2021. április 30., péntek

BioRomper: a safe, fashionable, eco-friendly outfit for travel

The last year has made most people more germ-conscious than ever before. Most of us have become paranoid about things we used to take for granted. Hugs and handshakes? Uh, no. Flying on a plane sounds completely out of the question to many people. For those who want to up their safety game beyond hand sanitizers and masks, there’s a new coverall bodysuit called BioRomper.

person lounging while wearing black jumpsuit

Noah Friedman, Arielle Crawford, Ed McCabe and Evan Boyd launched the new product last October. They had seen images of super-cautious travelers boarding airplanes in hazmat suits — understandable, but not a good look. So they partnered with a designer in New York City to make a travel-safe suit that was attractive, comfortable and effective. Being eco-conscious folks, it was important to them that they use high-quality recycled materials and skip the plastic packaging.

Related: Bro.do x Mylea Better Shoes are made from mushroom leather

The flightsuit offers head-to-toe coverage and an antimicrobial finish. BioRomper uses a silver ion-based antimicrobial agent that destroys or inhibits growth of fungi, bacteria, protozoa or pathogenic viruses. Wearers need not fear picking up germs from seats or armrests. Flip up the hood, and your head’s safe, too. Plus, BioRomper is made in fair-trade-certified factories in the U.S. from recycled polyester and spandex. It’s stretchy, durable and machine washable and dryable, no ironing required. The unisex garment comes in jet black or aviator green.

Each BioRomper comes with a matching mask and a bag for stowing it away between uses. The suit is designed to be worn over your normal clothes. T-shirts or sweatpants will make for an extra comfortable trip. Its four-way stretch fabric is soft and comfortable. Wearers can feel extra confident knowing that the fabric used in BioRomper has undergone testing and validation using AATC100 test methodology. This testing method evaluates the antibacterial properties of textiles, assisting growth inhibition and killing of bacteria.

Friedman and Crawford talked to Inhabitat about BioRomper and the need for protective clothing in an uncertain world.

person modeling dark green jumpsuit

Inhabitat: What has the response from the public been to BioRomper so far?

Friedman: It’s been great! Since its inception in October 2020, BioRomper sold out of its first launch with 6-figure revenue within just a few weeks. A community of devout fans and wearers has organically discovered and shared the product, including a number of A-list celebrities who’ve become BioRomper “superfans.” They’ve been featured in Forbes Travel, LOfficial, Grazia, The Zoe Report, among others and have had rave customer reviews since launch.

person walking with bike while wearing black jumpsuit

Inhabitat: How does the BioRomper suit compare to other protective clothing on the market?

Friedman: We’ve placed an emphasis on style, comfort and peace of mind. We’ve used only the highest quality, sustainably sourced materials, and focused heavily on manufacturing quality and design. We’ve worked with one of the industry’s best suppliers of silver-ion antimicrobial treatment to create the best, most comfortable and most stylish barrier between BioRomper’s wearers and the world around them.

people boarding plane while wearing black jumpsuits

Inhabitat: Where do you envision people wearing BioRomper?

Friedman: We envision BioRomper being the garment for the future of travel wear. Accessories (suitcases, headphones, etc.) have become staples of our travel routines, but we haven’t yet seen any company become the best-in-class uniform for travelers. We’re hoping and planning for a future where BioRomper is that staple.

person sitting on subway while wearing BioRomper

Inhabitat: How do you source the recycled fabric used in BioRomper suits?

Crawford: As a sustainable designer, the majority of my work is in sourcing. Over my career, I’ve curated a large library of fabric suppliers through global textile shows, agencies and networking that meet my eco and ethical standards — we chose this one for its weight, functional finishes and ability to apply our silver-ion antimicrobial technology.

Inhabitat: Do you think this design will still be popular when we finally get through the pandemic? Will people still be thinking about germs?

Friedman: Absolutely. The team behind BioRomper wanted to create something to meet the moment; an innovative new garment that blends fashion and function for anyone on the move in this new normal. They feedback we’ve had and the success we’ve seen, we feel confident that customers will enjoy having a BioRomper far past the pandemic.

BR logo on sleeve of jumpsuit

Inhabitat: What else should readers know about BioRomper?

Friedman: We’ve taken great pride to craft and create both a garment and a brand that consumers will love and feel proud to wear. We hope you’ll try a BioRomper to see for yourself the love and care that’s gone into our product.

Right now, BioRomper is available for purchase exclusively from the BioRomper website. The suit costs $249.99. So if you are on the cautious side and want to look chic when you circle the world on an airplane, cross New York City on the subway or dare to board a cruise ship, BioRomper may be the garment that keeps you feeling safe and confident.

+ BioRomper

Images via BioRomper



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Research continues to unravel plastic industry recycling lies

A new study has proven once more that plastic recycling is a lie. According to American Chemistry Council data, only 14% of all plastic is recycled. The data further shows that 16% is incinerated and 70% ends up dumped into landfills.

These findings underscore a 2020 report by NPR that discussed how the plastics industry has lied to the public about the possibility of plastic recycling. For many years, the public has been led to believe that sorting plastic waste in a certain manner could help with the recycling process.

Related: Oil and plastic industry spent millions to mislead the public about plastic recycling

In the 1980s, the plastic industry was in trouble following public concern over plastic pollution. As a result, plastic industry players devised a way of staying in the market. This entailed a $50 million per year advertising campaign, encouraging consumers to recycle. As a result, the public was made to believe that plastics with a recyclable badge could be recycled responsibly. Unfortunately, this plan has proved infeasible.

NPR investigators found that those little triangles at the corner of the plastic mean nearly nothing. They are just a ploy used by the plastic industry to encourage people to use the products.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, about 14.5 million tons of plastic packaging were produced in 2018. This already startling tonnage doesn’t even include trash bags or single-use plates and cups. Without meaningful recycling possibilities, this plastic continues to either get incinerated or pollute the environment. This recycling issue starkly contrasts with materials like corrugated boxes, of which about 97% are recycled.

For a long time, U.S. companies sent plastic waste to China, but that changed a few years ago. With China shutting its doors to U.S. plastic waste, all this plastic ends up in landfills. Those in the industry say that the major problems with plastic recycling include collection, sorting and the expense of melting it. Further, the quality of plastic degrades each time it undergoes recycling.

+ Ecori

Lead image via Pixabay



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10 thoughtful, eco-friendly Mother's Day gift ideas

Moms are notoriously easy to shop for; after all, who else would have saved a lumpy brown piece of clay that was supposed to be a bear you made when you were six? But this year, with a little thought, you can outdo yourself with something useful, thoughtful and eco-friendly. Here are a few ideas for Mother’s Day gifts that Mom will enjoy every day.

lab-grown diamond necklace

Jewelry from Smiling Rocks

These lab-grown diamonds are chemically identical to mined diamonds, without the ghastly effects on the environment and human health. Founders Zulu Ghevriya and Manish Jiwani have many years in the jewelry and diamond biz and want to do things differently. So when you buy their beautiful bracelets, rings and necklaces, you know that not only are you getting Mom a treasured gift, but some of the profits will go to scholarships for kids, medical services for under-served communities and animal conservation efforts. Smiling Rocks’ Carbon For Carbon initiative has already planted more than 84,000 trees.

Related: Celebrate mom with these 10 gifts of time this Mother’s Day

close-up of wood serving bowls

Salad bowls and serving trays

These gorgeous bowls are handcrafted from a solid piece of acacia wood. Does Mom like nuts? Dips? Salads? Pacific Merchants offers a variety of types of bowls. Each looks like a sculpture, and it is functional. Acaciaware is made from acacia wood. Its tight grain makes it resistant to stains, odors or water penetration, and it is safe for hot and cold foods. The acacia wood is responsibly harvested and longer-lasting than bamboo. In addition to being harvested in a way that protects rare and threatened forest species, Indigenous communities benefit from this forestry operation. Pacific Merchants Trading also participates in a tree replanting program to ensure sustainable development.

Habit Cosmetics

Habit Cosmetics is cruelty-free makeup made for all skin tones. Founder Aja Frierson says on the brand website, “As a woman of color passionate about both plant-based nutrition and makeup, I rarely saw myself represented at the junction of these fields in the clean beauty space. So with Habit, my goal was to create the all-around best clean makeup products.” All Habit cosmetics are vegan and come in sustainable packaging. The colors are designed to flatter a wide range of skin tones. And Habit prides on giving a little extra in its products, such as adding myrrh extract for nail strength into its nail polish. Habit also donates 40% of retail sales from certain shades of nail polish to charitable causes.

Sustainable clothing

Christy Dawn’s Deadstock Collection features clothes made with deadstock fabric, destined for landfills, that is turned into something new and beautiful. It Mom ever told you “Waste not, want not,” consider buying her the Dawn jumpsuit in turnip-colored linen or the flowy Daisy dress in a terracotta meadow pattern.

DIY butterfly feeder

Butterfly feeder

Does Mom need more butterflies in her life? Are you crafty? If you answered yes to both these questions, consider making her a butterfly feeder. Wine bottles, jars and plates are materials you can intercept from your recycling bin or the landfill and make into a butterfly hub. Here are some ideas from DIY & Crafts. Did you know butterflies like to drink Gatorade? Here’s the lowdown on what to put in your new butterfly feeder from Butterfly Fun Facts.

platter of cheeses and fruits

Vegan charcuterie board

Also on the DIY front, why not make Mama a delicious vegan charcuterie board? Depending on her tastes, you could include specially made vegan cheeses, bread, fruit, jams, nuts and some really good dark chocolate.

Conscious Step socks

Not only are these gift boxes from Conscious Step stuffed with vegan, fair-trade, organic cotton socks, but you can personalize them to support Mom’s favorite cause. If she’s a wildlife-lover, you can choose the Down Under box, which supports Wildlife Warriors in Australia and features orange kangaroos on gray socks, light blue crocodiles on green and koalas on light blue. Tree-hugger moms will like the Socks that Plant Trees box, which features green and heather socks and supports Trees for the Future.

glass of wine by pile of books

Sustainable wine

If you have a wine-drinking mother who appreciates sustainability, Dry Farm Wines offers one-off or subscription wine boxes. Choose from three, six or 12 bottles of red, white, rosé or sparkling wines. Dry Farm Wines sources organic, natural and biodynamic wines from around the world.

white tea mug and loose-leaf tea

Tea strainer mug

This all-in-one tea maker and mug is handmade in Nepal and brought to you from Ten Thousand Villages. It uses loose-leaf teas, which avoid the waste and microplastics caused by teabags. Fair-trade organization Sana Hastakala, which means “small handicraft,” works with independent producers, who make these mugs in rural Nepal.

Yoga mat made from old wetsuits

As the popularity of yoga has increased over the last 20 years, so have the mats piling up in landfills. Mom will feel good about doing downward dogs on a mat made from recycled wetsuits. The SugaMat is 5mm thick and comes in regular or extra-large lengths. Buy her the SugaMat Cradle to Grave, and she’ll have a mat for life — if anything goes wrong with her SugaMat, the company will replace it.

Images via Ali Raza, Smiling Rocks, Couleur, lobyslo0, Brooke Lark, Kelly Visel and Ten Thousand Villages



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2021. április 29., csütörtök

The Alpex Cultural Centre converts a factory into a community center

With a mission to revitalize the area, the Alpex Cultural Centre is a project that transformed a former machining factory in France for modern use. Throughout the process, firm Atelier Archiplein, in collaboration with (MAW) scenographer, focused on a commitment to honor the planet and the cultural perspective.

old white gabled building

Located in Scionzier, a town in the Rhône-Alpes region of southeastern France, the building was extended and converted into a cultural center for community use, while earning designation as a local heritage site. One of the primary goals for the project was to honor the heritage of the building. Research on the site uncovered the original color palette, which the team reconstructed through the use of shades of green, red and yellow on the facade.

Related: Green renovation to a ’50s California home features recycled denim insulation

old white gabled building in mountainous landscape

white building with gable roof and reflective facade panels

In order to connect the project to the Scionzier Town Hall building and newly constructed town square, the project converted an existing gabled exterior into an expansive colonnade that created an entryway and a statement about using natural materials, such as locally sourced Hauteville stone. The pillars also created a contrast to the heart of the building behind it, which speaks to its history as a factory with a dark roof that stands out against the light exterior.

people standing inside white room with wood floors

large white room with blue-framed windows

Inside, natural light floods the two main exhibition rooms of the now-completed Alpex Cultural Centre, and an open floor plan provides space for a range of community uses. A neutral color palette avoids distracting from the exposed beam architectural supports and eye-catching windows that line the space.

long white room with pitched ceiling and exposed structural beams

people talking on patio

The Alpex Cultural Centre is one of many preservation projects by Atelier Archiplein. “The firm is proud of its responsible posture in respect to sustainable development, environmental impact, and historical context,” the architects said. “Those issues play an important role in influencing the firm’s contemporary interventions in the built environment, which are driven by a methodology that has proven itself time and again over more than a decade of practice in Europe and Asia.”

+ Atelier Archiplein

Photography by Aurélien Poulat via Atelier Archiplein



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Can bacteria capture and eliminate microplastics?

Scientists at Hong Kong Polytechnic University have found a way to use bacteria’s natural stickiness to pull microplastics from the environment. Their vision is that microplastics in polluted water will adhere to tape-like bacteria nets, making a plastic blob that can easily be recycled or otherwise disposed of.

“It is imperative to develop effective solutions that trap, collect, and even recycle these microplastics to stop the ‘plastification’ of our natural environments,” said Sylvia Lang Liu, the project’s lead researcher. Microplastics are the tiny plastic fragments smaller than 5mm that are constantly being released into the environment from washing synthetic fabrics and scrubbing our faces with potions containing microbeads in addition to the general breakdown of plastic bags and bottles. They eventually work their way into the oceans, where they endanger marine animals.

Related: Atlantic has 10 times the microplastics previously thought

The scientists used a bacteria called Pseudomonas aeruginosa to make a bacterial biofilm net that can lure in microplastics floating in water, trap them, then sink them to the bottom. This is where it gets really scientific — a biofilm-dispersal gene lets researchers free the microplastics from the bacteria.

“This is a really innovative and exciting application of biofilm engineering to address the plastic pollution crisis,” said Joanna Sadler, researcher at University of Edinburgh. Sadler wasn’t involved in this study. “One of the biggest challenges in dealing with microplastics is capturing such small particles so they can be degraded and removed from the environment. Liu and co-workers have demonstrated an elegant solution to this problem, which holds great potential to be further developed into a real-world wastewater treatment technology.”

At this point, this microplastic-trapping solution is still hypothetical. It worked in a lab. But will things go so well in a sewer, lake or ocean? Also, the Pseudomonas aeruginosa carries diseases that affect humans, so it’s probably not the best idea for real-world projects. Still, Liu and fellow scientists are confident they are onto something with this method. Time will tell whether this model is scalable, what type of surfaces are best for growing the biofilm, and what bacteria strains should be used.

Nicholas Tucker, a molecular microbiologist at the University of Strathclyde, said, “In general, this shows that microbes can and will play a role in every stage of the life cycle of plastics.”

Via The Guardian

Image via Adobe Stock



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These custom, igloo-shaped workspaces are 3D-printed with recycled PET

ArchiTech Company in the Netherlands has designed a 3D-printed, modular pavilion using waste from the local port industry. Known as R-IGLO, the igloo-like workspaces represent a completely circular design made from recycled PET plastic that can be reused continuously.

3D-printed dome pavilion

The materials are sourced within the historic M4H harbor area in Rotterdam, a major port community known for its modern architecture. Actual construction of these 3D-printed pavilions takes place in M4H as well, supporting local businesses and making this project more sustainable.

Related: This modular prefab office space offers sustainable solutions

back of 3D-printed dome pavilion

skylight inside pavilion

The large company warehouses in the area often lack comfortable, separate workspaces; the project, which is a collaboration between ArchiTech Company in the Rotterdam Makers District, Royal3D and the Port of Rotterdam Authority, solves this problem. The modular construction uses linkable panels of different sizes so the entire pavilion is easily assembled, disassembled, moved and stored. Owners can include or remove additional elements to enlarge or reduce the size of the pavilion.

igloo-shaped pavilion interior with central oval skylight

3D-printer device inside a pavilion

R-IGLO utilizes one of the world’s largest CFAM printers, which stands for “Continuous Fiber Additive Manufacturing.” At its full capacity, the machine prints 15 kilos per hour, meaning the entire 4 x 2 x 1.5-meter workspace can be completed in just 10 days. Thanks to Royal3D’s use of locally generated electricity and the dome’s circular materials, the production has a net-zero carbon footprint.

aerial view of 3D-printed dome structure inside a warehouse

3D-printed pavilion inside warehouse

The printing process reinforces the PET elements with short glass fibers, making the material stronger and more resistant to impact while still maintaining 100% recyclability. Even if the printing processes were to fail for any reason, the material is still reusable for a new print. As for the shape, the igloo-like dome structure makes the pavilion strong and rigid on the outside and acoustic on the inside. The design includes sockets and is equipped with lighting, ventilation and heating for what the designers call “a modular turn-key solution.”

+ ArchiTech Company

Images via Visual Approach / ArchiTech Company



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Modern Dane offers sustainable bedding for peace of mind while you sleep

Nobody wants to sleep swaddled in chemicals and other toxins. Plus, who can get a full night of slumber knowing their textile selections contribute to poor working wages and environmental pollution? With The Modern Dane, a new sustainable bedding brand, you don’t have to put up with any of these issues.

green leaf-print bedspread on wood bed

The brand was developed with the belief that your bed is your sanctuary, and your home should be filled with items that bring joy and comfort. The company sets the bar high for achieving sustainability in every product it releases, including eco-friendly duvet covers, pillow cases and fitted sheets. 

Related: Archivist releases shirts made from recycled hotel sheets

The Scandinavian bedding designs are heavily influenced by The Modern Dane founder Jacob Andsager’s Danish roots. While beauty is the ultimate result, the process to get there focuses on sustainably harvested, natural materials, limited waste, fair-trade labor practices and quality that ensures a long lifecycle.

The Modern Dane is also proud of its commitment to sustainable production and provides traceability so you know where the materials were sourced and the product was made (Portugal, in compliance with the International Labour Organization ILO.)

person holding mug and sitting in bed

Sustainable materials

Starting with materials, The Modern Dane only uses OEKO-TEX and certified European Flax linen. Along the way, each part of every product is tested and guaranteed to meet the highest environmental and toxicological standards.

The European flax linen industry is eco-friendly in a variety of ways. Firstly, the flax, which is grown in Belgium, France and the Netherlands, is a natural match to the land. It requires no irrigation and is grown with a reliance on rainwater alone. This is in steep contrast to water-consumptive cotton. The company stated that “annual water savings over cotton farming are estimated at 650 billion cubic meters of water, or roughly the water consumption of a city the size of Atlanta.”

In addition, the flax is naturally pest-resistant, eliminating the need for toxic pesticides that would otherwise pollute the land and the finished products. Some fertilizer is used in flax production, but it’s five times less than the amount dumped on cotton.

brassy green bedding

The flax industry has found ways to use every part of the plant for a zero-waste growth and consumption cycle. While the long fibers are turned into fabric, short fibers are used for paper or felt. Even the seeds and oils from the plant are turned into livestock feed, varnish and linoleum. Flax shives are used in gardening, turned into animal bedding or composted. Plus, flax is completely biodegradable. Like any living plant, flax naturally improves air quality by absorbing carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen.

The Modern Dane explained, “Every year, the growing of flax in Europe captures 330,000 tons of CO2 — the emissions equivalent to driving a Renault Clio around the earth 62,000 times.”

On the left, bedding in cardboard package. On the right, close-up of floral print bedding.

Inhabitat tests The Modern Dane bedding

The Modern Dane offered to send a sample product, which I eagerly accepted. For me, there’s just nothing more luxurious than a soft, warm bed, so I was excited when a duvet cover showed up a few days later.

To start, the packaging was gorgeous and eco-friendly. As the box states, it’s “Recycled, fully biodegradable, and made in the USA.” The duvet itself came inside a flax linen bag, which is reusable. That earns high marks in contrast to the standard plastic bags many linens come in.

The print on the duvet is inviting and versatile and makes a statement without being too bold (although I’m okay with bold, too). A variety of colors within the print means it can work with many different types of interior designs and sheet selections. It can easily be paired with shades of green, blue, black and brown. I adore the color selection for the back of this print, which is a soft sage.

Floral-print duvet with wood buttons

The quality is obvious from the first touch. It’s a thick fabric that may be too warm for some. Personally, I love the weight. It provides a cozy, cocoon-like comfort. The stitching is tight, giving assurance there will be no tears or holes anytime soon. The feeling of the flax linen took me a night to get used to. It doesn’t immediately radiate the softness of cotton or poly blends, but I’m confident it will soften over time.

My quilted comforter slid easily into the duvet, and the sizing fits nicely with no gapping around the edges or in the corners. Even better, the comforter has stayed in place over time, in contrast to the constant shake down I had to give my old duvet in order to get the comforter back in place. 

Not all product reviews are this easy to throw my full support behind. There’s often a little something that isn’t quite right. But with this The Modern Dane duvet, I just don’t have any cons to mention with the product, company or packaging. The duvet is truly delightful, and now every day, I can’t wait for bedtime.

+ The Modern Dane

Images via The Modern Dane and Dawn Hammon / Inhabitat

Editor’s Note: This product review is not sponsored by The Modern Dane. All opinions on the products and company are the author’s own.



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2021. április 28., szerda

Luxome's bamboo bedding is breathable, soft and sustainable

Spring is here — and with it brings flowers, bumblebees and of course, fluctuating weather. No matter where you are in the world, our bodies’ temperatures tend to be intimately connected with our sleep patterns. Because a good night’s rest sets the rhythm for the entire day, investing in your sleep is always a good idea.

gray sheets on an unmade bed

That’s where high-quality bedding can come in — after all, we spend about one-third of our lives in bed — and a fabric that is breathable can do wonders for comfortable sleep. While cotton is typically the most common textile used for sheets, pillow cases and pajamas, bamboo is renowned for its lightweight and moisture-wicking qualities, making it perfect for both hot and cold sleepers.

Related: Bamboo Compression Socks offer support via natural and recycled materials

Known for its popular weighted blankets made of luxury bamboo lyocell, bedding company Luxome is now offering bamboo pillows (that are actually adjustable!) and bamboo sheets, using both non-toxic and sustainable materials.

made bed with gray sheets

Bamboo fabric

Let’s take a moment to talk about bamboo fabric. It seems like fabrics made from bamboo have taken the fashion industry by storm over the last few years, and it’s safe to say that popularity has a lot to do with bamboo’s environmentally friendly features. But is bamboo fabric actually sustainable? Well, that answer is complicated.

Mechanically produced bamboo linen is considered the best choice when it comes to bamboo fabric, because it involves crushing the bamboo plant into pulp before adding natural enzymes to break it down. However, it is often a more expensive process and results in a rougher texture. There’s also lyocell (also known as the brand name, Tencel), which involves a closed-loop cycle where chemicals and water aren’t released into the environment. Although bamboo viscose can sometimes involve more chemicals than other bamboo-based fabrics, it is still considered better for the environment than conventional viscose. Oftentimes, traditional viscose or rayon use wood pulp from unsustainably harvested forests and even old-growth trees.

Bamboo fabrics have so many environmental advantages. Bamboo is self-regenerative, meaning new stalks naturally shoot out of the plant after some of the plant is harvested, without the use of pesticides, fertilizers or even irrigation — basically, all it needs is some rainwater to grow. It’s known for growing up to 12 inches per day and for growing in difficult environments. Perhaps best of all, studies have shown that bamboo plants can produce 35% more oxygen than trees.

Products made from bamboo can even be softer than cotton thanks to the micro-gaps in the fabric and are fully biodegradable (as long as they haven’t been loaded with a bunch of toxic chemicals). Luxome’s bamboo fabric is 100% certified bamboo, so it isn’t blended with other cheap fabrics. The fabric is also backed by OEKO-TEX. The third-party certifier tests products for harmful substances, meaning this bedding doesn’t contain any allergens or dyes known to be carcinogenic.

Luxome bag of bamboo sheets

Luxome’s premium bamboo sheets

I had the chance to try out some of Luxome’s bamboo bedding ourselves, and let’s just say, I was impressed. I tried both the Premium Bamboo Sheet Set and the LAYR Pillow and found some seriously comfy results.

The bamboo sheets are 100% pure bamboo viscose with a 400 thread count, a feature that the company calls “the highest thread count of any bamboo sheets ever made.” Right out of the package, the sheets seemed surprisingly durable despite their light, airy texture. Plus, the bamboo bag they came in will work wonderfully as a soft, reusable bag for traveling. Even after washing them, the material stayed as soft as silk. The set (I went with the silvery “stone” color) included one fitted sheet, one flat sheet and two pillowcases. The fitted sheet has 17-inch-deep pockets, which is a huge plus for thicker mattresses or toppers.

breathable pillow on gray bed

Also naturally hypoallergenic thanks to the eco-friendly material, the sheets performed great over spring evenings that were cool one night and warmer the next. The temperature-regulating fabric is naturally moisture-wicking, helping it to absorb moisture from your body if you sweat. The bamboo fibers are more hollow than similar textiles, so the fabric can breathe and subsequently evaporate the moisture as you sleep.

The texture of the sheets is super helpful for those of us who move around a lot while sleeping. Hair glided over the smooth texture of the material (so I didn’t wake up to frizzy hair), and there was no getting tangled up in the sheets in the middle of the night.

breathable bamboo pillow on bamboo sheets

The LAYR Pillow

The idea of an adjustable pillow makes total sense. By buying a pillow that can fit to multiple specifications and serve multiple needs, you’re less likely to end up with a bunch of unused pillows going to waste.

Inside the box, I found the bamboo pillow cover, along with a soft insert made with a down alternative filling, a medium insert with a mixture of gel-infused memory foam down alternative filling and a firm insert with 100% gel-infused memory foam (Luxome includes both a 2-inch insert and a 1-inch insert for preferred height). The memory foam is CertiPUR-US certified, so it has low VOCs and no harmful substances.

pillow open to show down alternative stuffing

While the pillow comes pre-configured with the company’s most popular combination of one down alternative insert and one gel-infused memory foam insert, customers can add or remove inserts for their personal configuration. For me, it only took a few tries to find my perfect combination, but spending an entire night with the specific pillow combo was the true test. (Tip: because the inserts come with their own cotton covers, they won’t go to waste if you use them as smaller, individual pillows for your legs or back).

The pillow cover, also made from natural bamboo viscose, washed beautifully according to the instructions and was soft enough that I didn’t even need an additional pillow case on top. As it turns out, this was the right call, as the sides of the pillow are specially designed to optimize airflow.

+ Luxome

Images via Katherine Gallagher / Inhabitat

Editor’s Note: This product review is not sponsored by Luxome. All opinions on the products and company are the author’s own.

close-up of open-weave on sides of pillow



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