The White Company Hungarian Goose Down Duvet review: The ultimate feather-filled comforter if budget allows

While the White Company may not always shout about its bedding, its Hungarian Goose Down Duvet lives up to the brand’s epitome of ‘quiet luxury’. Quality, style and comfort are all on show in this duvet.

I’ve been treating myself to the company’s products for years, from Seychelles candles to cashmere bed socks. And this duvet is certainly a jump up in the investment stakes. In fact, it’s the most expensive duvet I’ve ever tested. But it’s also the best duvet I’ve tried when it comes to out-and-out quality and comfort.

It’s become my permanent duvet all year round and with good reason. I’m never too hot or too cold; it’s the perfect weight so I don’t feel smothered while still being comforted; it has now maintained its good looks for eight months (with a late-summer trip to the washing machine) and hasn’t irritated my skin or given me the sniffles. Its only real downside? That hefty price tag.

I initially enlisted my mother and husband to help me test this duvet as, between the three of us, we cover off differing sleep needs. Mum tends to sleep ‘cold’, often needs an electric blanket and suffers from both asthma and osteoporosis. Hubby prefers a mid-weight duvet and has sensitive skin, whereas I sleep ‘hot’ but have no allergies or skin issues.

So you know I’m sold, but who would love the duvet the most? Or, would it miraculously suit all our varying sleep needs? We allowed ourselves several duvet days to find out.

The White Company Hungarian Goose Down Duvet review: Key specs

• Filling: 90% Hungarian goose down, 10% Hungarian goose feather filling
• Fill power: 600
• Cover: 329-thread-count cotton jacquard cover
• Sizes: Single (140 x 200cm), Double (200 x 200cm), King (225 x 220cm, tested), Super King (260 x 220cm), all dimensions WxL
• Tog options: 4.5 tog; 10.5 tog (tested); 13.5 tog
• Care options: Machine washable but for best results, professional laundering is recommended
• Warranty: 10 years

The White Company Hungarian Goose Down Duvet review: What you get for the money

The duvet arrived in a large, white (of course) cardboard box. The box opened up to reveal a large cotton bag (no plastic in sight) and a card containing information about the duvet and its care instructions.

One thing that did strike me versus the dozen or so other duvets I’ve tested: The White Company’s was the only one that could be removed and then returned to the bag with ease – in most cases it was a wrestling match. And for a few, it proved impossible.

On unfurling the duvet I was immediately struck by two things: its generous filling and smart striped cover, which has a very soft, brushed finish. I also noticed that a bag of poppers is included. This allows you to attach a second duvet (likely the 4.5 tog version) when the mercury plummets. There are button holes in each corner of the duvet and on the side edges for this purpose, but they’re barely noticeable if you choose not to use them.

The White Company Hungarian Goose Down Duvet review: What does it do well?

As I’ve briefly mentioned, this duvet strikes the perfect balance between weight, warmth and breathability. I tend to struggle with synthetics when it comes to heat regulation, so prefer down or wool fillings (also exceptional in this regard).

However, this 90% down duvet strikes the best balance for me. It was tested on many sub-zero nights and its 10.5 tog rating was more than enough to keep myself and my husband warm. And my ‘sleeps cold’ mother could “have literally spent days” underneath it.

Only on the hottest summer nights (30-degrees Celsius plus) did my husband want to swap it for a cotton sheet. It really did excel across a wide range of temperatures.

Another benefit of its lightly brushed, striped outer is that duvet covers slide on and off relatively easily, but there’s enough filling and friction there that the cover doesn’t have a tendency to slide around or lose its place after a few days.

One complaint of down and feather bedding is that after a while, the sharp ends of the quills begin to poke out of the fabric cover in an attempt to free themselves from their quilty prison. But such is the quality of the jacquard cover and the filling, being made up of 90% soft down, I’ve not spotted any escapees from The White Company duvet at all. Indeed, after regular use, the duvet looks and feels as good as the day it arrived eight months ago.

This duvet has been spot cleaned multiple times, mostly for tea stains (I’m guilty as charged when it comes to sneaking back to bed with a cuppa in the morning). In each case the stain has been easily sponged off with no need for detergent or vigorous scrubbing. It’s also been machine washed once on my LG machine’s duvet cycle at 30°C. I was careful to line dry it rather than tumble dry, hanging it in direct sunlight to naturally ‘bleach’ it, and it came up bright white and as good as new.

The White Company Hungarian Goose Down Duvet review: What could be improved?

The only factor that would make me think twice about buying this duvet is the price. It is £65 more than a Scooms duvet of the equivalent size and there is little to choose between them in terms of performance.

Then there is the filling. If you have a feather or down allergy, it could cause irritation. My husband did mention once that he felt a little itchy, but a change of washing detergent on our sheets seemed to resolve that. He did also kick it off on the warmest of summer nights, so if you sleep very hot, you may want to consider a ‘cooler’ option such as Simba’s Hybrid Duvet, or select the 4.5 tog version.

Alternatively, if you are especially sensitive, you may prefer a synthetic or naturally hypoallergenic wool filling. In which case, I’d recommend the very affordable French Bedroom Down-Feel Luxury Duvet or the Piglet In Bed Merino Wool Duvet, two more of my tried-and-tested favourites.

The White Company Hungarian Goose Down Duvet review: Should you buy it?

If you are looking for the ultimate balance of quality and price point, and love a down and feather duvet, I would point you towards the Scooms Hungarian Goose Down Duvet, voted our best winter duvet overall; it’s a good deal cheaper.

But if money is no object, this duvet is slightly superior for comfort and weight in my opinion. It is a delight to cuddle up with and feels substantial and plump enough to comfort any sleeper without them feeling smothered. Plus, it oozes quality: it has maintained its generous filling over time, and looks as smart and crisp white finish as it did when new. As investment buys go, I have no complaints.