One of the best ways to make your bed more cosy and comfortable is to invest in a new duvet. But do you need to spend a lot of money to get a good duvet? And what kind/size/filling of duvet should you buy?
Here at Thrifty Parent we have done the hard work for you and written a guide on everything you need to know about duvets!
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Duvets: Sizes | Tog ratings | Caring for your duvet
Synthetic duvet types: Hollowfibre | Microfibre
Natural duvet types: Down | Feather | Down & Feather Mix | Wool | Silk
Duvet sizes
One of the most common questions is:
What size of duvet should I get?
Some people swear by an enormous Super King Size duvet even if they only have a modest single bed, whereas others say that your duvet size and bed size should match up.
To help you figure out the best size of duvet for you here is a table of duvet sizes:
| Duvet style | Size cm | Size inches | |
| Cot duvet | 120cm x 140cm | 47in x 55in | |
| Single duvet | 135cm x 200cm | 53in x 80in | |
| Double duvet | 200cm x 200cm | 80in x 80in | |
| King duvet | 225cm x 220cm | 89in x 86in | |
| Super king duvet | 260cm x 220cm | 102in x 86in |
Confusingly some shops use a different naming structure for their duvets so always check the measurements against the size of your actual bed.
Ordinarily you want a duvet that is 5 to 10 cm larger than your bed.
And if you are sharing your bed with another person then getting the next size duvet up from the size bed you have is wise to make sure there is enough duvet to go round! So: double bed = king size duvet; king size bed = super king duvet.
That way no-one gets left out in the cold… literally.
What Tog should I get?
Once you have decided what size duvet to get then you need to look at the tog, the higher the tog rating the warmer the duvet. Togs range from 1 up to 15 togs.
In the summer months you will want a duvet with a tog rating of between 1 and 7. Whereas in the winter you’ll want a duvet with a tog rating between 7 and 15 togs.
If you don’t want the faff of having two different duvets then a great compromise is to invest in a 10.5 tog duvet which should cover all seasons and is the most popular tog level.
For young children always aim for a tog rating of less than 10.5 as children can easily become over-heated or swamped by a too thick duvet.
Which is the best duvet filling?
There are a number of different duvet fillings, each with their own pros and cons.
Synthetic duvet filling
Synthetic duvet fillings are generally the most cost-effective option.
They are easy to wash and dry and can help wick away sweat, keeping you dry and comfortable at night.
Synthetic duvets are also often marketed as non-allergenic, this is because some people have an allergy to down or feather duvets. Also dust mites can be more easily kept at bay with a synthetic duvet.
Synthetic duvets usually come in two types, hollowfibre and microfibre.
Hollowfibre
As the name suggests these fibres are hollow so they easily trap air to create a warmer duvet. This also makes them breathable with a light and springy feel.
The fibres are also often treated with an anti-allergy coating which make them a good option for allergy sufferers.
Many hollowfibre duvets are washing-machine safe so can be easily washed at up to 60 degrees which is hot enough to kill dust mites.
Some hollowfibre duvets can even be tumble dried – but do check the label!
Shop hollowfibre duvets on Amazon
Microfibre
Microfibre duvets are made from tightly-packed microfibers which give the feel of a down duvet but without the heavy weight or the high cost.
Shop microfibre duvets on Amazon
Pros and cons of synthetic duvets
Pros
- Affordable
- Easy to care for
- Great option for allergy sufferers.
Cons
- Not very luxurious
- Synthetic materials are not renewables so not an environmentally friendly option.
Natural duvet fillings
One of the good things about natural duvet fillings is that they come from renewable sources and so they are considered the most environmentally-friendly option.
Down duvets
Down duvets are filled with fluffy duck or goose down which comes only from the very softest feathers on the chest and feel extremely luxurious.
They are especially warm and cosy but can be difficult to clean and obviously are not suitable for those who suffer from allergies to down.
Down duvets are considered to be top of the range and as a result they are expensive. The very best down duvets are made from Hungarian goose down.
For top-of-the-range down duvets, we love Scooms. They specialise in down duvets, they literally don’t sell any other duvets.
All their duvets use the finest Hungarian goose down; have free next day UK delivery and a 60-night trial with free returns.
They start from £115 for a summer 2.5 tog single; up to £425 for a two duvet Super King Size package, giving you both a 4.5 and 9 tog duvet, that you can layer up or strip back as the seasons and weather demands.
Feather duvets
Feather duvets are filled with feathers and are cheaper than down duvets.
Feathers are larger and stronger than down so less likely to lose their shape but this can make the duvet heavier. Sometimes stray feathers might poke through the duvet causing it to feel scratchy – not ideal at 2am!
Mixture of feather and down duvet
This can be a ‘best of both worlds’ option as you get the luxury of down but with the hard-wearing nature of feathers. Both feather and down duvets are naturally breathable.
Shop feather & down duvets on Amazon
Pros and cons of feather and down duvets
Pros
- Very warm
- Luxurious feeling
- Breathable
Cons
- Expensive
- Care needs to be taken when cleaning
- Some people are allergic
Wool duvets
Made from sheep or lamb’s wool, wool duvets are a great environmentally-friendly option.
Wool can keep you cool in the summer and toasty warm in the winter due to its highly breathable nature. Centuries of evolution by sheep weren’t wasted on this super-adaptable material!
Wool duvets can also wick sweat away, keeping you warm and dry throughout the night. Wool is hypo-allergenic and naturally antibacterial so is a good option for dust mite allergy sufferers or asthmatics.
Pros and cons of wool duvets
Pros
- Environmentally friendly
- Hypo-allergenic and antibacterial
- Self-regulating – keeps you cool in summer and warm in winter.
Cons
- Needs to be dry-cleaned
- Can be heavy.
Silk duvets
The newest natural duvet filling to the market is the silk duvet.
They are filled with long fibre mulberry silk. The silk is very breathable so your body heat can escape to stop you from over-heating in the night.
Soft, silk-filled duvets are designed to drape over you and follow the contours of your body, ensuring no cold air gaps.
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Pros and cons of silk duvets
Pros
- Highly breathable
- Soft and comfortable.
Cons
- Require professional cleaning.
Conclusion
If you are looking for a cost-effective duvet which is easy to care for then a synthetic filled duvet is probably a good bet.
These types of duvets are especially good for children as they can be bought in a lighter tog and will remain in good shape after multiple washes.
If however you want something a bit more environmentally friendly and luxurious then a naturally filled duvet is probably the better option.
They all have their pros and cons but the antibacterial and non-allergy nature of wool duvets gives them the slight edge.
Caring for your duvet
Whichever type of filling you select it is important that you look after your duvet properly.
Duvets should be washed about twice a year.
If you have a synthetic filled duvet then they can usually be washed in a washing machine. However if you have an especially large sized duvet it may be too big for a standard washing machine and may need to be taken to a launderette or professionally cleaned.
Although some synthetic-filled duvets say they can be tumble dried always be cautious with tumble drying any duvet as the tumbling can cause the fibres to clump inside.
For natural filling duvets these should generally be professionally cleaned by a dry cleaner to make sure the filling is not damaged.
Its fine to spot-clean small areas yourself by hand using a mild detergent.
Twice a year it’s also a good idea to hang your duvet out to air on the washing line on a nice bright and sunny day. This will help keep the fibres inside nice and plump and blow away any dust clinging to the duvet.
A good quality duvet should last for at least ten years but if you find the filling is clumping or it no longer keeps you warm then it could be time to seek a replacement.
Last update on 2021-06-11 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API