Ditch Down, and Choose These Feather-Free Products Instead
It’s easy to find down-free vegan homeware, bedding and clothing on the UK high street, so there’s no need to buy feather-stuffed products with down that could have been painfully ripped from live birds.
Whether you need a new jacket or some soft pillows, there are loads of synthetic goods on the market, including the following options:
Luxury Soft as Down Microfibre Duvet
Synthetic duvets are often far cheaper than down and readily available from most homeware stores.
Quechua Light Hiking Sleeping Bag
Going camping this summer? Make sure your kit is cruelty-free, avoid feather-stuffed sleeping bags and opt for a super-snug synthetic one instead.
Fogarty ‘Summer Soft’ Pillow Pair
Synthetic pillows are a kinder and more hygienic option than resting your head on a pile of bird feathers.
John Lewis Polyester Cushion Pad
If you’re planning on decorating with some throw cushions, watch out for cushion pads filled with down. Polyester pads make for a more compassionate option.
Pull&Bear Lightweight Padded Jacket
Some jackets can be filled with feathers, so be sure to check the label when buying a new coat. This puffer by Pull&Bear is down-free and stylish.
Silentnight Kingsize Memory Foam Mattress Topper Deluxe
Imagine how many cruelly plucked feathers would be used to fill a mattress topper. This memory foam version is bound to be far more comfortable as well as ethical.
If you buy down, there’s really no way of knowing where it came from. Some birds, such as those raised for disgusting foie gras, can endure the horrific practise of live plucking. This means that they have the soft down feathers ripped from their bodies whilst they’re still alive – and it’s as painful as it sounds. Other feathers can come from ducks and geese who may live out their lives in cramped and unsanitary conditions before being carted off to an abattoir. No matter where it comes from, down is a product of cruelty.
Thankfully, it’s easy to end the suffering of ducks and geese by avoiding down altogether!
