You need to ask yourself the following questions before you buy any down duvets:
1. Do I want a down or a feather duvet?
Feather duvets are a lot heavier than down duvets. There are also mites that can live in the shafts of the feathers, and it is often this mite that causes allergies. If you are an allergy sufferer, and if you can afford it, it may be worth opting for a down duvet rather than a feather one.
2. What is the difference between goose down and duck down?
Geese are larger animals than ducks, and their down clusters are also larger than duck down clusters. The larger the cluster, the more warm air is trapped. Goose down duvets are therefore lighter, and warmer than duck down duvets.
3. What is the "tog" value of a duvet?
The higher the tog, the warmer the duvet. Togs measure the amount of down clusters in a duvet. Summer duvets therefore have a lower tog count than winter duvets.
4. What fabric should the duvet itself be made of?
Pure cotton is the best fabric to sleep under. It is cool in summer, and does not cause perspiration as synthetic fabrics do. If you are buying a duvet, the thread count of the fabric is very important. The thread count refers literally to how many threads of cotton are measured in a square centimeter of the fabric. The lower the thread count, the more likely the down will slip through and your duvet will shed down significantly over the years. While some shedding is impossible to avoid, a thread count of 280 on a goose down duvet will guarantee you a life long purchase.
5. What do blocking and channeling refer to?
Blocking and channeling are the stitching methods that are used to keep the goose down in place in the duvet. Channeling refers to parallel rows that are sewn down the length of the duvet. This prevents the down from shifting across to any one side of the duvet. Blocking is a more expensive option, and entails sewing a grid across the whole duvet, trapping the goose down in blocks which ensures an even spread of the down and uniform warmth under the duvet.
6. What is baffling?
Baffling is a further means of preventing cold air from coming in along the stitching of the channels or the blocks. A duvet has baffling if a vertical wall of fabric is sewn into the duvet along the inner seams of the channeling or the blocking. This also ensures that the down is not squashed, but can puff up and be an effective insulator within its block or channel.
7. What else should you be looking out for?
To prevent your goose down duvets shedding, it is essential that you check how well the edges of the duvet are stitched together. The best form of stitching is piping which has double layers, ensuring that little down is lost through the stitching on the edges.
A machine washable duvet is obviously a great convenience.
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