Ortovox relies upon regional production in our local Alps. The Merino Fleece Classic Knit Hoody and SWISSWOOL Classic Gloves are produced according to this philosophy: High quality Swiss wool is spun into fine yarn in the Lech valley and knitted in Styria. Ancient machines process the wool delicately, resulting in functional, unique products.
Ortovox has been putting its trust in natural wool since 1988. Born out of a pioneering spirit and shaped by innovative strength, ORTOVOX’s first SWISSWOOL products were introduced in 2011. This wool comes from the harsh mountain terrain of the Swiss Alps, which provides an almost unlimited habitat for hundreds of thousands of mountain sheep. However, this wool is much more than just high-quality material for our mountainwear – it tells the unique story of the people and the sheep. Not many years ago, Swiss sheep farmers earned very little money on the global market with their wool. The SWISSWOOL initiative, which brings together farmers and buyers, was created with the aim of saving this traditional type of alpine farming.
The Wagner family has been running the WOLLE WAGNER spinning company for three generations. In the midst of the Lechtal Alps, they process Swiss wool into fine knitting yarn – over 40,000 kilograms each year. Of this, the three-person-operation spins six tons of wool for ORTOVOX products alone.
The journey from washed virgin wool to yarn is shaped by tradition: Where there was once a hand spinning wheel, there is now a nearly 80-year-old machine. Unlike modern machines, Wagner’s traditional models operate slowly. Very slowly. SLOW WOOL is the secret to high quality: Only when pure, natural virgin wool is processed slowly and gently can high-quality yarn be produced.
The SWISSWOOL yarn is transported directly to HERATEX in Styria. Since its very beginning in 1988, ORTOVOX has relied upon this small supplier for the production of knitted and felted products such as gloves and inserts – partly still handmade. Workflow varies depending upon the product: The finished CLASSIC KNIT inserts for fleece jackets are sent untreated to the producer.
However, HERATEX takes the material for the gloves to a group of knitters, who knit the fingers with a hand knitting machine in their homes. Up to 20 pairs of gloves are produced each day. Finally, the CLASSIC WOOL GLOVES are felted and shaped at HERATEX without the addition of chemicals.