I slept on DUSK's luxury duck feather and down mattress topper for a fortnight – here's what I thought

I put the DUSK Luxury Duck Feather & Down Mattress Topper to the test to see how it compares to the best mattress toppers and best cooling mattress toppers on the market.

In a nutshell

Overall, had I not experienced a few niggles with the DUSK Luxury Duck Feather & Down Mattress Topper, I think its feather and down fill would have added a layer of comfort and luxury to my mattress.

It didn't offer the same support as I've experienced on a foam or memory foam mattress topper, and when I lay on my side, I would have appreciated a little more cushioning, but it did soften up a firm mattress and improve our mattress's temperature regulation.

The natural feather and down construction and cotton case added additional breathability and insulation to the bed, meaning that it kept me warm on cold nights but meant that I didn’t wake up overheating when the central heating was on, like I sometimes do.

However, I found it suffered from a few issues common to feather and down products at this price point. Namely, spiky feathers that I could feel protruding through the cover in places, and a very crackly cotton cover.

Light sleepers or those sensitive to noise will likely be disturbed by the crunching sound when you roll over on it at night – it certainly annoyed me a bit when someone was sleeping next to me.

Although, at £75 for a double, this feather and down topper can't be described as 'cheap', it is on the affordable end of the scale when it comes to feather and down products. Personally, I would opt to spend more to avoid those scratchy feathers and noisy rustling.

DUSK Luxury Duck Feather & Down Mattress Topper review

Specifications

• RRP: £65 / £75 / £85 / £105
• Sizes: single / double / king / super-king
• Depth: 5cm
• Construction: duck feather and down inner, cotton cover
• Care instructions: machine-washable at 40°C, low tumble dry
• Manufacturer sleep trial: no

Attaching the topper to the bed

The DUSK Luxury Duck Feather and Down Mattress Topper arrived vacuum-packed in a minimalist white bag with handy carry handles.

Because it had been vacuum-packed for delivery, when I opened the packaging, I found the topper was very flat. However, after giving it a good shake, it soon plumped up to its 5cm height.

It has four elasticated straps – one on each corner – that hold it onto the mattress. This meant that it didn’t shift position when making the bed or when sleeping on it, and because its feather and down fill make it fairly lightweight, I found it easy to fit it to our bed.

Comfort

Once the DUSK Luxury Duck Feather & Down Mattress Topper was on my bed, I noticed two things. Firstly, when I ran my hand over the surface of this topper, I could feel the texture of the feather and down filling beneath the cotton cover. And secondly, that cotton cover was *noisy*. When I applied pressure, I could hear a crackling sound of the fabric moving.

When my boys jumped onto the topper with no sheet on top, they complained that it was ‘spiky’, something which was caused by some feathers protruding through the cover. This is something I've experienced before with less premium feather-filled items, although I did find it wasn’t an issue for me once the bedsheet was on top of the topper.

The DUSK topper is made with a two-tier design; the top layer of the mattress topper contains lightweight duck feathers, while the base layer contains lofty duck down, which the manufacturer describes as creating a ‘sumptuously soft yet supportive layer on your bed.’

Sleeping on it that night, I found it did add a layer of extra comfort to my mattress, and had I not been distracted by the crinkling noise it made every time I rolled over, it would have added a touch of luxury to my bed as its name suggests.

I also found I didn’t sink into it too much, so it was easy to roll over in the night or get out of bed, and as someone who sleeps predominantly on their side or back, it suited my sleeping position well. However, it didn't offer any additional motion isolation to our bed – when my husband rolled over next to me, I could still feel his movement. And hear it too, thanks to the crackly topper.

I also found this topper wasn’t supportive in the same way that some of the denser mattress toppers I’ve tested have been. When I slept on my side, it didn’t offer as much cushioning to my hip and shoulder as the memory foam Dunelm Gel Fusion Mattress Topper or the foam Emma Flip Mattress Topper I've recently reviewed.

Temperature regulation

When I slept on this mattress topper I definitely felt the benefits in terms of good temperature regulation. I didn’t wake up in the night feeling too hot, and when getting to sleep at night I didn’t overheat.

I tested this in the winter months and also noticed that I didn’t feel as cold as I normally would at this time of year, something that is likely due to the fact that feather and down mattress toppers such as this one provide good insulation, helping to keep you warm in cold weather and cooler in hot weather.

The fact that this topper has a 100% cotton cover rather than polyester likely also adds to its breathability.

Care instructions

Unlike many foam mattress toppers, where only the cover can be washed, the entire DUSK Luxury Duck Feather and Down Mattress Topper can be machine-washed at 40 degrees and tumble-dried on low.

The fact that it can all be machine-washed and tumble-dried is a big plus-point for me, a mum-of-two who often has guests to stay. This ease of care ensures maximum freshness.

When I washed the mattress topper in this way and tumble-dried it, I found it regained its depth and plumpness. Although it's important to make sure the topper is fully dry before you put it back on the bed.

In terms of everyday use, I did find that after a few nights, the middle of the topper felt slightly ‘puffier’ than the sides. This didn't really cause any issues during my testing, but you might want to add regular shaking of the topper to your weekly routine to ensure the feather filling stays evenly distributed – something you don't need to do with a foam topper.

In this way, this feather and down topper is a little more high-maintenance than a synthetic option.

Sleep trial

Unlike many toppers I've tested, the DUSK Luxury Duck Feather & Down Mattress Topper doesn't come with a sleep trial. That means that once you've unpackaged it, it's non-returnable, which doesn't give you much opportunity to assess whether it's right for you before you have to commit to keeping it.

DUSK is also an online-only retailer so there's no opportunity to test products in store before you buy.

Had I been able to handle this product before putting it onto my bed, I think I would likely have chosen a different product due to that crackly cotton cover, so the lack of sleep trial could mean a costly mistake if noise bothers you.

Value for money

As of writing, the DUSK Luxury Feather & Down Mattress Topper costs £75 for a double. This is pretty affordable for a mattress topper.

For comparison, our top-rated Simba Hybrid Mattress Topper costs £349 for a double, and the most budget-friendly mattress topper we've tested – the Silentnight Airmax Mattress Topper – costs around £45 for a double.

In terms of feather and down mattress toppers, DUSK's option is also relatively affordable. The M&S Duck Feather & Down Mattress Topper costs £110 for a double, whereas a premium Hungarian goose feather topper, such as scooms Hungarian Goose Feather & Down Mattress Topper will set you back £260.

However, having had issues with feathers poking through this topper and its noisy cover, I do think that if you want to add the luxurious feel of feather and down comfort to your bed, you would be best spending a little more to make sure that added luxury really *does* feel luxurious.

How I tested

Rachel Tompkins

I’m Rachel, a mother of two who helps the Ideal Home team put all manner of products through their paces to find the top recommendations for our readers. For this review, I tested the DUSK Luxury Duck Feather and Down Mattress Topper in a double over a hybrid memory foam mattress.

My sleep stats:

• Sleep position: back or side
• Tension preference: firm
• Sleep problems: lower back pain and/or neck pain and occasional overheating
• Height & weight: 5"5 and 9.5 stones

In order to test out this mattress topper, my husband and I slept on it for two weeks in our own home on top of our usual mattress. I assessed how easy the DUSK Luxury Duck Feather and Down Mattress Topper was to attach to the bed, how comfortable it was when sleeping on my back and side, and whether it offered good temperature regulation. I also took into account how easy it was to care for and any sleep trials on offer, as well as its value for money.