luxury duvet buyers guide

The important things to consider when buying a duvet.

Luxury Duvet Buyers Guide

Buying a luxury duvet can be overwhelming.  So below we've prepared some useful information to help you make a considered purchase that is absolutely right for you.

Which Luxury Duvet Should You Buy?

A luxury duvet comforter is a great investment for quality sleep night after night. However with so many to choose from, it can be difficult to understand what factors really constitute ‘luxury’. The filling of your duvet and the tog rating are two of the most important elements that should be considered when making your decision and impact greatly on the level of comfort you can expect from your duvet. These vital considerations will help you make the right choice, ensuring that you get excellent value for your money and the best possible night’s sleep.

Natural vs Synthetic Fillings in Luxury Duvets

The filling of your luxury duvet is largely dependent on individual taste and budget. If you are not an allergy sufferer, we would recommend choosing a duvet with a natural filling as they are often much softer, cosier and comfortable and are considered the more luxurious choice. However, a duvet with a synthetic filling is ideal for anyone looking for a non-allergenic option as the synthetic fibres detract dust and mites for a healthier sleep.

Natural fillings: Duvets which contain a natural filling offer a higher level of warmth with less filling for a more breathable and lightweight duvet. Natural fillings usually consist of goose or duck feathers, or a combination of the two, to help the skin breathe as the feathers are naturally adept at trapping warmer air for more effective insulation.

The softest and warmest feather and down comes from birds of cooler climates, with Icelandic eiderdown being widely regarded as the best natural insulator available. Renowned for their exceptional softness and durability, choosing a duvet with a natural filling is a true investment in a superior quality of sleep.

Synthetic fillings: If you are allergic to the natural fillings of feather and down, it’s important to choose a good quality alternative that has been designed to mimic their natural thermal properties. Anti-allergy duvets contain a special blend of synthetic fibres that absorb and disperse excess moisture to keep you warm at night whilst preventing overheating.

All synthetic duvets are non-allergenic by nature so are suitable for the whole family. They are also considered easier to care for as they can be machine washed more frequently.

The Tog Rating of a Luxury Duvet

The tog rating is a scale of warmth which measures the thermal properties of a duvet and how well it can retain heat. With tog ratings ranging from a cool and lightweight 4.5 tog to warm and cosy 13.5 tog, choosing the right tog is important for a comfortable and restorative sleep.

Although it is ultimately dependent on individual sleeping preferences, seasonal weather can act as a basic guideline to what tog you should be purchasing. In summer, we would advise choosing a lightweight 4.5 tog to prevent overheating and keep your overall body temperature down in the warmer weather. A 9 tog duvet is a popular choice for many in spring and autumn as it provides a perfect balance of warmth and weight. A 13.5 tog is ideal for the wintery colder month and if your bedroom gets particularly cold, a higher tog will help retain your natural body heat and keep you cosy and warm throughout the night.

Purchasing and storing three separate duvets for every seasonal change can be difficult so as an alternative we would recommend either choosing a 9 tog duvet or purchasing an ‘all seasons’ duvet and opting for a 4.5 tog and 9 tog duvet which can be attached together during the colder months to provide you with the warmth of a 13.5 tog duvet.

It’s also important to take into consideration the filling of your duvet as it may possess better thermal properties which will influence your chosen tog rating. For example, a duvet with a natural filling is much warmer than a duvet with a synthetic filling. This means that less natural filling will be needed to achieve the same level of warmth as a synthetic duvet and although a 9 tog natural duvet and a 9 tog synthetic duvet will trap warmth in the same way, less filling will be needed to achieve this in a natural duvet and therefore the duvet will feel much lighter.

Considering these two important factors in your decision to buy a luxury duvet will ensure you are able to make your purchase will complete confidence. However, if you would like further information and advice on our own handpicked selection of luxury duvets, contact our knowledgeable and experienced linen specialists who are always on hand to help with any queries you may have.

If you would like more information about luxury bedding, our bed linen buyer’s guide explores luxury bedding in finer detail, examining everything from design to threadcount so you are able to make the best possible choice for you and your home.

Visit our shop in Harrogate, call 01423 530111 or email shop@woodsfinelinens.com for further assistance with your purchase. Alternatively, browse our range of luxury duvets online and find the right duvet for you.