One of the most frequently asked questions we get here at Comfi is “will I sleep hot in your beds”? This seems to be a common thing, especially here in New Zealand, where our weather can quite literally swing from hot to cold to rain and hail in a day. We did the research on what materials will help regulate your temperature when you sleep and we have never had a mattress returned or a complaint raised about our mattresses being hot. One of these layers is wool. And because of its natural moisture wicking abilities, we put it closest to your skin.
After the mattress, the next thing to address is the layers you have on your bed. We have learnt so much about this since starting this business and, aside from pure cotton sheets, the duvet plays an incredibly important part in your ability to regulate your temperature. Both our families are now complete wool duvet converts. Because of course it totally makes sense to have the best natural fibre in the world closest to your skin both in the mattress you are lying on and the duvet on top. Gone are the days of feather duvets which might be good for living in the Arctic, but definitely do not help with sleeping cool.
So…the ONLY wool duvets we refer to are from our great friend, Chris Larcombe, who owns Kind Face. So to find out more, we did a Q&A session with Chris.
Q: How did Kind Face come about, and what’s special about your wool bedding range?
Kind Face grew out of our commercial sewing and upholstering B2B business at the start of COVID, making premium linen face masks. Over the last couple of years, it has evolved from a desire to create better sleep for everyone. As the makers of better sleep, we’ve dedicated ourselves to crafting premium bedding that performs better than other available options, is environmentally responsible, and good for New Zealand. How we achieve this is sourcing the very best materials we can and ensuring our values align perfectly with the suppliers - our friends at Wisewool are the perfect example of this.
Q: How does Kind Face’s wool duvet stand out from others?
We are proud to be the only makers of duvets featuring Wisewool's superior 100% wool blanketing, sourced from selected farms in the Gisborne region. These farms are deservedly paid above market price for their premium wool. The needle-punched wool blanketing combined with our channel quilting means the fill will not shift or clump, eliminating cold spots and ensuring a longer lifespan than a regular duvet. They are also machine washable, but airing and sunshine work wonders to keep the duvet performing at its best. We truly believe these are the best duvets ever!
Q: What makes wool such an effective fibre for sleep?
Wool is nature’s gift to better sleep. Hot and cold sleepers can rejoice as wool offers superior insulation, temperature regulation and moisture-wicking. Adding to this, wool is non-toxic (unless it has been mistreated with chemicals or blended with synthetic fibres), hypoallergenic and antimicrobial - an excellent choice for sensitive sleepers.
Wool is also hydrophilic, meaning it has a natural affinity for moisture. When wool comes into contact with moisture vapour, such as sweat, it absorbs the vapour without feeling damp. This moisture absorption generates heat as a byproduct, providing additional warmth even when the wool is wet. This property sets wool apart from other materials, as it continues to provide insulation and comfort even in damp conditions.
Put simply, wool is a natural, self-regulating fibre that adapts to the temperature around it (or under it) rather than creating a constant level of warmth (that’s why sheep are always warm, whatever the weather).
Q: What’s the difference between a winter-weight and summer-weight duvet?
There are so many variables involved in having the right temperature in your sleep environment, such as the season, where you live and the quality of your home insulation and ventilation; whether you heat or cool your bedroom and maintain a consistent ambient temperature, and, of course, your own personal temperature.
We offer two different weights of Wisewool blanketing—our 350gsm duvet is designed to keep you cosy and comfortable on colder nights, as it traps in more heat. In contrast, our 200gsm duvet is lighter and perfect for warmer weather or hot sleepers. Both will perform their very best to keep you comfortable and regulate your sleep temperature if conditions in your room change.
So, for those of you keen to embark on a wool duvet adventure, Chris has very kindly (!) offered a promo code for our Comfi Community. Head to www.kindface.co.nz and use the code COMFI15 at checkout.