Devon Duvets Blog

We’re understandably proud of our certified 100% British wool duvets because we know how much care and attention goes into the making of each and every one. Firstly, we choose our wool from British farmers, who are known to have some of the best looked-after sheep in the world. 

We get our carefully selected wool cleaned (known as ‘scouring’), without the use of bleach or chemicals, at British mills. The cleaned wool is then needled, with plenty of ‘loft’, to make it into super soft layers. 

Our experienced seamstresses, based at our Devon workshops, then handcraft each duvet, encasing layers of wool into beautifully soft, 260 thread count, 100% natural cotton.

So, it makes all the hard work even more worthwhile when we win a ‘Best Duvet’ award from a national newspaper, not once, but for two years running! The Independent 

Our thousands of happy customers know that we are committed to responsible sourcing when it comes to our wool bedding products. Some of our customers ask how we ensure that our wool comes from farms where the highest animal welfare standards are followed.

The answer is that 100% of the wool we use is British wool and British sheep are some of the best cared for sheep in the world. In the UK, the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) is the government department responsible for many standards to do with environmental protection, food production and animal welfare. They exercise very strict controls over farmers and often visit unannounced to inspect animals in their care. Any farmer not considered to be upholding these standards would be banned from keeping sheep.

Additionally, in Britain, the practice of ‘mulesing’ is a banned and illegal practice, whereas in many countries this is normal. By purchasing British wool, we are not only supporting Bri

Sleeping patterns vary hugely from individual to individual but at the moment, during the COVID-19 pandemic, many people are reporting big changes in the way that they sleep.

A recent survey carried out by market research company Ipsos MORI and King’s College London has suggested that whilst some people are sleeping more than usual, nearly two thirds of the public have reported some negative impact on their sleep, with more than half of the UK population struggling with sleep during the lockdown. Additionally, previous research reported patterns of disturbed sleep, insomnia and vivid dreams.

This is entirely understandable, when everything is so unsettled. Many people are worried about their jobs, their families and their finances and we all know that stress can be one of the major causes for lack of sleep and this becomes a vicious cycle, with people becoming more stressed as a result of a lack of sleep. The survey was carried out in late May with 2,254 residents in t

At Devon Duvets, we have always been committed to responsible sourcing. It has been at the heart of what makes us tick, since Dick and Pauline Beijen founded the company over 10 years ago as we feel we all have a responsibility to help protect the world for future generations.

For our award-winning wool bedding, we only ever use certified 100% British wool, from British farmers who only shear in the Spring and Summer, when the sheep naturally need to lose their winter fleeces. Our wool is then cleaned and milled in British mills, without the use of bleaches or chemical treatments before being individually hand stitched into 100% natural cotton casings by our expert seamstresses, here in Devon. 

Our plant-based Botanic duvets are made from fibres containing TENCEL™Lyocell, made from sustainable wood sources through an Eco award-winning process. As with our 100% British wool duvets, each of our Botanic duvets is handcrafted by our seamstresses at our Devon workshops. Al

We’ve been curious as to why, just recently, and all of a sudden we’ve started to get a lot more enquiries about our certified 100% British wool duvets from across the pond in the United States. At first, we thought our customers had friends or family in the USA and were spreading the word… however it turned out to be something entirely different!

Many of our long standing customers will remember that in 2010, Monty Don featured our owners, Dick and Pauline, in the first ever episode of his Channel 4 series ‘My Dream Farm’. Dick and Pauline had decided to leave their busy international careers and settle down to a life on the land, having purchased a smallholding on Dartmoor, in Devon.  They quickly set about working on a number of craft-based projects, got a flock of sheep, learned about beekeeping and also started to talking to other local sheep farmers about making products using wool. It was at this point that they were discovered by Monty Don and the journey began to st

You spend an average of 7-8 hours out of every 24 in bed and so what you sleep under is incredibly important if you want to be sure of a restful night’s sleep.

At Devon Duvets we take sleep very seriously and our seamstresses at our Devon workshops take great care in handcrafting our certified 100% British wool duvets. Wool is such a beautiful natural and sustainable product that we want to keep it as close as possible to the way nature intended. 

Wool has many wonderful features, including being naturally breathable and temperature regulating, helping to keep you cool when it’s hot, yet lovely and snuggly when it’s cold. As it is dust mite resistant and also resistant to the build-up of micro bacteria, it is naturally anti-allergy, which means it is the perfect bedding for those suffering from asthma or other allergies. It is also naturally fire retardant.

We only ever buy top quality 100% British wool from British farmers, who have the highest standa

At Devon Duvets, our professional, time-served seamstresses have been making individually handcrafted certified 100% British wool bedding products, at our Devon workshops, for 10 years. 

Our range includes wool duvets, mattress toppers and pillows in a selection of standard UK and EU sizes but did you know that, because everything is handcrafted, we are able to make bespoke items to customers’ exacting requirements? 

We’re not restricted by large scale automated factory systems or machine sizes, so that makes us more flexible and our work that much easier when it comes to making something unusual. Also, because we make them here in Devon, we are able to quickly make any necessary adjustments on the spot, as required. We don’t have to wait to hear from a large scale operation unable to make just one specially sized product and who are based either inside or outside the UK – or even furthe

Many of us have a mattress topper because we want that extra layer of ‘sink into’ comfort on top of our mattress. It also helps to provide some protection to our mattress. So if you’re considering getting your own slice of extra comfort, it’s worth bearing in mind that a wool mattress topper offers so much more because it has another beneficial function - to keep you cool in the warmer months, as well as keeping you warm when it’s cold.

Wool is an amazing product, not only is it beautifully soft but it is also naturally anti-allergy as it resists dust mites, and because it is naturally breathable it can also help to stop the build-up of micro-bacteria. So it’s a healthy choice and particularly for those who suffer from asthma or other allergies.  

The other benefit of this wonderful natural product is that it is temperature regulating and so, it can either dissipate heat away from your body if it’s hot, but also keep the warmth in its fibres to keep your body warm when

Keeping bedding clean and hygienic is very important – and especially when it comes to pillows, which have contact with our heads and faces every night.

This is where our unique, patented folding wool pillows come in!  Wool is a wonderful natural fibre that is breathable and heat regulating, transferring heat and moisture away from your skin. This creates a less susceptible environment for the development of micro-bacteria, making your pillow more hygienic. It is also dust mite resistant, making it an excellent choice for those needing a pillow to ease the symptoms of allergies and asthma in order to get a more restful night’s sleep.

We only ever use certified 100% British wool to fill our folding pillows. Our wool comes from British farmers who have the highest standards of animal husbandry, with the sheep only being shorn in Spring and Summer, the times when they would naturally need to be relieved of their wool. The wool is then milled in British mills - cleaned witho

There’s nothing more distressing that seeing your little one in discomfort and not able to sleep properly at night, due to an allergic reaction. According to The Children’s Allergies website, approximately 10% of children will produce antibodies in reaction to a dust mite allergy, resulting in an allergic reaction such as asthma.

The problem is that dust mites love the damp, bacteria-friendly environment of our beds and the bedding on it. There is a plethora of synthetic bedding options to try and combat this but as we are all increasingly aware of our responsibility to the planet, these end up being a problem for the environment when it’s time to change the bedding, for the simple fact that they are not biodegradable. So how can we ensure we are getting comfortable, hypoallergenic bedding for our child as well as doing the best for our planet? 

At Devon Duvets we’ve spent years in developing the perfect natural al