Testing out wool bedding in summer has to be one of the strangest requests I’ve ever had. I said yes, thinking it would have to be quite a long term trial until colder weather came along and I could put the whole ‘keeps you cool in summer and warm in winter’ claim properly to the test. And then weather happened! We went from 80 degrees and searing sun to wind, cold, rain, gales and almost freezing all in the space of a fortnight. This bedding is temperature tested!
I said yes to this post, sponsored by Wool Room, partly because being from Scotland, supporting the wool trade is just in my blood, and partly because I was curious. I grew up surrounded by fields of sheep, seen my fair share of lambs being born and bottle fed the weaklings by a farmer’s stove. Rescuing lambs from a late snowfall in spring, watching the annual flock dipping in a green field by a river and waking to discover my fuzzy friends had had a haircut and looked all skinny – all of this is what my childhood was. As with my beloved cashmere, I’ve known the industry all of my life and farming is no easy life.
Wool Room’s story is quite extraordinary. Founded in 2008, the remit was to change the old fashioned view of wool – scratchy jumpers (yes, I had a few of those too!) and damp smelling picnic rugs, and bring it up to date as a natural, comfortable and effective material. It’s all UK wool and farmers are paid the best possible prices for it. Rather than focus on more rugs or jumpers, Wool Room’s priority is bedding. All of their wool bedding carries the Allergy UK Seal of Approval and I wish I’d had this when my children were smaller and scratching their skin in night.
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So, I have to tell you about my usual bedding. It’s sumptuous. When I took it all off my bed, the pile was about 3 feet high. A puffy mattress topper, a billowy king size duvet, soft and bouncy pillows – I love my bed – and I’m strictly a white bed linen only person. When I swapped it all over for the Wool Bedding, I actually felt low to the ground! Because, I have to tell you that billowy it is not. It’s really quite flat and I didn’t like it.
Fast forward three weeks, though, and I realise that my temperature control during the night is near perfect. I haven’t woken once too hot, haven’t had any night sweats or greeted the morning with an unflattering and uncomfortable ‘glow’. Although I kept bouncy pillows on my bed, I rarely sleep with my head on a pillow – it just feels all wrong for me. I noticed though, that because Wool Room pillows are flatter and I get no heat from them, I have been waking up with my head still on the pillow and that in itself is very unusual.
There’s no real cure for night sweats, whether they are medical, just happen or are hormonal, but on a personal level I have genuinely not overheated for whatever reason since using this bedding. Which in turn means I haven’t woken in the night, nor clammy in the morning. In itself that means that I look and feel fresher and more awake – it’s beauty sleep indeed. I’m sure I don’t need to tell you that it’s not just dark circles that are a beauty casualty of too little sleep: hair loss, collagen production restriction and circulation have all been linked to poor sleep.
Time for some wool facts! Wool gives an environment so dry that dust mites won’t inhabit it – if you have a dust mite allergy, take note, and there is also evidence that it can help eczema and asthma. It’s mold resistant and naturally fire retardant – it passes flame tests with no chemicals added, so if you’re chemical sensitive, it’s something to note.
In truth, I miss the billows, I really do, but my bed is starting to feel more normal as each day goes by. I cannot say that I’m not getting good sleep because I really am; there’s something rather gentle and soothing about the duvet as soon as I slip under it and I’m truly surprised that the temperature regulation is so noticeable.
I have a friend with a wool duvet – she absolutely loves hers and I could never quite get why she was such a convert, but I get it now. If I can recommend two things to give you an idea of how well wool works for temperature regulation, they would be the mattress topper and pillows to see how you go. It’s hard to give up those fluffy clouds; I’m still hoping Wool Room finds a way to marshmallow up the duvet! But the pay-off is so significant that for now I am completely convinced.
There’s 10% off for BBB readers with Code JC10 as well as 25% off for lots of things already. My top tip is to ignore the heat of the day right now and stock up on snuggly wool cushions and blankets some of which are 50% and more off. The Wool Room is HERE.
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