Do you have a problem sleeping due to overheating? The experts from Baavet think they have the solution with their wool-filled duvets…
How is overheating at night a problem?
Deep sleep is where the body goes into an almost dormant state, where it can then get on with the job of regenerating cells and fighting illness. But to get into this state our blood pressure; our heart rate and also our temperature, needs to go down. If we just become warmer or hotter in bed this can’t happen and overheating leads to disturbed sleep as we try to continually cool down tossing and turning or throwing the duvet off
How are wool-filled duvets better at cooling than other fillings?
Wool is a regulator of temperature so it doesn’t actually cool the body temperature, it regulates temperature, so we are neither too hot nor too cold. This is how a sheep controls its temperature through its wool fibres. Wool is an amazing, and very complex fibre, it’s not hollow like human hair. There are scales on the exterior of the fibre which open to trap air to warm and close to cool. The fibre can also transfer moisture, like we sweat, as a means of cooling the body. And as long as we don’t chemically mess with the wool, and we don’t, then it will continue to regulate forever.
Other fibre fillings are all insulators, which continually increase our temperature.
What other desirable qualities do wool filled duvets have?
Wool fibres will wick away moisture, in fact it can also absorb 30% of its own weight in moisture before wicking, so making the fibre very dry, which dust mites hate. The other amazing thing is that bacteria cannot survive in wool; so no sweaty moisture; no bacteria; no dust mites, so you don’t need to wash a wool Baavet, you only need to air it on a nice sunny day. In fact we recommend you never wash it unless it’s really soiled and then follow the care instructions.
What is the TOG rating of a wool duvet, how does it compare to its gram weight?
TOG rating is designed for measuring the thermal insulating properties of different levels of duvet fillings. In other words how much heat the item will create. But because wool is a regulator, as you warm up, this will trigger the wool to start to wick the heat away. Having said that we can give an approximate TOG value to each of our different gram weights, and remember wool is both cooler and warmer than a conventional duvet.
Our super light has 250 grams p.s.q, approximately 2 to 4 tog. The light weight has 350 grams p.s.q 4 to 8 tog. The medium weight has 450 grams p.s.q, and is equivalent to an 8 to 12 tog. The winter weight has 550grams p.s.q, with a tog rating of over 13.
If wool regulates temperature why does Baavet have 4 different weights?
Put simply, a sheep on the mountains in an extreme environment has a very large fleece whereas a lowland sheep has a much less wool. So if you live in a modern highly insulated house and are generally warm people then a lighter Baavet would suit you, but if you live in a very old cold house then you might need a medium or winter weight. Just think of what TOG duvet you use for most of the year to choose which is best for you.
Is there such a thing as an all-year-round wool duvet?
Well, some companies might try to sell you one, but no, there isn’t a universal all year round wool duvet. However, if you get the right wool Baavet for your personal conditions; then in our experience many customers use just the one all year round.
How is the wool for a Baavet sourced?
Baavet started, over 15 years ago, as a farm based diversity project with the aim of giving farmers a fair deal for their wool and so we approached other farmers we knew, buying the wool directly from them and giving them a fair price. Not only that, but we also pay for the wool to be collected and transported to Halifax to our wool merchants warehouse where we pay for the wool to be graded. It then goes to Dewsbury to be washed, paid for by us, before being stored in Halifax until we need it.
So we control the whole process from EWE to YOU.
How do you care for a Baavet?
It’s very simple really, keep your Baavet aired and if you do have to store it, do so in a moth proof bag. And no, you won’t have a moth problem in normal use, as moths like dark and undisturbed places to lay their eggs. It’s the young moths that eat into fabrics. Avoid washing your Baavet, just air it, and it should last a lifetime.
What other wool products does Baavet offer?
We make mattress protectors, sometimes called mattress toppers, which give you the same protection from dust mites and bacteria as a duvet. We also make pillows which come in 2 sizes firm and medium. They are filled with wool bobbles that act like a conventional pillow, in that they can be fluffed up. They come with a zip to allow the outer case to be washed. Also available is extra wool if you want to firm up the pillow and spare pillow cases. We also make a wool mattress with a natural latex layer for comfort and this will never flatten over time.
And finally we make wool filled pet beds for your favourite dog or cat, and the great thing is, they don’t smell as wool wicks away moisture and is anti bacterial.
What is the story behind Baavet?
Roger and Lesley were looking for new product on their small Welsh hill farm. At the time wool had no value and farmers couldn’t give the wool away. On a short journey to a friend’s house on May the 4th 2009 they discussed ideas. Roger suggested something in wool, “Like what?” asked Lesley.
“Err…. let’s reinvent the blanket, and let’s stuff wool in a duvet.” And I really meant, stuff it in.
“You can’t”, replied Lesley. “And anyway you won’t be able to sell a wool duvet; it sounds heavy, itchy, and old fashioned. We will have to call it something else.”
“Like what?”
“Let’s call it a Baa…vet,” she jokingly replied. But the name stuck!
Then of course we only had to find someone to make them for us, but it turned out there wasn’t anyone in the UK that could, and so we started on the rocky journey of becoming manufacturers. The rest, they say, is history; a roller coaster history.
Where can I find out more about Baavet?
We are based in Snowdonia, our factory is in Porthmadog and everyone is welcome to visit, or just go online at
