I put Woolroom's Deluxe Washable Wool Duvet to the test to see how it fares compared to the best duvets on the market.
In a nutshell
From the first night I slept under the Woolroom Deluxe Washable Wool Duvet, I've barely taken it off my bed. Suffice it to say, it's one of the best duvets I've tested, and as Ideal Home's Sleep Editor, I've now slept under well over 30 duvets to find the best-in-class, so that's saying something.
The reason this duvet impressed me so much? Its first-rate temperature regulation. As a hot sleeper, this is one of the few duvets that keeps me warm and cosy every night without causing me to overheat at 3am and wake myself up in my rush to kick off the covers and cool down.
That's thanks to the uniquely breathable properties of the 100% traceable British wool that this duvet is filled with. And that same filling also makes this one of the most eco-friendly duvets I've found. Renewable, biodegradable, and produced to the highest ethical standards, this wool-filled duvet is one of the most sustainable ways of keeping warm at night.
Those high-quality materials do make this duvet an investment. Still, the Woolroom Deluxe Washable Wool Duvet has some unique selling points that I think make that price justified, namely the fact this is one of the only wool duvets that is machine-washable, and the only wool duvet I've come across that benefits from a sleep trial. You get 30 nights to test out this duvet on your own bed before you commit.
That's a priceless opportunity to ensure that, like me, you find this duvet to offer the best night's sleep you've ever had.
Woolroom Deluxe Washable Wool Duvet review
Specifications
- RRP: from £144.99 - £599.99
- Sizes: single (135 x 200cm) / double (200 x 200cm) / king (225 x 220cm) / super king (260 x 220cm) / emperor (290 x 235cm)
- Tog rating: light / medium / warm / all-seasons
- Materials: unbleached organic cotton cover and 100% traceable British wool
- Care: wool/delicate machine cycle at 40°C and 800RPM then line dry
- Manufacturer sleep trial: 30 nights
Feel
I have to admit that first impressions aren't where the Woolroom Deluxe Washable Wool Duvet excels.
Although I was very impressed by Woolroom's cotton packaging (no plastic used here), when I unzipped the protective bag and took out the duvet itself, I was surprised how thin and flat it felt.
Admittedly I had just been testing a luxurious and super squishy feather and down option, but, in comparison, the Woolroom duvet felt quite basic and utilitarian.
It's clearly a well-made duvet with good attention to detail in the design, but its unbleached cotton cover and quilted surface don't scream luxury in the same way other options might.
However, although it may be a lot thinner than I was expecting, and it looks fairly flat on the bed, it still drapes well.
Plus, it has plenty of malleability to tuck in around your body to keep out the draughts, and it's one of the quietest duvets I've tested, with no rustling noise to disturb you if (like me) you're prone to fidgeting until you find exactly the right position to drift off.
The only other slight downside to its appearance is its corners, which are rounded. It could be quite a nice touch, except for the fact I've never come across a duvet cover with rounded corners, which means it doesn't quite fit the duvet case as well as it could.
Temperature regulation
I'm a hot sleeper, so, for me, a duvet that offers good breathability and temperature regulation is a must.
In my role as Sleep Editor for Ideal Home I've now slept under many great duvets, from synthetic duvets with cooling technology, such as the Simba Hybrid Duvet, to super lightweight duvets, such as the Emma Cloud Duvet, and luxury feather and down options from scooms and Soak & Sleep.
But the one issue I've encountered time and time again with all the other duvets I've tested is overheating at night. I might go to sleep comfy and cosy, but come 3am I'll find myself waking up hot and sweaty and kicking off the duvet to stick one leg out from under the covers to cool down.
That was until I slept under the Woolroom Deluxe Washable Duvet.
Woolroom has a lot to say about wool's brilliant insulating properties, and as someone who previously struggled with overheating, I've found it all to be borne out in practice. This is the only duvet I've slept under where I've never struggled to regulate my temperature at night.
According to the brand, 'Wool's standout natural attribute as a bedding fibre is its exceptional ability to regulate and maintain temperature. Fluctuating in temperature is often one of the main causes for disrupted sleep, with one in five [respondents to the brand's Clean Sleep report] people reporting being too hot or too cold as the number one factor interrupting their sleep'.
'Unlike synthetic materials or feather and down, wool has the remarkable ability to transport moisture away from the body and regulate temperature, keeping sleepers comfortably warm in winter and cool in summer. Its breathability and insulation properties make it an ideal choice for achieving a balanced and restful sleep environment, regardless of external temperatures'.
However it does it, I just know that it works. This wool duvet eliminated night-time overheating for me, and it's clear wool is the best duvet filling for my sleep needs.
The fact the wool-filling does such a good job at regulating temperature also makes a wool duvet a great choice if you share a bed with someone with a different internal thermostat. Instead of one of you sweltering whilst the other one shivers, a wool-filled duvet can create the right microclimate for both individuals. That means no puzzling over which duvet tog to opt for as a couple.
Ease of care
Usually one of the biggest downsides of a wool duvet is that they can't be washed. Instead, most manufacturers recommend you air your wool duvet on the line on a sunny day to let the UV rays freshen and a gentle breeze freshen it up.
That's because wool fibres felt together when washed at high temperatures, which is what causes your favourite wool jumper to shrink if you don't wash it carefully by hand!
However, the Woolroom Deluxe Washable Wool Duvet is one of the only wool duvets I've come across that can be machine-washed.
It's not quite such an easy process as bunging a synthetic duvet, like the M&S Supremely Washable Duvet or John Lewis Soft Touch Washable range, in the washing machine at 60°C. But, thanks to Woolroom's innovative technology, this duvet is now a lot easier to care for than any of its competition.
Woolroom recommends washing the Deluxe washable on a wool/delicate cycle at 40°C using wool detergent, a spin speed lower than 800RPM, and then line drying. The brand doesn't advise tumble drying.
During testing, we found the duvet washed well, although due to the low spin cycle it does come out of the machine very wet and so it needs a good length of time to dry. I definitely recommend waiting until a sunny and breezy summer day to wash it so you can hang it outside to line dry if possible.
Value for money
This isn't the cheapest wool duvet you can buy (Slumberdown's Wonderfully Wool Duvet is the most budget-friendly I've found), but, it also isn't the most expensive wool duvet on the market (that accolade goes to the premium Floks Luxury British Winter Wool Duvet which does feel thicker and more premium, but lacks some of this Woolroom duvet's other benefits).
And, whilst there's still no denying this Woolroom duvet is an investment, it does feature multiple USP's that I haven't found elsewhere.
Those unique features include materials with an exemplary ethical and sustainable provenance (an unbleached organic cotton cover and traceable British wool filling), the fact that this wool duvet is machine washable, a wide range of sizes and warmth options (you can opt for the light, medium, or warm duvet in sizes from a single to an emperor), and one last USP I haven't seen available anywhere else – a 30-night sleep trial to test out if a wool duvet can help to improve your sleep.
How I tested
I tested the Woolroom Deluxe Washable Wool Duvet at home on my own bed, sleeping underneath it for a week to see how it performed. However, that testing period has since been extended for far longer as this is now the duvet I choose to sleep under every night.
Whilst testing it I assessed the duvet's feel – this includes how malleable and squashy it feels to scrunch up in my hand, how well it tucked in around my body at night, if it made any noise when doing so, and how well it drapes on the bed.
I also assessed the duvet's temperature regulation and breathability. In doing so I made sure to keep my bedroom at the ideal bedroom temperature recommended by sleep scientists to help us sleep better – between 16°c and 18°c. I also made sure to use the same breathable cotton duvet cover I use to test every duvet we put through Ideal Home's duvet testing process.
As a hot sleeper who is prone to overheating, I then set to snoozing to see if I slept comfortably throughout the night, or whether I woke up hot and sticky under the covers and had to fling a leg out of bed or throw the covers off myself to cool down. And, alternatively, if I woke up too cold.
I also assessed the duvet's ease of care, and where possible made sure to wash the duvet according to its care instructions to see if it came out of the washing machine looking and feeling as good as when it went in.
Lastly, I considered the duvet's price point and value for money, as well as researching any third-party reviews to see what a wider selection of owners think of the product, before giving the duvet a score out of five.
