People are beginning to understand that great bedding isn’t limited to comfort and aesthetics alone—and they’re right. Beyond how it feels and how it looks, bedding should also tick all the boxes for sustainable sleep, and that’s where natural wool bedding shines. Not only do its properties make it a truly unrivaled textile, wool that’s been ethically harvested from sustainably managed farms is also as eco-friendly as it gets. And here at Woolroom, our commitment to sustainability extends beyond our exceptionally high environmental standards to fair and human practices as well - we’re just as concerned with how our harvesting and manufacturing processes affect our animals and our people. Now, in the interest of more restful nights, let's get really specific about the wonder that is natural wool bedding and what makes it the secret to sustainable sleep.
Why Does Sustainable Sleep Matter?
Sustainable sleep describes a sleep set-up, from the mattress to the pillows to the bedding itself, made with organic materials that are responsibly sourced and produced. That’s important from an environmental perspective—reducing water consumption, chemical pollution and waste—but it also contributes to a healthier sleep experience. Sustainable bedding tends to be naturally hypoallergenic, free of irritating dyes or finishing treatments that can irritate the skin and supremely breathable to promote airflow. Together, those qualities add up to better sleep.
That’s certainly the case with wool bedding, which is actually proven to help you enjoy more restful, regenerative sleep by an impressive 25% compared to other types of bedding. Imagine that—cleaner, more beneficial sleep thanks to bedding that’s only good for you, but good for the planet! It’s all thanks to wool’s innate properties. It’s naturally temperature regulating and remarkably absorbent—wool fabrics can absorb up to 30% of their weight without feeling damp or heavy. That’s because the fiber itself breathes by absorbing moisture from your body and releasing it into the air, keeping you comfortable without trapping heat.
Wool is also hypoallergenic and here at Woolroom, it’s entirely free of harsh bleaches and chemicals, contributing to a safer, healthier sleep environment. And if you struggle with allergies, particularly at night, wool bedding can be a lifesaver. By absorbing moisture, wool creates a drier environment that isn’t hospitable to dust mites, fungal spores and other allergens. It’s also incredibly durable, highly resilient and resistant to odors. Clearly, wool has a lot going for it—and that’s before we get into its lengthy list of sustainability qualities.
What Makes Wool Naturally Sustainable
There aren’t many fibers that compare to wool, both in terms of performance and sustainability. Here’s why this remarkable fiber is as good for the planet as it is for better sleep:
- It’s renewable. Wool is one of just a handful of natural fibers that qualify as renewable. Every year when the weather warms, sheep are sheared. This helps them regulate their body temperature and it gives us a wooly fleece to be used in clothing and bedding. The sheep spend the new few months growing a new fleece, which will keep them warm again come winter. It’s a cyclical process that’s fully sustainable and supported entirely by Mother Nature—all that’s required is fresh air, grass, sunshine and rain.
- It’s naturally biodegradable. Just because something is renewable doesn’t mean it’s biodegradable. Wool, however, is both. As a natural protein fiber, wool can fully decompose in soil in just a few months, releasing valuable nutrients into the earth. Unlike synthetic fibers, which are a major contributor to landfills, wool poses no environmental hazard.
- It’s recyclable. Wool can be recycled in three ways: closed and open loop recycling and re-engineering or upcycling. In fact, wool fibers that are at least 20 mm long can be mechanically recycled up to six times without affecting tensile strength. That’s why wool is actually the most reused and recycled fiber.
- It’s durable. Longevity is a hallmark of wool. Because it performs so well for so long, it doesn’t need regular replacing. Instead, you get to enjoy it for years.
If sustainability is the goal with your wool bedding, however, be choosy. Conventional wool harvesting and processing methods, which often include harsh chemicals and treatments, can negate many of the fiber’s innate benefits, so it’s important to shop with care. Here at Woolroom, our commitment to sustainability extends to ethical practices throughout the entire process, from our partner farms to our incredible craftspeople. All of our wool is responsibly and humanely harvested from healthy, happy sheep living on British farms that adhere to the five freedoms of the UK Animal Welfare Act of 2006. In fact, our Wool ID program makes our wool fully traceable - you can see the farm and sheep where the wool in your product came from.
Sustainable Wool Bedding: The Value of GOTS Certification
When marketing claims sound too good to be true, keep an eye out for certifications from respected organizations. They serve as proof that a particular product or company has met stringent standards for quality, safety and sustainability.
When you’re looking for wool bedding to support sustainable sleep, certifications are even more important. Chief among them is Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS), which is widely considered the leading textile processing standard in the world. To earn GOTS certification, rigorous standards for environmental and social criteria across the entire textile supply chain must be met. In other words, you can trust that a product is made with organic materials and produced in an eco-conscious manner, with little to no environmental impact. There’s also a safety element, since the certification prohibits the use of hazardous chemicals in the manufacturing process to ensure the finished product isn’t harmful to your health.
How To Choose Wool Bedding for Sustainable Sleep
Clearly, there’s a lot to be said for choosing wool bedding that contributes to healthier, more sustainable sleep. So where should you begin? In addition to a valid traceability program and GOTS certification, look for OEKO-TEX Standard 100, an indication that textiles have been rigorously tested for harmful substances, and Woolmark, a quality assurance label that confirms the use of 100% new wool that meets high standards for quality, durability and performance. Woolroom has earned these certifications and others, such as British Wool approval, which vets wool products throughout the entire supply chain to ensure they’re sustainable and ethically and responsibly produced. Woolroom is also the only natural sleep product to have earned the Allergy UK Seal of Approval from the British Allergy Foundation.
Double check manufacturing processes as well, and make an effort to support companies that are forthcoming and transparent about how their products are produced. Finally, consider the packaging. Sustainable bedding should be packaged without plastic as much as possible, and recyclable, biodegradable or reusable packaging materials are ideal.
Sustainable Sleep, Naturally
Sleep is one of the seven pillars of health, and switching to wool bedding is one of the simplest ways to support sustainability and improve sleep quality at the very same time. We all have a responsibility to make choices that support the planet and reduce our environmental impact. Fortunately, wool bedding makes sustainable sleep easy - naturally.