Wool Duvet Vs Down Duvet: What’s The Difference?

What’s the difference between a wool duvet and a down duvet? What is the best duvet to buy? Or is there any difference between them at all? Here, we get to grips with the properties of goose down vs wool quilts to help you figure out which one could work for you (and help you sleep better!).

Down vs wool for winter: What’s the best duvet to buy?

In the battle of the best duvet filling, one of the main questions we get asked is: how well does it regulate your temperature?
Insulation is not the only thing you need to ensure a good night's sleep. What your body needs is to remain at a stable temperature (Homeostasis). So, it’s not all about keeping warm and toasty. It helps to have the best duvet filling that keeps you cool as the temperature rises too.
Goose down duvets are a good insulator as they trap a lot of air (think of a thermos flask). But they don’t breathe very well, meaning they trap moisture far more than wool duvets. When you’re a little too warm in bed and you start to sweat, the moisture that’s left behind can get trapped, leaving you feeling clammy and uncomfortable.

Trapped moisture leads to high humidity under your duvet and this makes you restless and reduces the quality of your sleep. However, wool bedding has been scientifically proven to enhance stage four sleep by up to as much as 25%. This is because wool has the unique ability to keep your body temperature at its optimum levels. Clever, isn't it?

Wool vs down: What is the best duvet for allergies?

If your allergies tend to be triggered at night, you may need a duvet that’s hypoallergenic. So, which is the best duvet filling for those who experience allergy symptoms at night?

Dust mites are often a major cause of allergy symptoms in the bedroom, and moisture provides an environment that dust mites thrive in. So when you compare your wool duvet vs down duvets, it pays to choose the best duvet filling - which is the driest environment possible.

So what is the best duvet for allergies? Because of this, wool bedding is considerably better for allergy sufferers because dust mites just cannot thrive in it. In fact, our wool bedding is the only natural bedding solution to hold the Allergy UK Seal of Approval. What's more, with a wool duvet, there is no need to freeze it or wash it at high temperatures like you would with a goose down duvet. With wool, it does all the work for you – wicking moisture away, providing you with a clean, dry, sleep environment where dust mites will not thrive and irritate your allergies.

Unfortunately, down or feather (which is arguably even worse than down) cannot react as quickly or to the same level. This means the humidity under a down or feather quilt is higher than when sleeping under wool, making it much more comfortable for dust mites (and a lot less comfortable for allergy sufferers).

So what is the best duvet to buy for allergy sufferers? When it comes to wool vs down, wool is the preferred choice.

Wool duvet vs down duvet: What is the best duvet for sharing?

Are you too cold, while your partner’s too hot? It’s a very common problem that we hear about from our customers. And it all comes back to temperature regulation! So what is the best duvet filling for sharing?

Wool bedding is fantastic for couples who sleep at different temperatures, as it provides each different sleeper with a unique climate zone. It works with your individual body temperature, wicking moisture away when you’re too hot and clammy, and keeping you snug as the temperature drops.

When comparing a wool duvet vs down duvets, other bedding types do not have this ability and therefore cause issues amongst couples. Meaning, if you’re looking for the best duvet to buy as a couple, the natural properties of wool create your own micro-climate, helping you and your partner sleep soundly without the need for separate bedding.

Wool vs down duvets: Which is cruelty free?

Goose down duvets are usually manufactured using feathers that are already a by-product of the farming industry. There are now more and more organisations ensuring that live feather plucking is no longer used. However, there’s no getting away from the fact that down and feathers used for duvets are likely to come from birds that are already destined for slaughter.

One of the great things about wool is that it’s completely natural, sustainable and ethically sourced. When comparing the nature of goose down vs wool quilts, sheep are sheared for their own health and comfort, meaning their wool can be naturally harvested, while the production of feather and down bedding is very unpleasant for the animals involved. In fact, wool is one of the only sustainable fibres that can be shorn off the animal and regrown for use the following year. Plus, our wool duvets are biodegradable and, within 6-12 months, will become fully decomposed nitrogen enriched compost.

When it comes to a wool duvet vs down alternatives, there’s no question about it – wool duvets are the out and out winner. But don’t just take our word for it. Take a look at some of our customers’ reviews on how they feel about wool duvets.

Want more information on how wool could help you get a better night’s sleep? Check out our Sleep Health and Advice Hub to learn more. Or order your wool duvet online today to experience the benefits of nature’s miracle fibre for yourself.