Best duvets 2021 – the top duvets for a comfortable night’s sleep
Looking for the best duvets to bring your household a better night’s sleep? As we reputedly spend a third of our lives in bed, it makes sense to ensure we’re comfortable while we’re there. Which, unless you’re a dedicated sheets and blankets fan, means it’s likely you’ll already be sleeping with a duvet of one kind or another.
With the change in seasons, you may be thinking about upgrading your current bedding. Having the best duvet to snuggle into, no matter what time of the year, is always something that we can look forward to at the end of each day. They can keep us feeling either snug and warm during winter, or cool and refreshed during summer.
With a type to suit every sleeper from those who feel the cold to allergy sufferers, they’re the quick and easy bed-making solution. And because we know people have different ideas of what makes a luxury duvet, we have included not just high-end down options, but duvets filled with wadding for a hypoallergenic night’s sleep, too. There is a wide range of budgets in our list too, meaning you can get the best duvet you can afford.
So, if you already have the best mattress, read on to find the perfect duvet and you will be having the most dreamy sleep in no time.
Best duvets 2021
1. Simba Hybrid Duvet
Best hi-tech duvet
Size: Single, Double, King, Super King
Material: Stratos fabric and cotton
Thread count: 300
Tog rating: 10.5
Reasons to buy: Keeps you comfortable in all seasons, machine washable/dryable
Reasons to avoid: Only one tog option
This hybrid duvet from mattress specialists Simba is double sided, with one cooling side featuring Stratos fabric technology, which was initially designed by NASA for astronauts. It utilises phase-change materials that keep a sleeper’s body temperature steady all night long by absorbing, storing and then releasing heat as it’s needed. While the tog rating sounds quite high (and a drawback is this is the only one they offer), warm sleepers will find it is generally good for year round use thanks to these heat control properties. We have used it in summer with no problem – apart from on the hottest nights when you’re too hot even with no cover at all.
The other side features a 300-thread-count breathable cotton outer. These two sandwich a wadding called Simba Renew made from recycled PET bottles, making this a great choice for anyone who doesn’t want to be using down.
Initially, the Stratos side felt a little stiffer and more constructed on our testing – a bit like a mattress protector rather than a duvet – but a few nights using it and it lost that ‘just out of the box’ feeling and felt more malleable. And, a small but important thing to note is that this duvet is very easy to dress owing to the structure of it. A great thing if you (like me) find putting a duvet cover on a right faff.
It comes in four sizes and is machine washable – always a bonus – and can be tumbled dried, too. The box-stitch construction keeps the filling from bunching, avoiding cold spots.
Ideal Home’s rating: 5 out of 5 stars
2. The White Company Hungarian Goose-Down Duvet – 4.5 Tog
Best down duvet
Size: Single, Double, King, Super King
Material: 80% goose down and 20% goose feather
Thread count: 329
Tog rating: 4.5
Reasons to buy: Lightweight, 10-year-guarantee
Reasons to avoid: If you need extra warmth, look elsewhere
The 80/20 ratio in favour of goose down in this 4.5 tog summer duvet definitely makes it a luxury bedding choice, as does the price. However, the 329-thread cotton percale outer is so soft and smooth to the touch we were almost tempted not to hide its beauty with a cover.
Despite its lightness, it is well filled and squishy, so you don’t feel as if you’re sleeping with just a sheet for cover. The box-stitch construction ensures the feathers are distributed evenly – and importantly stay that way – to ensure perfect coverage all over. It is also available as a 10.5 and 13.5 tog.
We also loved the fact that the design included buttons and buttonholes around the edge so it can be combined with another duvet of the same or heavier weight to allow you to build your own tog rating for the winter months. It can be machine-washed and tumble dried but we’d recommend professional laundering to keep it in tip-top condition for years to come. It has a 10-year guarantee.
Ideal Home’s rating: 5 out of 5 stars
3. Brook + Wilde Marlowe Duvet
Best duvet for ultra-lightweight luxury
Size: Single, Double, King, Super King
Material: 90% goose down feather, encased in Egyptian cotton
Thread count: 305
Tog rating: 10.5
Reasons to buy: Luxurious comfort, free UK delivery
Reasons to avoid: Big price tag
If you’re looking to replicate the duvets you might have encountered during a stay at a five-star hotel in your own bedroom then this duck-down filled duvet could be the one.
It’s pricey, we know, but from the beautifully stitched, supremely soft 305 thread count cover to its responsibly sourced 90% white goose down filling it is likely to be a favourite for years to come so we think it’s worth the initial investment.
The square stitched cells help to keep the filling evenly distributed meaning it won’t clump. It’s super lightweight, too – even the king size our testers tried – but also as puffy as a cloud, giving it depth and plushness but not heft.
It comes in just one tog choice, 10.5, but its lightness combined with the warmth level meant it worked just as well for our hot and cool sleeper. If you need the reassurance of a cover weighing down on you at night then this might not be for you but for those that prefer a lighter option this is a great choice.
And if you want to pair it with the best pillow, we tested and highly rate the Brook + Wilde Marlowe pillow to go with it. That’s real luxury right there.
Ideal Home’s rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
4. Slumberdown Allergy Protection 10.5 Tog Duvet
Best value duvet and best for allergy sufferers
Size: Single, Double, King
Material: Filling – 100% polyester, cover – 100% cotton
Tog rating: 10.5
Reasons to buy: Great for allergy sufferers, machine washable
Reasons to avoid: Too lightweight for cold winter nights
Do you suffer from ‘Home fever’? Not sure? Well, this is the term used by Allergy UK to describe out-of-season hay fever symptoms, the most common of which are runny nose and sneezing along with itchy skin and eyes. Unlike hay fever, some of these symptoms can be caused by – look away now if you’re squeamish – the millions of dust mites that could be present in our bedding.
One of our testers is a martyr to ‘home fever’ and has yet to find a cure, so we were super keen to try the Allergy Protection duvet from Slumberdown, which has an Allergy UK Seal of Approval to recommend it. The 10.5 tog double duvet is 100% pure cotton and filled with luxuriously silky hollow fibre for protection against dust mites. It’s machine washable at 40˚C and can be tumble dried.
The synthetic filling meant it felt light on the bed but was substantial enough for cooler nights. While it’s a little too early to tell if it’s helped out allergy sufferer, there did seem to be less sniffing and it’s a reasonable price so well worth trying out if you suffer from allergies and you’re in the market for a new duvet.
Ideal Home’s rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
5. Nectar Duvet
Best duvet for hot sleepers
Size: Single, Double, King, Super King
Material: Filling – Smartfil fibres, with 20% modal. Cover – 100% microfibre
Tog rating: 10.5
Reasons to buy: Stays cool all through the summer, very breathable, machine washable
Reasons to avoid: If you’re not a hot sleeper it may not give enough warmth
The Nectar Duvet is a great catchall for those in search of a year-round duvet. It’s crafted with Nectar’s own Smartfil technology, with a wood pulp-derived special ingredients called Modal. This is meant to add breathability, and we can attest that the duvet stays fresh even through the warmer months.
What really wowed us in testing was how fluffy this duvet stays. It never became lumpy and even after prolonged use, it stayed buttery soft and pleasing to touch and use.
The duvet is also machine washable up to 60 degrees, which is another reason why it’s a great duvet for summer. We think the price is reasonable, but because it only has one tog, those who run cold may find themselves wanting more coverage in winter.
If this doesn’t keep you cool enough, try teaming it with the best cooling mattress pad to put an end to the night sweats.
Ideal Home’s rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
6. Panda The Cloud Bamboo Duvet
Best bamboo duvet
Size: Single, Double, King
Material: Filling – 50% bamboo, 50% nano microfibre. Cover – 100% rayon
Thread count: 300
Tog rating: 10.5
Reasons to buy: Antibacterial filling, hypoallergenic
Reasons to avoid: May turn slightly lumpy through heavy use
This duvet features a Rayon outer made from bamboo and a filling that’s a 50/50 combination of bamboo and nano microfibre and it professes to give the ‘down feather feeling’ in a more ethical package.
Bamboo is uninhabitable for both mites and fungi and therefore naturally both hypoallergenic and antibacterial. This makes is great for allergy sufferers and those who suffer from skin complaints such as eczema and because it is bacteria that cause fabrics to smell, the makers claim the duvet will stay fresher for longer with fewer washes.
That’s a definite bonus for those of us that don’t enjoy taking regular trips to the dry cleaners. It has a 10.5 official rating, but we found the thermo-regulating properties meant it was fit for all seasons and the moisture wicking benefits of bamboo mean we’ll be cool but cosy all year round.
Bamboo is and eco-friendly resource that doesn’t require pesticides to thrive. It uses less water than cotton, produces more oxygen and absorbs more Co2 than hardwood trees and is fast-growing so it’s an all-round eco-solution. It has a five-year guarantee
Ideal Home’s rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
7. Soak & Sleep 100% cotton duvet – Double
Best cotton duvet
Size: Single, Double, King, Super King
Material: 100% cotton fill and cover
Thread count: 200
Tog rating: Info not available
Reasons to buy: naturally hypoallergenic and breathable
Reasons to avoid: may not be heavy enough for some
If you regularly experience disturbed nights because you’re constantly waking to either throw off your duvet because you’re too hot or scrabbling for it at the bottom of the bed when you’re too cold, then this cotton duvet could be the answer.
It’s filled with cotton which is naturally breathable and absorbent. Your temperature will be regulated throughout the night so now more waking up with hot sweats. The duvet is also lightweight so can be used as your main duvet during the summer months, and then as a secondary duvet or bedspread when the weather turns cooler towards the end of the year.
A couple of things to note is that the duvet is fully machine washable and comes with a two-year guarantee for added peace of mind.
8. Silentnight Yours and Mine 4.5/ 7.5 Tog Duvet – Double
Best duvet for couples
Size: Double, King
Material: Cover and filling – 100% polyester
Tog rating: Dual tog – 4.5 and 7.5 tog
Reasons to buy: Keeps you cool, 5 year-guarantee, non-allergenic
Reasons to avoid: Avoid if you want a thicker duvet
If your night-time sleeping experience is hotter than Hades while you partner is cooler than ice then this might be the perfect solution to your different sleeping types. The unique two-tog design features a higher rating on one half of the duvet and a lower on the other.
There are two combinations to choose from, 4.5 partnered with 7.5 tog for warmer spring and summer nights and 10.5 and 13.5 for winter. We tested in summer and as one of our testing due is very much on the side of warm when sleeping, we opted for the 4.5/7.5 duvet.
Made from hollowfibre inner and microfibre outer, it’s hypoallergenic, great for our allergy sufferer, too. It’s lovely and light but still kept our slightly cooler sleeper snuggly warm through the night, while the hotter – in all ways – of our two testers slept through without needing to throw off the covers in the night.
Definitely a tale of two good nights…
Ideal Home’s rating: 4 out of 5 stars
How to buy the best duvet for you
Choosing your duvet filling
Image credit: TI Media
While a soft, high thread-count cotton outer will feel lovely to the touch, it’s what’s inside a duvet that counts and also what decides the tog rating (see below). There are a variety of fillings and which one you choose will often depend on what kind of a sleeper you are and whether you have any allergies.
Feather and down duvets are the luxurious, and often most expensive, choice. Usually a mix of feathers and down – the softer underbelly feathers – from geese or ducks, the higher the down count, the squishier and airier the duvet will be. More feathers make for a weightier and snugger cover.
Silk is another ‘treat yourself’ choice, and can be beautifully lightweight while also warm and is great at wicking away moisture. Mountaineers don’t use silk-filled jackets for nothing… It’s very strong and hypoallergenic, too and great for those who have a tendency to overheat at night.
Wool-filled duvets are chunkier, so a particularly good choice for winter where you want something with some weight to snuggle under on a chilly night. Finally, synthetic duvets such as microfibre or hollowfibre are a practical choice for those with allergies to feathers or wool.
If you want the cushioned feel of down and feathers without the cost then opt for microfibres, while hollowfibre has a denser structure that means it’s longer lasting.
What size duvet should I choose?
Whether you’re looking for a duvet for a bed or a sofa bed, it’s best to choose a duvet that is the same size as your sleeping surface so that you get the right amount of drape around the sides. Buy something too small and you’ll not be properly covered, something too big and you could end up feeling slightly suffocated under the weight of excess material and filling that will pull down at the sides of the bed.
Some companies do make specialist duvets for cots and for European sized beds but as a general rule single, double, king and super king are the most popular sizes. Always check the dimensions when choosing new bedding as a European double is slightly longer so you will want to make sure all of your duvet covers are big enough.
How much should I spend on a duvet?
Image credit: Dominic Blackmore
If you want a duvet that will last a long time without loosing it’s ‘puff’ then natural materials will outlast most synthetic fillings but they will cost more initially. While you can pay upwards of just £10 for a microfibre double duvet with man-made fibre outer, a 400-count cotton outer filled with duck down could cost upwards of £150 for a single.
It’s best to decide the filling you prefer then look at the price range within that type to ensure you have a duvet that fits your budget restrictions well as your needs as a sleeper.
What is a tog rating?
Image credit: Silentnight
The tog rating of a duvet essentially measures the ability of the duvet – without a cover – to trap air. The higher the tog, the more air it can trap and therefore the warmer it will be.
Remember, though that this doesn’t take into account any warmth from the duvet cover, or clothing you might wear in bed, or for that matter, your mattress itself. A heavy cover can increase a tog rating quite significantly, while memory foam mattresses are natural conductors of warmth so if you have one you might want to team it with a lower tog duvet for optimum comfort.
Most duvets run from 3 up to 15 togs with the former being cooler and more suited to summer and the latter better for cold winter nights. A 3–4.5 tog duvet is best for the summer months, a home that’s quite hot or people who get overheated in the night. Tog rated duvets from 9–10.5 are good spring and autumn choices as they’re a little warmer to cope with those colder nights.
For winter, pick a duvet that’s around 13.5 or even higher if your house is super cold at night. Within that, of course, it depends how hot or cool a sleeper you are and someone who overheats at night might prefer to have a duvet that is no hotter than 9–10.5 tog, even in the dead of winter. If you still find you are too hot or cold, pair with an insulated or breathable mattress protector to get the balance right.
Most duvets come in a range of togs, so if you’ve found one you like but it’s 13.5 tog and too hot for summer, there will probably be a 4.5 one in the same range. Some duvets can be combined with poppers or buttons, allowing you to buy separate 4.5 tog and 9 tog duvets, which can then be joined together to create a 13.5 tog duvet for winter. A great idea if storage space is limited.
What else should I look for in a duvet?
Pick a duvet that has a stitch detail that serves to contain the filling in separate chambers, ensuring that it is evenly distributed and won’t cluster at the bottom or sides.
Shake and air it occasionally to loosen up any filling that has bunched or slightly compacted over time. This is particularly important with natural filled duvets but less so in synthetic ones as the filling has a construction that ensures it stays evenly distributed.
Duvets with man-made fillings will be usually be machine washable, although they can be bulky so only suitable for big-load machines. While some natural fillings such as feathers can also be machine washed, it is often recommended that they be professionally laundered to ensure they last.
Black Friday bedding deals
We all like a bargain, and if you’re looking to save some money on a bedroom update then it’s well worth taking a look at Ideal Home’s deals pages, especially at the moment as with Black Friday just around the corner there are likely to be some great bedding sales to take advantage of.
What is Black Friday? Often hailed as the biggest shopping day of the year, Black Friday happens on the last Friday of November, which this year means Black Friday is on Friday 26th November 2021.
The term Black Friday originated in the US to denote the first day following Thanksgiving when retailers would cut prices to draw holidaymakers to shop their store’s sales. Driven by global brands, the price-slashing event soon crossed the pond, and now Black Friday – closely followed by Cyber Monday – has become one of the UK’s biggest sale extravaganzas.
The event has also spread to encompass more than one day, with many retailers starting their ‘Black Friday’ events earlier and earlier to try to get ahead of the competition, and it can mean some great savings on big-ticket items for the home, like bedding.
We’ll be rounding up all the best duvet deals as they hit down on our Black Friday bedding deals page, as well as keeping an eye on the best homeware deals overall in our dedicated Black Friday deals hub. You’ll also find plenty of other ways to save some hard-earned cash with our Black Friday sofa deals and Black Friday furniture deals round-ups!
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