A Guide To Sustainable Bedding

My latest discovery in the world of sustainable bedding has been Panda London*, and their bamboo bedding options. I’ve previously touted bamboo as one of my favourite sustainable fabrics, and for bedding, bamboo lyocell is an incredible alternative to silk. After trialling it for a few weeks, I’d actually recommend it over silk bedding. I find silk pillows make my hair full of static, while Panda’s bamboo pillow cases kept my hair soft and shiny without the static fuss.

Bamboo is naturally antibacterial and hypoallergenic, and I do think this bedding has been good for my allergies.

Panda offers their bedding at a mid-range price point, and I can say that it’s well worth the investment. I was particularly taken with The Cloud Duvet – light yet cuddly and warm – and the Hybrid Pillows, which I took to immediately, with no neck-ache or any ill effects to my sleep. I feel well rested and their products are really high quality. My full review →

For the cooler months, I’d really recommend wool bedding. My wool pillows and duvet were gifted to me by Woolroom back in 2017, and I’ll be honest with you, I hadn’t heard of wool being used as pillow- and duvet-stuffing until then.

I was once heckled at a fashion film Q&A, “sheep need to be sheared!”, and to that attendee, I have to say, they’re right. In today’s world, sheep are reared for their wool, and need to be sheared regularly. Woolroom uses British wool, paying a fair price to farmers and creating long-lasting, naturally hypoallergenic bedding. They’re the only natural option approved by Allergy UK too. (I do also understand if you’re opposed to wool if you’re vegan, however I think this option is more sustainable than polyester-based bedding).

My best recommendation if you’re going to choose wool bedding is to invest in a set you can adapt for summer and winter. My duvet has two clip-on layers, so I can sleep under one layer in summer, and two layers in winter. Wool is warm and cosy, so if you like to sleep warm, this is for you. Read my full review →

Last year I was invited to try a SIMBA mattress, and one year on, I’m pleased to say ours has lived up to the hype. My partner and I went for the SIMBA Hybrid Luxe, which is an extra-deep mattress with three layers of springs, topped with foam and a breathable wool/bamboo layer to help regulate body temperature. It is luxurious, to say the least.

One year on, and I have to say I sleep very well on this mattress. I miss it when I’m away – even in fancy hotels with ‘luxury’ beds – and I’ve found it to keep me cool in summer and warm in winter. My partner – a 6 foot guy who likes weightlifting – also prefers the support and comfort of this mattress.

SIMBA is the first sleep brand in the UK to receive a B-Corp Certification, meaning it has passed rigorous evaluations of its supply chain, materials, and more. Our mattress is recyclable, and SIMBA offers free recycling too. My full review →

Now, onto my bedding sets. This first sustainable bedding set I ever owned was the Oxford Collection by White & Green. I like this set as it’s made from GOTS-certified organic cotton, which is also sourced from Fairtrade certified partners, and it’s just so well made.

It first appeared in my sustainable homeware guide in 2019, where I noted the brand is a woman-owned, family-run business, and they’ve been making their specialist linens since 2014. They have a great eye for detail, and while it looks like this set with the gold trim has been discontinued, I’ll continue to enjoy it for years to come. The Oxford Sets are made with a 300-thread count sateen weave, making the covers very strong and soft. Mine have lasted dozens of washes, and I find they’re best for the in-between seasons – Spring and Autumn – as the fabric is cool to the touch, while still keeping some heat in.

For summer bedding, look no further than Kuroa’s Tencel bedding. I’m a big fan of Tencel as a sustainable fabric, and it has some really interesting properties when it comes to bedding. First – it is super cool to the touch. It feels close to silk, while being a lot more hardy, and a lot better for the environment than silk, polyester, and even cotton.

I was gifted my Tencel Bedding set by Kuroa to write this review, and I have to say, I wish I’d discovered them sooner! This would have been the perfect set for the last two summers in our new home, where our bedroom gets very warm in the summer. Now though, I find the sheets are a little too cold on their own, and I often layer up with an under-sheet and my favourite Luks Linen Turkish blanket.

(P.S. The shell cushions are handmade by Moi Milli on Etsy* and were a treat to myself after moving to Brighton. I think they’re just lovely, and not too on-the-nose for living by the seaside!)

Finally, my first recycled discovery in the world of bedding! Introducing Biosnooze, a new luxury, biodegradable, vegan pillow that’s such a good alternative to down pillows. When my partner and I started living together, we both agreed that down bedding – while incredibly plush – was quite cruel. So I was very excited to finally see a cruelty-free down pillow on the market!

Biosnooze pillows are made from a biodegrable vegan down filling made from recycled plastic water bottles, and made to break down naturally at the end of its lifecycle. They are indeed synthetic, but they’ve been made in a way that means once they do reach landfill, microbes can fully break them down at a highly-accelerated rate.

From a comfort perspective, this pillow has successfully trumped my wool pillows! It is so comfortable to lay back into, giving my head and neck much-needed support while still being soft.