In this Woolroom Deluxe Wool Mattress Topper review, I put the brand's natural-fill mattress topper to the test to see how it compares to the best mattress toppers and best cooling mattress toppers on the market.
I tested this mattress topper out on a hybrid memory foam mattress, and took note of how easy it was to attach to my bed, how comfortable it was to sleep on – especially as a side sleeper – and whether it was able to keep me feeling cool overnight, as well as how easy it is to care for.
Because the Woolroom Deluxe Wool Mattress topper is filled with wool, it’s also naturally hypoallergenic, so I also paid attention to whether it could rid me of the allergy symptoms I’ve been experiencing.
*Spoiler alert* Woolroom makes some bold claims about how its natural wool bedding can help you sleep better, but after testing the Woolroom Deluxe Wool Mattress Topper for a couple of weeks, I've found this product lives up to its promises. In fact, unless you're considering investing in one of the best mattresses on the market, I think the Woolroom Deluxe Wool Mattress Topper could be one of the best additions you can make to your sleep set-up.
Woolroom Deluxe Wool Mattress Topper review
Specifications
- Construction: Organic cotton and 100% traceable British wool
- Sizes available: Single / Single XL / Small Double / Double / King / Super King / Emperor / EU Double / EU King / Large Emperor
- Depth: 4-5cm
- Manufacturer sleep trial: 30-night
How I tested
What the brand says
First up, it's worth understanding what a mattress topper is, and what it's not. A topper is a cushioning layer that you can add to the top of an existing mattress to increase your sleep surface's comfort or breathability. It can't be used on its own, and it's different to a mattress protector, which is a far thinner affair. To make sure you're investing in the right option for your needs, our mattress topper vs new mattress guide explains more.
If you're looking for ways to sleep better, and increased comfort is high on your wishlist, a mattress topper could help and might even mean you don't need to replace your existing mattress. And, seeing as the best mattresses on the market don't come cheap, that can mean a big saving. If you're undecided which is the right choice for you, our mattress topper vs new mattress guide can help.
Plus, seeing as even the best sofa beds can be on the firmer side, a mattress topper can also be a useful way to make a sofa bed more comfortable.
So if you're convinced a topper is for you, what does the Woolroom Deluxe Wool Mattress Topper offer? Well, Woolroom claims this topper can deliver '25% better sleep than polyester, down, and feather toppers'. The brand puts this down to the fact that the 1000gsm of British wool inside this topper offers 'superior moisture management and heat regulation', with wool able to wick away moisture from your body and ultimately stop overheating issues which can disturb sleep.
Wool is also naturally hypoallergenic so this topper is resistant to mites, mould, and mildew and the brand says it's 'the only wool topper to hold the Allergy UK Seal of Approval'.
Wool is also naturally flame retardant meaning that no chemicals are used in the making of this topper and it's certified to OEKO-TEX® Standard 100. That isn't just good for our health, but also for the planet, plus, this topper has brilliant eco-credentials.
All the wool used within the Woolroom Toppers is traceable back to the Chatsworth Estate, using their own Wool ID® traceability program. This means you can guarantee that the wool has been produced responsibly and that it also directly supports UK farmers. The cover is also made from natural, organic cotton.
Unlike a synthetic polyester or memory foam mattress topper, all of the materials used in the Woolroom Deluxe Wool Mattress Topper are also biodegradable, so if you care about the environmental impact of your bedding, this topper is a great choice.
Unboxing
The Woolroom Deluxe Mattress Topper arrives folded and packaged in its own branded cotton bag.
This is so handy if you ever want to store it away, or if you’re buying this topper to sit on top of a sofa bed which is only used occasionally. I’m awful at repackaging things but even I found this topper easy to get back in to the bag.
It's also brilliant in terms of this topper's environmental impact as there's no non-biodegradeable plastic packaging and very little waste.
Attaching the topper to the bed
Once unpackaged, this topper looks like a super thick duvet. It has thick elastic straps on each of the four corners to help it stay in place on your mattress, and because this mattress topper is so light, it’s really easy to place on the bed.
A quick shake to fluff the filling up and on it goes. You don’t have to wait for it to inflate like most of the memory foam toppers I've tested. The straps are also large enough that if you have a really thick mattress, it’ll still fit without any issues and there’s no worries that the straps will fly off in the middle of the night.
You also don’t have to worry about the filling clumping together as you move the mattress topper around, as the stitching throughout the topper keeps it all in place and distributed evenly.
Comfort
The moment you unwrap this mattress topper you can tell it's a premium product, the outer organic cotton cover feels soft to the touch and super luxurious. So much so that it’s almost a shame to put a top sheet over it.
You can also instantly see how comfortable it's going to be. It looks a lot like a plush duvet, so it's clear it's going to soften up a firm sleep surface.
For me, this extra cushioning layer worked brilliantly. I sleep on the Simba Hybrid Pro mattress, which I love, my only niggle with it is that as a lighter side sleeper I can sometimes find it a little too firm when laid on my side.
The Woolroom Deluxe Mattress Topper added an extra layer of cushioning that softened things up nicely. I sometimes wake up with pins and needles because of the firmness of my mattress, and whilst using this topper, I didn’t once.
Unlike a memory foam mattress topper, I also didn’t sink into it so I could still move around freely but our bed felt a lot cosier and a more indulgent place to lie down.
That said, in my opinion this mattress topper is made for comfort rather than support. At 4-5cm depth, this topper isn’t very thick, so if you want to transform an old mattress, this mattress topper is likely too thin to mask any lumps or dips. A more supportive topper like the Simba Hybrid Topper is probably a better choice.
But, if it's a cushioning comfort layer that you're after, this topper does a brilliant job of softening up a sleep surface.
Breathability
Despite the fact that both myself and my partner found this topper did a really good job of making us feel cosy in bed, I was surprised to find it also did a really good job of not letting us overheat at night.
I'm a hot sleeper, and although I felt lovely and warm and cosy with this topper on the bed, I didn't wake up in a hot, sweaty mess with my leg hanging out over the covers like I usually do. I just felt snug and cosy and didn’t want to get up because my bed was suddenly so comfortable.
Likely this is down to wool's excellent breathability and temperature regulation that lets heat dissipate away from the body during the night rather than reflecting it back towards the sleeper as synthetic bedding can do. This is helped by the cotton cover, which also allows air to pass through to help maintain a consistent overnight temperature.
I also noticed a difference in how stuffy I felt after sleeping on this topper. I tend to get very congested during the night but woke up feeling fresh every morning while using this topper. And with Hayfever season about to batter us, this is a great thing.
Ease of care
Unlike a lot of mattress toppers I've tested, the Woolroom Deluxe Wool Mattress Topper doesn't have a removable cover, which means it can't be washed and must be dry cleaned only.
That means you can’t machine wash it at home and it definitely cannot be tumble-dried – if you’ve ever tried to tumble-dry a woolen jumper at home and shrunk it to five times smaller than it should be then you’ll see why!
I wouldn't say this is too much of a deal breaker for me, as this problem can be solved by popping one of the best mattress protectors on the market over it, and between that and a top sheet it should give it plenty of protection.
But if you're someone who prefers to be able to stick all of their bedding through the washing machine on a regular basis, the machine-washable Silentnight Airmax Mattress Topper I previously tested could be a better choice for you.
Verdict
All in all, I really enjoyed sleeping with this mattress topper on the bed. It softened up my slightly firm mattress brilliantly and added just enough cushioning to make our bed feel like a cosy cocoon I didn't want to leave.
That said, this mattress topper won't give your mattress a complete makeover. If you don't already have a supportive mattress underneath, this topper isn't thick enough to improve support that much. A thicker or more structured topper, like the Simba Hybrid Topper which features a memory foam top layer with pocket spring support below, or the 9cm deep foam Emma Premium Mattress Topper are a better bet if you're hoping for a complete mattress transformation.
However, both of those mattress toppers are made of synthetic materials which have a higher negative environmental impact and won't biodegrade at the end of their lifespan.
In contrast, the Woolroom Deluxe Wool Mattress Topper is made from British wool and certified organic cotton both of which are more sustainable to produce, made from renewable materials, and will biodegrade without causing environmental damage. Plus, this topper is naturally fire retardant and chemical-free.
Knowing that the materials were all natural and that the sheep came from a farm where they were looked after did make a difference to me. And surprisingly, it doesn't add to the cost that much. This topper isn't cheap, but it's definitely not the most expensive I've tested, and the performance it offers is in my opinion far superior to a budget topper like the Aidapt Memory Foam Cool Mattress Topper.
For my needs, I also liked that this topper is a bit thinner, as it didn’t add too much height to the bed so my sheets fitted over the top without too much wrestling. Being able to store it away is another huge plus point as if it does get a little too warm during the summer months it can just be packed ready to come back out once the weather turns.
That said, I didn't find overheating an issue on this topper. Even if, like me, you share a bed and have to deal with another person's body heat, I found this topper helped me maintain just the right temperature making it a great option to add as a breathable 'breaker' layer if you're struggling with overheating on a memory foam matttress.
In fact, other than the fact it's dry clean only which may bother some, the only real downside I found to this topper was the fact that I needed to set my alarm a little earlier because I didn’t want to get out of bed!
