With the nights getting colder and the end of winter nowhere in sight, being cosy has never been so appealing. We take a look at the companies making it possible for us to feel cosy, sustainably.
If you’re like us at Eco-Age, your bed is your sanctuary. There is nothing better after a long, cold day than slipping under the covers and letting all the stresses of the day ebb away; or curling up in your cosy bed, wearing your favourite sustainable PJs on a chilly Sunday morning, with a (Fairtrade) coffee and newspaper in hand.
Apart from giving you that cosy feeling, it is essential that your bedding and bed performs well, leaving you feeling refreshed when you wake up. A study by The University of Sydney and The Australian Wool Innovation (Woolmark Company) found that textile fabrics can have an influence on your comfort, especially with respect to heat and moisture, and that the thermal environment is an important factor that affects your sleep. It also found that sleeping in or under wool can help you to achieve a better night’s sleep.
A Guide to Getting a Good Night’s Sleep by the Sleep Council added that the composition of your duvet is probably just as important as the tog for your comfort, and that natural materials will guarantee you a better night’s sleep than manmade materials.
There are so many elements that go into creating the perfect cosy, and sustainable, bed experience. To help guide you through and to minimise the sleep you lose over your choice, we have collated some of our favourite ethical beds and bedding brands:
RISE AND FALL
Rise and Fall’s luxurious bed linen is produced in factories run entirely on wind energy. It also recycles 99% of its water, offers free education to its predominantly female workforce, and uses plastic-free packaging (except for the postage labels, but they are working on it). Rise and Fall also partners with the youth homelessness charity Centrepoint, which helps to get young people off the streets. Rise and Fall sells a range of certified organic cotton bed linen, as well as their conventional cotton sets.
riseandfall.co
SHLEEP
Shleep produces high quality bedding, including duvets and pillows, utilising Australian Merino wool. The wool is naturally durable and biodegradable, and, according to the study by The University of Sydney, sleeping in or under wool can help you to achieve a better night’s sleep.
NATURALMAT
Naturalmat produces mattresses and beds made by hand in the UK using organic and natural materials, including FSC wood, organiccoir (the husk of a coconut), organic lambswool, natural latex and cashmere. Naturalmat also offers a range of duvets, pillows and organic bedding and has beautiful ranges available for babies, children and adults.
THE WOOL ROOM
The Wool Room has a selection of 100% British wool mattresses and bedframes, as well as luxury woollen duvets and pillows. It also sells a selection of organic cotton duvet covers and other bedding, along with other interior accessories including throws and cushions.
THE FINE BEDDING COMPANY – ECO DUVET
The Fine Bedding Company has produced a duvet made from recycled materials, with the filling made from 100% PET plastic bottles (with approx. 120 bottles going into a 10.5 tog double duvet!) and the cover is also made from 100% recycled materials. It has been produced in a factory using solely renewable energy. They even sell it in recycled and recyclable packaging.
DIP AND DOZE
Dip and Doze’s high quality bed linen is made using organic and Fairtrade cotton for the ultimate comfort, durability, breathability and washability. Bedding is produced in Fairtrade factories, and they even use natural coconut buttons on their duvet covers. They also produce a range of organic and Fairtrade bath towels.
SLEEP ORGANIC
Sleep Organic offers unique, luxurious bed linen made from organic and Fairtrade certified cotton, collaborating with talented artists to create originally designed sheets. Sleep Organic is also fully certified organic and Fairtrade.
ECOSOPHY
Escosophy produces a range of textiles for the home, working with Fairtrade factories and artisanal groups to enable them to trace all stages of their supply chain. Alongside the organic cotton used for its bed linen, Ecosophy also uses other low impact silks for its other home textiles goods: Matka Silk,which is made from the short threads that have broken away from the main fillament and are therefore unsuitable for conventional silk production; and Wild Silk, which comes from the cocoons of silkworms that live semi-autonomously in forests, living on trees and able to find food by themselves. The wild silk collection comes from a weaving cooperative in Eastern India, which is a member of SEWA – a trade union for self-employed women workers that supports women across India with services such as healthcare, child care, insurance, loans and leadership training
NOUR LUXURY
Nour Luxury’s GOTS certified organic cotton bedding is produced in Fairtrade factories, using organic cotton sourced from small Fairtrade independent farms owned by the farmers. The organic cotton is sorted and labelled using a unique system in order to guarantee the traceability of the cotton right back to the farm.
For more interior inspiration, see our guide to our favourite ethical homeware brands you need to know.
Inspired? Browse our full catalogue of recommended brands.