1. Bamboo
Bamboo is a beautiful and renewable resource that can be used to make bed sheets, pillows, and more. Bamboo is not a ‘hard’ type of grass like other plants used for bedding, so it’s very soft and comfortable. Check out our weighted blanket size chart to find the right size for you!
2. Wool
Wool is a material used to make clothing such as sweaters, robes, and now bedding! Wool is well-known for its ability to keep people warm in cold weather because of the way wool fibers turn away or repel water (which makes wool an ideal material for making insulation). Wool is also softer, stronger, and more insulating than synthetic materials such as polyester.
3. Cotton
Cotton is a material used to make clothing and bedding. The most commonly used cotton is cotton that has been turned into a fabric (by spinning or weaving). In the United States, most cotton is grown in the South. When produced in the U.S., it accounts for 10-percent of what we grow annually – making it the United States’ most important agricultural export, with $13 billion exported in 2012 alone! In India and China where demand for cotton continues to increase at an annual rate of about 10-percent, the increased demand results in more land being converted from forest to agriculture use. An estimated 15-percent of tree cover in the Amazon has been lost since 1950.
4. Silk
Silk is a product made from the cocoon of silkworm caterpillars that has been spun into thread or yarn. The process begins with a larva, which spins a silk fiber that is about 60 micrometers in diameter, and then it attaches the fiber to the end of its abdomen. After the live larva spins its cocoon – which takes four to seven weeks, depending on temperature and humidity – it dies within 24 hours of spinning. The cocoon is a protective covering for the pupa of the silkworm. After spinning, the pupa develops into an adult silk moth. Some moths have been observed to live as long as 15 days after emerging from their cocoon; however, most die sooner than that.
5. Straw
Straw is the dry stems of plants which are used for bedding. Straw is very absorbent and therefore an excellent bedding material. The best grade of straw for bedding is that which has been harvested after the plant has ripened from seed, but before it has flowered. Straw harvested after flowering detracts from its quality and is therefore considered unusable as bedding. We offer straw in a range of qualities to suit different budgets and depending on what you are using it for.
In conclusion, we see that there is a great variety of natural bedding materials and that they all have different factors which can be useful when choosing what bedding to buy. Some are good for making clothing, others are good for making bedding (such as our classic Bamboo weighted blanket), and others are just naturally beautiful. You should consider changing from synthetic to natural or organic bedding if you are worried about the environment, or just to try something healthier!
