Often described as the most luxurious filling, goose down pillows are nearly always top of the list when it comes to creating a bed that dreams are made of.

But are down duvets and pillows really worth the higher price tag and are they right for you?

Few things will make you jump into bed with as much joy as goose down bedding. Soft, fluffy and enduringly warm, a lavishly-filled pillow or duvet made from the finest European goose down clusters will also have been made to strict ethical standards. This makes the higher price tag a small price to pay for luxury and peace of mind.

Read our guide to caring for your bedding: how to choose, wash and store your sheets.

Nothing beats the snuggly feel of light-as-air down. Lightweight, breathable and warm, pure down is also naturally allergenic, making it ideal for sneeze-free sleeping. However, there are a few caveats to that claim.

The anti-allergenic properties of a pure down duvet and pillow comes down to its quality. In products where the down has been poorly cleaned or manufactured, it’s not unusual for feather fibres, broken feather quills, dust and other undesirables to sneak their way in, triggering the night-time allergies many people attribute to the down itself. For this reason, look for the Downafresh® mark for assurance of the product’s cleanliness. The NOMITE certification assures the high-quality case weave will form a natural barrier against mites.

See what we discovered in high street retailer pillow products in ‘is your pillow all it’s cracked up to be’.

For the best anti-allergy bedding, team your pure goose down pillows and duvet with good quality bed linen and pillow protectors that guard against moisture, dust mites and stains. A well-made 200-400 cotton bedlinen set will be easy to wash, dry and look and feel great for many years, when cared for well.

Goose down bedding offers better temperature control

High quality goose down is the gold standard of insulation. Ultra-light and amazingly warm, down quickly builds up a pleasant heat while ensuring moisture is constantly wicked away. This makes goose down especially ideal for anyone seeking out a temperature control duvet or temperature control pillow.

Pillows and duvets with inferior fills are a common reason for waking hot and sweaty or cold and shivery. Even if you haven’t woken mid-sleep, waking tired can be a sign of poor sleep as a result of poor quality bedding and sheets. A luxury down duvet or luxury down pillow will naturally regulate temperature and dissipate heat to help you get the best night’s sleep.

Cloud-like dreamy sleep guaranteed

Down bedding offers better quality sleep

When choosing a luxury down pillow or duvet, what suits one person, doesn’t always suit the next. Your sleeper profile, e.g., your sleeping position, along with any back or neck issues and personal preferences, all need considering when choosing the perfect pillow partner. A luxury down duvet also needs to be just the right warmth/weight and size for your bed.

Many pillows are marketed as being the ‘best pillow for support’, but unless you are on the hunt for a ‘reading’ or ‘bed rest’ pillow or have back problems, most people find a pillow mix of feather (structure) and down (softness) offers the perfect balance of comfort and support.

For the ultimate cradle-like comfort, European goose down pillows and duvets, with their larger than duck down cluster sizes, provide an unbeatable balance of puffiness, warmth and support. The cloud-like softness of our ethically-sourced European goose down pillow is ideal for front and back sleepers and is the preferred pillow for hotels including Soho House. Other sleep well bedding products include our popular European goose down duvet.

NOMITE APPROVED

Our pillows use quality 230 thread count cases and carry the NOMITE mark, showing they're suitable for house dust mite allergy sufferers.

CONSCIOUS

Tielle only uses feathers and down that are a by-product of the European food industry and absolutely never from live animals.

NO HARMFUL FILLS

All Tielle cases and fills are Oeko-Tex Standard 100 certified, meaning they’re free from harmful substances.

DOES GOOD

As the first bedding member of the BCI we help fund work towards education and environmental projects near our mills.

NOMITE APPROVED

Our pillows use quality 230 thread count cases and carry the NOMITE mark, showing they're suitable for house dust mite allergy sufferers.

CONSCIOUS

Tielle only uses feathers and down that are a by-product of the European food industry and absolutely never from live animals.

NO HARMFUL FILLS

All Tielle cases and fills are Oeko-Tex Standard 100 certified, meaning they’re free from harmful substances.

DOES GOOD

As the first bedding member of the BCI we help fund work towards education and environmental projects near our mills.