Stephen Goknel, Founder of bedding brand Luff Sleep, shares an insight into the Bamboo Pillow and how it has become a fundamental pillar of the company’s ethos as well as an industry game-changer.
When you think of bamboo, if like me, the first trigger that springs to mind is a panda chomping away at the plant for their nutritional needs. What hasn’t entered the mind are the potential sleep and wellness benefits it can provide to our species. For Stephen, however, the benefits of bamboo resonated quickly and he found a way to incorporate this into Luff Sleep ranges.
“Bamboo is a magical plant that populates tropical and subtropical areas around the world,” Stephen said. “Used mainly for building materials and medicinal purposes, bamboo has many uses as it contains an abundance of benefits itself.
“There are a lot of uses for bamboo. This eco-friendly versatile grass (yes grass) in modern history is primarily used as a building material. The strength to weight ratio of bamboo makes it a great building material which it has been used for hundreds of years.
“Recently there has been a surge in bamboo home goods, like bamboo toothbrushes for example. These alternatives to plastic toothbrushes are biodegradable and sustainable, so it’s no wonder people are flocking to them. Another huge use is in bedroom products. Pillowcases, duvet covers and even towels are now being made out of the super grass. In fact, bamboo fibres are placed above cotton on the comfortability scale.”
Before exploring the product further, it’s worth absorbing some of the key facts about bamboo. Did you know that bamboo plants are also great contributors of oxygen to the atmosphere, producing 35% more oxygen than the standard tree volume? Bamboo forests also work as CO2 sinks, effectively trapping the CO2 inside the plant and not releasing it at any point of its life cycle.
Bamboo grows at a very quick rate. Some species of bamboo can grow 36” in just 24 hours and bamboo has the ability to regrow when cut. It also requires no pesticides or fertilisers as the plant creates bamboo kun, an antimicrobial agent that wards away insects and other plants from interfering with its growth. It’s naturally anti-bacterial and hypoallergenic too, as Stephen continues: “The bamboo kun stays with the plant when transformed into other forms. This makes the finished bamboo material anti-bacterial and also odour resistant. It’s perfect for items such as pillowcases and mattress toppers.”
And that’s where Luff Sleep comes in. Designed from its base in Hertfordshire, the aim was for when consumers experience a Luff product, they feel a sense of comfort, relaxation, improved health, luxury, and a touch of pride. What sets their products apart? You guessed it, a love for bamboo. “Not all bamboo is created equal so all of our products contain, or are made from, our own uniquely weaved organic bamboo,” Stephen revealed.
“Our silky Nanoweave® bamboo fabric envelops you in a cocoon of comfort and provides a sustainable alternative to what’s on the market. Nanoweave® Bamboo is naturally anti-bacterial and anti-allergy so your skin will enjoy the benefits. Preventing dust mites, wrinkles and frizz. Promoting better moisture retention and a softer complexion, we aim to help consumers wake up glowing.”
That’s not all either. Alongside the benefits of bamboo, Luff has developed their exclusive Cloudtec® memory foam technology, which “gently cradles your body for personalised support and unparalleled comfort,” Stephen added. “CloudTec® is the next generation of memory foam and is designed to be perfect for pillows and mattress toppers. It is called CloudTec® because of the cloud-like experience that it gives when sleeping on it.
“We have continuously worked to better CloudTec® and our latest version is superior in comfort and supportiveness. CloudTec® started initially as a super supportive product that helps with sleep posture but sometimes customers found that firmer than expected and not always as comfortable as what they had before. Although a firm pillow is often healthier, we strived to create a combination of both healthy support and relaxing comfort which led us to what we have now.”
Today, Luff proudly stands tall in over 50 retail outlets in the UK and is on the path to further grow, both the business and the story of bamboo. “Bamboo is proving to be an area of great interest, as these bamboo forests can be grown a lot quicker to help the adverse problems growing in the world,” Stephen added. “By using bamboo as an alternative for other materials we can start to pave the way to reduce the rate forests are being cut down and help towards a sustainable future.”
