How to...
BUY THE
IDEAL DUVET
We’re spoilt for choice when it comes to choosing bedding that will make us sleep efficiently, with luxurious designs from brands such as Surrey Down, Snuggledown and Euroquilt. The perfect duvet can make all the difference to your quality of sleep, and make you feel recharged and ready for the day ahead.
Use our guide to find a duvet that will feel soft and comfortable and keep you at the perfect temperature while you sleep:
1
Tog ratings explained
In the UK duvets are given a ‘tog’ rating to indicate how well they insulate you while you sleep. So think about what kind of sleeper you are and how warm or cool you want to be. It often makes sense to choose a duvet to suit the season:
SUMMER: Opt for a duvet with a tog rating from 2.5 up to 4.5, as these are the lightest designs and are ideal in warmer climates.
SPRING / AUTUMN: Choose a duvet with a tog rating of 6.0 up to 10.5, as these are best suited to cooler seasons or ideal when the seasons are changing.
WINTER: Duvets with tog ratings of 12.0 up to 15.0 are perfect for the chillier months when you want maximum warmth and comfort.
ALL SEASONS: There are also some, but not all, duvet designs that can be buttoned or clipped together to adapt to the change in weather. For example, you can find a 4.5 tog duvet that can be used on its own in the summer and attached to a 9.5 tog duvet to create a 13.5 tog duvet for the winter.
CHILDREN’S DUVETS: It’s recommended that you choose a tog rating under 9.0 for children under the age of 10. There are also specialist children’s duvets.
2
Choose the filling
Both natural and synthetic fillings have their benefits so it’s a matter of taste and budge which one you choose:
Natural filling
- The great thing about natural filling is that it’s very ‘breathable’ and helps keep your body at the optimum temperature for sleep. The duvet is usually stitched to form ‘pockets’ so the filling is evenly spread and won’t move about to create cold spots.
- Fillings include blends of feather and down from geese and ducks. Down refers to the fine feathers found under the outer feathers, which keep the bird very warm. The higher the down content, the lighter it will feel, although down will keep you warmer than a feather duvet as it’s more insulating. Hungarian and Siberian goose down fillings are particularly luxurious.
- Remember that feather and down duvets are generally heavier than down-only duvets, but both can have the same tog rating i.e warmth.
- If you’re allergic to dust mites, look for the duvets using the NOMITE brand of shells, which stop the mites penetrating and so making natural duvets suitable for those with allergies. Alternatively perhaps look at a wool-filled duvet or a silk-filled duvet, which is naturally hypoallergenic. Wool or silk feel light and breathable but keep you at the perfect temperature. Look out for Mulberry silk fibres or Silk FX fibres, which are washable.
Synthetic filling
If you want to be able to wash your duvet regularly, or if you suffer from allergies, this type of non-allergenic duvet may be the best choice. Many designs come with hypoallergenic microfibres that are light and breathable and feel similar to down and feathers.