What’s better than crawling into bed and curling up under a cozy duvet on a chilly night? But have you ever thought about what’s keeping you warm? Should these materials be keeping us cozy, or keeping us up at night?

What to be wise on:

Duvet inserts are the puffy, quilt-like blankets that go inside duvet covers. Like the cherry on top of a comfy mattress, sheet set, and pillow. Most bedding companies offer duvet inserts that are either “down” (made of down and feathers from waterfowl) or “down alternative” (made of synthetic fibers, traditionally made from crude oil).  There are now a handful of sub-categories beyond that and each has its pros and cons on the comfort front and on the sustainability front.

A FEW TAKEAWAYS:    

Three cheers for recycled down! When choosing a duvet insert, we prefer recycled down, recycled synthetics, eucalyptus fiber, and OEKO-TEX or GOTS certified cotton. Read on for why. The short of it? We avoid virgin down and feathers because the industry is wrought with animal abuse. If virgin down is a must-have in your household, look for products that are certified by Global Traceable Down Standard or Responsible Down Standard to ensure you’re not accidentally supporting abusive live-plucking practices. 

TLDR: Just tell me what to look for.

Here are some of our favorite duvet insert options based on price-point, environmental impacts, animal cruelty concerns, and customer reviews.

What we love

Each Buffy Cloud duvet insert is made out of 100% recycled PET (they claim each one recycles approximately 50 plastic bottles), BPA-free fill, and covered in an OEKO-TEX certified eucalyptus fiber shell. 76% of customers love the silky smooth shell and the fact that it is machine-washable.

What could be better: 

Recycled PET sheds microplastics when laundered. Some customers say that this duvet traps heat and doesn’t feel breathable.

What we love:

This duvet insert is made entirely of OEKO-TEX certified eucalyptus fiber. 78% of customers love this duvet for its lighter weight and soft eucalyptus shell.

What could be better: 

This duvet insert is dry clean only, which is problematic for a host of reasons. Some customers say that this comforter traps heat.

What we love:

All components of this duvet insert are OEKO-TEX certified. It has an organic cotton shell and the fiber is made of PrimaLoft, a synthetic down alternative that incorporates some recycled material. 73% of customers love this duvet for its weight and warmth.

What could be better: 

We’d like this duvet even more if the synthetic fiber was made from 100% recycled material. Some customers say that this duvet sheds lint.

What we love:

Brooklinen’s lightweight down comforters are made with 75% recycled goose and duck down from Europe. 89% of customers love this duvet, saying it is light and breathable and still warm. 

What could be better: 

The conventional cotton shell of this duvet is neither OEKO-TEX nor GOTS certified. Some customers say that this duvet sheds feathers.

THE FACTORS TO CONSIDER:

Materials

Down and Feathers

The majority of the comfy cozy products that we associate with down are stuffed with either down, feathers, or a combination of both. Lesson one: Down and feathers are not the same thing. Feathers are taken from the back and wings of waterfowl and have quills. This may ring a bell if you’ve ever been poked by a quill popping out of a jacket or bedding. Products that are stuffed with feathers will flatten out over time as the quills line up and they typically aren’t as soft or warm as full-down products. Down, on the other hand, refers to the soft layer of clusters taken from the chest area of a goose, swan, or duck. These clusters are round and fluffy like a dandelion or cotton ball. Down is soft, light, and airy, insulates better than feathers, and doesn’t flatten out as quickly since it doesn’t have quills. These attributes make down more coveted than feathers, but many manufacturers will use a mixture of the two so that they can advertise the use of down while also cutting costs. 

In theory, as long as the commercial poultry industry is in existence, down and feathers could be a byproduct that (again, theoretically) limits the amount of waste to landfill during processing. Plus, these materials are recyclable and can be composted at home. The unfortunate reality is that in conventional down production, waterfowl are often plucked while they’re alive. This practice is outlawed in the U.S., but it still takes place in Hungary, Poland, and China, the world’s largest down producers. The commercial down industry produces 270,000 metric tons of down annually, and it is estimated that 50-80% of the down on the market is live-plucked. That’s a lot of unnecessary suffering. This is all to say that if you choose to buy down products, be super careful to check for certifications by Global Traceable Down Standard or Responsible Down Standard (more on those below). 

Polymer-based (Synthetic) Materials

Ever heard of microplastics? Now is a good time to familiarize yourself with the tiny, pesky pieces of plastic, which have been found on the top of ​​Mount Everest, in the depths of the Mariana Trench, and are impacting you, me, and the environment in ways we never saw coming. Unfortunately, polymer-based materials (like polyester) shed microplastics when laundered. When those microplastics go down the drain with the rest of the soapy water, they accumulate in our waterways and end up in our bodies, where they can harm our cells. The Plastic Soup Foundation estimates that up to 35% of plastic pollution in our oceans comes from microfibers shed by synthetic fabrics. Unfortunately, synthetic duvet inserts are the most common and affordable options. In fact, at least 53% of the duvets we’ve rated contain synthetic materials. 

Recycled Down

Because down retains its structure over time better than feathers, it can be collected, cleaned, and used all over again in new products. Unfortunately, it’s not easy to find; none of the duvet inserts we’ve rated on Amazon contain the stuff.

Recycled Synthetics

If you’re in the market for a synthetic down alternative, there are some that are made of recycled material. A very recent study in the Textile Research Journal found that using recycled polyester instead of virgin polyester cut water requirements in production by two-thirds, and a 2017 study by the Swiss Federal Office for the Environment found that using recycled polyester could lead to a 59% reduction in energy use. While water and energy are two important pieces of the environmental puzzle, we should still consider the reality of microplastics. 

Cotton

If you’re looking at a duvet insert with an organic cotton shell, Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) is the most rigorous certification in the industry, ensuring compliance with strict social and environmental standards across the entire supply chain. For conventional cotton, the OEKO-TEX certification ensures that the product does not contain chemicals detrimental to human health. Getting a duvet insert made with cotton instead of the polyester one could also cut the energy footprint of the item by about 25%, but it would come at the cost of using about 9x more water. There are trade-offs here, but we generally prefer cotton products to polymer-based ones. 

Eucalyptus

Another “natural”, plant-based fiber, eucalyptus wood pulp uses about 10 times less water than cotton and doesn’t necessarily require new planting each season since it is cut instead of uprooted. Eucalyptus is becoming an increasingly popular down alternative, though it’s still not super easy to find. Only a few of the duvets we’ve rated contain eucalyptus fiber. 

Certifications

End of life

Your duvet insert, which should be washed about twice per year, will eventually reach its end. When that time comes, it’s important to know what to do with it. 

Synthetic fill: 

Unfortunately, synthetic duvet inserts are not usually recyclable. Animal shelters in your area may be able to use them for bedding, but otherwise, throw them in the trash bin. 

Down and feather fill:

If you have access to backyard composting and you are absolutely sure that the duvet insert is filled with 100% down and feathers, you can compost the fill and dispose of the shell in the trash bin. Down inserts are not usually accepted in curbside recycling, though you can check with your local animal shelters to see if they will accept them for use as bedding.

Looking to get wise on sheets too?