While I've always been quite content with our feather and down duvet set up, my husband is a bit less keen. He's plagued by a dust mite allergy and quite understandably has been on a mission to get us to switch to a duvet that we can easily bung in the washing machine. I was rather less enthusiastic about no longer dozing off under a frothy cloud and worried the only alternative was a sweaty polyester number. But then we realised there was another solution: a wool duvet. Wool Room's ‘Deluxe Washable Duvet Medium 7-10 tog’ appeared to offer it all – machine washable, dust-mite repellent, breathable and naturally hypoallergenic, while also being good for the planet thanks to the fact it's free from chemicals (it's naturally flame retardant, which does away with the need for any horrid coatings) and made from British wool.
Woolroom Deluxe Washable Duvet: is it worth buying?
One thing that particularly appealed to me about Wool Room's ‘Deluxe Washable Duvet' is that it is one of the few on the market where the wool is fully traceable. By scanning the QR code on the tag, you can find out exactly where the wool fibres come from: a good chunk of this one came from Chatsworth in Derbyshire, who have recently started collaborating with Wool Room. Equally pleasing is the fact that the casing is made from unbleached organic cotton. There is something very satisfying knowing that you are sleeping in something made of honest, natural materials.
While I was chuffed with the duvet's origins, I was a bit surprised when I opened it and discovered how thin it was – was it going to keep us warm enough and was it going to look as good on the bed as my feathery favourite? Thankfully, all fears were quickly dispatched once we'd made the bed up: my sheets looked great on it, it felt pleasingly weighty and, I realised once tucked up, were surprisingly warm. In fact, I have woke in the night a little too warm on a couple of occasions, so if you run hot, it's perhaps worth getting the light 2-5 tog version. We have the medium (7-10 tog) version and I think it will be a winter duvet more than an all seasons one. That said, one of the key selling points of wool duvets is that they are temperature regulating and I have found this has kept me wonderfully snug on colder nights – the idea is that it is a breathable insulator.
Woolroom claims that it will deliver ‘25% better sleep than down and feather through superior moisture management and heat regulation' and while it's hard to exactly quantify, I must say I've found it comfortable and cosy, and had some pretty brilliant nights' sleep. Although my husband's allergies haven't yet shown a sign of abating, he's thrilled at the fact we can clean it regularly – we've washed it once so far (purely to put it to the test) and it came out looking good as new and dried easily.
I'm a wool duvet convert - I can't imagine going back to feather and down; in part because this makes for an excellent night's sleep but also because it is an infinitely more sustainable option than many duvets.
May we suggest: The best duvets for a great night's sleep in 2024
Fact file
- Material: : Traceable & washable British wool and unbleached 200tc organic cotton
- Machine washable? Yes
- Country of manufacture: EU - designed and developed in the UK
- Sizes available: Single (135 x 200cm), Double (200 x 200cm), King (225 x 220cm), Superking (260 x 220cm)
How much does Woolroom's Deluxe Washable Duvet cost?
£209.99 for a king size quilt.
Delivery
The packaging was satisfyingly simple: a linen zippable bag in a brown box. I am going to keep hold of the bag so that I can pop it in there if we swap the duvet for something thinner in the summer. Delivery was very straightforward too – and the next day delivery option particularly efficient.
Woolroom's Deluxe Washable Duvet verdict
Sustainable, reassuringly weighty and pleasingly weighty, the ‘Deluxe Washable Duvet’ from Wool Room is definitely worth the purchase.
