What Is Wisewool™? New Zealand Strong Wool for Sleep
Wisewool™ is a New Zealand company that manufactures 100% pure strong wool bedding ingredients - WiseLayer™ (needle-punched wool batting) and WiseFill™ (loose wool fill) - from New Zealand premium strong wool and mostly in the 36-39 micron range. Founded in 1894 and now in its fifth generation, Wisewool™ controls the supply chain from 250+ partner farms in Gisborne through to finished product and is currently conducting a three-year MPI-funded real-life and clinical sleep science study.
Note: New Zealand strong wool is mainly 31 - 40 micron, BUT Wisewool uses mainly 36 - 39 micron - Henry Hansen, CEO Wisewool(™)
What does Wisewool™ make?
Wisewool™ manufactures wool ingredient products for the global sleep and bedding industry. It does not make finished mattresses or duvets - it supplies the wool inside them. The two core products are WiseLayer™, a needle-punched wool batting available from 200gsm to 1000gsm+, in a Low Loft and a High Loft version, and WiseFill™, a loose wool fill (also known as wool pearls or wool knops) used in pillows, cushions and duvets.
Both products are 100% wool. No synthetic blends, no chemical additives, no plasticisers, no glues. Wisewool™ supplies bedding manufacturers across New Zealand, Australia, ASEAN, the United States, Latin America and Europe from its factory at Te Poi, New Zealand.
Why does Wisewool™ use strong wool instead of merino?
New Zealand produces two types of wool: fine merino (approximately 10% of production) and strong crossbred wool (approximately 90%). Merino is soft, fine (under 24 micron), and designed for next-to-skin garments. New Zealand Strong wool (31–40 micron) has a thicker fibre with greater natural crimp, which gives it superior compressional resilience and airflow in non-woven applications like bedding and mattresses.
Wisewool™ specifically selects fibre in the 36–39 micron range. This is the sweet spot for bedding: thick enough for lasting loft and structure, with enough natural crimp to create air channels that regulate temperature and wick moisture. Merino lacks the structural resilience for these applications. Strong wool is the right tool for the job.
Where does Wisewool™ source its wool?
Wisewool™ partners with 250+ farming families in the Gisborne/Tairāwhiti region of New Zealand’s East Coast. The company has been working with wool from this region for five generations since 1894. Gisborne’s warm, maritime climate produces strong wool with consistent staple length and low vegetable matter content — both critical for manufacturing quality.
Wisewool™ controls the supply chain from farm relationships through grading and manufacturing. Scouring is outsourced to a ‘state of the art’ New Zealand-based facility using gentle, chemical-free processes. The full journey is tracked through WiseTrace™, Wisewool™’s traceability programme from farm to finished product.
What certifications does Wisewool™ hold?
Wisewool™ is B Corp certified, Land to Market verified (Savory Institute), NZ Fernmark licensed, and NZFAP (New Zealand Farm Assurance Programme) accredited. Independent lab testing has verified product safety and performance across fire retardancy, compressional resilience and chemical purity.
| Certification / Test | Tested By | Result | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fire retardancy (BS 5852) | NZWTA, Napier NZ | PASS — cigarette + butane flame, both WiseLayer™ and WiseFill™ | Cert. 1446262.6A–D |
| Compressional resilience (80,000 cycles) | SATRA, UK (UKAS Lab #0248) | WiseLayer™ performance similar to foam; ~95% thickness retained | Report FUR0344456 2307 |
| Chemical / pesticide residue | NZWTA, Napier NZ | Zero detectable residues across all categories | Reports 1-01470007.E4 & 1-01470008.E2 |
| B Corp | B Lab | Certified — social and environmental performance | B Corp Certification |
| Land to Market | Savory Institute | Verified regenerative sourcing | Land to Market Verified |
| NZ Fernmark | NZ Trade & Enterprise | New Zealand provenance and quality | Fernmark Licence |
| NZFAP | NZ Farm Assurance Programme | Farm-level quality and animal welfare | NZFAP Accredited |
What research is Wisewool™ conducting?
Wisewool™ is currently running a three-year real-life and clinical human sleep science study (PSGF-251969), co-funded by New Zealand’s Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI). The study is led by the Wisewool Team and uses dual Wellington research centres - the Sleep/Wake Research Centre and the WellSleep Centre.
It is a randomised controlled crossover trial involving a randomly selected, representative cross-section of sleepers to assess sleep and thermoregulation outcomes.
Wisewool™ previously completed an MPI-funded study on the compressional resilience of strong wool, with testing conducted by SATRA Technology Centre in the UK (UKAS Accredited Lab #0248). That study demonstrated that WiseLayer™ wool batting performed comparably to foam after 80,000 pounding cycles - while polyester lost over 50% of its hardness under the same test.
How is Wisewool™ different from other wool brands?
Four things separate Wisewool™ from the rest of the market.
First, supply chain control: Wisewool™ manages the wool journey from farm relationships in Gisborne through grading, scouring, and manufacturing - with full traceability via WiseTrace™. Most wool bedding brands buy commodity wool on the open market with no visibility over origin, quality of wool or processing.
Second, original research. Wisewool™ is investing in its own clinical data through the MPI Sleep Science study and has already published independent lab results from SATRA and NZWTA. Most competitors rely on citing third-party studies they had no role in.
Third, fibre specificity. Wisewool™ uses New Zealand strong wool in the 36–39 micron range - deliberately selected for non-woven bedding applications. This is not generic “wool.” It is a specific fibre type, from a specific region, processed for a specific purpose.
Fourth, Wisewool™ products stay true to nature - no chemicals, no synthetic binders.
Key takeaway
Wisewool™ is a fifth-generation New Zealand company that manufactures pure wool bedding ingredients - WiseLayer™ and WiseFill™ - from traceable, 35–39 micron strong wool sourced from Gisborne, New Zealand. With B Corp certification, independent lab-tested performance data and an ongoing MPI-funded clinical sleep study.
Wisewool™ is building the most comprehensive evidence base for wool in sleep of any company globally.
Harry Urquhart-Hay is Co-Founder of Wisewool™, a fifth-generation New Zealand strong wool company. Wisewool™ controls the wool journey from 250+ partner farms in Gisborne through to finished product, and is currently conducting a three-year MPI-funded clinical sleep science study.
Henry Hansen is CEO of Wisewool™ with deep expertise in wool fibre science and processing.