As a mum of three, I put the Night Lark coverless duvet to the test to see if it would make laundry day easier

As a mum of three, I put the Night Lark coverless duvet to the test to see if it made for fuss-free bed changing compared to the best duvets on the market.

In a nutshell

As a parent, I can absolutely see the appeal of a coverless duvet for kids. It’s designed to be easy to care for, the whole lot can be washed together, and – as long as you have a spare – overnight changes when accidents happen are faff free.

However, as a sleep-product reviewer who’s sleep tested well over 20 duvets, I was skeptical about the Night Lark coverless duvet as an option for adults. Would it match up in the comfort stakes with other duvets I’ve tested?

The answer is, it’s a bit like comparing apples and pears. The Night Lark’s USP is that it’s easy to change and keep clean in one job lot. There's no faffing with a duvet cover, which may make it a good option for anyone who struggles with the dexterity needed to put a duvet cover on a duvet and deal with fiddly fastenings.

However, if you opt for the king or super king size, you need to wash it in a large-capacity washing machine, which not everyone will have available. You're also limited to a 40ºC wash. So if you're someone who likes to blitz any potential allergens at 60ºC, this duvet won't be for you.

I also found the 10.5 tog a little too lightweight for me, and its synthetic filling lacked the breathability I enjoy in a wool or feather and down duvet, so I found it a little hot and sticky to sleep under on warm nights. Plus, I missed being able to change the look of my bed. At £60 for a single, I also found this an expensive price tag for a synthetic duvet.

However, your preferences may vary. Read on to see if a coverless duvet is a good idea for you.

Specifications

• RRP: £60 / £80 / £90 / £100
• Sizes: Single / Double / King / Super King
• Tog ratings available: 4.5 / 10.5
• Materials: Filling - 100% Smartfil® Polyester from Recycled PET Bottles, cover - polyester
• Care: Machine washable at 40ºC. King and super king sizes require a 10kg capacity drum. Tumble dry.
• Manufacturer sleep trial: None

Feel

The Night Lark coverless duvet I opted for is a blue gingham design. It came in a drawstring bag, which is handy for storing it when not in use. There’s a clear window on the bag too, so you can tell which design is inside if you have more than one in your household.

The duvet is quilted to hold the filling in place. This makes it look a bit like a patchwork quilt or eiderdown quilt – this is really going to be a matter of taste as to whether you like this look or not.

You’re perhaps not going to get big marshmallow hotel-bed vibes from this duvet though. However, it still had a good profile – before testing I was worried it’d be very flat but actually I found it fairly plump.

The outer casing has the design printed onto it, rather than dyed. And the casing is made from polyester. While it doesn’t feel slippery like a sleeping bag might, it definitely feels different to my usual pure-cotton duvet covers. Because of all this, there is a bit of a sheen to the duvet and I found it looked and felt a little a bit plasticy.

Temperature regulation

I really suffer from poor sleep when my temperature fluctuates. I cannot cope with being too hot or cold, and tend to be a hot sleeper. So I often really struggle with synthetic fibres that are less good at regulating your temperature – my preference is usually a goose down duvet.

To make it hassle-free to wash and dry, the Night Lark coverless duvet is filled with polyester, so I was initially worried the synthetic fill would cause me to overheat.

During testing, I found this duvet warmed me up well on cold evenings. Yes, I am demanding and like to be warmed quickly and then stay at a temperate level all night long. So I was pleased that the Night Lark quickly had me feeling toasty, and I fell asleep quickly under this duvet.

As I was testing the 10.5 tog (which Night Lark calls its “all-season duvet”), I was intrigued to see how it fared on warmer nights. I found that it’s definitely warmer than my summer duvet (which is 4.5 tog), but then I was expecting that.

I didn't find this duvet as breathable or temperature-regulating as a wool or feather and down duvet, but, because it's so light and the drape wasn’t heavy around my body, I found air could still circulate freely and I could easily stick a foot out at night without really even noticing I was doing it. Ultimately, it didn't make me *too* hot, just a bit hotter and stickier on some nights than I might have liked.

Ease of care

As ease of care is probably the main reason why you’d buy a coverless duvet, I was keen to see how the Night Lark stacked up in testing.

I was testing the kingsize duvet, which Night Lark recommends washing in a large-capacity washing machine that can hold at least 10kg. For many of us, that might immediately negate the Night Lark's main USP, as you may need to go to the laundrette to find a drum that large.

However, my washing machine is a large-capacity one (with three kids in the house, I needed it), so I took the Night Lark for a spin.

Night Lark recommends you wash this duvet at 40ºC using normal fabric detergent. But, if you’re a dust-mite allergy sufferer, experts generally recommend you wash a duvet at a higher temperature than this to really blitz the bugs. Similarly, this isn’t quite hot enough to kill all germs and bacteria. I would recommend the Marks and Spencer supremely washable range as an alternative in this case, as you can wash those at 60ºC.

However, as long as the temperature restrictions aren't a concern, I found this duvet washed well, and it can also be tumble-dried. As it was warmer when I washed, and I am trying to avoid using my dryer too much, I hung my duvet on the line outside. This also offered extra cleaning time as the UV rays can help blitz germs and bugs.

The duvet dried quickly – on a warm day, it took around 2.5 hours to dry on my line. Sure, it takes up a lot of real estate on my washing line, but so does bed linen on wash days, so this was no different.

Ultimately, I think this coverless duvet's ease of care depends on the size of the duvet you opt for, and the size of your washing machine. Personally, I'd also want a spare in case I didn't have time to get it thoroughly washed and dried before bedtime rolled around. In that respect, I'm not totally sure it was really that much easier to care for than a regular duvet and duvet cover.

However, I do think this duvet would be ideal for camping, for those who don’t like sleeping in the confines of a sleeping bag. It’s not super compact, but if you were just rocking up to a campsite – or even in a caravan – it would be handy. And after being dragged through grass and probably getting a bit damp in a tent, you can give it all a thorough wash.

I also loved that I could wash my duvet and have it smelling ultra clean on bed linen change days. I am particularly grossed out by stale-bed smells, and when guests come to stay, I want to give them the freshest bed they’ve ever seen or smelt. The Night Lark coverless duvet makes that possible, so I liked it for that.

Value for money

This is definitely not the cheapest coverless duvet you can buy. A single of Snuggledown’s coverless duvetis £25. Design-wise you are limited to plain navy, and the quilting is less intricate. I’m not sure that warrants the Night Lark being over twice that price, though.

If cottagecore is more your vibe, I also found this Floral 10.5 tog coverless duvet from Dunelm. It’s £30 for a single and includes a pillow. What’s different about this set is that it’s double-sided, so you can change the look depending on your mood. The care instructions say you have to line dry it rather than tumble dry though.

At £60 for a single and £80 for a double, I'd also say the Night Lark coverless duvet is very expensive compared to a normal synthetic duvet. The M&S Supremely Washable 10.5 Tog Duvet in a single is only £29.50. Yes, you need to add a duvet cover, but a comparable polyester or poly-cotton duvet cover would be under £10.

Overall, I’d say Night Lark is perhaps not super competitive on price, but this duvet does feel well-made and like it’ll last well.

Verdict

All in all, if you're opting for a single duvet for a kids' bedroom, I think a coverless duvet could be a good option, and overall, I was impressed by Night Lark's quality and the amount of designs available.

It could also be a good option for any adults who struggle with the dexterity or mobility needed to change or fasten a duvet cover.

However, if you're opting for a larger size in this duvet, I found washing then becomes more problematic. Especially in the king or super king size, which require a large capacity machine for thorough cleaning.

I also feel the Night Lark coverless duvet is expensive compared to other synthetic options. If ease of care is top of your agenda, then personally I'd opt for something like the M&S Supremely Washable 10.5 Tog Duvet that can be washed at 60ºC, and is nearly half the Night Lark's price.

So, for specific needs, yes, I think the Night Lark coverless duvet could be a great solution. But for me personally, I'm going to stick to my feather and down duvet and a duvet cover I can swap and change as the mood takes me.

How I tested

Zoë Phillimore

I’m Zoë, a hot sleeper and a mother of three who values a good night's sleep very highly! I've spent the past four years testing and reviewing bedding and mattresses for Ideal Home, The Independent, and many more publications.

I spent around a month testing the Night Lark coverless duvet. I tried a kingsize duvet in 10.5 tog, which is Night Lark’s all-season duvet. I wanted to see if it truly was all-season or not. I tested it at home on my own bed, and I also tested it as a blanket on my sofa during movie nights with my kids.

While testing I looked at how it feels to lie (or sit) underneath it. I looked at the drape and profile of the duvet - how it tucked around me when I was in bed and if I got that cosy feeling underneath.

I was keen also to see if I overheated under the Night Lark duvet. To do this I slept under it and monitored how disturbed I was by temperature fluctuations during the night.

Of course, price is always important along with quality and ease of use. So I washed the duvet, dried it and then sized the quality vs price out. Lastly, I looked at alternatives to see how it fitted into the coverless duvet market.