Almost everyone has heard of or owned goose down duvets at one time or another but not fully understood the reason for having down feathers in duvets. Typically goose down duvets are more expensive than cotton stuffed vests but for what reasons? Is it really worth the money? Down feathers have been keeping birds warm in cool weather for countless years, so why not take advantage of natures natural ability to shield us from the cold air and trap in heat? Whether you’re a man, woman, or have kids who are in need of a jacket, down stuffed duvets can make a great selection as long as you know how to care for them and what to look out for when purchasing, washing, and using them on a daily basis.
Duvets have come come a long way from being a means of keeping people warm to a sign of luxury. People all over the world keep goose down duvets in their room and on their bed whether it’s hot or cold. While it may sound strange to have a down duvet warmer weather, the goose down feathers that are contained within do a good job of breathing well enough to keep the hot air from getting trapped in so that you don’t get too hot. Also, because of the light weight of the goose down feathers withing the duvets you’ll hardly know you have something on you.
Goose down duvets are typically worn as casual wear and often seen with the ever popular camo pants or worn with jeans. Because of the cross stitch patterns that most goose down duvets have with a close knitted square pattern, they will stay poofy for a long time to come which means they’ll still look new after years of sleeping with them. Heavier duty goose down duvets made for camping outdoors will have a longer stitch pattern so that the feathers can lay out and do their natural work so depending on what you’re buying the duvets for will determine what type you’re going to get. You can also purchase partial filled down duvets. These are usually a combination of nylon, cotton, and the goose down feathers. These will cost less and are more easily washed as they contain more durable fabrics.
If you’re going to purhcase goose down duvets be sure to get it from a reputable company. Goose down duvets are notorious for falling apart within just a few months because of the close knit stitching discussed earlier. It’s best if you can find them double stitched so that you can be sure the down will not come out of the vest when moving. Cleaning a down duvet should be handled just as you would your down jackets but the disadvantage is you can’t take them off easily and put them back on so you’ll have to take extra measures.
Goose down duvets also do not seem to last very well in rain so it’s not ideal for camping. If you live in a location wear the rain or snow is heavy then be sure to buy a top of the line product so it will last you. The water or snow can easily soak through cheap fabrics and get on the inside, so unless you plan on fluffing your down duvets every time it gets wet you will end up with an oddly shape duvet!
Goose down duvets can be found online or at many outdoorsman shops around the United States. Here we discuss how down jackets keep us warm and other related topics to inform you when making your purchase. Thanks for coming!
Many people believe the price for a nice goose down duvet is worth it, but what are goose down duvets? Duvets is a french word meaning “down” and although most people refer to them as “goose down duvets” they’re actually being redundant with this terminology but for the sake of familiarity we will use the term “goose down duvets”. When you purchase down duvets basically what you’re getting is a bag full of down feathers with no decorative cover over it whatsoever. Most people will then purchase covers for their goose down duvets to go over it just like you would put a pillow case over a pillow. This allows the down duvets to stay clean without making contact with outside sources; when it comes time to clean you can simply remove the down duvets cover and wash it just as you would any other item of clothing.
Goose Down duvets can be purchased with different levels of stuffing depending on what you’re going to use it for. Typically you’ll be using down duvets instead of a comforter or a bed-spread but they can also be used for blankets or whatever you choose to use them for. Some down duvets will come with a zipper so that you can open and close the duvet and replace the down feathers. If you can find a place that sells fresh down feathers that are not packaged then this could be adventageous to you as it would lessen the cost of buying brand new down duvets but it’s very hard to find this.
Typically only resellers have access to pure goose down feathers. Another advantage to unzippable goose down duvets is you are able to check that what you have received is actual down feathers and not something simulated. But typically if you are going to be ripped off by someone faking down feathers they won’t be in zippable down duvets for you to see!
Down duvets are a great alternative to a bedspread or blanket if you want to stay warm and comfortable, but they won’t come at a cheap price! You will often see down duvets at three times the price of a regular comforter or bed spread, but if you have the budget to support it you will thoroughly enjoy it!
If you look at the prices of goose down duvets compared to regular jackets or vests you’ll see that there is a big difference in the amount of money you’ll be paying for it. This is due to a few reasons. First off the simple concept of supply and demand; because goose down duvets provide superior insulation to cotton filled duvets people prefer them, therefore the price is going to be higher. Other factors is how down is collected from birds. While cotton or wool can be easily harvested by simply shaving sheep collecting down from birds isn’t so easy. Birds need the down in order to survive where as sheep can survive without it. Typically down is plucked from the birds or the feathers removed and heated in boiling water which separates the feathers from the down. The down is then dried and separated. This can be a long processes and requires much more work than simply shaving a sheep and thus translates into a higher cost for the consumer.
So while the cost of down duvets may be higher the quality and comfort that you’ll receive from it matches the price. As with anything, you get what you pay for so consider all things carefully before making your purchase.
You may have heard some people say that they are against buying goose down duvets with animal fur, or down feathers in it because it’s cruel to animals. This comes down to your own moral standards of how you see animals in relation to mankind. Are animals put here by God in order to help us survive? Or are animals to be left alone by us and respected? This is all debatable but the main stance of people who are sympathetic to animals is simply that birds are often killed for the purpose of collecting their down. As discussed in previous articles the birds down must be plucked from the feathers which is too painful and cruel to keep the animal alive for this processes. Not only would it be painful but it wouldn’t be able to survive for long without the insulation that the down provides. Is it worth going through this process just to create down vests for consumers? That comes down to your personal opinion. The argument of people who purchase goose down duvets and other itmes may be that birds hunt and kill other animals and insects in order to help them survive, just as a lion kills and eats an animal so that it won’t go hungry. Perhaps we’re just playing our part in the food chain and using other animals as a means of survival (to keep us warm).
It’s simply your own judgment call. You shouldn’t wear something that you don’t feel comfortable in physically or mentally.
Cleaning your goose down duvets needs to be done with care or you’ll ruin its insulating properties, but this is especially true for down duvets. The first and best answer would be to take your down duvet to a professional dry cleaner who has experience with washing down duvets and jackets. You can be sure it will be done correctly, although it will cost more money than doing it yourself. If you want to wash your goose down duvets at home then you’ll need to be sure that you don’t have a washer with a center “spindle”. Basically it’s the washer that contains a column in the center which is used to move the clothing around as the wash cycle proceeds. Many modern washers no longer have this and are front load washers; these are good for cleaning down vests because they don’t shift the vest in a way that could tear up the feathers. You want to place the washer on the most gentle cycle, use cold water, and down detergent.
Once this is completed remove the duvet from the washer and squeeze any excess water from. After excess water is removed you will need to fluff the down with your hands. Basically you’re going to be grabbing the duvet at different areas and picking up the down with a fluffing motion. This gets the feathers unstuck from one another and will help with the drying processes.
Once you’ve fluffed the duvet for about two minutes place it in the dryer on a low heat cycle for about twenty minutes (times will vary with different dryers and different size down vests). After the cycle is complete remove the duvet and fluff the goose feathers again for about two minutes. When completed hang the duvet upside down to let the down be pushed more to the top. Once you start wearing the vest again the down will make its way toward the bottom again.
Believe it or not retail stores offer kids sized goose down duvets for sale for twin size bedding. This is one category where I believe cotton or wool duvets would be advantageous simply because the abuse that might go into a bed that children use. While kids goose down duvets can be cleaned it’s not something you want to do frequently because eventually it can ruin the duvet. As we all know kids can get into big messes on the playground or when they are outdoors or just in the back yard and then come inside and jump on the bed, or worse, jump up and down on the bed! One of the major problems you might find is that a kids down duvet gets broken up and torn because well, they’re kids. The same thing will happen to cotton jackets or vests and that’s why they get the “balled up” feeling and look to them. What happens to goose down duvets is when it tears it loses its ability to lock in heat so you end up just having a useless bag of broken feathers.
If the duvet gets a hole or a tear in it the feathers can more easily come out of the duvets than wool or cotton can. Eventually the duvet will lose a good amount of its feathers. Also keep in mind that once you have a hole in the duvet the goose feathers will come out when it comes time to wash it.
Another thing to look out for if considering purchasing your children a goose down duvet is allergies. Children can grow out of certain allergies but when they’re young may be more open to having them. So before you spend the money on a childrens sized goose down duvet make sure that they don’t have an allergic reaction to them. Sometimes it can be just as mild as a simple headache in which case you may not be able to identify that the problem is the duvet. This can lead to a lot of confused doctors and high expenses at the doctors office–be warned!
If you’re looking for a kids size goose down duvet then you may want to plan on replacing it after just a year or two max. But on the other hand kids grow so fast and will need a larget bed so you may end up doing that anyway.