|  DuvetsDuvets have come a long way since their introduction as a cheap sack filled with feathers, this was brought out as a cheaper alternative to blankets. They were of a very low quality and the feathers unwashed and very greasy, not a luxury item at all!
Thankfully things have improved dramatically over the years with today's modern duvets benefitting from high thread count percale cotton cambric covers, up to 300 count in some luxury products and ultra hygienic and anti-allergy fillings.
Many factors make up the modern style of duvet in terms of how they are made and sold, the better quality duvets are very advanced and are of a more technical affair than most would have thought possible in such a simple design. Many terms spring to mind such as:
Tog ratings: a simple but effective way of measuring the thermal properties of the filling, mainly used in Europe as the main way of deciding which heat/cooling setting you need. The lower the tog rating, the cooler the duvets, the higher the setting such a 15 TOG, the warmer you will be. The American test of this is:
Fill Power: This ingenenious test measures how lofty the down is, the lighter and cleaner the down the better the fill power rating. If the down rises quickly this will result in a high rating but if the down is less likely to rise due to impurities the lower the fill power rating will be. This measurement is a good way of selecting a good quality pure down duvet, 600 to 800 will guarantee you a perfect, light duvet and that is equally as good at keeping you snug as keeping you cool in summer, the better the down the lighter it is - simple.
If money was no object, then you should opt for the very best pure down duvets. This is because they offer both the best in terms of down and quality cotton covers, but what about the mechanics of a duvet. Have you considered:
Cassette Construction: This is how the down is held in place, the duvet is sectioned out in square cells ranging from 12 to 18 inches depending on the size of the area. The filling is then piped into the cell using a very small hole in middle. The hole being so small as the down cannot escape, the better quality the cassette construction the longer the duvet will last, another important feature only found on the better models is:
Baffle walls: Are very much like large internal sails which help redistribute the filling back into the centre of the cell when you move ensuring that the down is not pushed into the corners of the cell leaving the middle feeling flat and empty. Moving onto the filling:
Pure Down: This is the rolls royce of duvets, look out for a high fill power rating here. No feathers or impurities ensure that the filling is very soft, white, light and extremley efficient at both warming and cooling. The effect of pure down means that you can have less bulk than other filling which means the duvet is a lot lighter, this is ideal for the elderly.
Goose Feather and Down: This is great for those who want the benefits of a natural product without the price tag. This is a mix of high quality down and soft fluffy feathers. Ensure that you pick a duvet here that has had the quills removed, the cheaper variants with have some hard quills still in place which can come through the cotton fabric. The mix percentage is normally 15% down and 85% feathers. They are still a much better option than synthetic duvets as the filling is still excellent at regulating the body's temperature.
Synthetic Duvets: These duvets are at the cheaper end of the market although some quality 'microdowns' act just like down but with the added benefit of being 100% anti allergy in terms of duvet mites etc. Great for children as they wash and dry much better than the natural duvets. Although not as good at releasing trapped air as a down quilt, they are excellent in the winter months as they trap most of the body's heat keeping you snug when you need it most.
Most of our luxury range of duvets, mattress toppers, mattress protectors and pillows have quality high thread count cotton covers on them. Take at look at our range of duvets: Goose Down Duvets
Don't forget when purchasing your new duvet, protect it with a good quality duvet cover, it will stop it getting dirty and will ensure less trips to the dry cleaners and that it will last for 10 years or more.
The most obvious question is which is better, synthetic or natural fillings? The best quality filling is pure down, this is generally softer, lighter and better at regulating the body's natural temperature.
Fill Power plays an important part when choosing the right down, this simple test shows how light, clean and breathable the contents are, the higher the rating the better quality the down. Goose down and duck down work very much the same except that the goose down is generally cleaner and less greasy than duck down and is more resilient to breaking up and going clumpy and hard overtime.
Look out for brand names such as Canadian, Siberian, Polish or Hungarian as these branded downs normally produce a high quality product along with very good fill power ratings of 550 and over, the best are around the 650 to 850 range.
If cost is a factor when looking for a natural duvet you can always opt for a more reasonable goose feather and down option, this is a great way of getting on the natural ladder as the same benefits can be had from this selection. Although generally heavier a good quality blended feather and down quilt can be just as effective as a lesser quality 100% Down version. The overall benefits of pure down duvets is that they keep you just as cool in summer as they do warm in winter.
Synthetic duvets are normally classed as a budget option but more and more quality options are available with superb anti allergy fillings that are aimed directly at children and people that suffer with allergies like the house dust mite.
'Micro fibre' or 'micro down' is the brand name for most down like fillings, synthetic quilts are great at keeping you warm but not as good as a natural duvet at releasing trapped warm air, this is not ideal when you get hot at night and need a duvet that is breathable with temperature regulation in mind.
The next general question is what tog rating is best for me? Well this has a number if significant implications, if you get hot at night then you will probably be much better off with a natural filling preferably the more down the better or at least 90% pure as the more feather content the heavier it will be and less effective at rising and releasing the trapped hot air. Unfortunately synthetic downs are made in spiral or balls of fibre that do not and cannot rise when they get warm and do not offer nearly enough protection from overheating. Once you have decided on the filling the next thing is how warm is your bedroom, if the answer is cold then you can opt for a higher tog rating like 13.5 tog, bearing in mind that you will need a higher rating with synthetic and goose down quilts than down. If you leave the central heating on low at night or your bedroom is generally warm then you can opt for a thinner and lighter duvet, more like a 9 tog or even a 7 tog going down to a 4.5 summer weight duvet in the warmer months.
With the overall selection getting harder to get right the All Seasons option is great value as you get all the seasons covered in two handy duvets, a 3 or 4.5 tog for summer a 9 or 10.5 tog for Autumn and Spring and the two combined for those harsh winter months.
All of our products at Bedlinen Direct have excellent cotton cambric covers that are woven to a very high standard with a minimum of 233 threads per square inch or more commonly known as 233 count. The reason for the quality is that cotton is the preferred material for bed linen and is very effective at wicking away moisture from the body which helps you maintain that perfect sleeping temperature all night long as becoming too warm at night will make you restless which will make you move around more breaking that all important sleeping pattern. Also the high thread count cotton is design to be mite proof keeping these house dust mites at bay and keep the filling of you duvet in place - inside!
Both natural and synthetic downs are good for machine washing, just follow the wash care labels and if you have a machine big enough you will have no problems. Dry cleaning is sometimes very expensive and not always recommended for cleaning quilts as the process can dry the filling out rendering it brittle and useless. The best policy for your investment is to buy a good quality duvet cover and change it regularly in order to protect the duvet from the elements leaving you to just give it a good shake once a week. |
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