WARM, snuggly and insulating, feathers and down make wonderful fillings for duvets, but with consumers becoming more ethically-minded with regards to how they are sourced, manufacturers and retailers are having to up their game.
Adhering to the Responsible Down Standard or achieving Downpass certification are two ways that retailers can prove that their products have been sourced without causing distress to ducks and geese.
Practically, this means that the feathers come from birds that have been reared for the meat industry, collected after they have been killed, rather than through so-called ‘live plucking’, the cruel practice of pulling the feathers from the birds while they are still alive.
Our round-up contains only ethical suppliers but if you are vegan or would rather avoid the issue altogether, there are plenty of other duvet fillings of non-animal origin including microfibre, hollowfibre and even bamboo.
When it comes to duvets, it’s worth remembering that tog ratings measure warmth rather than weight, and the higher the tog rating, the warmer the duvet. Duvets with higher percentages of down tend to be warmer while those with more feathers tend to have more bulk, or ‘loft’.
All prices featured are for a standard double duvet to aid comparison.
This article and featured products have been independently chosen by Sun journalists. It contains links which are ads, and if you click a link and buy a product we will earn revenue.
1. UMI. Essentials
UMI. Essentials is Amazon’s own-brand homeware label and this lovely duvet proves the retailer is aiming to be a serious player in the interiors market.
The duvet is filled with 15% white goose down for comfort and 85% white goose feathers for loft and is suitable for use in all seasons.
Amazon is clearly rather proud of UMI’s Downpass certification – they’ve stitched it into their product, quite literally, on the label.
2. Homescapes
This lightweight duvet is puffy and insulating but still cool enough to sleep under on warm summer nights in the UK
The duvet is encased in a tightly-woven cotton cover which prevents wayward feathers from leaking all over the place and will also keep allergy-causing dust mites at bay.
All Homescapes duvets are Downpass-certified, meaning that all the feathers contained within them have been ethically sourced.
3. Marks & Spencer
- Autograph luxury 10.5-tog Hungarian goose down duvet, £189 from Marks & Spencer– buy here
This luxurious-feeling duvet offers warmth and comfort without being too weighty, thanks to the high proportion of down it contains – a generous 90% in fact, with the remaining 10% consisting of goose feathers for structure and puffiness.
Some cold-blooded folks find a 10.5-tog duvet to be fine all year round, but if you sometimes get hot in bed, you may want to switch to something lighter on hot summer nights.
Marks & Spencer’s clear feather and down sourcing policy precludes non-ethical sourcing.
4. The White Company
- Perfect Everyday 13.5-tog duck down duvet, £135 from White Company – buy here
The White Company is a high-end high street brand, so it’s to be expected that this, one of its more affordable duvets, is on the higher end of our price spectrum and still feels rather special.
It’s plump and cosy, stuffed with what their website describes as a “beautifully balanced blend” of 60% duck down and 40% duck feathers – just what you need for a dreamy night’s sleep.
All feathers used in pillows and duvets from The White Company are ethically sourced and cleaned without the use of nasty bleaches.
5. Dreams
- Flaxby 10.5-tog duck feather and down duvet, £80 from Dreams – buy here
With a very respectable 4.9 out of 5 rating on the Dreams website, this machine-washable all-seasons duvet is filled with 100% ethically-sourced duck feathers and down.
The company offers a 20% discount on this product if you buy it at the same time as one of their mattresses, so if you’re in the market for a mattress too, it might be worth a look.
6. Scooms
- All-seasons Hungarian goose down duvet, £290 from Scooms – buy here
This high quality, all-seasons option consists of a 9-tog spring/autumn duvet and a summery 4.5-tog duvet which can be popped together with snap fasteners on the corners to produce a super-toasty 13.5-tog duvet for the winter.
The duvet is lightweight and breathable and has both Nomite anti-allergen certification and Responsible Down Standard certification – what’s not to love?
In fact, Scooms are so certain that you will indeed love their duvets that they offer a 60-night trial period so you’ll be able to return it for a full refund if you’re not 100% happy.
More in Sun Selects Home
Enjoyed our round-up of the best ethical feather and down duvets? We've got loads more recommendations for your house in Sun Selects home.
If you want to buy a matching pillow for your duvet, we’ve rounded up the best ethical feather and down pillows too.
Or find out how to get out into the sunshine without breaking a sweat on one of the best hybrid bikes.
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7tbTErKynZpOke7a3jqysp2Wjmrmmr9OsZmpqYGl%2Bd32YaJmeq6RisrW0yJyYpWWWmq61tMSrZJ2np6N6pcHVnqusZw%3D%3D