I am considering a wool fleece (aka sheep skin, but on cotton not skin)
I have looked at a few websites for these:
http://www.dreamsoftbedware.com/coyuchi.html?gclid=CLS1gNjV5LoCFStxQgodjlkA9g
Any recommendations? How long do they last before they get uncomfortably compressed?
Hi buttercupbetty,
In my conversations with quite a few manufacturers of wool toppers of different types (see post #3 here) there was a wide variance of how long they each thought they would last most people “on average”. The biggest reason that people replace them is really personal preference when the wool has compressed more than they are comfortable with or for hygienic reasons because the wool itself won’t “wear out” for many years. Wool fleece will compress and matt down more than wool batting but it has a softer surface “feel”.
The most common time estimate seemed to be in the 5 - 10 year range but they all indicated that some people use them for longer than this and they were all clear that this was very much a matter of personal preference and not because the topper had “worn out”.
Phoenix
I have had the Fleece topper from Holy Lamb Organics for two years now - still absolutely love it. The initial compression rate is rather quick, but I did rotate it weekly and do air regularly. After six months or so the compression seems to slow and stabilize - yes, there is an impression, but slight in the overal appearance of the bed.
Sleep is wonderful with this cloudlike layer underneath the sheets - I now refuse to be without one. This was the one item that began my love affair with wool for bedding. Enjoy!
Hi SallyS,
Thanks for that feedback! I’m not sure that anyone else on the forum has a fleece topper. I really like Holy Lamb (have a body pillow from them, myself), and just found out they have a Quarterly clearance list with some great deals. Couple of questions:
-Do you use the Holy Lamb fleece more like a topper, or more like a mattress pad? In other words, is it the top layer right under your sheets, or do you add a mattress protector on top of that?
-What kind of mattress do you have underneath? Do you think the fleece reduces the amount you sink into your mattress, or does it add softness on top? Or both? I’m interested that Phoenix said the fleece has a softer surface “feel” that wool batting…
Best,
DahliaM
I want to know more about the Holy Lamb Organics quarterly clearance. I just emailed them. I have the same questions as you do for SallyS. My fleece “experiment” involves a very old wool fleece pad that I was given (doesn’t fit my mattress, but I thought it couldn’t hurt to try the “feel” to see if I like it.) It’s amazing to me that even a very old wool fleece that looks “matted” is SO comfortable! I can’t imagine what it will feel like to sleep on a new one :cheer: *Reminder of our current mattress set-up: (bottom to top) 6" FIRM/Extra Firm core, 3" MED-SOFT dunlop topper, 1.5" batted wool topper (from St Peter’s Mill), organic cotton mattress pad (Soaring Heart), wool fleece mattress pad (freebie), flat sheet…My husband thinks I’m going overboard with the layers :blink: But I just keep getting MORE AND MORE comfortable!!!
@SallyS & others:
Can you compare the Holy Lamb Fleece (HLO) to the SnugFleece Original? Both are about 1.5" pile. Holy Lamb is organic and costs $629 (king). The same size SnugFleece is about $388. Is the Holy Lamb that much better? They look very different in the photos. HLO sounds like a wonderful company and I don’t want to be too frugal, but we have exceeded our “mattress budget”. Maybe Santa Claus will be REALLY good to me :lol:
**I just found the company who makes the wool fleece that I am currently using~the one that’s about 10 years old:
http://www.woolrest.co.nz/shop/woolrest-double-fleece
Seems to be about the same price as SnugFleece. I might contact the company for more info~
DahliaM
<-Do you use the Holy Lamb fleece more like a topper, or more like a mattress pad? In other words, is it the top layer right under your sheets, or do you add a mattress protector on top of that?>
*** I have it on top of wool puddle pad, then directly top the fleece with flannel sheets.
<-What kind of mattress do you have underneath? Do you think the fleece reduces the amount you sink into your mattress, or does it add softness on top? Or both? I’m interested that Phoenix said the fleece has a softer surface “feel” that wool batting…>
**** I have a Latex mattress with a Talalay topper. No, the fleece does not reduce the amount of sinking into the mattress - it provides a nice cushion that helps me with temperature control, air flow, and general comfort. It maintains that cushiony feel even after compression.
Buttercup Betty - -
apparently we are sleeping on darn near the same bed - my Talalay topper is only 2", and I use a wool moisture barrier - otherwise we are in the same boat! I have a Buddy pillow, smaller than a full Body Pillow
I can’t speak for SnugFleece, did look at them initially - - and have issues with the addition of Polyester - the other company treats with antimicrobial stuff - I wanted as natural as I could possibly get. So I crossed them off.
I also was not in the mood to toss money out in the netherworld, but for me Holy Lamb is somewhat reasonably visited, so I did and got my hands on everything. The wool, the organic cotton, all those lovely hand made items - now I sleep amongst a cloud of them. Loved the shop, love the product, absolutely! Nice folks with a gift for what they do, I have a wide assortment of their products, not one gripe.
It is not a problem that there is no elastic for the fleece topper, it doesn’t shift. I air the bed regularly, flip back all the toppers when I wash the sheets - rotate them also.
My mattress budget was shattered - fractured - but the sleep is worth it. We just eat more beans… 
I did have to write a letter to Santa = it took two Christmases to complete. This year Santa is bringing me a Daybed and I’m building it out the same.
The clearance list is something that I look forward to -
@ buttercupbetty
Your sleeping system already sounds pretty great 
But there’s something that looks so beautifully cosy about the wool fleece, I definitely understand the desire to upgrade. It’s pretty amazing your old one is still comfy even with the matting - that would definitely make me lean towards something like this. I think you’re in the Seattle area…? Anyway, if you are & want to try out the Holy Lamb fleece in person, the Sleep Store in Bellevue carries them:
http://thesleepstoreusa.com/catalog/happy-lamb-organic-fleece-wool-topper/
@ SallyS
Thanks for the details!
Thank you! I am also planning to be in the Olympia area next month. Maybe I’ll be able to visit their showroom (Holy Lamb).
For now, we are investigating whether or not I am having an allergic reaction to our latex mattress. So I think I’ll hold off on any additional purchases until I sort this out.
@buttercupbetty - I sure hope you’re not allergic to latex!
I think the fleece pad sold by Cuddledown might be the same as the SnugFleece. At least, SnugFleece supplies to Cuddledown. And they both are treated with antimicrobial stuff. Thanks SallyS for pointing that out. I’m not sure why pure wool would have to be treated in this way, as wool naturally resists bacteria.
Hi DahliaM,
Yes, I hope that my latex allergy panel comes back negative! I think that Phoenix has a compelling point when he says that it’s unlikely, since I didn’t react to the natural dunlop samples.
All wool fleece is treated with antimicrobials? That sounds unappealing! Does anyone know what these chemicals are? I wonder if the recipe is a “trade secret”???
Hi buttercupbetty,
No, I didn’t mean all wool fleece is treated with antimicrobials. Sorry for the confusion. None of the Holy Lamb wool is treated with any chemicals, but the Cuddledown and SnugFleece are treated. I have no idea what these chemicals are, but the SnugFleece website says that “SnugFleece wool is sanitized with Ultra-Fresh to prevent the growth of microorganisms. It is locked in the fibers during wool blending to withstand dry cleaning and washing, and will last the life of the product.”
I am looking for a recommendation on something to soften the surface feel of a latex topper.
I have a relatively firm inner-spring mattress (from The Original Mattress Factory), which I bought with the intention of adding additional topper material that can be changed out after a few years without buying a whole new mattress.
Have tried a few different foam toppers and landed on a 2" soft Dunlop Latex topper. From a support perspective it works well, but I’m finding that the surface feel is not quite ideal - it’s too uniformly flat I think, and not quite soft enough. I also find, on a cooler night, that it stays a little too cool.
I have tried a couple of things on top of the earlier foam options that I know I don’t like. I tried the “stretchy” waterproof protector that the mattress store sold us, but it doesn’t breathe (duh) so it affects sleeping temperature too much. I tried a hotel style fiber fill mattress pad (1/2" or so thick), but it doesn’t stretch at all, so it mostly eliminates the benefit of the foam top – my heavier parts still sink down somewhat, but the adjacent areas (where my arms need to lay) become very hard.
I tried ordering the Sleep & Beyond MyMerino wool topper. But when it arrived, I reached in and found that the fabric it’s quilted into is firm and not stretchy at all. I will probably just return it, but does anyone know if the added thickness of the wool layer will cushion enough more than the fiber-fill pad that it might add the softness I’m looking for? I’m skeptical…
I don’t want to buy “one of everything” just to see what works, so am looking for an expert suggestion of what to try next. Here’s what else I’m considering :: would appreciate any thoughts you may have.
Wool Fleece Pile products seem appealing - Holy Lamb, SnugFleece, etc. But if the backing isn’t stretchy, I’m worried that it will have the same problem as the fiber fill pad I tried. Does the wool layer make up for that? There’s also a thinner pile made-in-china version of these that I can get at e.g. bed bath and beyond for a lot less money; any thoughts on whether the thinner variety might be enough added softness?
The CozyPure stretch knit cotton protectors sound interesting, but is there enough thickness to soften the surface feel of the latex?
I am aware of the St. Dormier wool pad, and the cotton jersey material sounds nice, but I’ve seen comments on this forum that it might not be very stretchy. I don’t want to lose the spongy feel of the latex topper…
In my mind, I think maybe something like a few layers of fleece fabric (i.e. a fleece blanket, not a sheepskin wool fleece) might feel good, but I can’t find anything like that online. Does something like this exist in product form?
I can attest that the St. Dormeir is very stretchy. I have them on all our beds and love them.
I have the CozyPure stretch knit cotton mattress protector and did not find that it softened the feel of the mattress at all. I had bought an all Dunlop soft mattress, but found it too firm. I ended up adding a 3" ultra-soft (14 ILD) Talalay topper - the feel of the Talalay topper made a remarkable difference for me, and taught me that I don’t like Dunlop for a comfort layer. I’m sure my solution wouldn’t work for other people - but for me, it’s great.
Thank you magpie. Do the St. Dormeir pads have any thickness to speak of? Someone said it’s 1/4" thick, which seems pretty thin. Is the cotton jersey material on top and bottom; and is there much wool quilted in between?
Thank you Clawdia. I am also considering adding a 1" Talalay topper on top of the dunlop. I’m assuming I don’t want to just return my 2" dunlop and replace it with ultra-soft talalay, for fear that I’ll sink all the way through it… Do you find that to be the case with your 3" talalay?
No, I don’t feel like I sink all the way through it (altho I might do so - I just don’t perceive it that way). For me, it’s just perfect, although I know that for many people it would be too soft. I’m 5’3" and about 150 pounds, and a side-sleeper. The soft Dunlop mattress I bought seemed to cause hip and shoulder pain, which resolved after I added the soft Talalay topper. Everyone is different, but for me the difference in the feel of Dunlop vs. Talalay seemed to be the key to my comfort.