to be washed on a gentle wool cycle, ensuring low care for busy parents of active kids.
• Size range: our Merino Hats come in sizes new born (0-3months) right up to age 18-24months. With a generous size for each, we are confident that the largest size could fit a child well beyond the age of 2years. Please see our size guide below for finished garment measurements.

Why Buy a New Zealand Merino Hat?

By buying a Wilderling Merino Hat, made in New Zealand from New Zealand Merino Sheep, you are supporting local industries and crafts specialists to thrive and continue to pass on their years of skills and expertise. This is important in a world where there continues to be a lack of transparency within supply chains, products end up on our shelves and we have very little knowledge around where these products have come from, how they have been made and by whom. We believe that all elements of the supply chain, from the people who farm the sheep and how they live on the land, to the specialists who skilfully cut and manufacture the garments, right through to the technology and innovation around the development of the fabrics, deserve to be celebrated and paid fairly for their time. By making our products in New Zealand, from New Zealand components, we are able to closely follow and understand all the parts of the process. There is still a lot to be learnt, but we are committed to understanding every element of our supply chains. And as a starting point, by being made in New Zealand we are able to be there on the factory floor, talking to the cutters, discussing layouts and yields. We are able to be there to observe the assembling of the garments and able to put faces to the names behind the machines. For us it is about the connections we make, the people we meet and the things we learn on a daily basis about the industry that allow us to start to see the supply chain as a whole. When you buy a Wilderling product, you are buying a finished piece made up of many hours of skills, expertise, love and passion.

Merino Hat Size Guide:

Measurements below are the full band width of a finished hat – please note that given the stretch of the knit merino fabric used, there is reasonable give to ensure the hat fits on over the head and relaxes onto the head once on. The knot design also allows for variation in tying, to change the fit from tight to relaxed on the head.

0-3months: 32cm

3-6months: 35cm

6-12months: 39cm

12-18months: 43cm

18-24months: 46cm

See our Merino Hats in Action

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