Sheepskin Jackets

Frequently asked questions

• How do I properly clean a sheepskin jacket at home?

  The honest answer is — most sheepskin jackets should not be fully cleaned at home. Here is what you can safely do yourself and what requires a professional.
  
  What you can do at home:
  
  Surface marks on the leather exterior: Use a barely damp white cloth with distilled water — never tap water which can leave mineral residue on leather. Blot gently, never rub. Allow to air dry naturally.
  
  Wool interior freshening: Hang in a well-ventilated room after every wear. Real sheepskin wool breathes and self-regulates — regular ventilation handles everyday odours without any product needed. Never spray perfume, fabric freshener, or deodorant directly on genuine sheepskin wool — these strip the natural lanolin content that gives the wool its insulating properties.
  
  Surface dust on wool: Use a wide-toothed comb or soft-bristled suede brush gently in the direction of the wool grain. This lifts surface debris without disturbing the fibre structure.
  
  Minor scuffs on the leather: Rub gently with a clean dry finger — the natural warmth reactivates the leather oils and resolves most light surface marks.
  
  What requires a professional:
  
  Deep stains, water damage, overall cleaning, and odour removal that ventilation cannot resolve all require a specialist sheepskin cleaner. Machine washing destroys genuine sheepskin — the agitation mats the wool permanently, the water saturates the hide unevenly, and the spin cycle distorts the leather beyond repair. Never attempt it regardless of what the label says. For deep cleaning contact a professional leather and sheepskin specialist — typically once every two to three seasons for regular wearers.
  
  Browse our sheepskin jacket collection — each product page includes specific care guidance for that jacket's construction.

• What's the difference between shearling and sheepskin jackets?

  This is the question most buyers should ask before purchasing — and most brands deliberately avoid answering clearly. Here is the exact distinction.
  
  Sheepskin refers to the hide of a sheep — the raw material. It can be processed in multiple ways depending on how the jacket is constructed.
  
  Shearling refers specifically to a sheepskin hide that has been processed so both faces are usable — the grain side tanned and finished as leather for the exterior, the wool side left as natural fur for the interior. The defining characteristic of genuine shearling is that the leather and wool are one single integrated hide — not two separate materials bonded together.
  
  In practice the difference comes down to construction:
  
  A genuine shearling jacket — sometimes called double-face sheepskin — has no separate lining. The wool you feel inside is the inner face of the same hide as the leather exterior. This is why genuine shearling is warmer, more durable, and more thermally efficient than alternatives — there is no bonding layer to fail and no gap between the insulating wool and the protective leather.
  
  A sheepskin jacket in the broader sense can mean a leather jacket made from sheepskin hide with a separate wool or synthetic lining attached — two different materials rather than one integrated piece.
  
  At Shearling Leather our B3 bomber collection and shearling jacket range use genuine double-face sheepskin throughout — the leather and wool are always one integrated hide.

• Best places to buy high-quality sheepskin jackets online?

  There are four types of online sellers in this category and only one consistently delivers what it promises.
  
  Luxury fashion retailers — genuine sheepskin, exceptional quality, but 60% of the price is brand markup and retail margin. The leather is real. The value proposition is questionable.
  
  General marketplaces — wildly inconsistent. Genuine double-face sheepskin and synthetic sherpa bonded to polyester are listed identically and often priced similarly. Without being able to physically handle the jacket before buying the risk of receiving synthetic as genuine is significant.
  
  Fast fashion brands — almost always synthetic. Faux shearling, bonded fleece, and sherpa-backed polyester dominate this space and are marketed with the same imagery and language as genuine sheepskin. Avoid for anything claiming to be real.
  
  Direct manufacturers — the correct answer for genuine sheepskin at honest prices. No wholesale margin. No retail markup. The price reflects the material rather than the brand. The manufacturer can answer specific questions about the hide, the construction, and the wool source because they built the jacket themselves.
  
  At Shearling Leather we manufacture directly. Every jacket in our sheepskin collection specifies the exact construction — double-face hide, wool pile depth, leather type — before you buy. From $199 with free worldwide shipping and a 10-day return policy. If you have a material question about any specific jacket contact us before ordering and we will confirm every detail.

• How to protect a sheepskin jacket from rain and snow?

  Three steps — before it rains, during, and after. Follow all three and your sheepskin jacket handles wet weather without damage.
  
  Before — Protector Spray:
  Apply a specialist sheepskin protector spray before first wear — not a standard leather protector or suede spray, but one specifically formulated for sheepskin. Hold the can 20–25cm from the surface and apply in light even passes across the entire leather exterior. Allow to dry completely — typically two to four hours — before wearing. Reapply every three to four months for consistent protection. This single step creates an invisible hydrophobic barrier that causes water to bead off the surface rather than penetrating the leather grain.
  
  During — What to Do If It Gets Wet:
  Light rain — the protector spray handles this entirely. The water beads off and the leather remains dry underneath.
  
  Heavy rain — if the jacket becomes heavily saturated shake off as much excess moisture as possible immediately before entering a warm space. Do not rub or wipe the leather while wet — this spreads the moisture unevenly and can cause watermarks. Do not remove the jacket near a heat source — the rapid temperature change causes the leather to contract and crack.
  
  Snow — shake vigorously before entering a warm environment. Never brush snow off wet sheepskin wool — the fibres are vulnerable to matting when saturated. Let the snow fall away naturally through shaking.
  
  After — Drying Correctly:
  Hang immediately on a wide wooden hanger in a well-ventilated room at room temperature. Allow to dry naturally — this takes two to four hours for light exposure and up to 24 hours for heavy saturation. Never use a tumble dryer, radiator, hairdryer, or any direct heat source — heat drives the natural oils out of the hide permanently causing brittleness and cracking that cannot be reversed.
  
  Once completely dry use a wide-toothed fur comb gently on the wool in the direction of the grain to restore the loft. Apply a light conditioning treatment to the leather exterior if it has been heavily saturated — this restores the natural oil content that water exposure depletes.
  
  For any jacket in our sheepskin collection the same three-step protocol applies. See our full care guide for product-specific advice.