Poppies Inc

Designed to suit the smaller room
Flueless fire – requires no flue or recess
Detachable chrome trim frame
2kW output 100% fuel efficient
Less than 5p an hour to run – Nat gas or LPG

The Eko 5020 is built on the popular 23m3 portrait platform. Simply turn the polished aluminium control knob and the pilot will ignite positively. Continue to rotate, and the flame picture can be adjusted from low (1.0kW) through to high (2.0kW), to ensure optimum comfort. Intuitive operation and the emotion it evokes are essential characteristics considered in all Firecraft fires. Now available for natural gas or LPG.

Check out West Country Fires website, visit:

http://www.westcountryfires.co.uk/firecraft-eko-5020-flueless-fire-p-38.html

A Down Duvet is generally considered to be the best you can get. Down is the collective name for the small, light and very warm feathers that come from the breast of duck, geese and other water fowl. They usually form a layer underneath exterior feathers which are tougher and coarser. As well as insulating the birds against heat loss they also help the birds to float, in part because they trap many small pockets of air.

The two main sources of down feathers are ducks and geese. For many farmers, the down is a by-product of breeding birds to eat. There have been some cases of inhumane treatment against birds involving plucking down and feathers whilst they are still alive. After public concern, IKEA was forced to change the way that it sourced down from suppliers to stop this happening.

Whilst geese are vegetarian, ducks eat a variety of different food and this can give duck feathers an unusual smell. Also in favour of goose down is that the bird produces more down (so they should be less small feathers mixed in) and the down produces a warmer filling for duvets.

The down used in making fillings for duvets is typically sources from the following parts of the World: Asia, Europe (particularly Hungary) and Siberia. Down from Siberia is warmer than others and generally considered to be the best quality. This also makes it the most expensive to buy.

Down duvets are considered the best for their combination of warmth and light weight. This gives the sleeper optimal conditions for sleeping and as it is also a natural material allows the skin to breathe easily.

Duvets are large bulky items so making sure that you get the right duvet means that not only are you warm and comfortable but that you have more storage space.

There are basically two types of duvet fillings – natural and synthetic.

Synthetic fibres are not always as light as some of the natural fillings but do have the advantage that they are easier to wash. If you choose a synthetic filling that can be washed at 60 ºC, this is the temperature that dust mites will be killed.

For some people synthetic fillings might be the only choice if they are allergic (especially to feathers). There are various types of synthetic fillings, the cheapest is typically polyester. Other fillings include “Hollow Fibre” materials and “Allerban”.

Hollow fibre although synthetic, is still quite warm. You might see it advertised using the brand names “Suprelle Fresh” or “Tencel”. Both of these fillings are categorized as “non-allergenic” which means that they are safe for people with allergies and will not exacerbate any allergy further. “Allerban” is a slightly more expensive synthetic filling that actively combats dust mites which is perfect for people who are very sensitive to allergies. “Allerban” is also used in pillows as well as duvets and can be washed much more frequently.

Natural fillings include duck feather and down and White Siberian Goose down. These are both very warm and amazingly lightweight materials – they give more warmth for less weight. Natural fillings have another advantage in that the fibres are highly resilient and normally last much longer than synthetic fillings (average 30 years compared to 10 years) so they might be better value in the long term.

How long a duvet lasts depends how many times it is washed. The downside of natural fillings that use feather and down is that they should be professionally cleaned which is more expensive. After cleaning to remain effective, natural fillings have to be thoroughly dried – not something that most people can do at home.

A further consideration when choosing a natural filling is to check whether the feathers or down have been ethically sourced.

White Siberian Goose Down is generally considered the best available filling for duvets and you will find that prices reflect that.