What Makes These Natural Fills So Good?
The best bedding uses fillings sourced from nature rather than manufactured from synthetic materials. Wool and duck down fibres both insulate and naturally wick moisture, helping you stay comfortable every night but each one has its own unique benefits:
Duck Down Bedding Benefits
- Has excellent warmth for its weight
- Provides a cloud-like sleeping experience
- Creates a puffier, airier look and feel
- Feels light over the body, even when warm
- Soft loft nestles around your shoulders and legs
British Wool Bedding Benefits
- 100% British wool sourced in the UK, with farm-to-region traceability
- Offers strength, warmth and durability
- Helps manage moisture as your temperature changes overnight
- Forms a flatter, more even layer across the bed
- Feels substantial and gently grounding
-
Naturally hypoallergenic, antibacterial, anti-allergy and dust-mite resistant
Benefits like these make duck down and wool filled bedding the best choices for a good night's sleep.
British Wool Duvet vs Duck Down
When choosing between British wool and duck down, consider several factors, from tog rating and weight to allergies and care. Here is a breakdown of the differences:
| British Wool | Duck Down | |
| Tog Rating* |
Our 4.5 tog option suits hot sleepers and summer nights, while 7.5 tog suits cooler bedrooms |
Our Duck Down duvet has a 10.5 tog rating. Down provides insulation with a lighter, loftier feel. But remember, tog rating describes warmth, not weight, and factors like that can also impact performance |
| Fill Weight | Wool generally needs more filling by weight to provide warmth. | Down clusters trap insulating air efficiently, so down can provide warmth with less filling |
| Loft | Forms a flatter, more even layer across the bed | Creates a puffier, airier look and feel |
| Physical Weight | Feels more noticeable over the body, like a gently weighted duvet | Feels lighter over the body, even when the duvet is warm |
| Drape | The denser layer settles closely over you | Soft loft nestles around your whole body effortlessly |
| Movement | The corner loops on our wool duvet can be tied to a duvet cover to hold its place | Stitched sections contain the filling. A regular shake helps restore a down duvet's loft |
| Moisture Behaviour | Wool fibres absorb and release water vapour easily | Down traps air for insulation, keeping you warmer |
| Care |
Wool bedding should be aired regularly. Our Luxury British Wool Duvet is professional dry clean only Follow the care label for your specific bedding |
Fluff and air regularly, avoid deodorising sprays and wash only when needed: Down-rich duvets require short, gentle washes at no more than 30°C and thorough drying on low heat, with plenty of room to regain their loft Follow the care label for your specific bedding |
| Allergies |
Wool is hypoallergenic, suitable for those who may have allergies |
May not be suitable for those sensitive to down or feathers |
| Welfare | The wool in our British wool duvet is British Wool certified | Our duck down duvets are ethically and sustainably sourced |
*What is a Tog rating? Measures how well a fabric traps heat to keep you warm. The higher the rating, the warmer and more insulating the material is. Check out our duvet buying guide for more information.
British Wool Bedding
British Wool is the natural fleece shorn from sheep raised in the UK. In bedding, wool is a top premium filling choice because of its ability to keep your temperature properly regulated, making it a suitable year-round option.
What Does British Wool Filled Bedding Feel Like?
Wool has less puff than down because its filling forms a more even layer, giving the bed a flatter outline and more noticeable weight when you pull it over yourself.
This means it can feel heavier than other options but its substantial feel is a preference suited to those who love a lightly weighted blanket while they sleep. And despite their weight, wool duvets outperform down in every way when it comes to breathability, making them the go-to choice for hot sleepers.
How To Care For Your British Wool Bedding?
Wool bedding has several properties that help it stay clean: it’s breathable, naturally antibacterial, and temperature-regulating. Always check the specific care instructions on your product, but here’s some simple general advice to help you care for your bedding.
Keep wool bedding fresh by airing it regularly. Air your duvet every few weeks to help release moisture, rather than washing it routinely.
Our Luxury British Wool Duvet is professional dry clean only. Do not machine wash, tumble dry, bleach or iron it. If it needs cleaning, take it to a professional cleaner and follow the care label. For other British wool bedding items, check their individual labels before cleaning, as care requirements can vary.
Regularly turn mattress toppers, and to keep them fresh, hang them outside to air out moisture, letting wool's natural antibacterial properties refresh them. Also spot-clean minor marks that need attention.
How do you keep pillow casings clean?
Regularly air your pillow, since your mouth and nose are in contact with it, and sleeping on a pillow causes moisture to build up faster than in other woollen bedding items. Wool pillows benefit from regular plumping and pulling to keep the wool fill lofty. If a deeper clean does become necessary, our Luxury British Wool Pillow is dry clean only.
Virgin Duck Down Bedding
Unlike feathers, which have a central quill, duck down comes from the soft, fluffy cluster of fine plumage found on the belly. Duck down fibres form three-dimensional clusters, which create its natural loft, warmth, and breathability.
What Does Duck Down Bedding Feel Like?
Duck down creates the rounded, lofty appearance that looks and feels like quality hotel bedding. With a supple shell and suitable construction, it can settle closely around the body without feeling particularly heavy.
Down traps air very efficiently so it keeps you warmer than wool. This makes it an optimal choice for those who usually feel a little chilly at night. For more help choosing warmth and size.
How To Look After Your Down Bedding?
Caring for your duck down bedding isn't particularly difficult but it does require a bit more attention than wool. The best way to care for your down duvet is by fluffing regularly and airing it out by simply leaving the duvet open on the bed.
Because down is susceptible to clumping, we recommend washing sparingly to avoid damage. We recommend once a year or even every few years. While you should always follow the instructions on individual care labels, here's our top tips:
- Wash only when needed: frequent washing can damage the cotton casing's down-proof finish and cause shrinkage.
- Use a gentle cycle: for down-rich duvets, choose a short wash with minimal agitation at no more than 30°C, following the care label.
- Leave enough room: the dry duvet should fill no more than half the washing-machine drum. You may need a large-capacity or commercial machine.
- Handle wet bedding gently: ease out any fabric clinging to the drum or tangled together. Avoid pulling or tugging, which can damage internal baffles, and remove as much water as the care label’s permitted spin setting allows.
- Dry thoroughly on low heat: use a gentle tumble-dryer cycle with at least 60% of the drum empty so the filling can separate and regain its loft. Continue beyond the point when the fabric feels dry, until the centre is completely dry too.
- Never leave bedding damp: trapped moisture can cause clumping, irreversible filling damage and persistent unpleasant odours.
- Give pillows the same care: follow their individual labels, wash one at a time if needed for space, and dry the centre completely before use. Pillow protectors help keep them clean and reduce washing.
- Avoid deodorising sprays as this could damage down bedding.
For more information, tips, and tricks on caring for your bedding, see our full bedding care guide.
Certifications, Standards, Sourcing & Traceability
Differentiating between poorly made and well-constructed bedding can be complicated at first; that's why quality standards matter. If you’re unsure whether the bedding you are buying is worth the money, the best place to start is by looking at the transparency of the products.
At Rise & Fall, we believe good bedding starts with quality materials and thoughtful sourcing. Our bedding certifications include British Wool and OEKO-TEX® for wool, and standards such as RDS, DOWNPASS, GRS and RCS for down and recycled fibres.
Explore our certifications and standards to learn more.
Which Natural Filled Bedding Should You Choose?
The best choice is the one whose warmth, weight and care requirements work together for you:
- You sleep hot but enjoy weight: consider lower-tog wool for a more substantial covering with moisture-buffering fibres
- You dislike weight over your body: consider down at the right tog, checking the feather percentage as well as the product name
- You feel cold at night: choose sufficient insulation first. Down can provide warmth with less weight; wool offers a denser alternative
-
You want a lofty, hotel-style bed: down is usually the closer match to that full, springy appearance
-
You and your partner sleep at different temperatures: separate duvets let you choose different warmth levels and even different fillings
- Allergies or frequent cleaning are the priority: wool is hypoallergenic and is better for more frequent washing than down
Explore our complete filled bedding collection to build a bed around the feel you prefer.
How TOG Ratings Affect Warmth
Tog measures the thermal resistance of the finished duvet and a higher tog indicates greater insulation. However, it doesn’t tell you how heavy or breathable a duvet feels.
Our British wool duvet comes in 4.5 and 7.5 tog options, while our duck down duvet is 10.5 tog. Choose 4.5 tog wool for hot sleepers and summer nights, or 7.5 tog wool for cooler bedrooms and a thicker covering. Duck down offers a lighter, loftier way to achieve warmth.
Down traps air efficiently, creating warmth without much weight, while wool feels denser with comparable warmth. But a thin-looking wool duvet can still be warm; a generously puffed down duvet can still have a relatively low tog.
Wool Duvet Vs Down Duvet FAQ’s
1. Are wool duvets hypoallergenic?
Our British wool duvet is hypoallergenic and dust mite resistant.
2. Is down bedding better for allergy sufferers?
If you’re sensitive to down or feathers, wool may be a better choice; however, our duck down filling is de-dusted, sterilised and washed thoroughly and is suitable for most people.
3. What is the best bedding for hot sleepers?
Our 4.5 tog British wool duvet is designed for hot sleepers and summer nights.
4. Is down made from feathers?
No. Down is the soft, fluffy layer beneath a bird’s outer feathers.
5. What bedding feels like hotel bedding?
Our down duvet has a light, lofty feel that pairs well with our Crisp & Cool cotton percale collection for an ultimate hotel-bed feel.
6. Are wool duvets heavy?
Wool is naturally heavier than down, giving our British wool duvet a cosy, cocooning feel.
7. Are down duvets too hot?
Not necessarily. Our down duvet is 10.5 tog and is light, warm and breathable, but our British wool duvet may be more suitable if you tend to sleep a bit hotter.
8. Is Rise & Fall’s wool traceable?
Our duvet is filled with 100% certified British wool, with traceability back to the source farm and region. Check the certification details on the product tag for its traceability information.
