Arthur Beale Beerenberg Jumper Review

First impressions on this heavyweight wool pullover from Arthur Beale, one of the UKs oldest yacht chandlers, outfitting explorers and seafarers for 500 years

I’ve been keen to get my hands on one of these jumpers/pullovers for a while. Made of 100% British Wool in a Submariner Rollneck style, it’s not cheap (currently £145 full price) but promises warmth and longevity that give it clothing heirloom potential. Note: I have bought this jumper with my own money, so this review reflects my own experiences.

I have a desire to wear more natural fibres, and use more naturally derived products in general, e.g. my natural fibres MYOG project. I’m looking forward to trialling this jumper as my primary insulation source for colder weather adventures.

Interestingly Arthur Beale played a role in outfitting explorations to Polar regions and the Himalyas. If it was good enough for Shackleton and the Antarctic it should be good enough for most of my uses. The downside is of course weight. Winter sailing or sitting around a bothy fine, but how will I feel carrying it on longer trips. A lot will depend on performance. We will have to wait for the winter to test this fully. I will update once I have had a chance to test in harsher situations.

For a video review click here

the beerenberg pullover

Arthur Beale offer a range of oiled wool pullovers. According to the Arthur Beale site, oiled wool refers to the fact that the wool maintains high levels of the natural lanolin found on sheeps wool. This lanolin is a natural oil, but is what ultimately gives the wool much better natural water resistant. Some wool is also “oiled” with paraffin during processing, but in this case the claim refers to natural lanolin.

All wool is Welsh sourced which helps reduce the carbon footprint and also has a couple of areas of canvas reinforcement, under the shoulder seams and also the wrist thumb holes.

The Beerenberg offers a super thick knit and the high neck making it likely the warmest of the Arthur Beale range. Maybe I will try the others for comparison over time. It is available in three natural wool colours. Ecru (White/Cream), Black welsh mountain (basically a very dark brown), and Light Welsh Gray, the latter what I have opted for. In essence the natural colours of sheep as you would expect.

arthur beale pullover sizing

Sizing is a personal thing. As my primary aim is as a warm insulating layer outdoor activities, sailing, camping, winter mountain walking etc. my primary focus is functionality. This means a good, comfortable fit, not restrictive but with a lack of baginess and sufficient length in the arms and body to not ride up and interface with gloves etc. effectively.

At 5’11 and 11 stone with a 38″ chest I am somewhat between the small (36″) and medium (40″) as per the Arthur Beale sizing chart and decided to opt for medium. On first impression I think the sizing is pretty good. Certainly I could benefit from a couple of inches less around the jumper body but there is no excessive bagginess and it has a suitable volume for effective layering.

first impressions

Overall the quality of the knitting looks good. It is uniform and well finished with even stitches throughout and well finished edges. Little details like the canvas reinforcement on the sleeve thumb holes and shoulders show a thoughtful attention to longevity.

I haven’t been able to try the jumper in colder conditions due to a very mild UK autumn. However I will update the review once things get properly cold. Certainly having worn the jumper for a few short periods it feels very snug indeed. Perhaps I will venture into the garden after dark for a bit of star gazing to contrast with my fleece. The high neck and long wrists add to a feeling of insulation. When it comes to my next cold weather foray into the UK mountains I will team with a merino or silk baselayer and see how we go.

Video review

Garment Care – washing oiled wool jumpers

Worth noting that if you put this jumper in a 40deg wash with standard detergent you will ruin it. Whilst nowadays we often like to throw everything in the wash after one use this is absolutely not necessary or recommended for this kind of garmet. Natural wool has natural anti microbial qualities, and (especially oiled wool) repels dirt and is naturally self cleaning to some extent.

Despite all of the above I did find reference to garment care online so here it is repeated in Arthur Beale’s words.

“As this pullover contains natural lanonlins which help it to resist water it is best to wash it as little as possible. The lanonlin provides the pullover with a fresh wool smell. Traditionally woollen pullovers would be protected from dirt while fishing or working onboard by wearing a simple canvas smock.

Over time however you will need to clean your pullover and we recommend the following method.

a) Wash in tepid (30deg C) water – hot water will lead to shrinkage. Use a liquid soap or a 2 in 1 hair shampoo with conditioner. Immerse the pullover and gently swish and agitate by hand. Leave to soak for 5-10 minutes then ball up the pullover and squeeze out the water. refill with fresh water and repeat until the water is clear when squeezed out.

b) Never wring or stretch wool when wet – this will cause the pullover to become misshapen due to the elasticity of natural wool. Just lay the pullover on a clean towel and roll them together to remove the excess moisture without stretching it.

c) Dry the pullover flat – do not use the tumble dryer or the pullover will shrink radically. You can buy special mesh trays to help the airflow. Reshape the pullover whilst it is damp, squaring off the shoulders and the welt (waist).

A good way to freshen a pullover between washes is to gently steam/press it with an iron on the wool or steam setting.“