In the case of the Woolroom Luxury Wooly Mattress, wool is known as a durable, high quality, and practical material. The wool used is largely “farm-to-mattress”, as each bed comes with a QR code that traces the wool in your bed to a British-based farm. Wool is only collected from farms that have been verified to comply with the UK Animal Welfare Act 2006.
Woolroom had some UK-based certifications that I was unfamiliar with – nothing like a crash course! Here’s what this mattress has to offer: Shepherd’s Crook certification that verifies that the wool used is actually authentic, traceable British wool; Woolmark certification that it is the real deal and the purest version of wool; Allergy UK to show that it is resistant to allergens; And Bangor University’s BioComposites validation shows it’s free of volatile organic compounds (much like the GreenGuard Gold certification here in the states).
In this hybrid mattress, apart from the cover, the main components are wool and 8,500 different pocketed coils with nano, micro and standard pockets. Wool is like the most important thing in the mattress world, as it can be used for support, airflow, cushioning, and even as a natural fire retardant. Specifically, the outer shell is made from a merino wool blend with a hand-tufted surface, which helps keep the top layer of wool in place.
big and in charge
I received this mattress as a manufacturer’s sample for testing purposes. It was donated to charity upon completion of my testing, but I am someone who will thoroughly analyze the overall value and quality of a product for the price. For a hand-crafted, luxury mattress with a price tag, I hope the shipping matches that energy. The Woolroom Luxury Wooli Hybrid Mattress departs from Woolroom’s Greenville, South Carolina, factory. I got tracking information immediately, right up until the truck dropped off the box at my door. I was actually surprised that this was a mattress in a box, because, given the notes about the hand-built construction, I expected it to come fully assembled, as I’ve seen with similar brands like Saatva.
Regardless, I quickly unfolded the mattress to give it time to expand and breathe. Because of all the coils, this thing is heavy and requires two people to support its weight. I highly encourage you to enlist the help of a friend to help you with this process. However, it didn’t take long for the mattress to puff up once unboxed. The mattress I received was 11 inches long, but Woolroom says your mattress can be up to 12 inches long – I guess that’s the nature of natural materials. But I still nicknamed this bed the “Woolly Mammoth,” just because of how gorgeous it looked in my studio.
on the move
Photograph: Julia Forbes
I have trouble sticking to just one sleeping position, and no matter which one I choose, I rely on bouncy mattresses to support me. This mattress term is called responsiveness, and it is essential for conditions like mine that require constant support. Currently, I am desperately trying to become a side sleeper due to lower back pain, and I have opted for medium tension. “Tension” is the brand’s term for the firmness of the mattress, and I was looking for enough cushioning for my shoulders and hips while maintaining adequate support for my spine. I typically choose medium-firm mattresses when testing for cover responsiveness, pressure relief, and lumbar support, but the Luxury Wooly only comes in two types: medium and firm. Woolroom gives the medium a score of 7 out of 10 in terms of strength. If I had chosen the firm, Woolroom would give it a rating of 8.5 out of 10.