Goose Down Duvets

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Buying a duvet is no different to anything else in life. You get what you pay for. A cheap duvet may last a year or two. A top quality duvet may still be in good working order in 20 or 30 years time – so that £500 duvet can end up costing less than £20 a year and giving a level of comfort and happiness every single night.

When it comes to the top of the range fillings, the question is often asked about selecting between the different products which are presented. Our top quality Siberian or Hungarian down duvets are sourced directly from reputable long established Scottish and Hungarian manufacturers. The quality of filling is everything – the down feathers used by our suppliers are exceptionally long and of the highest possible standard – cheaper products may carry the same name but the actual quality is not! If a product costs half the price of another on the market there is almost certainly a good reason for that – it is likely to be heavier and not have the same lifetime.

The choice between down and feather can be based on two main factors. If you are looking for a duvet with more weight to it, as some prefer, then feather will provide this. The second factor is of course price! Feather does not insulate as well as down, hence more weight of filling is used – it is also a far cheaper material to source leading to the cost advantage.

We are also asked on occasion to help customers choose between duck and goose feather or down. The actual quality of filling itself is more relevant in fact – some qualities of Duck Down such as our 100% Pure European White Duck Down is far superior to most Goose Down products on the market. The duvet will be that bit lighter whilst offering the same tog value.

As for natural filled duvets, the same principles apply in terms of lifetime of product. Cheaper synthetic duvets are particularly prone to losing their tog value rapidly. We use primarily Dacron branded fibre fillings which both feel softer and are remarkably resilient over a long period of time. Generally the higher the quality of filling the more it will drape around your body. Goose down is particularly soft and offers excellent drape – within synthetic fibres. Dacron Suprelle Eco Fresh comes closest in this respect.

When we look for all over warmth we need to consider the type of stitching – any point where the duvet is sewn together could be a potential dead zone or cold spot. Our natural duvets benefit from cassette box construction (small squares with a 4 cm wall on each side to ensure the duvet is never stitched together from front to back). Synthetics generally have random stitching which ensures best possible spread of fibre.

Warmth is generated by the capability of the filling to trap warm air generated by body heat or other means. Essentially this is achieved by minute hollow tubes inside each fibre in the case of synthetic duvets – the higher the quality of fibre the enhanced insulation (and also the less weight of filling needed to generate the same tog rating). It is fair to state that the higher quality of fibres also have a softer feel due to the enhanced internal chamber.

In the case of down and feather, remarkably the same principal applies – microscopic hollow chambers within the actual down or feather give insulation. Down, which is closer to the body, is the best insulator. Furthermore, down which is sourced from colder climates such as Siberian or Hungarian White Goose Down, has the very best insulating qualities as well as being softer.

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