Thanks!! Any tips as to type of wool pad. There are some that have wool sown onto a cotton backing and other that have wool fibers stuffed into a cotton cover. I’ve found good reviews for snugfleece brand.
Phoenix where did you get the weight figures for Snugsoft ? If the figures are correct it works out to a pretty good deal but they look a bit suspicious to me ?
Hi g1981c,
Among other places that a google search will bring up, you can see them here.
ADMIN NOTE:Removed 404 page link | Archived Footprint: Dreamsoftbedware.com
Phoenix
[quote=“Phoenix” post=16767]Hi g1981c,
Among other places that a google search will bring up, you can see them here.
Phoenix[/quote]
i guess my google search didn’t work because i kept searching for pounds, not ounces …
somehow the idea of converting ounces per square yard into pounds per topper seemed too insane for me, but if you insist:
65 ounce per square yard
60 x 80 inches topper
( ( 60 x 80 ) / ( 12 x 12 ) / ( 3 x 3 ) ) * 65 / 16 = 15.046 LBS
fine ! you were right !
unfortunately i already sent them an e-mail asking about the weight LOL
anyway 15 lbs of wool for $300 is about $20 per pound of wool - that makes it somewhat cheaper than most wool toppers no ?
you know what’s weird ? i have a similar topper that my grandma brought from Ukraine ( unfortunately it’s not queen size ) it has about 4 pounds of wool ( the whole thing weighs 5 pounds ) and she only paid about $30 for it - so it cost her less than $10 per pound of wool, while everything i see on sale is $20 per pound or more.
?
HA ! i received the reply from snugfleece.
my question:
[quote]hi ! what is the weight of the wool in a Queen Size SnugSoft Elite ?
thanks ![/quote]
their answer:
[quote]65 oz. per linear yd. (based on 36x80)
Qn. Elite in the pkg. weighs approx. 7.5 lbs.
Regards,
SFW[/quote]
in other words i managed to outsmart even myself ! LOL
now the correct calculation:
65 * ( 60 / 36 ) / 16 = 6.77 pounds of wool.
so yesterday i was thinking about this snugfleece and i think it may have a real advantage over regular type of wool topper. by orienting the fibers perpendicular to the surface of the body it allows more fibers to come into contact with the surface so more of the fibers are more directly involved in wicking moisture away. whereas in a regular wool pad most of the fibers never come into contact with the surface, and the ones that do contact the surface can’t effectively wick moisture away FROM the surface because both of their ends are AT the surface.
so maybe weight is not a relevant metric here.
also as i said i’m actually sleeping on a similar product right now - except it was only about $30 ( in Ukraine ). i haven’t tested if it is real wool or not - my grandma says it is - and i don’t really care since it was free to me ( a present ). unfortunately i can’t test it’s cooling properties because the bed it’s on wasn’t hot to begin with. also it’s only about 3/4 inch pile, but quite dense - doesn’t flatten much.
Hi g1981c,
You will find that the wool toppers like the snugfleece will matt down and compress and lose their height faster than the layered toppers that use wool batting and are be less resilient because of the way they are made.
Having cotton around the wool also improves the moisture wicking compared to sleeping directly on the wool itself (cotton wicks moisture better than wool).
Wool is better at “storing” moisture inside the fiber than cotton while it stays dry on the outside of the fiber and gradually releases the moisture inside it into the surrounding atmosphere which is why it does such a great job at controlling humidity and temperature.
They are really very different products … but the wool pile is much less resilient and more of a “cush” or “surface feel” layer than the wool batting types of toppers.
Phoenix
There’s other considerations also. However, to the points you’ve made… More wool in the same volume means it’s compacted more. This may or may not be a feature for you. However, if you take it to its logical extreme… Let’s say you found a 3" topper with 100 lbs wool… It’s going to be super firm. So depending on your goal, less/more wool will change the feel.
Also, from my reading, the type of wool matters. Wools that are thicker/ more course tend to stay loftier better/longer than those that use fine wool fiber. Fine wool fiber would might be preferable in the clothing industry for fine wool garments, by example. The wool vendors would also have you think about how it’s aligned, combed, intermixed with other materials, the ticking that’s used, and a fleet of other variables. One wool maker I’ve read might complain that wool too densely packed or encased in the wrong material cannot breath, and therefore its ability to temperature regulate is reduced.
At the end of the day, as Phoenix says, it’ll come down to its feel for you.
I will say, regarding a futon, is that they’re often used for sitting and my experience of a futon surface is they tend to the firmer side. In reading what you wrote, I’m not surprised a ‘futon layer’ would have more wool than a ‘mattress topper’.
Since I found the information here to be helpful, I am adding what I learned during my research about wool mattress toppers which we wanted to try on our new memory foam mattress to keep it cooler:
SnugFleece - Spoke with Chase. Nice man and knowledgeable. The Original SnugFleece has a cotton back and straps to hold it in place. They use merino grade wool. Benefit of having their design is that the wool is placed on the backer in the same fashion it grows on the sheep: the hair is upright so it shouldn’t compress as much as wool in a full cotton cover. Also since the wool is exposed, you can get to it to clean it if needed and restore loft if it does compress even by using your fingers. Fair pricing offered when ordering from the company directly. Returnable if not satisfied. No restocking fee. You pay shipping.
St Peter Woolen Mill - Spoke with Pat Johnson. Located in St Peter, MN. They use domestic wool medium grade. She explained that wool is graded on a 1 - 100 scale. Merino is up closer to 100.The wool they use is about a 54-56 which they deem to be the best resiliency. The wool is in a 100% cotton cover. It is tied with button like pieces to keep it from moving around. She says you will not feel them when sleeping. Will recard the mattress topper (not sure if for a fee) if it compresses. You pay shipping. They have recarded prior toppers after 7 or so years and sometimes don’t see them back for much longer and only because the cotton covering is too worn. They offer the topper in standard (1 1/2" thick, 8 1/2 lbs wool) and heavy (2 1/2"). They have wool filled comforers which come in tropical weight as one choice which was good to know since we live in Florida. They offer a pillow called a wooly - zipper on the cover and adjustable - you can remove or add wool. Shipping for a king, standard was $48.00.
Frankenmuth Woolen Mill - Located in MI. Spoke with Betty. She had some knowledge. They use a merino cross and cross mix, depending what is available. Returnable if tags attached and within 10 day. But their website actually provides for a more lenient return policy. Uses straps at the corners of the mattress topper to hold it on and ties to keep the wool in place in the cotton cover. Runs 3" to 4" thick. A king was $43.00 shipping and $24.00 tax.
Sugarloaf Wool - In Montana. Spoke with Ed. Ed and Sue are the owners. Nice people. They use Suffolk wool because it is non-felting. Refund on returns if we pay shipping. Use your fitted sheet over the topper to hold it in place. No straps. Had no issues not having straps - fitted sheet has done fine for their customers. The cotton cover is hand tied to hold the wool in place inside it. Thickness is 2 1/2 - 3 1/2" thick. They could make it a bit lighter to accommodate the warmer climate we have in South Florida.
Zeiling - Called them because my mom sent her wool here and had them make her a comforter. They are in MI. Their mattress topper is covered in 100% cotton. 7 lbs wool. 3 - 4" thick. Medium grade, like Suffolk wool. Has straps to hold it in place. Not returnable. They also offer a comforter which is covered in cheesecloth which was less expensive than other king wool comforters we looked into.
Hope this helps.
Hi SouthFL,
Thanks for sharing the results of your conversations … I appreciate it 
I’ve added a link to your post to the original list in post #3 here.
Phoenix
I purchased a Washable Wool Mattress Topper online from The Wool Company who are based in the UK.
Pure wool padding covered in a superb, high thread count luxury jacquard sateen cotton finished with gold piping, and with a very generous polycotton knitted skirt that will ensure that my mattress protector will stay in one place when tucked all round under the mattress.
It’s a Merino wool mattress topper and cannot recommend them enough to you.
[url=https://www.thewoolcompany.co.uk/]http://www.thewoolcompany.co.uk/[/url]
Thanks to Phoenix for the help on this thread. I must have read it 80 times while buying various wool toppers over the past 7 months. I’ll contribute with my experiences/reviews. First post be gentle
Id say that if people are looking for a thick substatiative topper, you can be fooled by the pictures. I’d say you ought make sure it says exactly what the thickness is of the topper before buyingit. Ive bought four toppers total. Two of which turned out to be kind of like thick wool sheets and had little impact.
Onto the other two toppers that did something. I bought the standard 4’ topper from surroundewe. It had a positive impact on my arthritic neck pain. That said, I would get progressively stiffer the more consecutive nights i slept on it. This is why i would rotate nightly between the wool surroundewe one and a different comfort layer. (The removable latex over microcoils comfort layer that came with my berkeley ergonomics mattress)
However the most effective topper for me was my most recent purchase, the snugfleece original snugfleece topper. I sleep with it over the 4’ surroundewe topper which is then over some berkeley ergonomics pocket coil mattress springs. All of this is covered by a thin fitted sheet. I get less stiffness with this configuration probably because the merino wool topper snugfleece topper is considerably softer than the surroundewe so it probably works better as the very top layer. I recommend this highly as it is much less firm than the surroundewe. Cozy even.
Question for phoenix and the community. Since my sleep setup improved by adding another wool layer I’d like to add some more. What would be a good wool layer/topper of at least 3’ thick to stack under or over my other 2 existing wool toppers. I want to get something with a different feel than the surroundewe so that I can compare the two and figure out what work for me best. The surroundewe is precompressed and is the heaviest of all the toppers Phoenix reviewed on page 1 of this thread. Should I try a softer less dense one next to put over the surroundewe but under the wool fleece maybe? Would the toppers from the woolcarders mill (soaringheart, holylamb, shepardsdream) be good for this purpose or should I look elseware? My aching joints would sure appreciate any feedback either on my existing setup or on my next purchase. Thanks!
Hi NeckPainAndArthritis,
Thanks for taking the time to share your comments and experiences … I appreciate it
In addition to the thickness … the amount of wool in a topper can also be one of the ways that you can compare them although there are also many other variables that can affect how different wool toppers compare to each other as well (see post #17 here and post #4 here and post #6 here).
Unfortunately there are too many unknowns, variables, and individual preferences and complexities involved for me to be able to predict how you would feel on any combination of wool toppers in combination with any specific mattress (all the layers and components of your sleeping system will have an effect on all the other layers and components both above and below it. I also don’t have any personal experience on the wool topper combinations that you are considering or on your particular mattress but even if I had my experience could be very different from your own.
There are different types of softness that can affect different people in different ways (see post #15 here). For example I used to own a similar topper to the snugfleece that you purchased that I used for several years (I actually still own it but don’t use it any longer because the wool has matted down) and while it certainly felt softer in terms of “surface softness” (very light compression) … it doesn’t provide the same “pressure relief” softness as other wool toppers that use wool batting that I have tried over the years so my experience is different from your own. I would also keep in mind that more of something that you like doesn’t necessarily mean it will be better than what you are already using (although of course it’s certainly possible that it will). It’s also possible that what you are feeling is more the result of the combination and not just the snugfleece topper you are using.
When you can’t test a particular topper (or combination of toppers) in person then the best source of information and guidance about a particular wool topper will be a conversation with a knowledgeable and experienced manufacturer/retailer that sells them. They will be more familiar with the specifics of their wool toppers and can help you differentiate the specifics of the topper you are considering and help you make more meaningful comparisons with other “similar” wool toppers than anyone else. The suppliers on the list that I have talked to all tend to be open, transparent, and informative about the wool toppers that they make or sell and the information they provide you can help you make more informed choices between the many options you have available.
Phoenix