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We snoozed to find the best duvets for every season, so you can have better night’s sleep
It’s a fact of life that we need good-quality sleep to function. One of the best ways to guarantee yourself a good night’s sleep is to have an optimal sleep environment. As well as mattresses, and pillows, a duvet has a huge part to play in how well you sleep. But there are an astronomical amount of duvets on the market – so how do you find the best? We’re here to help.
The price of duvets ranges wildly, starting from around £20 up to fairly eye=watering amounts of money. The main thing that’s going to affect the price is the fibres used in the duvet. We’ll drill down into the pros and cons of the fibres later, but synthetic fibres tend to be a whole lot cheaper than natural fills.
Natural fills aren’t just goose and duck down, by the way. Although the pricey feather duvets are often considered the most premium as they can be fantastic insulators, keeping you just the right temperature at night, there are other natural fibre options. Wool duvets are a big deal – for good reason. Wool is hypoallergenic, fire retardant and it’s traceable. There are also vegan fibres such as bamboo and tencell lyocell, which are made from wood pulp.
Synthetic fibres can be a budget-friendly option, and we’re seeing more and more duvets using recycled fillings. These are more often than not made from recycled PET bottles, which means they’re a relatively eco-friendly choice. Synthetic fibres are great for allergy sufferers as they tend to repel nasties, and they can be machine-washed and tumble-dried to really get rid of those allergens. Some synthetic fibres though can be a bit sweatier and less durable.
Tog ratings on duvets should be consulted. The lower the tog, the less warm it is – this often translates as thinner in loft (thickness) too, but not always. Low togs such as 4.5 are great for summer months, providing some snugness without the sweat. Then duvets tend to range up to 10.5 tog, which are great for cold nights. There are also all-season duvets, which are two different tog duvets that can be clipped together to create your perfect thickness for the weather.
We tested duvets during a chillier-than-normal spring into a very warm summer and cold winter. This gave us a good idea of what duvets were right for every season. How did we test? We put in the hard graft of sleeping for hours on end. What we were looking for were good-quality duvets for the price. We wanted duvets that didn’t make us feel like we were roasting alive but kept us just the right side of toasty. Around a month was spent weighing up togs, price points, fillings and casing fibres to find the very best duvets on the market.
These days, there’s such a wide range of fillings that it’s very much down to personal preference. If you’re prone to allergies, don’t write off natural fillings such as goose down, but ensure the cover has a tight weave and that the duvet has Nomite or Downafresh certifications. That said, if you’re still wary of natural fillings, opt for manmade ones such as Aerelle – a trademarked filling that is made from plastic bottles. Duvets filled with silk fibres are a great option for allergy sufferers, too.
We’re blaming the Americans for this one (apologies to our readers across the pond). In recent years, we’ve noticed more people referring to duvets as quilts, when they’re two very different items. A comforter is basically another word for a blanket – albeit an extra-thick quilted one that is made from a single piece of material – while a duvet is a slab of thick filling inside a separate cover. Unlike a comforter, which is intended to be draped over beds for additional warmth, duvets are standalone items.
The tog rating of a duvet will indicate how warm it will be, with the scale ranging from 1 tog (the coolest) to 15 tog (the warmest). While you would ideally want a tog between 2.5 and 7 during the summer and higher for the winter, buying multiple duvets may not be realistic, so getting around a 10 tog duvet to use all year is a good compromise. There are all-season options available too.
A tog of 20 is the highest you’re likely to come across, although why you’d need one – unless you’re planning on camping out in the Arctic Circle – is beyond us. In reality, the ideal tog for a winter duvet is around 13. Summer duvet togs should be between 2.5 and 7.
That said, neither the tog or the thickness should be the only focus because numerous factors play a part: the material used for both the filling and the lining, our individual responses to temperature fluctuations, and whether the duvet will be used by one person or two.
Aim to wash your duvet every four months, but always check the label first as most natural duvets will be dry clean only. If it’s suitable for the washing machine and there’s a specific stain that needs removing, shake the filling away from that area and apply a mild detergent before you load it into the drum. Make sure there’s enough space within the machine for the duvet to fit in first though.
Use a normal spin setting to wash and allow your duvet to air afterwards until it’s completely dry. Then, run a warm iron over it to remove any remaining bacteria.
You can help keep your duvet clean for longer though by investing in a duvet protector or liner. These zip up over the duvet to keep it fully enclosed and prolong its life, as well as protect those who suffer from allergies. Waterproof bedding protection is also available if you’re looking for a child and want to protect against accidents.
We were impressed with the quality for the price of the Dorma duvet. It feels great quality and is a planet-friendly choice. We felt like we weren’t sacrificing much by opting for this duvet. If you’d prefer natural fibres, then we loved Duvet Hog’s duvet – it’s reasonably priced and vegan friendly too, which means it should appeal to pretty much everyone.
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