I'm always cold in bed, my husband's always hot – this affordable 2-in-1 duvet has just solved our bedtime arguments

The budget-friendly Slumberdown Made For You Two duvet is designed to help partners who prefer to sleep at different temperatures, with one side offering 4.5 togs of warmth and the other a cosier 10.5 togs.

As a cold sleeper who shares a bed with a husband who sleeps hot, it could have been made for us. We put it to the test over a week to see how it compared to the best duvets on the market, and whether it would solve arguments over the thermostat.

In a nutshell

Overall, the Slumberdown Made For You Two 4.5/10.5 tog duvet performed better than I expected. It offers great value for money and turned out to be an ideal solution to satisfying both mine and my husband’s different preferred sleep temperatures.

The king-sized version I tested costs just £26.50, which is an extremely competitive price in comparison to other synthetic duvets on the market.

Another big plus point for this duvet is that it’s easy to care for. So as a mother of two boys who are constantly covered in mud or chocolate, being able to machine wash it at home and tumble dry it too is extremely beneficial.

It’s worth bearing in mind, however, that the reason it's so easy to wash and dry is because it's made from synthetic fibres. Both the filling and outer casing are constructed of 100% polyester which does impact the breathability of the duvet, making it feel a lot warmer to sleep under than my usual feather and down filled duvet.

For me as a cold sleeper this extra warmth is a bonus, but for my husband who is always hot at night it would usually be an issue. However, because his side of the duvet was only 4.5 tog it offered the perfect solution for us both, and neither of us overheated.

Normally I prefer the luxury and weight of a feather and down duvet, however, I was pleasantly surprised by how warm this duvet kept me and by the way in which it kept myself and my husband happy. And the fact it’s easy-care and affordable means I would definitely recommend it to friends.

Slumberdown Made For You Two Duvet review

Specifications

• RRP: £23.40 / £26.50
• Sizes: double / king
• Tog rating: 4.5 tog on one half and 10.5 on the other
• Materials: casing: polyester, filling: polyester
• Care: machine washable at 40ºC, tumble dry on low
• Manufacturer sleep trial: none

Feel

The Slumberdown Made For You Two 4.5/10.5 tog duvet arrived in fairly basic plastic packaging and felt very lightweight when I unpacked it; much lighter than the usual feather and down filled duvet that my husband and I sleep under.

That said, because it’s so light it made it much easier to change the bed than my usual duvet, and the 100% polyester case feels nice and soft. The cover itself is plain white and looks quite low budget, but it's comparable to most other budget-friendly duvets around this price point.

As you would expert, there is a distinct difference in weight and thickness between the 4.5 and the 10.5 tog side of the duvet. The 10.5 tog side is noticeably thicker and springier, but both sides feel nicely squashy.

Rubbing them between my fingers, the filling feels soft and plump, and, unlike some microfibre duvets I’ve slept under, the filling isn’t clumped or lumpy, and feels evenly spread.

However, I was a bit disappointed to notice that some of the corners of the duvet had loose threads hanging off as if the edges were starting to unravel, but this didn’t impact me at all once it had a duvet cover on. It was more a reflection on the quality of the finish.

On the plus side, unlike my feather and down-filled duvet, the Made For You Two's polyester fill didn’t make a crunchy rustling noise which annoys me so much in the night when my husband moves! This made it perfect for light-sleepers like me.

Temperature regulation

Sleeping temperatures are always a point of contention in our house. My husband’s internal thermometer means he’s always hot at night, whilst I am always cold. This means that I often go to bed in layers of PJs, bed socks and even a dressing gown in a bid to keep warm. Not helped by the fact that we live in an older house that gets very cold in the winter.

My husband on the other hand, sleeps with a foot out of the bed to keep cool and let the air circulate. So I had high hopes that this split tog duvet might help us combat our differing temperature preferences.

When I climbed under the warmer half of the Slumberdown Made For You Two 4.5/10.5 tog duvet, the first thing I noticed was that it didn't drape around me quite as well as my usual feather and down duvet.

Because I’m always cold, I like to pull my duvet up to my chin and to make sure there are no air entry points around the sides of my body. This duvet didn’t cling to my body as much as my usual feather and down-filled duvet, so it was harder to ensure no cold air got in around my body in our 18 degree bedroom.

However, even though it wasn’t as heavy or easy to drape as my feather and down-filled duvet, I found that those synthetic fibres soon reflected my body heat back toward me. As a result, I was warm within a matter of minutes. In fact, I felt really warm and cosy.

Over on the 4.5 tog side of the bed, my husband reported that he loved the fact that he didn’t overheat like he normally does with our usual feather duvet.

The only downside I encountered was when the temperature rose. We had an unusually warm day whilst I was testing this duvet, during which the temperature in our bedroom went up to around 20 degrees. On this occasion, I did wake up in the night feeling hot and clammy – presumably due to the lack of breathability the polyester fibres offer.

Synthetic fibres don’t typically perform well in terms of breathability in comparison to natural duvet fillings such as feather and down. Polyester is also hydrophobic, meaning it doesn’t wick moisture away effectively, which can lead to overheating. For this reason, some people may find the synthetic filling too warm for higher summer temperatures.

Ease of care

A huge plus point of the Slumberdown Made for You Two 4.5/10.5 Tog duvet is the fact that it can be washed in the washing machine at 40 degrees and tumble dried.

I tested a king-size duvet and although it was a bit of a squash to get it into the washing machine (which is a standard drum size) I did manage it.

As a mother-of-two I’ve noticed that bedding is often at risk of stains from spilled drinks and accidents, and so this is ideal for keeping it clean and strain-free

I managed to wash and tumble dry it in a day, but it was a squash to fit the king size in my washing machine and tumble drier. So it’s worth considering in relation to your machine size as to whether it’ll fit.

Sleep trial

Unfortunately Slumberdown doesn't offer sleep trials on any of its bedding, so there isn’t an opportunity to test it out and return it if you don’t enjoy the sleeping experience.

However, it isn't too much of an investment, and in my experience, it really does do what it says for the money. So unless your expectations are wildly unrealistic, you shouldn’t be disappointed.

Value for money

Costing £26.50 for a king size, I think this duvet is a total bargain. Part of its low price is no doubt due to the fact that the filling is synthetic rather than natural, and the quality and finish does reflect this cheaper price point, but is not dissimilar to other duvets in this price bracket.

And considering the fact that it offers a such a useful solution for keeping two people happy while sleeping I think it’s a good price for what it is.

As a point of comparison, other synthetic king-size duvets can retail in the hundreds of pounds. So this is definitely at the budget end of the price scale.

How I tested

Rachel Tompkins

I’m Rachel, a mother of two who helps the Ideal Home team put all manner of products through their paces to find the top recommendations for our readers. For this review, I tested the Slumberdown Made for You Two Duvet on a bed with a hybrid memory foam mattress.

I tested the Slumberdown Made for You Two 4.5/10.5 Tog duvet at home, on my own bed with my husband for a week. Some nights, I shared it with my two young children, too.

I observed how warm it kept me when I got into bed, and how it regulated my temperature during the night. What makes this particular duvet unique is how it caters to two different sleeping preferences, and so I also noted how happy it kept my husband and children, who prefer to be cooler at night than I do.

I also looked at how it felt when scrunched in my hand, and how it sprang back. Plus, how the drape was around my body as I lay in bed.

I also tested how easy it was to wash and dry, and how well it came up after these, and whether this resulted in lumps.

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.