Hungarian goose down is widely recognised as the best duvet filling. Goose down is a natural insulator, breathable, lightweight and extremely comfortable. In our Hungarian goose down duvets guide, we explore the elements we believe make the best goose down duvet and why you should buy goose down duvets and goose down pillows.
12 things you need to know about goose down before buying your down duvet or down pillow:
- Why are goose down duvets the best duvets?
- What is Hungarian goose down?
- What is down duvet fill power?
- Is goose feather or goose down better in a duvet?
- Is duck down or goose down better in a duvet?
- Where does goose down come from?
- The myth of Siberian goose down
- White down vs grey down
- Ethically sourced goose down
- Down vs synthetic duvet fillings & the environmental impact
- Is goose down anti-allergy?
- Which down accreditations to look for
Plus: The 7 key elements that make up the best goose down duvet
Try the ultimate Hungarian goose down duvet: scooms duvets come with a 60 night sleep trial. We're sure you'll love our duvet but if you don't, return it within 60 nights for full refund!
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Why are goose down duvets the best duvets?
Goose down duvets are highly breathable and lightweight with superior insulation and retain their loft or fluffiness really well.
Down has evolved over 1000s of years to be the world’s best natural insulator. It provides approximately three times the warmth as synthetic insulators and the greatest warmth to weight ratio, which is why mountaineers use down jackets and sleeping bags. Every 30 grams of down has around two million fluffy filaments that interlock and overlap to create insulating pockets of air; which is what keeps you warm. Goose down is finer, warmer and softer than duck down. If well cared for, down retains its loft (fluffiness) for up to three times longer than most synthetics. It's also natural, biodegradable and recyclable!
Down is naturally breathable so it reduces the moisture trapped in our duvets as we sleep. This makes it unpopular with dust mites (the most common bedding allergy) who like to live in humid environments. Look for the Nomite certificatione to make sure the bedding you choose is suitable if you are a dust mite allergy sufferer.
scooms duvets and pillows use 100% Hungarian goose down from mature geese meaning that the down is denser so it insulates better and is more resilient than ‘immature’ down. Animal welfare is important to us, our down is a by-product of the food industry and ethically sourced, traceable and rigorously tested; certified by the The Responsible Down Standard.
As well as using the best quality down, we take extra care when we handle it. scooms down is washed and dried without using any harsh chemicals, just natural thermally heated spring water. The Oeko-Tex 100 standard verifies that it has been tested against harmful toxins and chemicals
Read our duvet reviews.
What is Hungarian goose down?
Goose down is the soft layer of fluffy insulation underneath the geese feathers that keep the geese warm and dry. Hungarian goose down comes from Hungarian geese and is widely recognised as one of the best sources of down. Hungary produces mainly white goose down and semi-white goose down.
What is down duvet fill power?
Down fill power measures the quality and effectiveness of down and feather. Higher fill power means that the down has more air chambers and therefore better insulation. So down duvets with higher quality down actually need less down to provide an equal amount of insulation. Fill power is a great indicator of the quality of a down duvet. A down duvet with high fill power will recover its fullness more easily when shaken in the morning and is more durable, so it will last longer. A good fill power for a down duvet is 600 CUIN, (cubic inches per ounce), and above.
scooms down duvets have 700 CUIN fill power, which is the highest fill power for down that is a by-product of the food industry. Our 9 tog duvets also have pockets with extra side walls to let the down fluff up that little bit more.
Close up of scooms Hungarian down: light, fluffy and traps air.
Is goose feather or goose down better in a duvet?
The structure of down is finer than feathers, which have stiff hard quills. Down has more fluffy filaments so it's softer. This means that gram for gram it has better temperature regulating properties; keeping you warm whilst being naturally breathable.
We selected 90% Hungarian goose down for our Hungarian goose down duvets with 10% small white Hungarian goose feather. Feathers are heavier than down so this addition helps give the scooms duvet the right weight and drape to contour to your body. We found that 100% Hungarian goose down duvets can feel too light and floaty and you might find that your duvet floats off during the night!
Typical feather found in other duvets: has hard bits and traps less air.
Is duck down or goose down better in a duvet?
Not all down is the same quality. High quality goose down is finer than duck down with more fluffy filaments. Essentially, geese are bigger so they have larger down feathers (plumules)! These wispy spherical structures of down trap more air, making it warmer and just that bit softer.
So, as duck down is not as large or dense as goose down, a duvet made from duck down will be heavier and thicker in order to provide the same amount of warmth (duvet tog rating).
Where does goose down come from?
The country of origin can make a difference to the quality of the down produced. So, which goose down is best?
Key factors to look for:
- The age of the goose - the more mature the bird, the more insulating the down.
- The way the down is harvested, cleaned and processed.
Not all types of goose down are the same:
Chinese goose down: The majority of goose down comes from China but it is generally low quality as the down is harvested from very young geese which means the feathers have not matured into large, dense plumes. The harvesting process in China is also largely unregulated unlike Europe and Canada.
European down: The main countries in Europe that produce down are Hungary, Poland and the Pyrenees area in France. This is high quality down produced in regulated conditions ensuring that the key processes of harvesting, sorting, cleaning and quality control are well monitored.
Canadian and Hutterite goose down: Another area that produces high quality down in smaller quantities is the Western region of Canada. Hutterite down is produced by the Canadian Hutterite geese in Alberta.
The myth of Siberian goose down
Siberian goose down is a myth! It doesn’t exist! Siberia is far too cold for geese farming. So, 'Siberian goose down' is really a marketing term or ploy depending on how you look at it. It may have originated because Siberia is obviously extremely cold and therefore by association you would presume that Siberian goose down would provide superior insulation compared to other goose down. There is actually a rare Siberian goose with mainly black plumage, but these geese are an endangered species and are not used in geese farming.
Which means that goose down labelled 'Siberian down' could come from anywhere and be a combination of different down from Europe or China, as well as being any quality - low or high. Something to think about if you are considering buying a Siberian goose down duvet or Siberian down pillow!
White down vs grey down
What's a white Hungarian goose down duvet? Goose down can be white or grey in colour, depending on the age of the goose and what time of year it is harvested. The colour of the down has no impact on its quality or warmth. However, as grey down may show through the duvet or pillow casing white down is preferred in good quality duvets and pillows, and is therefore more expensive. Grey down is often used in lower quality duvets as a way of keeping costs down.
scooms down duvets use 90% Hungarian white goose down with 10% small white goose feather to add a bit of weight. Our Hungarian goose pillows have an inner core of 15% white goose down and 85% small white goose feather and an outer chamber of 90% white goose down and 10% small white goose feather.
Ethically sourced goose down
The goose down and feather we use in scooms duvets and pillows is a by-product of the food industry. We adhere to The Responsible Down Standard which ensures that our goose down and feather is ethically sourced, traceable and rigorously tested.
However, not every brand selling bedding or other products containing goose down and feather or duck down and feather, have made sure that it has been ethically sourced and is cruelty free. Terms to look out for are 'ethical down', 'responsible down', 'cruelty-free down' or 'green down'.
Check the product label or packaging for one of these accreditations, The Responsible Down Standard, Global Traceable Down Standard, Downpass or Downmark so that you can be assured that the feather and down products you are buying have been produced without causing distress to the birds.
Down vs synthetic duvet fillings; the environmental impact
Natural duvet fillings are soft, warm and more breathable than synthetic duvet materials. Naturally breathable goose down provides three to four times more air circulation than synthetic materials, helping any moisture to escape more easily which is unappealing to dust mites. Hollowfibre and Microfibre duvet fillings can produce lightweight, durable and inexpensive duvets but they can’t match the loft and body contouring attributes of down.
Down is also a much more environmentally friendly duvet filling. Natural goose down duvets and pillows require less energy to produce than synthetic duvets and are biodegradable. The very fine, synthetic fibres in synthetic duvets such as Microfibre, Hollowfibre or Soft As Down are a form of plastic. These microfibres are a major source of pollution. Like other micro-plastics, they can enter our rivers, seas and land food chains, as well as being present in the air we breathe.
When we developed the scooms bedding range, we aimed to make sure that no toxins or chemicals were used in the production of our duvets, pillows and bed linen. Our bedding is all made from natural, biodegradable materials. And we don't use any unnecessary single use plastics in our packaging.
Is goose down anti-allergy?
Contrary to popular belief, synthetic duvets are not necessarily better for bedding allergies than natural duvets. More people are allergic to house dust mites rather than to down or feather. Synthetic bedding can harbour more dust mites due to a typically looser weave casing and limited breathability.
scooms down duvets have a 100% cotton casing with an especially tight weave which helps prevent dust mites passing through. It comes with Nomite certification ensuring that it is suitable for dust mite allergy sufferers.
Which down accreditations to look for
The best down duvets are accredited by leading authorities. At scooms we insist on this. Our pure goose down duvets and pillows are filled with guaranteed Hungarian down and feather from a single country source that's a by-product of the food industry. Make sure your next duvet has the proper accreditations.
Our duvets and pillows are accredited by:
The Responsible Down Standard (RDS) - an independent, voluntary global standard which ensures that the down and feathers come from geese that have been treated well and never suffer from live plucking. The geese are able to live healthy lives, expressing innate behaviours, and not suffer from pain, fear or distress. The standard follows the chain of custody from farm to product, so you can be confident that the down and feathers in scooms down duvets and pillows are truly RDS.
Downafresh confirms that the feathers and down used as filling material comply with EN 12935. This regulates the requirements for hygiene and purity for feathers and down. To meet this standard the down has to have to been examined by a hygienic laboratory.
The NOMITE mark is an anti-allergen standard that indicates that a product is suitable for house dust mite allergy sufferers. The scooms down pillow and duvet are NOMITE approved, certifying that they are suitable for house dust mite allergy sufferers.
The Standard 100 by OEKO-TEX is a worldwide consistent, independent testing and certification system for the screening of harmful substances in textile products. It is recognised as the global leader in eco-labelling. Oeko-Tex 100 is the standard verifying that the scooms down duvet and pillow have undergone extensive testing for harmful toxins and chemicals. We are licensed to use the registered Standard 100 by Oeko-tex® on all scooms down duvets and pillows.
The 7 key elements that make the best Hungarian goose down duvet
Is the scooms Hungarian goose down quilt the best down duvet you can buy? Yes, we think so! Our luxury goose down duvet is filled with authentic Hungarian goose down washed in thermal spring water and certified with the top independent industry standards, then delivered in plastic free packaging. Plus, we give you 60 nights to try your duvet to make sure that it's right for you. Snuggle down into a Hungarian goose down duvet.
After rigorously researching materials, exploring construction techniques and examining sleeping preferences, we identified the 7 key elements that we believe make up the perfect Hungarian goose down duvet:
1. Natural materials
2. Temperature regulation
3. Moisture control
4. Body contouring
5. Clever construction
6. Allergen resistance
7. All season comfort
Don't just take our word for it, check out our scooms customer reviews ...
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TOP HUNGARIAN GOOSE DOWN DUVET FAQS:
What is the best type of duvet to buy?
Goose down all seasons duvets are the best duvets to buy. Goose down duvets are highly breathable with superior insulation and retain their loft or fluffiness really well. Choose one that comes with the top accreditations - the Responsible Down Standard, Nomite, Downafresh and Oeko-Tex. An all seasons duvet consists of two duvets, 9 tog and 4.5 tog that fix together to make a 13.5 tog duvet, perfect for any time of year.
Is Hungarian goose down the best duvet filling?
Hungarian goose down is widely recognised as the best duvet filling. Goose down is a natural insulator, breathable, lightweight and extremely comfortable. Hungary are one of the world's top quality goose down providers.
Which is better goose down or duck down?
High quality goose down is finer than duck down with a greater number of fluffy filaments. These filaments trap more air, making a goose down duvet more lofty, warmer and just that bit softer.
Is all goose down the same?
No, there are different grades of goose down. The best goose down comes from Hungary, Poland and Canada. Make sure the down is accredited by The Responsible Down Association (RDA), Downafresh and Nomite.
Which down duvet is best for winter?
Look for a down duvet with a tog rating of between 9 to 13.5 tog. An all seasons duvet can be a great choice. Made up of two duvets, a 4.5 tog duvet and a 9 tog duvet, that fix together to give you the ideal choice of tog rating for any season.
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