---
title: "What is a Duvet made of?"
description: "A downproof shell divided into baffled compartments, filled with down, feather or hollow polyester fibre. Every component, the material it uses, and the constraint t"
url: https://atoneplace.net/made-of/duvet/
site: "At One Place"
---

# What is a Duvet made of?

**What is a Duvet made of?: A downproof shell divided into baffled compartments, filled with down, feather or hollow polyester fibre.**

Tog measures thermal resistance rather than weight, which is why a 13.5-tog down duvet can weigh a third of a 13.5-tog polyester one. The construction is what separates a good duvet from a cheap one at the same fill weight: sewn-through channels are quick to make and leave lines with almost no insulation, whereas baffle boxes hold full loft across the whole area. Down is a by-product of the meat industry and its welfare standards vary enormously; the Responsible Down Standard exists specifically because live-plucking and force-feeding are otherwise invisible in the finished product. Down should never be dry-cleaned — solvents strip the natural oils and the clusters collapse permanently.

## Component by component

*Every material is a choice, and the third column is the constraint that drove it.*

| Part | Material | Why that material |
| --- | --- | --- |
| fill | goose or duck down, feather, or hollow-fibre polyester | Down gives the most warmth per gram; polyester is washable and hypoallergenic; feather is heavy and cheap. |
| shell | downproof cotton cambric, typically 230 thread count or higher | Loose weave lets fill migrate out through the fabric rather than through the seams, which is what makes a duvet shed. |
| construction | sewn-through squares, or baffle boxes with fabric walls | A sewn-through seam has no loft at all and creates a cold line; baffle walls keep depth right across the duvet. |
| warmth rating | tog in the UK and Europe, fill weight in grams per square metre elsewhere | One tog is 0.1 m²K/W of thermal resistance — a measure of insulation, which is why a light down duvet can out-rate a heavy synthetic one. |

## Other around the house objects

- [Banknote](https://atoneplace.net/made-of/banknote/) — Cotton and linen rag paper, or polymer film — never wood pulp, which is why notes survive the wash.
- [Lego brick](https://atoneplace.net/made-of/lego-brick/) — ABS plastic moulded to a tolerance of about ten micrometres — the tightness of the fit is the whole product.
- [Soap](https://atoneplace.net/made-of/soap/) — Fats reacted with lye to make fatty acid salts — and most modern "beauty bars" are not soap at all.
- [Toothpaste](https://atoneplace.net/made-of/toothpaste/) — Mostly abrasive and humectant, with a detergent for foam — the active ingredient is about 0.15% fluoride.
- [Coin](https://atoneplace.net/made-of/coin/) — Base-metal alloys chosen for wear and cost — most modern "silver" coins are copper-nickel and most "copper" ones are plated steel or zinc.
- [Sunscreen](https://atoneplace.net/made-of/sunscreen/) — UV filters — mineral, chemical or both — suspended in an emulsion whose job is to hold them in an even film.
- [Credit card](https://atoneplace.net/made-of/credit-card/) — Laminated PVC sheets 0.76 mm thick, carrying a silicon chip in epoxy and a copper antenna coil.
- [Candle](https://atoneplace.net/made-of/candle/) — Wax that is really a fuel, and a braided cotton wick that acts as a pump rather than as the thing burning.
- [Lipstick](https://atoneplace.net/made-of/lipstick/) — Castor oil carrying pigment, set into a stick with waxes — the oil is the workhorse, not the colour.
- [Shampoo](https://atoneplace.net/made-of/shampoo/) — Three-quarters water, a primary detergent, a milder secondary one, salt to thicken, and silicone to make hair feel smooth.
- [Balloon](https://atoneplace.net/made-of/balloon/) — Party balloons are dipped natural rubber latex; foil balloons are metallised plastic film and are not rubber at all.
- [Deodorant](https://atoneplace.net/made-of/deodorant/) — Deodorant kills the bacteria that cause the smell; antiperspirant uses aluminium salts to plug the sweat duct. Different products.

## Common questions

### What is a Duvet made of?

A downproof shell divided into baffled compartments, filled with down, feather or hollow polyester fibre.

### What is the fill of a Duvet made of?

Goose or duck down, feather, or hollow-fibre polyester. Down gives the most warmth per gram; polyester is washable and hypoallergenic; feather is heavy and cheap.

### What is the shell of a Duvet made of?

Downproof cotton cambric, typically 230 thread count or higher. Loose weave lets fill migrate out through the fabric rather than through the seams, which is what makes a duvet shed.

## Related pages

- [Banknote](https://atoneplace.net/made-of/banknote/)
- [Lego brick](https://atoneplace.net/made-of/lego-brick/)
- [Soap](https://atoneplace.net/made-of/soap/)
- [Toothpaste](https://atoneplace.net/made-of/toothpaste/)
- [Coin](https://atoneplace.net/made-of/coin/)
- [Sunscreen](https://atoneplace.net/made-of/sunscreen/)
- [Credit card](https://atoneplace.net/made-of/credit-card/)
- [Candle](https://atoneplace.net/made-of/candle/)
- [Pencil](https://atoneplace.net/made-of/pencil/)
- [Tennis ball](https://atoneplace.net/made-of/tennis-ball/)
- [Golf ball](https://atoneplace.net/made-of/golf-ball/)
- [Paper](https://atoneplace.net/made-of/paper/)
- [Glass](https://atoneplace.net/made-of/glass/)
- [Soccer ball](https://atoneplace.net/made-of/soccer-ball/)

## Sources

- Typical range compiled from manufacturer specifications — At One Place (/about/)