[Advertisement – this is a paid partnership with The Fine Bedding Company. All words and opinions are my own]
I’ve always found it difficult to control my body temperature at night, and it’s only got trickier as I’ve reached my late 30s. In winter, I go to bed freezing, hunker down under the duvet and wake up a few hours later feeling hot and bothered; in summer I struggle to cool down enough to drift off in the first place. Add in anxiety, a heatwave like the one we’re currently experiencing here in the UK and the fact that I normally have a cat snoozing on my feet, and getting enough sleep can seem like an impossible feat.
Over the years a few people have suggested temperature-regulating bedding to me, but I’ve always resisted. We had what I considered to be a perfectly good duvet and pillow set, and I wasn’t in a rush to replace it with something that I worried might just turn out to be a marketing gimmick. But when the afore-mentioned cat decided to bring up his breakfast all over the bed one morning, meaning we had to replace everything, I decided I may as well give it a go. Luckily, The Fine Bedding Company stepped in to help, offering me one bedding bundle to review and another to give away (scroll down to be in with a chance of winning).
A family company founded all the way back in 1912, The Fine Bedding Company has invested a lot of time, money and effort into creating innovative products over the years. They were responsible for the first truly home-washable duvet, and they’ve developed a special coating called ‘SmartFil’ which prevents inner fibres from clumping together. They even have vegan duvets which replicate the feel of natural down, and many of their fillings are now made from recycled plastic bottles. There are two temperature-control ranges in their collection – ‘Smart Temperature’, which senses heat and activates a unique cooling effect that mimics the body’s own mechanisms, and ‘Breathe’, which is the one I opted for.
What makes the ‘Breathe’ bedding special is the inclusion of Modal – a fibre derived from natural wood pulp, which wicks moisture away to leave you cool and dry. I chose a pair of pillows and a duvet, and as soon as they arrived (in a zipped, reusable storage bag that will come in handy), I was impressed with how soft, smooth and feather-light they feel. They also look fantastic on the bed – the pillows neat and plump, the duvet draping evenly over the sides of the mattress. I opted for a 7.5-tog summer duvet, as I prefer to use a thin one all year round and then layer a bedspread or throw over it during the colder months, but there are heavier autumn and winter weights too. There’s even an ‘all-season’ option with 4.5- and 9-tog duvets that can be paired together or used separately.
I’ve been testing out my ‘Breathe’ bedding for a week now and I’m very happy with it. For the first few nights the weather here in Bristol was a balmy 22C, and I was able to snuggle up without overheating. Even when anxiety woke me in the small hours, I felt warm and cocooned rather than hot and sticky, and could lie in comfort reading a book until I grew calmer. It also proved perfect for lounging around in the morning with a cup of coffee – I felt like I was floating on a cloud, and it definitely didn’t make getting up any easier!
Over the last few days the temperature has soared, hitting 30C inside overnight, so we haven’t had the duvet on the bed at all. But the pillows have certainly helped keep our heads and necks cool, and there’s been little of the normal heatwave tossing and turning. And, because of the ‘Smartfil’ coating on the filling fibres, we haven’t had any of those awkward lumps and bumps that you often get after using pillows for a few hours.
So, would I recommend the ‘Breathe’ range? Definitely. I’m not going to pretend the insomnia I’ve had for years has suddenly vanished, but I’ve been pleasantly surprised by just how big a difference it’s made and I dread to think how uncomfortable recent nights would have been with our old bedding. Prices start at £25 for a pillow and £47.50 for a duvet, which doesn’t seem like a big price to pay for better sleep, and there’s a real feel of luxury to them. What’s more, both the duvet and pillows are suitable for machine-washing and tumble-drying, meaning it will be easy to keep them fresh (or clean them should the cat repeat his antics!). Having previously dismissed temperature-control bedding, it’s safe to say I’m now a convert.
If you fancy trying the ‘Breathe’ collection for yourself, The Fine Bedding Company is giving away a pair of ‘Breathe’ pillows and a ‘Breathe’ duvet in any size and tog rating to one lucky reader. To be in with a chance of winning, just follow the instructions below. The giveaway is open to entrants based in the UK only and closes at 11.59pm on Tuesday 27th July 2021. The winner will be picked at random after the closing date and contacted shortly afterwards. Good luck!
This giveaway has now closed and the winner has been contacted by email. Many thanks to everyone who entered!
All photography by Abi Dare
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