'Like magic in a heatwave' – this cooling duvet has transformed my sleep in hot weather

I put the Bedsure Cooling Duvet to the test in a heatwave, and I'm impressed. This cooling cover definitely gave the best duvets on the market a run for their money in the cooling stakes.

In a nutshell

It’s generally accepted that it’s very difficult to sleep in a heatwave. Duvets are probably the last thing you want to think about when you’re in the midst of another record-breaking run of hot days. But if, like me, you're eager for a cooler sleep, I was really pleasantly surprised by the Bedsure Cooling Duvet, which is currently fairly reasonably priced at under £50 for a double on Amazon.

I’m a sleep-product reviewer, and I’ve made a career out of finding the best duvets on the market to suit all preferences and budgets. This Bedsure Cooling Duvet is hard to beat. The cool-to-touch casing is complemented by rayon and bamboo filling. These weighty fillings actually help you stay cool by regulating your temperature and wicking away sweat.

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I found sleeping under the Bedsure duvet a genuine pleasure. I found the combination of the cooling sleep surface, plus the comforting gentle weight and silky drape of its fabric and filling helped me sleep better and for longer than I usually do during a heatwave.

Specifications

• RRP: £40.99 / £51.99 / £61.99 / £65.99
• Sizes: single / double / king / super king
• Tog rating: n/a
• Materials: outer: nylon, elastane, rayon, bamboo
• Care: machine wash on cool, delicate cycle, tumble dry on low
• Manufacturer sleep trial: none

Feel

On unpacking, what I immediately noticed about this duvet was how cool to the touch it felt (more on that in a bit), and also how pleasantly weighty it felt in my hands.

When it’s hot, I often struggle to sleep without a duvet, because I find the weight of a duvet helps me to relax. However, as temperatures soar, I’m torn between wanting the heft of a duvet and the fact it overheats me. So I was delighted by this duvet, which offers a gentle weight and drapes really nicely over my body but also keeps me cool.

The outer casing of the duvet is silky and soft, meaning you can use it as a coverless duvet if you want. It feels quite similar to a sleeping bag, in that it’s slippery – but thankfully not as sweaty.

The stitching on the duvet is in curves. This looks nice, yes, but in practical terms, it will also keep the filling from slipping around.

The Bedsure Cooling Duvet comes in four solid colourways: grey, blue, green and white. There are also tabs on each corner in case you prefer to tie it to the inside of a duvet cover.

Overall, I was really impressed by the premium feel and smart design of this duvet.

Temperature regulation

In the summer, I usually sleep under the 4.5 tog Scooms Hungarian Goose Feather and Down Duvet. However, I tested the Bedsure Cooling Duvet during a record-breaking heatwave in June, and it was definitely too hot for my usual 4.5 tog duvet. I’d been resorting to sleeping under a Piglet in Bed linen flat sheet – but I was finding even that was too hot.

All this is to say, I wasn’t sure I was up for testing a duvet in the current circumstances. It was only the lure of that 'cooling' promise that got me to consider slipping under any form of cover, and to be honest, I wasn't expecting to be that impressed by those cooling claims. However, I was wrong.

I unpacked the Bedsure Cooling Duvet as interior temperatures in my house were around 30ºC. Bedsure claims that this duvet will instantly cool your body by 4º – for fact fans, this means it’s Q-Max > 0.4. I was intrigued by this idea, and not just because I desperately needed to rescue my sleep quality in the heatwave.

As a sleep-product reviewer, I know that a drop in core body temperature before bedtime sends a signal to the brain that it’s time for sleep. So this duvet could ultimately help me sleep better if its cooling claims worked.

The duvet itself is filled with rayon and bamboo, which are fabrics associated with good thermoregulation. They allow better airflow around your body, allowing cool air to circulate around you while also wicking away sweat. Although it sounds grim, having your sweat wicked away is essential to helping your body feel cool.

So in practice, did all of this stack up? I was surprisingly thrilled to report that yes – I found this duvet’s temperature regulation brilliant. I slipped under the duvet on a boiling-hot night in the hottest room in the house, and I felt actively cooled. It honestly felt like magic.

My husband initially mocked me for lying under a duvet during a heatwave, but I invited him to touch the duvet, and even he had to admit he was impressed by how cold it felt.

The one downside? Those cooling powers were less effective if I put a duvet cover on the duvet. It was the silky surface that really offered the most cooling against my hot skin. And that does mean you'd need to wash the entire duvet to freshen it up, rather than just a duvet cover.

Ease of care

The care label instructs that the Bedsure Cooling duvet can be machine washed at 40 on a gentle cycle. You can also tumble dry the duvet on low.

The duvet filling is quite flat and dense, but that means it doesn't require any shaking out or 'refluffling' like my usual feather and down duvet. However, this does mean it looked slightly flat on my bed, which might be a minus point for people who care about aesthetics.

Sleep trial

The one downside of this duvet is that there's no sleep trial available. That means that, unlike some duvets, you can't test it out on your bed and return it if it isn't suitable for your needs.

However, it is at least quite reasonable priced, which I think makes taking a punt on this cooling cover a lot less risky. More on its price point below.

Value for money

Although this is a mostly synthetic duvet (bamboo aside), I'm still impressed with its low price point. A single costs around £40 and a double £50.

According to my research, the Bedsure Cooling Duvet is also often reduced at Amazon, which makes its budget-friendly price tag even lower.

The quality of the Bedsure Cooling Duvet is outstanding - as good as duvets I’ve tested that are 10 times the price (this will be to do with the price of the fillings though). It feels durable and made to last.

I double-checked how it was rated by other owners online, and was pleased to note that they were also thrilled by how cooling this duvet was in a heatwave.

There were a few people who said it didn’t work for them long term through the night, but I do wonder if they used it with a duvet cover on, which I found did make the cooling experience a little less impactful.

How I tested

Zoë Phillimore

I’m Zoë, a mum of three and a sleep product tester who helps the Ideal Home team put all manner of bedding through its paces to find the top recommendations for our readers.

I tested the Bedsure Cooling Duvet for 10 days during a record-breakingly hot June. Temperatures reached around 30ºC in my bedroom, and at night it didn’t cool much.

I had the bedroom windows open and a fan on me constantly – my usual set-up during very hot nights – so I was able to compare the duvet side by side with both a linen sheet and my usual 4.5 tog feather and down duvet.

I monitored my sleep quality using an Oura Ring 4, which gives me an almost overwhelming amount of stats. It had been chastising me for the lack of sleep I was achieving in the run-up to the testing period, but my sleep under the Bedsure Cooling Duvet seemed to satisfy my Oura Ring somewhat.

Other things I factored into my testing were the feel and quality of the duvet, how easy it is to care for, and, of course, value for money is always part of the duvet testing process at Ideal Home. I compared this duvet to similar options on the market, and considered how its performance compares to its price point. I was impressed on all fronts by the Bedsure Cooling Duvet.