Key Takeaways
- It might surprise you, but the best bedding for hot weather is nature’s wonder fiber—wool!
- Wool has a breathable structure that releases heat and moisture, making it ideal for the hottest months of the year.
- Wool bedding resists common allergens and contaminants, so it sleeps cleaner and stays fresher.
- As a bonus, wool is renewable and biodegradable, and it’s one of the most eco-friendly bedding choices you can make when it’s responsibly sourced (from Woolroom!).
When summer hits and the nights become hot and sticky, most people turn to the usual suspects - thin percale sheets and “cool-to-the-touch” synthetic pillows, comforters and mattress toppers. But what if the real secret to staying cool and comfortable is something simpler? Wool might be the very last thing that comes to mind when you’re thinking about the best material for the summer heat, but this super fiber has unrivaled characteristics that mean cooler, more comfortable nights, even when temperatures soar. Wool ticks all of the boxes for breathability, temperature regulation and moisture control - and it does it better than any of the “cooling products” on the market. It also stays cleaner and fresher than other fibers, and it’s eco-friendly, too. If you’re surprised to hear that wool is the ideal hot-weather bedding, it’s time to rethink how you’re sleeping.
Surprise: Wool Sleeps Cool
Believe it or not, wool has an uncanny knack for keeping even the hottest sleepers cool at night. That’s because the fiber itself has properties that regulate temperature and manage moisture. It’s something that synthetic materials and even some natural fibers can’t do, but it just comes naturally to wool.
Temperature Regulation
There’s a persistent association between wool and warmth. And while it’s true that a cozy wool sweater is a winter staple, it’s also true that wool bedding is ideal all year round. That’s entirely due to wool’s breathability. The fiber itself is crimped, like a tiny spring. That structure creates miniscule air pockets that can either hold onto heat or allow air to circulate. When it’s cold, your body generates warmth, which fills the air pockets. But when it’s hot, wool fibers release heat and moisture through those same channels, which helps cool you down. In other words, wool is incredibly well engineered to manage air movement, which is how it regulates temperature.
With synthetic bedding materials, like polyurethane foam, memory foam and polyester, it’s more of a one-way street—and that street is warm. These materials have a denser structure that allows for minimal to zero airflow. And as for those “gel-infused” foams that promise more cooling power? Those additives don’t prevent heat from building—they just delay it. Even down, which traps heat very efficiently, doesn’t release it easily. That makes it cozy in the winter, but too warm come summertime.
Keep in mind that managing temperature is one of the pillars of sleep hygiene, for good reason. As you sleep, your fluctuating body temperature means body heat builds. When you’re sleeping on synthetic materials, that heat has nowhere to escape. And more often than not, that’s when you wake up hot, sweaty and disoriented.
Moisture Control
It’s not just heat that wool manages so effectively. It’s moisture, too. Wool is made of a natural protein called keratin, which is porous. That means every single fiber in, say, a natural wool comforter or mattress topper can absorb and, importantly, release moisture. It’s a game changer in bed, because everyone sweats to some degree—it’s a reaction to fluctuating body temperatures driven by the circadian rhythm. But inside of letting that moisture dampen your bedding, wool fibers actively absorb it—up to 30% of their own weight without feeling wet! As that moisture moves through the fibers and evaporates, it pulls heat with it, helping you stay dry and comfortable.
Guess what doesn’t absorb or release moisture? Yep, the same synthetic fabrics that trap heat also hold on to moisture, so you aren’t just overheated—you’re clammy or outright soggy, too. Down clusters don’t do well with moisture either. They tend to clump, which reduces airflow and increases humidity.
Fresher, Cleaner
Wool’s nifty ability to absorb and release moisture has another benefit. It makes the material incredibly resistant to allergens and contaminants, like dust mites, bacteria, mold and mildew. Dust mites thrive in moist, warm environments, which means they love bedding materials like down and memory foam. The dense, closed-cell structure of synthetic foams—the same thing responsible for trapping heat—harbors allergens, and it’s really difficult to fully clean.
Down, a natural material, can be a great spot for dust mites because it’s so insulating, so it creates a particularly hospitable environment. It can also be tricky to wash properly, and both laundering and drying need to be done properly to avoid mold or odors.
Wool bedding, on the other hand, resists moisture, odor and microbial growth. It stays dry, so it’s not particularly appealing to dust mites, and its breathability means more air circulation, which keeps your bedding fresh.
Sustainable Sleep, Naturally
More people are becoming aware that eco-friendly bedding doesn’t just contribute to a better planet—it also supports better sleep. Wool that has been ethically harvested from sustainably managed farms avoids many of the environmental pitfalls of conventional bedding materials. Synthetic foams, for instance, are petroleum based. Not only are they taxing to produce, consuming large amounts of energy and producing more carbon emissions, they ultimately end up leaching chemicals in landfills. And that’s after they’ve exposed you to years of chemical off-gassing in the form of volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
Natural wool is different - especially here at Woolroom. Wool is inherently sustainable and renewable, but conventional wool manufacturing often involves harsh scouring treatments and blending processes, which kind of defeats the purpose of this eco-friendly material.
We’re proud to do things differently. We only partner with British farms that embrace the five freedoms outlined in the UK Animal Welfare Act of 2006. It’s our way of ensuring that all of the wool we use in our bedding comes from healthy, happy animals. It’s the right thing for the sheep, and it’s truly the best way to source the highest quality wool. All of the wool in our bedding comes from soft down breeds that are sheared every year in the spring, keeping the animals comfortable. Our Wool ID Program is part of our commitment to full transparency and ethical sourcing, showing you the farms, people and sheep behind your wool bedding. Our bedding products are also certified by the Global Organic Textile Standard, indicating they’ve met stringent standards for sustainability.
The Best Wool Bedding Comes From Woolroom
If you can’t upgrade your entire sleep setup this summer, you still have options for cooler, cleaner nights. Woolroom’s collection of mattress pads, protectors and toppers is a great workaround to your current foam mattress (and when you’re ready for a new bed, browse our natural wool mattresses!). Our wool pillows and comforters are ideal introductory bedding staples, too. Before you settle for high-tech synthetics or the thinnest cotton sheets you can find, wool is worth a closer look. It might just be the cooling bedding choice you’ll make this summer.