The Scooms Hungarian Goose Down duvet review is a luxurious duvet option from this UK sleep accessory brand. My review focuses on the 13.5 tog All Seasons version (a 4.5 tog and 9 tog, stacked), but in fact this particular duvet style is available in a range of weights – 2.5, 4.5 and 9 tog – which can be doubled up (or perhaps even triple-stacked?) in pretty much any combo, to make an even wider selection of tog ratings. Whichever option you go for, you're getting the same high-quality cotton sateen cover and ethically sourced Hungarian Goose down stuffing.
Scooms makes one of the best pillows around, so can it pull off the same trick here? Is this fit to sit amongst the best duvets on the market? I've been sleeping under it for the past month or so to find out. Read on for my full Scooms Hungarian Goose Down duvet review.
Scooms Hungarian Goose Down duvet review: comfort and materials
The Scooms duvet is filled with 90% Hungarian goose down, mixed with 10% small white goose feather, the latter designed to add a bit of extra weight. It's all washed in spring water (presumably as opposed to being bathed in toxic chemicals? I'm not sure) and those who are concerned about the animal side of things can be reassured: the Scooms filling is a by-product of the food industry, certified ethically sourced, and traceable to a single location in Hungary, which is where the rest of the duvet is made.
Scooms Hungarian Goose Down duvet: specs
Filling: 90% Hungarian goose down, 10% small Hungarian goose feather
Fill power: 700 fill power
Cover: 100% sateen cotton
Thread count: 300 thread count
Sizes available: UK Single, Double, King, Super King
Togs available: 2.5, 4.5, 9 (to make 7, 11.5 and 13.5)
Scooms uses different stitching methods for different tog ratings. Here, the 9 tog uses a baffle stitch (like you'd find in down jackets) to give more room for the stuffing to distribute, while the 4.5 tog uses box stitching. Both feel snuggly and lofty, and the filling is evenly distributed.
The cover is 300 thread count Supersoft Sateen cotton, and it's closely woven enough to keep the dust mites out (the duvet comes with a nomite anti-allergen standard certifying its suitability for house dust mite allergies). It feels smooth and soft to touch, with a stylish dove grey piping that looks high-end. A thoughtful touch is the inclusion of a label to tell you which end is the feet end.
Scooms says this duvet is 'Naturally breathable, wonderfully insulating and anti-allergy' and I'd agree with that. It's a nice weight; heavy enough to keep drafts out while light enough not to feel cumbersome. I've been using the 13.5 tog combo quilt for a few weeks, while the weather has been particularly cold at night, and I have been hugely impressed at how warm and comfortable it is.
Scooms Hungarian Goose Down All Seasons duvet review: 2-in-1 design
The Scooms All Seasons duvet is one of those two-in-one situations: a light 4.5 tog quilt for balmy weather, a 9 tog for mid-seasons nights; combine the two and you've got one ultra-snuggly 13.5 tog duvet to be deployed in the depths of winter. As previously mentioned, you can also opt for All Seasons combos that total 11.5 tog and 7 tog, if you want something less warm, as well as lower-tog duvets on their own.
This two-in-one approach is fairly common now, with many brands offering their own version of this concept. Where the difference lies is how each chooses to connect the two duvets together. Scooms uses a white plastic fitting that looks like two buttons connected by a little rod – one button pulls off when you want to remove a duvet. These feed through button holes around the perimeter of the duvet.
They do hold the duvet together well, and are pretty simple to fix together, but they're not the most secure system. When I went to change my duvet cover for the first time, they pinged off in all directions, and were none too easy to retrieve amongst two also-white duvets. You'd also need to find somewhere safe and memorable to store these for the summer. The thinking perhaps is that with this method you could stack three duvets together in any order (something that'd be difficult if you were to use, as is more common, poppers or ties), but I'm not sure how many people would be wanting to do that. On balance, I'd prefer something more secure, which results perhaps in a bit of extra faff twice a year when it's time to decouple or recouple the duvet, rather than every time I go to change my bedding.
Scooms Hungarian Goose Down duvet review: delivery and extras
The Scooms Hungarian Goose Down duvet is delivered in a material storage bag, with no plastic wrapping, in a recyclable cardboard box (the storage bag is, of course, useful for stashing the bits of your duvet that you're not using in). They have been designed in the UK, but are made in Hungary, which is also where the filling comes from.
Scooms is pretty generous when it comes to extras. You get a 60 night trial during which time you can road-test (bed-test?) your duvet, and if you don't love it, return it for free for a full refund. There's also free delivery in the UK, and if you order before 1pm on a weekday, you'll get it the very next day. Finally, there's a 10-year guarantee.
These duvets come with a host of certifications that provide reassurance on a number of fronts: Nomite (suitable for those with dust mite allergies), Oeko-Tex 100 (tested against harmful toxins and chemicals), Downafresh (feather and down hygiene and cleanliness requirements to European standard EN 12935) and Responsible Down Standard (from geese that have been treated well and never suffer from live-plucking).
Scooms Hungarian Goose Down duvet review: care
Scooms suggests you shake out your duvet each day to keep it airy and fluffy so it can continue to deliver maximum insulation, and turn back the covers each morning (okay, Mum).
Officially, you should also wash it once or twice a year, with only a little bit of non-bio washing powder, at 40° (Scooms concedes you'll probably need to go to a laundrette for this, unless you happen to have a massive at-home washing machine), then "dry thoroughly in a tumble dryer or line dry, shaking regularly to unclump the down". You could also use the brand's own 'Wool Tumble dryer Balls' to reduce drying time.
Scooms Hungarian Goose Down All Seasons duvet review: verdict
The Scooms Hungarian Goose Down duvet is a winner on multiple fronts. There's a tog to suit every season and preference, right up to 13.5 tog, which is enormously cosy, yet still feels breathable. The filling is snuggly and lofty (so long as you dutifully shake it out regularly), and you can be about as confident as it is possible to be that it's come from an ethical source. Meanwhile, the casing feels luxurious and high quality, with thoughtful detailing such as the 'foot' label. Our only niggle is the attachment mechanism, which isn't the most secure, and risks getting lost on the off seasons.
