The duvet: a mother-son experience report

When employees test their own products, they can get brutally honest feedback. It's constructive for product development, and exciting, too. 
Here is the experience report from our colleague who was looking for solutions for hot bedroom temperatures and allergic children.

"My bedroom is in the attic, and starting around Pentecost, it gets very warm—too warm. I sleep badly because I get too hot under my old duvet, I get cold in the middle of the night from sweating, or because a light sheet doesn't give me a feeling of security.

Solution 1: 
I remember my "Alpine Hut" sleeping bag. Designed as a hut sleeping bag, it soon proves to be a valuable asset: in my bedroom, I convert it into a blanket. Thanks to the all-round zipper, I can open the blanket completely and no longer feel too warm or too cold at night – the wool filling does what it promises. A real hit! I'm taking it with me to my vacation apartment in Italy. The compactly packable alpine hut sleeping bag somehow still manages to fit into the completely overstuffed family suitcase. The combination of air conditioning, closed windows to keep out mosquitoes, and the typical country-style sheet with a polyester bedspread usually leads to unrefreshing nights. But not anymore – the blanket is simply heavenly at regulating temperature. Just snuggle up under it; from now on, it's vacation :)

Solution 2:
At home, I try out the Grüezi bag "DownWool Dreams Duvet Summer Smartcel" duvet. I've been looking forward to going to bed all day. The duvet feels thin and light, and I eagerly slip under it and lie down. How does the DownWool® filling affect me? Is this blend truly suitable for a summer duvet? Almost immediately, I notice that the air space beneath the duvet is almost imperceptibly warming to a pleasant body temperature. I don't feel the weight of the duvet on me, but enough to make me feel cozy. I pull it up to my ear, and the ambient noise is nicely muffled.
I'm still waiting for the feeling that it's getting too warm or my feet are getting too cold. Now, within minutes, I understand what it means that wool and down reflect body heat. I feel, now and later in the night, that the temperature is always ideal for me. I don't wake up sweaty, I don't get cold, I wake up refreshed. Such luxury! 

After a few days, I dare to experiment by lending the duvet to my son. As an allergy sufferer, he's only ever had synthetic fiber duvets. According to research conducted by the Association of the European Duvet and Bedding Industry (VeV), the latest studies show that down in duvets is irrelevant for allergy sufferers. Furthermore, the outer material of the Grüezi bag® duvet is so tightly woven that even mites hardly stand a chance. This information gives me confidence, and I'm also curious about the moisture management properties of DownWool®: my son sweats quickly and a lot, so this will be the ultimate test for the duvet.

I explain to him that he can try out a new duvet, and in the evening I place the duvet over him without any additional encasing. At first, he's completely calm, but after a few moments, he starts to smile and says, "Mommy, it's so cozy, can I keep it?" Wait and see. First, it has to prove that it can handle your body heat and your allergy. The first night is simply fine; after a few days, I still don't notice any worsening of his allergy, but rather a huge improvement in his ability to fall asleep: 

• He becomes much calmer and more relaxed when falling asleep.
• He's much less sweaty: He loves snuggling up under the duvet. Before, I often had to cover him after half an hour of sleep, or, in the worst case, change his T-shirt, he was so sweaty. Under the Grüezi bag® duvet, he's still warm, but no longer soaked with sweat. And, of course, he's more rested and restful in his sleep. And for me, this, in turn, makes falling asleep more relaxed, and he's finally able to sleep through the night.  

We've now spent two years with the duvet, including the fall, when dust mite infestation peaks. I still haven't added an encasing to the duvet, and my child still sleeps soundly and at a comfortable temperature!

I've finally found our solution: a light, cozy duvet that's dust mite-proof and can handle sweat. Highly recommended for a more restful night and a more relaxed family life!"