Duvet Buying Guide

How to Choose

A good quality duvet is an excellent investment for the best night’s sleep. The two most important factors to consider will be filling and tog value

Natural or synthetic filling?

This choice will largely be down to personal preference and budget.

A natural filling offers a higher level of warmth for less filling and is more breathable. Down works by trapping warm air and so will respond to the body’s temperature holding more warm air when it is cold and less when it is hot. For this reason, it is important not to wear too much in bed under a down duvet or to put blankets over it as this will impinge the downs’ ability to do its job.

Goose down has larger clusters than duck down so can hold more warm air which is why it tends to be preferred over duck down. The best quality down comes from birds from colder climates which is why you often see Polish, Hungarian, Canadian or Siberian specified. It is important to know that the down is fully traceable to be sure that what you think you are buying is genuinely what you are getting. Good quality down is soft and light and a worthwhile investment for a comfortable night’s sleep.

If you are an allergy sufferer or think the duvet may need frequent cleaning (eg. In a child’s room) then a synthetic filling may be more suitable. Recent years have seen fibre development using recycled plastics to create light and fluffy fillings designed to mimic the thermal properties of down without overheating. Anti-allergenic, they are particularly suitable for those who suffer with allergies and can be washed easily.

What are Togs?

A Tog is a measure of thermal insulation i.e. how good a duvet is at retaining heat. The higher the tog, the warmer it will keep you. Some materials are better insulators than others which is why, for example, some duvets can be lighter and even thinner than others but still have a higher tog value.

The tog value you chose will depend very much on your average room temperature and how hot you tend to get in bed. 

Many people will use a 4.5 tog duvet for the summer months and a 10.5 or 13.5 for the winter.