As great of a material as wool is, I am unfortunately allergic to it. Many of the latex mattresses come with a cover that contains wool. I’m not sure if I need to avoid these or if the wool is contained in such a way that it would not pose a problem?
Hi SleepDeprived,
There are several different types of sensitivities or allergies to wool but true wool allergies are quite rare.
One is a contact sensitivity to the rough texture of some types of wool or other fabrics.
Once is a sensitivity to some of the chemicals or substances used to wash or process the wool
One can be to the dust or dander that is trapped in the wool
You could also have an allergy to the lanolin itself which can be tested with a patch test.
It could also depend on the specific type or breed of wool used (there are finer and courser types of wool) and also on the lanolin content which along with the scratchy nature of some wool and any chemicals that are used in processing would be the reason for most wool allergies or sensitivities.
If a sensitivity or allergy to wool is a contact allergy (which is most likely) then it’s unlikely to be an issue with wool used as a quilting material since there is no contact with the wool through the cover fabric but if you want to be on the safe side you could ask for a small sample of the cover material and then wear it against your skin inside your clothes for a day to make sure that you don’t react to it.
If you are … then it would be a good idea to use other types of quilting in the mattress cover or to use a stretch knit cover without any wool at all but in most cases wool allergies wouldn’t be an issue with a wool quilted cover where there is no contact with the wool.
Phoenix
Hi Phoenix, I have had the swatch test and am allergic to the actual wool, it gives me asthma. I once bought a great topper from Cuddle Ewe made of wool and had to return it, I was wheezing after sleeping on it a short time. The mattress covers may be different in that the wool is more firmly contained within the inside of the cover but I probably should still avoid it. It seems like many mattresses use that as their final comfort layer, though, so when I’m trying latex mattresses, I’m not sure how they will feel without it.
Hi SleepDeprived,
If you were allergic to the Cuddle Ewe (which has wool inside a cotton cover) then I would probably tend to avoid a wool quilted cover.
There are many latex mattresses that use only a stretch knit cover (such as the Pure Latex Bliss line or the SleepEz special here) and others that use a polyfoam and/or synthetic fibers in the quilting. Latex is very elastic and “springy” and a quilted cover can reduce the “feel” and surface springiness of sleeping directly on the latex which some people love and some people don’t. Having breathable fibers like wool in the quilting can also increase ventilation and have a beneficial effect on temperature control. Quilting fibers can also slightly reduce the ability of the latex to contour to your body shape which can create a little extra firmness. Needle punched wool can also be used as a fire barrier so without it there would need to be a different type of fire barrier in the mattress (most commonly inherent viscose/silica which like wool is also a “safe” material).
Post #6 here has more about wool quilting.
Phoenix