At Schplendid we do something extraordinarily rare in the sofa world: we fill our cushions with the most deliciously soft Italian goose down….

...Why? Because we believe the world deserves more beautiful, well-made things that last. Our ambition is to swap out the landfill-clogging foams and nasty plastic fibres that dominate the sofa industry, and replace them with natural, sustainable, truly comfortable materials – while keeping them affordable enough for real people.

Here’s how goose down compares with other cushion fillings – and why most makers avoid it, but we absolutely insist...

Four things you might find in sofa cushions

Polyurethane foam (cheap, but far from cheerful)

Polyurethane foam is the default option in most sofas. It’s inexpensive, easy to shape, and will hang around in landfill practically forever. Made from petrochemicals, it isn’t biodegradable, and the comfort frankly leaves much to be desired.

Prevalence: 10/10 (it’s the industry default)
Comfort & Quality: 1/10 (spongy, flattens, not breathable, doesn’t biodegrade. Awful stuff, basically.)

Polyester fibre (mankind’s tribute act to feathers)

Next comes polyester fibre – little silicone-coated balls of plastic designed to mimic feathers. They do the job for a while, but quickly lose their bounce. Like foam, they’re not biodegradable.

Prevalence: 7/10 (common artificial filling)
Comfort & Quality: 4/10 (springy at first, then collapses. Best avoided.)

Feathers (getting warmer)

Feathers, especially goose feathers, offer a more natural feel. They’re softer and more sustainable, but on their own can be a bit uneven. Each feather has a central quill that can make cushions feel spiky, and the larger, flatter structure means they don’t distribute evenly. Over time they can clump together, leaving some patches firm and others flat. Much better than the artificial stuff – but still not quite the ultimate in comfort.

Prevalence: 3/10 (less commonly used)
Comfort & Quality: 7/10 (much better than the artificial stuff, but can be a little spiky and uneven on their own)

Goose down (the gold standard)

Beneath a goose’s feathers lies its fluffy layers of down – tiny, three-dimensional clusters with no quills at all. They trap air, spread evenly, and spring back beautifully, which is why they feel cloud-like rather than clumpy. It’s one of nature’s most delightful substances: astonishingly light, soft, and supportive. Quite simply, the best thing you can put inside a sofa cushion.

Prevalence: 1/10 (almost never used)
Comfort & Quality: 10/10 (cloud-like softness, long-lasting and completely natural)

Our ethically-sourced goose down

So, by some distance the finest cushion filling is goose down. At Schplendid our cushions use a careful blend: 80% down, 20% goose feathers. We’ve discovered that’s the ideal ratio for comfort, structure and durability – and of course, it’s entirely natural.

The goose down we use is ethically sourced in Italy as a by-product of the meat industry, so nothing is wasted and no bird is raised or sacrificed for the sake of your sofa. Natural, biodegradable, long-lasting and the most comfortable cushion-filler on the planet.

How we make it affordable

There’s a reason other makers don’t use goose down: it’s expensive. Very expensive. But we do.

How on earth do you manage it? we hear you cry… The answer is simple: at Schplendid we spend every penny on the sofa itself. No costly showrooms, no glossy ad campaigns, no fripperies and nonsense.

By running mean and lean everywhere else, we can afford to put the world’s best materials into our sofas, while keeping prices as low as possible.

The Schplendidness of down

Goose down is the most comfortable stuff you can possibly sit on… but it’s just one of the magic ingredients in a Schplendid sofa. Alongside it you’ll find eight-way hand-tied springs, coconut husk, natural wool, the finest fabrics… each component chosen because it’s the best of the best.

Put together, these elements create something more than the sum of their parts: a sofa that is not just ridiculously comfy, not just splendid, even, but… Schplendid.

In short: we use goose down because it’s the best thing you can put in a cushion. But there’s a bigger picture too: we want more beautiful, well-made, long-lasting things in the world. Sofas filled with natural, sustainable materials – not cheap plastics and landfill-clogging foams.

By keeping our business lean and focused, we can make goose-down sofas affordable, so more people can enjoy the comfort of something truly Schplendid.

FAQs about goose down in sofa cushions

And because people are rightly curious about what goes inside their sofas, here are some of the most common questions we get about goose down – and some straight answers.

Why do Schplendid use goose down for filling sofa seat cushions?
Because it’s the most comfortable, durable and natural filling you can use. Goose down clusters are soft, buoyant and breathable, giving you that “sink in and sigh” feeling every time you sit down.

What is the difference between down and feathers?
Feathers have quills, which can feel spiky and clump together. Down clusters are quill-free and three-dimensional – they trap air evenly and spring back beautifully. The result is a softer, lighter, cloud-like cushion.

Why do other sofa makers not use goose down?
In a word: cost. Down is far more expensive than foam or polyester, so most brands won’t touch it. At Schplendid, we strip out the overheads (no glossy ads, no showrooms, no salesmen) so we can afford to put the absolute best materials into your sofa.

Is using goose down ethical?
It depends where it comes from. Down itself is simply the soft under-layer of a goose’s feathers, but not all down is collected in the same way. In the past, some suppliers used practices like live-plucking (removing feathers from live birds) or sourcing from farms where geese were force-fed for foie gras. Both methods are rightly criticised as inhumane, and some cheap bedding and clothing still uses down of unclear origin.

At Schplendid, we take a different path. All our goose down is ethically sourced in Italy as a by-product of the meat industry. That means the birds are raised for food, not feathers, and the down is collected after. Nothing is wasted, no birds are raised or plucked for sofas, and the result is the softest, most sustainable filling you can put in a cushion – without the ethical compromise.

Is goose down better for the planet than man-made fillings?
In most cases, yes. Man-made fillings like polyurethane foam and polyester fibre are derived from petrochemicals, require significant energy to produce, and don’t biodegrade – meaning they sit in landfill for centuries once a sofa is thrown away. They’re cheap to manufacture, but costly for the environment.

Goose down, on the other hand, is natural, renewable, and biodegradable. At Schplendid we source ours in Italy as a by-product of the meat industry, which means it makes use of something that would otherwise be wasted. That’s a big win for sustainability.

The only caveat: because down is imported, there’s a carbon footprint in transport – but it’s vastly outweighed by the benefits of using a natural material that lasts for decades and returns harmlessly to the earth at the end of its life.

Are goose down cushions hypoallergenic?
Properly cleaned and processed down is generally hypoallergenic. Most people who think they’re allergic to feathers are actually reacting to dust or poor-quality processing – not the down itself.

What does “loft” mean in goose down?
Loft is the measure of how much space down fills relative to its weight, and how well it springs back after being squashed. High-loft down feels fluffier, lasts longer, and provides more warmth and comfort without extra bulk. In plain English: loft means fluffiness that lasts.

Do goose down cushions get hot?
No. Down is naturally breathable. It insulates without trapping heat, so your cushions stay comfortable in summer as well as winter.

Do goose down cushions lose their shape?
Not if they’re well made. At Schplendid we use an 80/20 blend of down and small feathers – the ideal ratio for softness with a little structure. They’ll stay plump for years.

Do down cushions need regular plumping and care?
Yes – just a quick shake or squeeze every now and then. It keeps the down clusters airy and supportive. A tiny bit of effort, rewarded with a sofa that always feels heavenly for life.

How long do goose down cushions last?
With proper care, decades. Down is resilient and bounces back again and again, long after foam has collapsed and polyester has gone flat.

Cushion fillings at a glance

Filling	How widely used (by sofa makers)	Comfort & quality
Polyurethane foam	10/10 – the default everywhere	1/10 – spongy, flattens, not breathable
Polyester fibre	7/10 – common artificial substitute	4/10 – springy at first, then collapses
Feathers	3/10 – less common	7/10 – natural, but spiky and uneven
Goose down	1/10 – almost never used	10/10 – soft, cloud-like, long-lasting