Down duvet.

I use a 'feels like down' quilt that I bought in Dunelms. It is very comfortable, light yet warm. I would never buy anything using goose down, as the geese are plucked live, over and over again each time the feathers grow back. I cannot begin to imagine the agony they must suffer, just so that people can have luxury quilts or padded jackets. And it's not even necessary as there are plenty of excellent man made substitutes.
Sorry for getting on my soap box, but it is something that really upsets me.

Thanks Indinana I hadn't really thought about that aspect..

Always preferred blankets, but the onset of rheumatoid arthritis meant I couldn't bear the weight, besides struggling to make the bed, so went to look at duvets. Realised that goose down was significantly lighter, and was so pleased with it bought another for spare bed. Son came to stay and didn't believe something so light would keep him warm. After one night he went to buy one for himself.

We have a lovely, light but very "puffy" duvet that is filled with a silk mixture.

Feather duvets do tend to get holllow spots and seem to need a lot of shaking to get the filling evenly distributed.

Most large stores have a rack of samples of the different fillings so you can feel them to get an idea of which might suit you.

When we visited Austria some years ago, the small hotel used feather and down quilts. When the room was made up each day, the quilts were always folded and placed in the middle of the beds. This was to ensure that the filling didn't fall to the edges where they hung over the sides of the bed, thereby creating hollow spots in the quilt. My niece always makes up the bed and then brings the edges of the quilts up and folds them over onto the bed for the same reason.
I know I should do this really. I do like to see the bed all nicely made up and ready to get into though, fool that I am

I have a wonderful microloft one from John Lewis'. I was finding my feather and down one too heavy.
The JL one is literally like a cloud, lovely!

I wish I had known about the way goose down is produced, as I had no idea.
We were told it was best because it's 'natural'.
But we've had our down duvet for many years and it is so warm yet light in weight. Its the down that gives warmth, not feathers. We had feather pillows as kids and I remember the pointy ends poking through. I had one that got stuck in my ear! I have heard that silk duvets are excellent, however maybe someone will post now to tell me it is cruel to silkworms! (Only joking)

Just remembering how we had blankets and an eiderdown then the candlewick bedspread in our freezing bedroom as kids. Sometimes my dad's top coat thrown on top!

I recently became aware of the cruelty with which down is produced and was horrified.

We only have artificial-filling duvets due to allergies but I've been considering buying a wool duvet.

We bought a down quilt (well 2 really, a medium weight and a light which can be buttoned together) from John Lewis. On the box it said that the down was produced only as a by-product of the food industry - in other words the geese were dead before being plucked. That was why we bought it from them rather than from somewhere where we wouldn't have had that reassurance.

Silk is said to be the best insulation of all. I had always thought goose down was collected after the animals were dead. Glad to hear this is still the case where rules of compassion in world farming are held to.

You can collect down cruelty-free that they moult while they are alive of course, and they moult a lot at certain times of year.

Pure down is better than feather and down and so dreamy! Siberian goose is lovely.

Yes. Buy from John Lewis. They would have no truck with cruel practices.

Another John Lewis fan here. Ours is down and is 'all seasons', ie two quilts that fasten together. I can't imagine that it will ever be cold enough to require both but the press fastenings look pretty secure. Our old quilt fastened with Velcro which eventually stopped sticking.

The only problem is that it is a bit noisy in a rustly way - but it's not a great problem. I was advised to shake it from side to side to even out the filling. I haven't noticed any cold spots.

I'd avoid feathers as the pointy ends are not conducive to comfort!

Thank you for the cruelty-free tips, that's v helpful to know.

My twenty-first birthday present from my parents was a down duvet. I still use it; put it on my bed this morning in fact because it has got colder recently and the 9.5tog one I've been using all summer isn't warm enough now.

So, clearly, good ones do last. Mind you, so do synthetic ones: DH is using one that I bought for DD1 when she progressed into a bed. She'll be 35 this year.

DD2 prefers synthetic because of the noise issue that grannynise mentions. I've always preferred down because it's better at shaping itself closely around you.

Grannynise I have the same one. I've had it for several years. I machine wash it every year and dry it by draping it across the bannister ( do the same with the duvet cover).
I've both on atm as I like the bedroom cold but me warm!

I contacted a duvet manufacturer to ask about the cruelty issue, and here is the reply:

Most of the goose down comes from geese that are consumed. Allthough all manufacturers say that they do not use live plucked down, I must say there is not an official certification for 'goose friendly' down.

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