What is a good duvet?

Apart from the mattress perhaps, there is no other product with which we spend as much time in close physical contact as the duvet. It is therefore particularly important to know which characteristics make a good duvet.

Basically, the right combination of filling and cover is crucial and can have a massive influence on sleep. A good duvet should warm, optimally balance moisture and temperature, and thus improve the sleeping climate. Good duvets have...

• a high down content and large down cluster with a good filling power
• a filling made from the most sustainable materials from certified sources (e.g., DOWNPASS®)
• a cover made of a high-quality cotton fabric

Large down clusters are more voluminous and therefore insulate exceptionally well. They are also very durable. The filling power describes the ability of down to regain its original volume after being compressed.

Adult geese and ducks provide the best down qualities. The percentage of the filling quality describes the proportion of the weight of down or feathers in a filling quality. Example: "90 % new, pure goose down" means that the filling is composed of 90 % down and 10 % feathers by weight (weight percentage).

The higher the percentage or proportion of down, the higher the filling power of the duvet. The designation "New" in the declaration means that the duvet contains down and feathers that were used for the first time, i.e. no regenerated down and feathers (no recycled, so-called "couché" goods). "Pure" means that the proportion of the other animal species (the duck) may not exceed 10% of the total content.

However, the quality of a quilt also depends very much on its cover. The cover must fulfil several requirements:

• Down-proof and at the same time mite-proof.
• Breathable, for the evacuation of moist, warm air
• Soft and quiet (must not rustle)
• Bleached (high white) or unbleached (natural white)

Another quality feature of an envelope fabric is the fabric's fineness. Fine and superfine fabrics, such as a high-quality fine batiste or batiste, can only be used for duvets with select and very large flock down. Cambric fabrics are mainly used for duvets in a medium quality and price range as they are of heavier quality.

For further informations, see also Wikipedia:
For ‘Duvet’ (only in german): https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duvet_(Decke)
For ‘filling power’ (only in german) : https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/F%C3%BCllkraft