HOW TO CHOOSE YOUR DOWN DUVET

  1. Make sure your duvet is filled with superior quality goose or duck down. Only the top grades of down will stay fluffy for many years. Poor quality or low-grade down will flatten and clump into tiny balls in a couple of years. The colour of the down is unimportant - the famous eiderdown duck (now an endangered species) has down that is almost black in colour.
  2. How many ounces of down does your duvet contain? Do not buy a duvet without knowing this fact. Some manufacturers state the entire weight of the duvet, covering included, or include mostly feathers with the down.
  3. Do not buy a duvet that contains a considerable amount of feathers. Feathers add weight only, not the fluffy warmth that you get from down. Feathers trap the down filaments so that they cannot expand to their maximum fullness. Keep in mind that all commercial grade down allows for a small amount of waterfowl feathers as it is impossible to separate absolutely all of the feathers from the down.
  4. Make sure that the duvet covering is of superior quality. A down-proof 100% cotton ticking with 230 threads per inch is best. Some cheaper ticking has a low thread count disguised by smoothly pressed sizing or filler which soon disappears with use. The down will escape through this porous cotton. Some very high-thread-count ticking is too fine and wears through quickly.
  5. Make sure that the sections of your duvet are not too narrow or too small and thus confining. Check and see if the inner walls (baffles) are high enough to allow the down to fluff up or 'loft' from 3" to 12". The warmth from down results from its ability to 'loft' and fill with air. The more air that is trapped, the better the insulation and breathability.
  6. Be aware that duvets sewn in squares are not adjustable in any way. With squares, the down cannot be moved to one end during hot summer nights, for example. Also, the baffles around the squares will not be very high (often there is no height at all!), forcing the duvet flat. With long, high and wide tunnels, the down can circulate freely and breathe. If some centre squares flatten with extra use after a few years, they cannot be topped up with fresh down the way a duvet sewn with tunnels can.
  7. Duvets with Karo step (randomly stitched through with an 'X' or tiny circle) are not satisfactory either. Over time, the down will shift to one area and the tacked spots act as obstacles when you try to redistribute the down.
  8. Is your duvet fully washable and dryable in the dryer? Dry cleaning is not recommended.
  9. Does the size of your duvet fit standard North American-size beds and duvet covers?
  10. Be sure and buy from a trusted company that gives you a full guarantee. Be careful of very cheap, unbelievable sales. Superior-quality down is expensive , at least $50 per pound (16 oz). Some prices are too good to be true!
  11. Remember that a duvet is an investment. Buy excellent quality and it will last many, many years.

A NOTE ABOUT ALLERGIES:

Many people with allergies to feathers are delighted to learn it is rare to be allergic to down. The allergy is most often to the quill of the feather (quill mites), and of course, down has very few quills, just fluff. If you have allergies you may sleep with a down pillow and a down duvet instead of those made with synthetics that flatten, become lumpy and never breathe. Superior-quality down has been washed, sterilized and placed in vacuum chambers to remove dust, leaving it allergy-free!

HELPFUL DUVET HINTS

SAVE ENERGY - SLEEP THE HEALTHY WAY

When sleeping under a duvet, turn down your heat at night to save energy and/or open your window. It has been proven that breathing cool, fresh air does wonders to help you relax and have a sound, healthier sleep. Wear light-weight, loose-fitting night clothes to promote natural relaxation. Do not tuck in the duvet - sometimes use just a part of it, letting your arms and feet hang out - this is a freer way of sleeping! During the night, if you wish to change the temperature under your duvet, simply lift it and give it a slight fluff. The cooler air in the room will immediately filter through. For hot summer nights, your duvet with tunnels is fully adjustable. The down can be punched to the end to make the part on top as thin as you wish.

SIMPLIFY BED-MAKING

Bed-making is simple with a duvet. There are no multiple layers of sheets and blankets to straighten, rearrange and tuck in. Just fluff your duvet every morning, filling it with as much air as possible. Pat to fill in the blank areas, then fluff again. This allows the down to loft to its fattest, to breath and to move to a new position, adding years to the life of the duvet. If you want a smooth, neat look, gently smooth and straighten the corners.

DUVET COVERS

A duvet cover is a necessity in order to protect and maintain the cleanliness of the outer down-proof cotton of your duvet. If you wish, you may make your own duvet cover by sewing together two sheets cut to the exact size of your duvet. Leave a 30" to 60" opening in the middle of one end and close this with a zipper or velcro tabs. All department or linen stores carry duvet covers in a wide variety of sizes. Very light-weight duvet covers are best as they allow your duvet to fluff to maximum height without adding extra weight. When fitting your duvet into its cover, make sure that all four corners are pushed securely into the duvet-cover corners. It is best to use only a bottom sheet with your duvet (and duvet cover), eliminating the top sheet and promoting airiness and breathability.

WASHING ADVICE

A down-filled duvet is fully washable and dryable in a dryer. However, since your duvet will always be covered with a duvet cover that will be washed regularly, the duvet itself will require washing very rarely. Washing tends to soften the filaments of the down, reducing its lofting ability. Many people never wash their duvet, sponging off surface soiling, and putting it outside once a year to air in the sun. Dry cleaning a duvet is not recommended. Dry cleaning fluids flatten the down filaments and the fumes linger for some time.

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