Goose Down Duvets

It can be difficult to get excited about choosing a new duvet when one has so much to consider…. tog ratings, fill power, the pros and cons of goose down, feathers, silk, cotton or wool; and then there’s the various hypoallergenic fillings such as ‘hollowfibre’ and ‘microfibre’. Are bedding manufacturers trying to confuse us?

What I have learnt is that nothing beats the best. Opting for superior quality bedding is certainly an investment. After all, whilst polyester-filled products lose much of their lofting and insulating ability after a relatively short time, a well-cared-for down or silk duvet may last a lifetime. So let’s pitch the “Rolls Royce” against the “Aston Martin” of duvet fillings, the private jets of the duvet world – sumptuous silk versus blissful down. Which is better?

On the face of it, this isn’t an entirely easy task as they do have quite a few features in common. Both silk and down are extremely luxurious bedding fillings and ultimately must be treated with a degree of care. Down is a three dimensional cluster found on the belly of geese and ducks and is what protects them from the elements. These clusters have thousands of tiny fibers, but do not contain quills, so they’re literally bundles of fluff. It is this fluff which traps large pockets of air making down an extremely efficient insulator, yet light and lofty. Down duvets are available in a variety of weights, qualities and sizes for either a cool sleep or one that will keep you warm and comfortable on the chilliest of winter nights.

Then again, what could be more luxurious than 100% Mulberry silk as a filling for a duvet? Silk duvets are available in two weights, firstly the 200g summer weight (equivalent to a 4 tog) which is perfect for hot summer nights or for those who prefer to be kept cool. Secondly there is the ‘all seasons’ 400g weight (equivalent to an 8 tog) which is ideal for most people all year round, light enough for summer and warm enough for winter in a centrally heated home. For versatility, the light silk duvet may be buttoned together with the ‘all seasons’ weight silk duvet, for added warmth in winter. Mulberry silk duvets even come complete with a little inspection zip, discretely stitched into them, simply so the purchaser may inspect the long white silk fibres!

Both types of filling are wonderfully light-weight, appearing to float on your bed. The silk duvet displays all the stiffness of barely whipped cream, whilst the down duvet is more of a fully whipped version. After all, Mulberry silk duvets are created in a different way to down duvets as silk does not require box stitching in order to be kept evenly distributed and eliminate cold spots. This means that silk duvets probably drape that bit better than down duvets. Finally, and by no means least of all, as natural fibres both down and silk have the marvellous ability to breathe, lifting away perspiration so you don’t experience the clamminess which often occurs when sleeping under a synthetic duvet.

All in all, it’s still not easy to decide between the two. There is, however, one main benefit of a silk-filled duvet over a down-filled duvet. Silk is naturally hypoallergenic and resistant to dust mites, so a Mulberry silk duvet won’t make you sneeze! Could this be the deciding factor between silk and down duvets? Certainly as far as those sensitive to traditional feather and down fillings are concerned, at least. The Mulberry silk duvet has proven to be an anti allergy duvet which allows your body to breathe, ultimately providing an extremely comfortable night’s sleep.