Chelsea Linen Company Index

Brinkhaus

For over 150 years the name and brand Brinkhaus has guaranteed bedding products of supreme quality. In 1847, Hermann Josef Brinkhaus started the business at the beginning, as a cotton sheeting weaving business.

From those humble beginnings, the road through innovation, craftsmanship and attention to detail has brought them to the position of having a world-wide, active role in the international bedding business. Brinkhaus have remained at the forefront of excellence and take pride in the contribution they have made in the provision of efficient solutions to questions concerning healthy, sound sleep. Today the company is a versatile, vertically integrated producer with continuing high standards in all that they do. They have been awarded prizes on several occasions for their care of the environment and the ecological way they process their down and feather and natural fillings, the way they produce their down proof cotton and the way they manufacture finished articles.

Their 150 years of development and progress confirms their promise to you for high standards when you buy one of their products. Brinkhaus is a family business with high manufacturing standards.

What Brinkhaus is known for
Put simply, the Brinkhaus name is synonymous with the finest bedding products in the world.

To help explain why Brinkhaus are so proud of this reputation we would like to give you an insight into the key elements in the production of the best bedding. They encompass the selection of the raw materials, their processing to achieve highest quality with minimum environmental impact, the use of the latest technology, years of skill in manufacture and generations of experience that matches the casing finish perfectly to filling type. Brinkhaus believe that true appreciation of their products can only come from an understanding of the thought that Brinkhaus apply to their manufacture.

Why should you buy a Brinkhaus duvet?
The concept of a duvet is based upon nature itself. Like the fur of animals or the down and feathers of birds, a duvet is designed to provide insulation with the minimum of weight. Its aim is to allow our body to relax at night, to feel warm and yet to allow for movement with little interference. A comfortable sleeping environment which promotes a good nights sleep is key to the quality of life itself. At Brinkhaus they design their products with this aim in mind.

What you see
The first consideration for most people when buying duvets or pillows is the type of filling, and yet the casing itself is vital to ensure that whatever the choice of filling, the case can perform to the best of its capabilities. The first requirement is the casing is feather and downproof. The dormitory pillow fight with the air full of feathers is film makers fiction. It would not happen with Brinkhaus products. In order to ensure this, the fabric must be woven so tightly that the finest feather or down is unable to escape. Secondly, however tight the weave, the filling will not perform to its utmost unless the fabric can breathe, allowing free air circulation. Over the years they have developed three types of weave that will fulfil both these requirements: tick - a twill weave; cambric - a linen weave and downproof satin.

Their experience now spanning the last three centuries has proved that the finest cotton yarn is ideal for all of these, thanks in part to its moisture absorbing qualities. As the sleeping body gives off moisture it is absorbed by the cotton fibres and evaporates without forming a film of moisture on the fabric. However, at Brinkhaus this is not enough. They know that to create extremely fine supple casing made from yarns of very high tensile strength, the most effective starting point is to use long staple Egyptian cotton. Naturally this is what they use for all their products. Moreover, in recent years, as part of their commitment to adopt environmentally sound manufacturing practices, they have been involved in the process of building sustainable supplies of organically produced long staple Egyptian cotton. As pure as nature intended, this crop yields almost gossamer yarn, allowing them to weave exceptionally fine cloth for their cases.

Inside the Duvet
The most important part of a duvet, the element vital to its performance, does not cost a single penny. That is because it is the air inside. The duvet acts as an insulator because of the air that is trapped within the case by the filling. The secret is to achieve this insulation with the minimum of weight. The magic is in how the filling allows the air to breathe. The qualities they seek for ideal sleeping conditions are the ability to hold warmth yet absorb air and moisture - thus controlling the temperature, as well as softness and light weight to volume ratio. In addition, the filling is selected in terms of resistance to compression, insulating efficiency, breathability and durability. Each of their products displays these in varying proportions. This is a function of price, purpose and the particular filling selected.

What is Down?
Down is a spherical plumule of thousands of soft fibres radiating in all directions from a central quill point, usually originating from geese and ducks. Whereas the feather is used for flying and swimming, down is used to hold air at high altitude and low temperatures with a minimum of weight. It is these qualities that make down and down and feather mixtures so ideal as filling for duvets. Goose down is larger yet lighter than duck down and the very best goose down comes from mature, fully grown free range geese, farmed for their down. Down is soft and three dimensional; feathers are two dimensional, harder and heavier. Mixtures of the two are used to create different pillow fillings from the delicate softness of pure down to firmer pillows containing increasing feather content.

Which Tog Rate Should I Choose?
The tog rate expressed as a number, acts as a guide to the insulation property; more accurately it is the measure of the thermal resistance of a duvet construction. The higher the number the more the duvet holds heat. For natural fillings other factors such as climate, humidity, ambient temperature and individual preferences are equally important. It is important that other individual factors must be balanced in your final decision. For example, in older, larger properties with solid walls where it becomes cold, especially on winter nights, you may need a much warmer duvet than for the same night in a more modern, insulated property where temperature remains more constant.