What duvet know that you don’t?
We give you the skinny on synthetic fibres and the lowdown on eiderdown so you too can stay cosy under the covers this winter
As the nights grow cooler, most of us make the switch from summer bedding to something warmer. With few now using blankets, it’s time to up our duvets’ tog value. Tog measures thermal insulation with low numbers for hot nights and high for cold weather.
There’s a huge range to choose from. You could buy a 13.5 tog duvet (for winter) to fit a double bed for just £8 from Wilko. Or you could opt to pay £10,500 for an emperor size eiderdown duvet from the White Company – John Lewis has something similar for £10,000.
So should you go for cheap and cheerful or a bedding solution requiring a visit to the bank manager before purchasing? Or somewhere inbetween? It’s a tough question, but important as we spend roughly a quarter to a third of our lives in bed.
What do you get for £10,500? It’s described as an “outstandingly luxury night’s sleep beneath the most sumptuous duvet on the market. Our indulgent made-to-order Eiderdown Duvet is filled purely with precious Eider duck down and encased in a soft, temperatureregulating silk casing.”
And what about £8? Wilko says: “Combining quality with a great price, you can’t go wrong with this 13.5-tog single duvet. The quilt is extra warm. Dry clean only is recommended.” The material here, as on most budget level duvets is 100% polypropylene for the cover, and 100% polyester filling. Your first choice is size. The usual range is single, double, king-size and sometimes ‘emperor’. Depending on sleeping habits – do you pull up the covers or sleep with your feet extended? – you may want a size bigger than the bed.
Ignoring the cheapest and dearest, the second decision is filling. Manufacturer Yorkshire Linen says there are three basic types.
Hollowfibre is a synthetic with millions of strands to trap air and warmth. The filling is anti-allergenic, and is machine washable at 60 degrees, killing dust mites. Synthetic is cheaper but won’t last as long.
Duck feather and down is the cheapest natural duvet filling – the down is the best bit as the feathers are neither as soft nor as good in keeping you warm.
Goose down is lighter but offers the same level of warmth. Geese from colder climates, such as Hungary and Siberia, produce down in bigger clusters and this filling is considered the most luxurious. Goose down duvets can last for 20 years.