Woolkin

Beautifully crafted toys and infant bedding made from renewable materials, using responsible manufacturing practices.

Child holding a red wooden toy truck with wheels, with a gray and striped shirt visible.

Project Information

Client Woolkin

Industry Consumer Products

Services Building Brands & Storytelling, New Product Development, New Ventures

Key Outcomes

Consumer Insight and Product-Market Fit

Product Design & Development

Brand & Visual Communication

Productionisation

Go-to-Market Activation

Overview

Passionate about play and the importance of growing young imaginations, we developed a range of award-winning toys made from Naturesclip® - an OEKOTEX™ certified pure New Zealand merino wool and New Zealand FSC certified pine. We also developed Sleepnest®, a bassinet utilising Naturesclip® to give baby a soft, safe haven to snuggle up in – and to give caregivers the freedom to safely have their newborns by their side.

Woolkin® Products

Brave Dave the Fire Engine

Sleepnest® Mattress and Bedding

Red background with the white text 'Wolkin' in the bottom right corner.

Frame

The Woolkin® story began when we started having families of our own. We realised what was actually in the products we were buying our little ones and wanted to find something free of harmful substances and naturally safe for our kids and the environment. To us, it’s unthinkable to make products with toxins and phthalates that can be harmful to the health of children, but that’s what’s happening. With this in mind, we embarked on our own little adventure – to create fun, engaging products that are safe and made from renewable materials with responsible manufacturing practices.

A man sitting on the floor, leaning over a red fabric storage basket, with his hands inside it. A young boy sitting on the floor in the background, playing with wooden toy blocks. The room has wooden floors and light-colored walls.

Our Approach

Naturesclip® is the natural wool material system at the heart of Woolkin® products. Developed from 100% pure New Zealand wool fibre, Naturesclip® provides both the inherent natural benefits of wool and an ethically produced and sustainable alternative to nasty plastics and synthetics. OEKO-TEX™ certified to be free of harmful substances. It's simply better for you – and the planet we share. While Naturesclip® wool may be the star of the show, it's hard to ignore the beauty of natural timbers. The timber used in Woolkin® products is FSC certified and sourced from sustainable New Zealand Pine forests. We are committed to providing quality, natural & non-toxic alternatives in a world full of plastics and synthetics.

Red packaging for Naturesclip, made from 100% New Zealand wool, flame resistant, made in Germany, free of toxins, and OEKO-TEX certified.

Outcome

All Woolkin® products are designed and developed by Virtuo. With strong design, environmental, and ethical values, our team has an intrinsic love and understanding of wool and the possibilities of Naturesclip®. Virtuo is delighted to be able to showcase the possibilities of wool. We are also helping build a vertically integrated supply chain from the farm to finished product to deliver sustainable, world-class products globally.

A young boy with blonde hair wearing a gray long sleeve shirt and jeans sitting on a wooden chair, holding a red toy tractor, with a child's drawing of a girl in a red dress taped to the white wall behind him. There is a red striped silhouette of a microphone on the wall to his right, and the room has wooden flooring.

A wooden toy truck with a red felt exterior and wooden details, including wheels and rails, on a white background.

Wooden toy train painted red with natural wood wheels and details.

Wooden toy tractor with red felt covering and large red wheels.

Wooden toy tractor with red felt body, beige wheels, and light wood details on white background.

Wooden toy airplane with red felt covering, propeller, wings, and tail

Red butterfly-shaped face mask with eye cutouts, set against a white background.

Two red straps with wooden clips and a wooden round object in the center with a red strap.

Two children wearing red masks are playing together. One child is smiling and holding his mask with his hands, while the other is playfully holding his mask near his face. They are sitting on chairs against a plain wall.

With a love of wool, and a passion for play, these toys are crafted to nurture, care and delight those that matter most – our little ones.

A baby sleeping in a SleepNest, which is a snug, red, crescent-shaped baby bed with a striped interior and a white blanket, surrounded by red leaves, with text that reads 'sleepnest' and 'Ultra snug, naturally safe'.

A smiling baby lying in a red and white striped blanket, seen through red fabric or structure.

CARE, COMFORT AND HEALTH

Sleepnest®

Sleepnest® is made from 100% wool, certified to be free of harmful substances, naturally breathable, sturdy and safe. The Sleepnest® sides are flexible and soft to touch. Its simple twin panel design ensures baby is fully cupped and supported during carrying with no load failure points. Selective placement of the seam creates a physically stable, durable architectural structure.

The Sleepnest® Stand has been designed to perfectly fit and compliment the Sleepnest® baby bassinet. Beautifully crafted from FSC certified New Zealand Pine, the stand is designed to be set up at two easily adjustable heights: low level height - an ideal height to sit beside a parents bed, and high level height - for standard nursery bassinet use.

Red child’s high chair with wooden legs and tray against a plain gray background.

Disassembled wooden piece of furniture with various wooden parts and screws laid out on a white surface.

Person in black boots, light-colored wide-leg pants, and a dark green sweater standing next to a modern red walker with a wooden frame against a plain white background.