Monthly Archives: February 2022

Wool Wellbeing Tip #1: Wool Clothing

It can be difficult to know if you are making environmentally-friendly choices when you are shopping for clothes, but one thing is clear – choosing natural fibres over synthetics can make a huge difference in protecting our soils, waterways and oceans.

Microplastic particles from synthetic clothing and textiles are widespread in aquatic and land-based ecosystems around the world and 35% of those in marine environments are fibres from synthetic clothing. During a recent survey, 44% of people asked did not realise that the synthetic fibres in their clothes (such as polyester, acrylic or nylon) are actually plastic.

Naturally (excuse the pun!), because we handcraft wool-filled bedding products, we regularly write about how wool is better than synthetic fibres because of its sustainability.  A sheep’s fleece continuously grows and so in the spring and summer needs to be sheared to relieve the sheep from its heavy winter coat. Wool also has temperature regulating properties, as well as a natural resistance to dust mites. But it doesn’t just stop there. When it comes to biodegradability, wool is a lot better for the planet than synthetic materials because it does not cause microplastic pollution.

So, it's not just about being better for us but also for our beautiful planet too – and we call this ‘wool wellbeing’! Recent studies have shown that wool readily biodegrades, releasing nutrients, and this is better for our soils and, ultimately, our marine environments.  

When you are next out and about, shopping for new wardrobe items, here are some things to bear in mind:

• Check the labels: choose garments that are made from natural fibres or, at least, have a high percentage of natural fibres. Examples are wool, cotton, tencel, linen, bamboo and silk. Clothing made from synthetic (plastic) is listed a

Although we have won several awards for our individually handcrafted 100% British wool mattress toppers (including an ‘Indy Best Buy’ from The Independent), we don’t want to rest on our laurels. As more and more people are discovering the joys of sleeping more soundly having purchased one of our wool mattress toppers, we’re constantly looking for ways to maximise the way we build luxury into every stitch.

Working hand-in-hand with our brilliant seamstresses, here in our workshops on the edge of Dartmoor, we tried a number of new ideas. Through this process, we discovered that if we combined additional layers of wool with hand fluffed wool, this would create an even plumper topper that has a bit more ‘spring’ to it. More wool and more ‘springiness’ means even more comfort!

If you’re at the stage of thinking about using a mattress topper for the first time, then you might not have considered wool before. We know we’re biased because we love wool - but we have many good reasons for this, which we’ll share with you. Firstly, wool is sustainable and 100% natural. That means it is eco-friendly and we all increasingly want to do our bit to help the planet where we can!

Wool is also breathable and temperature regulating, so works with your body’s core temperature and the ambient temperature of your bedroom to help keep your temperature consistent, which means less interrupted sleep. This is very different from synthetic fibres, which can trap heat in the warmer months and make you feel even hotter. Being too hot can lead to a very disrupted sleep and that’s not good for anyone. Naturally resistant to dust mites and the build-up of micro bacteria, wool is also hypoallergenic and more hygienic than many other fibres. All of this adds up to what we call ‘wool wellbeing’.

The really good news is that because we want to support British farmers, we only ever use