Real vs Fake Sheepskin: How to Tell the Difference

At Baa Stool, we believe there’s nothing more luxurious than real sheepskin. Beautifully warm and silky to the touch, this material has been used to make clothing and homeware for thousands of years. But as sheepskin has become more popular, this growing trend has resulted in fake sheepskin flooding the market. Although faux sheepskin is a great alternative for some people, nobody wants to find that their so-called genuine sheep pelt is actually an artificial knock-off. So, how can you be sure you’re getting the real deal? How to Tell the Difference between Real vs Fake Sheepskin or shearling? If you’re wondering how to tell real sheepskin or shearling from fake fur, you’re in the right place. At Baa Stool, our sheepskin furniture and accessories are handcrafted from real sheepskin sourced predominantly from UK flocks. We know our stuff – and want to make sure ewe do too.

In this blog post, we’ll explain how you can tell the difference between vs fake sheepskin. Read on to discover four easy ways to identify the material that makes up your rug, runner, cushion or chair!

What is real sheepskin made of?

As its name suggests, real sheepskin is made from the skin and wool of a sheep. These are leftover by-products from the food industry and would otherwise be wasted. Baa Stool’s pieces are made using sheepskin from UK flocks, with occasional additions from New Zealand and Australia.

What is fake sheepskin made of?

Fake sheepskin fabrics are usually made from synthetic materials, such as acrylic or polyester, and backed onto knit or woven fabric. This fabric is often also synthetic, which means the product process has a heavy environmental footprint.

How to tell real sheepskin from fake

Have you bought an item of furniture second-hand? Feeling suspicious about the authenticity of a supposedly genuine sheepskin product? Follow our four easy steps below to find out whether your sheepskin is the real deal or a wolf in sheep’s clothing.

1. Examine the backing of your sheepskin

As we mentioned earlier, genuine sheepskins will be sold with the wool attached to the skin, whereas fake fur will be attached to a backing fabric. This means one of the easiest ways to work out whether your sheepskin is real or fake is to examine the pelt (the non-woolly side).

To do this, gently pull the wool away from the backing. If your sheepskin is real, the wool won’t come away easily and the underside will be smooth, resembling leather or suede. If your sheepskin is fake, you won’t need to try very hard to pull away the pile, and the exposed backing will probably have a woven texture.

2. Is your sheepskin washable?

We’re not suggesting you bundle your sheepskin into the washing machine to find out! But if your item has come with any paperwork or tags that say it can be washed by machine, it’s could be fake.

Real sheepskin should be cared for properly and requires specialist washing. Like a real wool jumper, your sheepskin might shrink in the washing machine and can easily become stretched out of shape.

At Baa Stool, we offer a professional cleaning and refinishing service for our removable sheepskin covers. That means you don’t need to worry about keeping your item pristine. Drop us a line to find out more! Alternatively, check out our caring for sheepskin guide.

3. Feel the sheepskin with your hands

Another simple way to how to tell real shearling or sheepskin from fake is by touch. The fibres of real sheepskin are usually more densely packed than fake ones, with a silky-smooth finish. Although fake sheepskin will still be soft, it’s likely to have a slightly ‘plasticky’ feel to it. Some people even describe the texture as prickly. When you stroke your sheepskin, can you feel the pelt beneath? Because fake sheepskin is often thinner, you’ll probably be able to feel the backing fabric underneath as your fingers glide through the fibres. This usually won’t be the case with real wool – after all, its original purpose was to keep a sheep warm!

4. Get your sheepskin wet (if all else fails!)

Getting a real sheepskin wet is usually a baa-d idea – but if you’ve tried the steps above and are still stumped as to whether your sheepskin is real or fake, water can be a helpful last resort.

Real sheepskin has to keep an animal warm and dry during the long rainy months. This means the material stays quite warm even when it gets wet. An artificial sheepskin isn’t as insulating, so it will feel cold.

To test this theory, take a small quantity of cold water and pour it carefully over a small section of your sheepskin. Then, touch the area with the back of your hand. A real skin will still feel quite warm as it retains its heat effectively, while the temperature of a fake fur will drop.

Sustainability factor

When it comes to choosing how to tell real shearling or sheepskin from fake, many people assume that faux sheepskin is the more eco-friendly way to go. After all, raising livestock does contribute to global emissions. However, fake sheepskins are made from plastic, which is derived from oil. And we all know the issues associated with that.

At Baa Stool, all of our sheepskin products are made using leftovers from the food industry, and therefore don’t cause any further environmental damage. Moreover, our sheepskin rugs and covers are designed to stand the test of time, so you won’t need to replace your real fur items anywhere near as often as their artificial counterparts.

Browse the collection

Now you’ve read all about how to tell the difference between Real vs Fake Sheepskin or shearling, the best way to make sure you’ve got a genuine sheepskin article is by buying from Baa Stool. Made largely from UK flocks, our exquisite sheepskin furniture and accessories are handcrafted in our North Wales workshop – where we use only the highest quality materials.

Want to add something beautiful to your home? Discover the complete collection at Baa Stool today!