Wool sheep and bamboo blankets are in the same price category. They are classified as goods with high and medium availability. Elite products are not among them. Otherwise, these bedding is radically different from each other. They have different consumer properties, and they show their best side in dissimilar conditions. It is difficult to say which one is better, let us consider their characteristics in more detail.
Sheep blanket - pros and cons
This filler has been used for a very long time and is not in a hurry to refuse it, although a lot of “smart” artificial substitute materials have appeared. The constancy in the question is explained by the following advantages:
- the possibility of use all year round (regardless of the weather, it helps maintain body temperature in the required values);
- wear resistance;
- absorbs sweat;
- good air permeability (hence the high hygienic properties, as well as the absence of factors provoking profuse sweating).
If you add dry heat, good warming ability and breathability, you get a product that is ideal for people with sore joints and problem skin. However, preservation of properties is possible only with proper handling of the blanket and provided that the manufacturer has processed the filler well. If the wool at the preparatory stage has not been thoroughly cleaned, then it is not considered harmless.
Important! Uncleaned fleece causes allergies, heats worse and tolerates contact with fluids. Trash attracts insects.
Wear resistance is a relative advantage. With careful and proper handling, a quilt made of high-quality sheep wool will last 6–10 years, but during this time it will become a “home” for a huge amount of dust, allergens and other harmful particles. Well, a small child will bring a thing into disrepair in 2-3 years. Fibers, due to wetting and careless handling, will simply knock together, disintegrate, and begin to gather in the corners.
Important! Quilted woolen items usually last a little longer than non-quilted woolen items.
Natural materials always attract dust mites, therefore bedding from them must be systematically ventilated and thoroughly washed . The latter procedure in the case of a wool sheep blanket is significantly complicated. Manufacturers everywhere prohibit the hand and machine washing of their products. All because at home it is impossible to achieve adequate conditions for the filler.
If you ignore the order and decide to personally remove the product from sheep’s wool, most likely, the integrity of the internal material will be violated. The fibers will break up and begin to gather in lumps. Under such a blanket it will no longer be possible to warm up. Therefore, to preserve consumer properties, such bedding is worn in dry cleaning. The services of specialists are expensive, and the result of the appeal does not always correspond to expectations.
Feature of Bamboo Blanket
He has 3 significant advantages:
- lung;
- it can be soaked and washed at home (this is in theory, but in practice, the outer fabric of bamboo blankets spreads out during cleaning).
Due to the ingress of liquid, the bamboo fibers do not decay and are not destroyed. To preserve their qualities, you only need to dry the blanket in a timely manner . Moreover, the process does not have any special requirements. The filler fiber does not break under its own weight, due to which even a vertical way of placement is permissible.
Important! In fact, the proportion of bamboo fibers in many products does not exceed 10–20%. The remaining 80–90% is made up of artificial materials. Just they provide many positive qualities starting from hygroscopicity and ending with the strength of the connection of the filler fibers.
High moisture resistant properties are not always a plus . For example, sweat absorption worsens because of them. This is critical, since in fact, even in a healthy person, fluids from sweat glands are constantly released. In sick and debilitated people, the process proceeds an order of magnitude more actively. Therefore, they will be uncomfortable under such a blanket.
Low cost is also able to move from advantages to disadvantages. Some manufacturers, in an attempt to reduce the price of an already inexpensive bamboo blanket, use low-quality synthetics as the top material. She breaks easily. For the appearance of a puff, a hook on the nail is enough. Therefore, we cannot talk about any machine wash . The cheapest bedding will simply tear from the top, and the good moisture-proof qualities of the filler will not help to save the whole thing.
In general, many of the “advantages” declared by the factories evoke skepticism. For example, they argue that the hygienic qualities of bamboo are supported by the presence of honey pectin in the composition. In fact, manufacturers do not indicate exactly how much substance is in the blanket, so you should not hope that its use will positively affect the condition and elasticity of the skin or somehow slow down the aging process. Such assurances are only a marketing gimmick, whose inaccuracy becomes apparent when you connect to the issue of science.
Important! Synthetic threads accumulate static electricity and are also a good conductor. Bedding from such materials is shocking. To eliminate the effect, it is necessary to wash the duvet covers for a bamboo blanket with chemistry, which has a pronounced antistatic effect.
The filler itself will become thinner and because of this it will stop heating after 2 years, maximum - after 4 . In some cases, the blanket becomes unusable even earlier. Therefore, in the long run, the idea of saving on bamboo products does not often find confirmation. Mostly the benefits are only momentary.
In terms of softness, this type of bedding also loses to some analogues. The blanket may seem very coarse, wrinkling badly and taking on the shape of the body at first. During operation, these properties will soften, as well as their owner.
Which is better - bamboo or fleece?
If you need a wear-resistant blanket that will reliably protect from the cold in winter and in a poorly heated apartment, then it is definitely necessary to purchase goods from sheep’s wool . Bamboo is not able to provide a comfortable sleep in such conditions. It will be cold under it, which in a certain context is fraught with a cold.
At the same time, it is impossible to say which type of blankets will be better within the framework of the health topic. The fact of using something other than wool as a filler should not stop. Regarding allergies, one cannot say with certainty that one of the options considered is absolutely safe. Both materials can cause an inadequate reaction, but statistically the likelihood of the disease manifesting is higher in the case of wool. On the other hand, its warming effect is appreciated in diseases of the bones and musculoskeletal system.
Bamboo fiber in this respect has nothing to boast of. And they definitely should not envelop a person who constantly or temporarily disrupts heat transfer. Contrary to the assurances of the factories, this filler normally does not know how to absorb and evaporate moisture. This is noticeable even in winter after turning on central heating, but it is most pronounced in summer.
Based on this, older people and prone to colds should choose wool, not bamboo, but allergy sufferers need to do the exact opposite.
