Choosing a new duvet isn’t easy, especially when the seasons are changing. Before you know it, your head will be full of phrases like “tog ratings” and “fill power”, but you may be none the wiser. Here’s our step-by-step guide. First, choose the right bedding for the weather. While some duvets are suitable all year round, most have different seasonal options, based on tog ratings. Generally speaking, the higher the tog rating, the warmer the duvet, with anything up to 7.5 suitable for warmer months; 7.5-10.5 for spring and autumn; and anything over 10 tog for winter. Some can be bought as all-season sets, with a lightweight duvet of around 4.5 tog and a warmer duvet of around 9 tog, which can be buttoned together to create a fantastically warm 13.5 tog duvet for winter. Next, think about the materials, researching the benefits of the different kinds available. Some synthetic microfibre duvets, for instance, can be great for allergy sufferers, while down and silk can feel more luxurious and soft.
But don’t stop there – you’ll need to work out exactly which synthetic or natural filling to go for. If you’re opting for down, for instance, will duck or goose suit your needs best, or might you prefer a blend of feather and down (for example, if you prefer more weight over you at night)? Check how evenly distributed the filling is – there’s nothing worse than waking up freezing, realising that it’s all disappeared down to your toes, whilst the rest of your body is essentially lying under a sheet. Finally, consider the quality of the casing and if you prefer fluffy, full bedding or a thin layer – and don’t assume the fluffier it is, the warmer it is as the opposite can be true, depending on the filling. You’ll be spending up to a third of your time under your duvet and a good one should last 10 to 20 years if properly maintained, so it’s important to get it right. 1. Snuggledown Rest and Rejuvenate: from £53, Amazon This all-year-round duvet is made from hollofil, a light but insulating synthetic fibre.
It aims to regulate your body temperature in the same way as high-tech sportswear – that is, drawing heat and moisture away from the body, preventing overheating, even on really hot summer nights. 2. The White Company European Down Duvet: from £95, The White Company This luxury blend of feathers and down is ideal for those who don’t like the feeling of too much weight over them. It’s beautifully finished, with even distribution, and is machine washable to help kill any dust mites. There are three different tog options available – 4.5, 9 and 13.5. 3. Ikea Sotvodel: from £35, Ikea Ikea’s duvets tend to be on the thin, cooler side, so not much cop for those who prefer to feel like they’re cocooned while they sleep. But if your preference is less filling, this duvet – made from a mixture of down and feathers - is breathable, very evenly distributed and washable at 60 degrees. 4. Devon Duvets Wool Duvet: from £100, John Lewis Each of these natural, breathable wool duvets is handmade in a Devon workshop, using wool from pure breed Texel sheep in a natural cotton case.
Great for allergy sufferers, due to the natural properties, we found the filling evenly spread and it’s long-lasting too. Light or medium weights available. 5. The Fine Bedding Company Boutique Silk Duvet: from £55, Amazon This silk duvet is so fluffy that it almost feels like you’re sleeping under a cloud. Available in three different tog options – including a four season tog variation which combines the lightweight and medium weight together for winter – it is fantastic quality, particularly for the price. 6. Soak & Sleep Hungarian Goose Down Duvet: from £80, Soak & Sleep This company has a great range of duvets in wool, microfibre and down, our favourite of which is the best-selling Hungarian goose down version. The summer weight 4.5 tog ensures a cool temperature, while the bouncy down still provides the cosy touch. Those prone to the cold may want the 9 tog. 7. Debenhams Anti-Allergy Duvet: from £34, Debenhams Allergic to house dust, mites or mould?
This microfibre duvet is approved by Allergy UK and will help you get that uninterrupted night’s sleep. That said, this is the duvet of choice for many non-allergy sufferers too, on account of being so cosy and plump – just the kind of duvet that makes you look forward to bedtime. 8. Fogarty Wool Duvet: from £49, Amazon Often considered best for winter, wool duvets in fact have brilliant cooling qualities for summer too, making this a great all-year-round solution. Indeed, when the temperature rises, moisture naturally escapes from the duvet, allowing the body to cool down quickly, while on cooler evenings, wool fibres form a naturally insulating layer, keeping body heat under the duvet. Great for allergy sufferers. 9. Tielle Pure Duck Down Duvet: from £100, Tielle Made from 95 per cent duck down, this duvet is incredibly light, yet it’s extremely cosy, making it the duvet of choice for many five-star hotels. The 100 per cent cotton percale casing with piped edges all helps with the luxury feel and there’s both a 4.5 tog (best for this time of year) and 10.5 tog available.
The Snuggledown Rest and Rejuvenate should take you to the land of nod nice and swiftly, while keeping you at a comfortable temperature throughout the night. And if you prefer a natural filling, our vote goes to Devon Duvets.How a duvet will feel depends on three important factors, each of which will make a difference to your comfort. The TOG of your duvet determines how warm or cool you’ll be at night – it’s a unit referring to the amount of body heat retained by the duvet. It doesn't represent how heavy, light or thick the duvet may be. Lightweight duvets can insulate your body from the cold just as effectively as heavier ones. This is because some duvet fillings are better insulators than others. The degree of warmth required is a very personal choice and your choice will depend on your individual body temperature and the ambient temperature of the room. There are those that are naturally hot-blooded and quickly become hot and sticky at night, and then there are the bedsocks brigade who suffer beneath the very coolest of duvets!
The choice is as follows: Cool (3 or 4.5 Tog) – this rating indicates a cool duvet, which traps only a little heat, so would generally be used in the summer. Medium (9.0 Tog or 10.5 Tog) – a warm duvet, generally used in the Spring and Autumn, though many people, such as those who have central heating or share a bed, use these togs all year round. Warm (13.5 Tog) – very warm and cosy, ideal for Winter use. Four Seasons (13.5 Tog: 4.5 Tog + 9.0 Tog) – a good solution for all year round use. Two duvets that may be used separately, i.e. a duvet for Summer and a duvet for in Spring and Autumn, or they may be buttoned together in Winter. Please note: Opt for lighter-weight duvets for young children and toddlers, such as 4.5 tog in the summer and 9 tog in the winter as children have a tendency to over-heat in bed. A duvet is only as good as its filling, so choose carefully: they are basically either natural or synthetic (fibre-filled). Fillings made from natural fibres such as duck or goose feather and down, wool, silk or cotton are seen as the luxury choice as they are soft, light and comfortable and offer the best quality of sleep.
These natural fillings also ‘breathe’ and absorb body moisture, releasing it in the morning when aired. Breathability is such an important factor when choosing your duvet as the possibility of becoming too hot is much reduced, making natural-filled duvets capable of keeping you comfortable over a much wider range of conditions than fibre-filled duvets. Natural materials also have a longer lifespan than their synthetic counterparts, and will last 20 to 30 years if cared for properly. This is, however, reflected in the price of natural duvets as they are more expensive than those made with synthetic insulation. Natural duvets have the benefit of being both durable and naturally ‘breathable’ keeping you warm in winter and cool in summer 'Down', the lightest of all fillings, refers to the soft, light clusters found under the feathers of ducks and geese. The down of the bird doesn’t contain feather quills, but is luxuriously soft and fluffy and contains thousands of tiny air pockets which offer excellent natural insulation – keeping cold air out and warm air in.
It is, after all, these clusters which provide the insulation to keep geese warm in really cold temperatures and enables them to swim in freezing waters. Feathers, which contain quills and are flat for streamlined flight and swimming, are much firmer than down. Neither are feathers as soft and light as down. Basically, their insulation qualities are inferior to down as more filling is needed to achieve the same tog rating. The higher the down content, the lighter, better quality and more durable the product will be. Down filled duvets should last for at least 20 years and feather and down and feather blends for about 10 years. Fill power is a measure used to determine the quality of down and feather. The higher the fill power, the better the duvet. A high fill power also indicates that the product will retain its performance for many years longer. The casings of our duvets are of cassette pocket construction, which keeps the filling evenly distributed and prevents cold spots.
Duck feather and down versus Goose feather and downDuck feather and down gives a heavier filling than goose feather and down, and is the cheapest of the natural fillings. Goose feather and down feels more voluminous and more expensive, with a pure goose down being the most luxurious. Geese from colder climates, such as Eastern Europe and China, produce bigger down clusters and the best is considered to come from Hungary, while other contenders might hail from Russia or Siberia. The Pure Living Collection range of natural duvets includes: A1 Grade Hungarian Goose Down DuvetsHungarian Goose Down Duvets: exceptionally soft, fluffy and lightweight, 90% Goose Down Duvets: soft, fluffy and lightweightGoose Feather and Down Duvets perfect middle way for comfort, warmth and valueDuck Feather and Down Duvets : great value, firm and natural For those who suffer from allergies: Except in rare occasions, feather and down allergies are a result of dust and dirt collected inside the duvet, not the feather and down itself.
Allergy sufferers shouldn’t necessarily discount feather and down. Many people who are allergic to animals are still able to sleep under a pure goose down duvet. High quality, goose down duvets are also covered in a tighter weave fabric than fibre-filled duvets, in order that they may be down-proof (i.e. you don’t feel the filling coming through). The tighter weave creates a stronger barrier between you and the impurities inside the duvet. Fibre-filled duvets are still a good bet as you can launder them frequently. If you’d prefer such an alternative, try the Spundown duvet which is filled with soft hypoallergenic microfibre and may be washed at 60°C, the temperature that kills dust mites. All duvet sizes fit into a standard domestic washing machine. A silk filled duvet is also a good option as silk offers more natural resistance to dust mites than feather and down. Silk duvetsMulberry silk duvets are made from fibres layered on top of each other, providing these duvets with a flatter appearance when compared with duvets filled with feather or down.
Most importantly silk is naturally hypoallergenic and resistant to dust mites, so silk filled duvets may be considered a much healthier alternative to duvets with conventional fillings such as down, feather or down-like polyester clusters. The best silk duvets are made from wild silk or A Grade Mulberry silk. A common misconception is that a synthetic duvet or quilt, i.e. filled with ‘hollowfibre’ or ‘microfibre’ (ie a polyester fibre), will be colder and less effective than a natural-filled duvet such as goose down. This simply is not the case. Synthetic fibre-filled duvets are less expensive and tend to be more practical than natural-filled duvets as they can be put in the washing machine and tumble dried. Their lifespan (about 10 years) is less than natural-filled duvets. They're hypoallergenic, so are especially good for those who suffer from allergies such as asthma, eczema, rhinitis, or those sensitive to dust and so need to wash their duvets regularly.
'Microfibre' is the very latest in fibre filling and is closest in feel to natural down as it is extremely light-weight and is wonderfully soft. We no longer offer duvets filled with 'hollowfibre' as this is significantly heavier and coarser than 'microfibre'. The Pure Living Collection range of synthetic microfibre duvets includes: Spundown duvets - an incredibly fine microfibre filling that enables all sizes to be washed at home in a domestic washing machine at 60oc, the temperature that kills dust mites - a common cause of asthma and allergiesBreathable Microfibre and Modal duvets (unique blend of microfibre and 20% Modal® filling): down-like duvets which provide outstanding breathability. Modal is a cellulose fibre derived from wood pulp - which makes a superbly soft and breathable fibre.Breathable Microfibre and Silk duvets (unique blend of microfibre and 10% Silk filling): down-like duvets which also provide outstanding breathability. All casings for duvets and pillows should be comfortable, absorbent and allow the body to ‘breathe’.