The Ultimate Duvet Buying Guide
"How do I choose the right duvet for me?" It's a question we hear all the time at The Fine Bedding Company. We understand that selecting the ideal duvet can be quite overwhelming, so we decided to make the decision-making process a little easier for you! After all, investing in the right duvet is essential, considering we spend a third of our lives cosying up in bed.
In this guide, we'll help you ensure you are making an informed and confident choice by unfolding the mystery behind a duvet tog rating, the benefits of different duvet fillings, how to choose the right sized duvet for you and tips on how to clean it. So, let's dive in and help you discover the perfect duvet.
When embarking on your duvet selection journey, here are the topics you will want to consider:
Deciphering The Tog Rating: What Does Tog Mean?
Contrary to common belief, the Tog rating isn't an indicator of a duvet's thickness or quality. Rather, it's a measure used to gauge the thermal insulation capacity of a material. In simpler terms, it tells you how warm a duvet is. The rule of thumb is straightforward: the higher the Tog rating, the warmer the duvet. At The Fine Bedding Company, our duvets range from 4.5 Tog to 13.5 Tog suiting a broad range of temperatures in your home.
Tog is one indication of the warmth and feel of a duvet, another factor to consider can be the ‘weight’ of the material. Whether you choose a lightweight or a heavyweight duvet will come down to personal preference but let us consider their qualities here:
Lightweight Duvets
A lightweight duvet will feel soft and snuggly, with no weight bearing down on your body, for a ‘cloud-like’ feeling when you’re drifting off to sleep. Duvets which are made with synthetic fillings tend to have a lightweight feel and can offer increased breathability during sleep. If this is the type of duvet you are looking for, have a look at our Breathe Duvet.
Heavyweight Duvets
For those who prefer the cosy, enveloped sensation while falling asleep, heavyweight duvets are the perfect choice. Duvets stuffed with natural fillers such as duck and goose down, tend to have a denser feel and therefore a heavier weight on the sleeper. Research has shown that weighted blankets and heavier bedding can improve sleep through the comfort of a close and cosy sleeping experience. A denser duvet, such as our Return To Nature Duvet, offers that down-like cosiness and tucked in feeling.
Duvets Through the Seasons
As the seasons change, and the weather cools and warms, you may want to consider changing up your duvet to keep you comfortable through these transitions.
Winter and Autumn Duvets
Through the coldest months of the year, you should consider choosing a duvet between 10.5 to 13.5 tog for the most effective warmth in bed. Our Warm Winter Bedding Duvet collection offers a full range of duvets to suit the cooler months.
Spring and Summer Duvets
The perfect choice for this season is the 4.5 Tog duvet. Most of our duvet range comes in 4.5 Tog options, but our Breathe Duvet is the ultimate summertime option. If you tend to get chilly, even in summer, we recommend opting for a 7 Tog duvet for added warmth.
Here is an overview of our seasonal duvet recommendations including tog ranges and our product top picks:
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Spring |
Summer |
Autumn |
Winter |
|
Tog Rating |
7-10.5 |
4.5-7 |
10.5-13.5 |
13.5 + |
|
Recommendations |
All Season Duvets
To help you transition through the seasons seamlessly, The Fine Bedding Company offers the perfect solution in the form of the All Seasons Duvet. Through a combination of a 9 tog duvet and a 4.5 tog duvet that is detachable you can customise your bedding to the season, attaching and detaching the additional duvet to suit your preferences. Our Spundown Duvet is available in the 4 seasons warmth variant. If nighttime sweating is a concern, the Breathe Duvet is an innovative choice as it contains Modal, a moisture-wicking material in its filling.
How to Choose the Best Duvet Filling For You:
Once you've settled on the perfect type, size, and duvet Tog rating, the next decision is selecting the right filling. Synthetic fibre-filled or natural? Your choice can greatly impact your comfort. The Fine Bedding Company has a wide range of materials and technologies in its duvets to appeal to everyone, but they generally fall into two categories: synthetic materials and natural materials.
Benefits of Synthetic Fibre-Filled Duvets
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Anti-allergy properties ideal for allergy sufferers
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Easy to wash and dry at home
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Ideal for those who prefer lighter duvets
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Offers technical benefits such as added breathability
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Often cheaper than natural counterparts
Benefits of Natural Duvets
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Highly breathable
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Long life span
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Ideal for those who prefer a heavier duvet
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Keeps you warm in the winter and cool in the summer
Choosing the Right Duvet Sizes
Selecting the appropriate duvet size is crucial for both comfort and aesthetic appeal. A duvet should generously cover the mattress while providing enough overhang to keep you warm and add a decorative touch to your bedroom. Here are some key considerations:
Match the Mattress:
The first step is to match the duvet size to your mattress size. Standard mattress sizes in the UK include Single, Double, King and Super King. However, it's always best to check specific measurements as these can vary by region. Alternatively, you could always size up for a more luxurious and draped look.
Sharing the Duvet:
If you’re sharing a bed, consider upsizing your duvet. Opting for a size larger than your mattress can prevent the duvet tug-of-war and ensure both individuals have adequate coverage throughout the night.
Across Europe there is also a culture of each person sharing a bed having their own duvet. Having your own individual duvet when sharing a bed can also mean that you can have a tog that suits each of your warmth preferences. If you find that a single duvet however large does not suffice for sharing in bed, you may want to consider sleeping with two duvets on your bed!
Consider the Overhang:
Ideally, a duvet should hang over the sides of the mattress to ensure warmth and comfort throughout the night. A little extra width and length can make a significant difference, especially if you tend to move a lot in your sleep or share the bed.
Personal Preference:
Some people prefer a more draped look, or extra coverage, while others might like a duvet that fits neatly atop the mattress. Your personal preference should guide your final choice to ensure maximum comfort and satisfaction.
Buying a Duvet for a Child
It is important for parents to have a proper understanding of which duvet children should be using at certain ages. For instance, children under the age of 12 months should not be using a duvet due to the risk of overheating and suffocation. Instead, they should be using a cot quilt.
For children above 1 years old, their first duvet should be light, within the range of 3-4.5 tog, leading up to a tog rating of 7.5-9 as they get older. You can gradually keep on increasing the tog count and allow your children to regulate their temperature on their own.
As the nights get cooler, you may automatically think you need to switch the kid’s duvets to the heaviest tog available. However, unlike adults, children can find it a lot harder to regulate their body temperature and are at a higher risk of overheating when faced with a duvet of a very high tog rating.
Our 7 tog Breathe Duvet is the perfect autumn kid's duvet, as it is not only the ideal weight, but it is also machine washable making it ideal for the times when stains appear and accidental bedwetting occurs.
If you would like to know more you can read our full expert guide on choosing the right tog for children’s duvets!
Find Your Perfect Duvet with The Fine Bedding Company
Now you know how to choose the right duvet, you can start exploring our duvet collections. Take advantage of our free mainland UK delivery on orders over £75.
If you’ve made your duvet choice and purchased a duvet from The Fine Bedding Company, here is a step-by-step Easy Cleaning Guide to answer all your maintenance questions and ensure you keep your bedding fresh and in perfect condition!
