Woolroom Deluxe Washable Wool Pillow review: heritage feel with adjustable thickness

The handmade Woolroom Deluxe Washable Wool Pillow is filled with 580g of 100% traceable British wool, sustainably sourced from the Chatsworth Estate in Devon (so you might also see it sold online as the Woolroom Chatsworth Collection Washable Wool Pillow).

Wool might be a type of pillow you are less familiar with, as was I, before testing this one. Some benefits of wool pillows are around sustainability and health; as well as regulating temperature, the wool in this pillow is hypoallergenic, and Allergy UK certified, so could help allergy sufferers to sleep more comfortably.

If sustainability and natural materials are a priority for your home, this could be one of the best pillows for you. I found it took some getting used to, as someone not used to sleeping on this more old fashioned-style pillow, but I liked it by my second night and enjoyed the thermoregulating properties of the natural fibres. You might find this low-tech approach appealing if you're looking for one of the best cooling pillows that will also keep you warm enough when the temperatures drop. Read on to find out what it was like to sleep on, and for my full and unbiased review.

Woolroom Deluxe Washable Wool Pillow review

Specifications

• RRP: £84.99
• Size: 48x74x15cm
• Sleep position: All
• Filling: British wool
• Firmness: Medium
• Trial: 30 nights
• Guarantee: 2 years

First impressions of the Woolroom Deluxe Washable Wool Pillow

Wow this pillow is interesting but I didn’t like it at first. It feels old, heritage, like a chair cushion in a stately home. When you lean on it, it dips but doesn’t spring back as much as a modern foam pillow.

Unusually, there’s a discrete, tabless zip in the pillow that you can open to adjust the amount of filling, to tailor it for you. The pillow comes in a calico bag that you can store extra wool in. And if you want your pillow even plumper, you can buy extra filling.

The cover is unbleached, organic, 200-thread-count cotton. And while the cover is machine-washable, the makers recommend removing the filling first. Woolroom also sells a more affordable wool pillow, but it’s dry-clean only because it’s sealed. This also means that the filling can’t be adjusted. Before testing it, I quizzed Woolroom on moths and they said they’d never had an issue with moth infestations and that the pillows are covered in an outer cotton, so moths wouldn't be able to get inside.

What's the Woolroom Deluxe Washable Wool Pillow like to use?

I didn’t like the Woolroom pillow on the first night but I warmed to it. However, it didn’t warm to me. One of the things about natural fillings like wool is that they naturally regulate temperature – sheep would boil otherwise. So this is one pillow that won’t give you a hot head.

I liked it from the second night onwards but it still took some getting used to. Surface in the night and there’s a divot where your head was resting. You can stick with it or flip it over and start again.

So it felt like an old pillow, yet it was surprisingly supportive. It didn’t feel bare or past its best. The filling didn’t vanish, it was there when I needed it.

I didn’t feel like I was in a posh hotel (like the Snuggledown Hotel Luxurious Side Sleeper Pillow did), I felt… like I was visiting family. And that was a nice, cosy vibe. This feels like a pillow for life, an upper class pillow, one for the country estate.

It’s softer than foam but firmer than down or synthetic pillows. You’d periodically want to fluff it up, like you would a down pillow. And of course, the fact you can open it means you can get inside and really fluff it up.

How does the Woolroom Deluxe Washable Wool Pillow compare?

Is wool the right filling for you? It’s natural and sustainable, and cruelty-free. Best of all, this pillow comes with a free 30-night trial, so you can try it for yourself.

I was impressed with it, but you must suspend your expectations of what a new pillow feels like and give it a try. It doesn’t have the bounce-back of a hollowfibre pillow or the firmness of foam. It’s something altogether different.

If you prefer feather and down then consider the EarthKind Feather & Down Medium Support Pillow, which uses ethical, recycled fillings. If you’re ok with synthetic then there are many good ones to choose from but my personal favourite is the Dreams Tempur Cloud Air SmartCool Medium Pillow, which actually feels like how I imagine sleeping on a cloud would feel.

Should you buy the Woolroom Deluxe Washable Wool Pillow?

You should give it a try if sustainability is your priority. I liked it more than feather and down. This traditional pillow is ethically sourced and British made. You’ll be counting sheep before you know it.