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COPYRIGHT 2003 Australian Consumers' Association
When choosing a duvet, deciding on the fill can be difficult. Will you invest in a high-quality--and comparatively expensive--down duvet or a cheaper feather and down one? How easy is a wool duvet to look after? What benefits will a good-quality synthetic one give you?
In this article we'll give you the pros and cons of the different types of fill to make the choice easier. But if you want a duvet for yourself (rather than the guest room, where it'll only be used occasionally), take the time to think about your needs, as your choice of fill can make all the difference. For example:
* If you hate heavy bedding but want maximum warmth, a 100% down duvet fits the bill. But if you want one for all year round, a different fill might be better, or a dual-layer duvet, where you use one layer in summer and both layers, held together by press-studs, in winter.
* If you want to snuggle up on the sofa under your duvet on cold winter nights, a down, down/feather or good-quality synthetic duvet will wrap around you more easily than any other fill. (Wool and some lower-quality synthetics have springier fibres and so are a bit snuggle-proof.)
* A wool or polyester duvet looks smooth and crisp, even if you've sat or lain on it, whereas a down duvet needs some fluffing up.
Duvet prices vary from shop to shop, so it's worth shopping around. If you're planning ahead, consider buying a warm duvet at the end of winter or a lighter one at the end of summer, when prices are often greatly reduced.
SOFT DOWN AND FEATHERS
Both goose and duck down and feathers are used in duvets in Australia. They're by-products of birds bred for their meat, primarily in China, where duck meat is eaten as commonly as chicken in Australia. The large demand for duck meat there is one of the reasons duck down and feathers are a little cheaper than those of geese.
Down is the soft, fluffy plumage that grows underneath the birds' outer breast feathers to protect them from the cold. Each down cluster contains thousands of filaments that intertwine with each other, forming air pockets that provide natural insulation to keep cold out and warmth in.
In terms of quality, goose down has slightly bigger clusters (though not as big as the goose down you'd find in Europe, which originates from a different, eastern European goose species) and gives better loft (ability to hold air) and so more warmth (see page 25 for more on this).
Good-quality duvets contain only new down and feathers...
Read the full article for free courtesy of your local library.
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