The best duvets on the market can make a real difference to the quality of your sleep. And, as a good night's sleep is linked to better mental and physical wellbeing, just like investing in the best mattress your budget allows, shopping for a duvet is one of those purchases where spending wisely really pays off.
However, there are thousands of duvets available, with price points ranging anywhere from £20 to £500, and all promising to do fantastic things for your sleep quality. So how do you sort the wheat from the chaff?
As Ideal Home's Sleep Editor, I've done the hard work for you, testing out multiple duvets from bestselling brand names like Simba, Marks & Spencer, John Lewis & Partners, scooms, Floks, Soak & Sleep and many more to rate them on comfort, breathability, ease of care, and value for money.
Best duvets
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Tried and tested, these are my top recommendations for the best summer duvets, best all-season duvets, best winter duvets, and more.
Best summer duvets
Tog measures duvet warmth, with 1 tog the coolest and 15 tog usually the very warmest duvet available. I asked multiple bedding experts what duvet tog is best for summer and they unanimously voted for 4.5 tog. Based on my testing, I agree is the ideal hot-weather duvet weight. Here are my top picks.
Best summer duvet overall
I'd never slept under a wool duvet until last summer, and now its hands down my favourite duvet fill. That's because wool is a bit of a miracle fibre when it comes to temperature regulation and breathability. That breathability means that body heat can dissipate rather than getting trapped under the covers, and air can circulate which helps the body to maintain a steady temperature in summer.
This Floks wool duvet is the cream of the crop, and feels more luxurious than any other wool duvet I've tested. However, it is a definite investment, so if you're after a more affordable wool option, I also recommend the more utilitarian Woolroom Classic Wool Duvet. Or, if the fact that it's dry clean only is a dealbreaker for you, the Woolroom Deluxe Washable Wool Duvet is a great washable alternative.
Best budget summer duvet
If you want a summer duvet that's affordable, and easy to care for, this microfibre duvet is my top choice. It feels super soft, squishy and as light as a cloud on the bed, and thanks to its synthetic fill, it's also machine washable and can be tumble dried on a low setting.
The 4.5 tog is perfect for summer heatwaves, although, despite it being super lightweight, if you're prone to getting hot and sticky at night then its synthetic fill it doesn't offer the same breathability as a wool duvet fill. If the temperature drops overnight when you have a low tog synthetic duvet on the bed then you're also more likely to feel the cold than you will with wool, and, unlike wool, synthetic fill isn't biodegradable, so it's not the most environmentally friendly option. Although, this Fogarty option is at least made from certified recycled polyester.
Best feather and down summer duvet
If you prefer the luxurious feel of sleeping under a feather and down duvet, then this lightweight 4.5 tog option from M&S is a great option.
There are more premium feather and down duvets available, such as Soak & Sleep's 90% Hungarian Goose Down Summer Duvet or Scooms Hungarian Goose Down Duvet, but, I think this M&S option is a great balance of performance and value for money. Whilst I would opt for one of the premium brands if I was investing in a winter feather and down duvet, for summer, the higher percentage of feathers in this more affordable option is actually somewhat of a bonus as it offers the drape and squishiness of feather and down with a bit more summer breathability. Unusually for a feather and down duvet, this option is also machine washable.
Best all-season duvets
An all-season duvet is made up of two separate duvets of differing togs – a lightweight summer option and a medium warmth option for spring and autumn – that can be attached together into one single heavyweight winter duvet or used separately. An all-season duvet is an investment, but means you'll have the right combination of warmth for year-round use.
Best all-season duvet overall
If you're looking for one easy-to-care-for duvet to see you through all the seasons then a synthetic duvet is a very practical option. Simba's Hybrid 3-in-1 Duvet offers one 3.5 and one 7 tog duvet that can be combined into a warmer 10.5 tog winter duvet. It also has the benefit of being easy to wash and quick to dry, and is a great option if you want a duvet filling that doesn't use any animal byproducts.
The usual downsides of synthetics are a lack of breathability, but Simba goes further than most to address this via the addition of 'Stratos® technology' to one side of the duvet which is designed to absorb, store, and release heat when you need it for better temperature regulation. In a bid to limit the impact of synthetic materials on the environment, the duvet fill is also made from a mix of recycled PET fibres (made from things like plastic bottles). All in all, it's a favourite with our vegan reviewers.
Best luxury all-seasons
If you want luxury as well as versatility then this 90% Hungarian goose-down all-seasons duvet will instantly upgrade your sleep set-up. Scooms offers a whole host of all-season weight options, including a 7 tog all-seasons (which includes a 2.5 tog duvet plus a 4.5 tog), an 11 tog option (made up of a 2.5 plus 9 tog combo), and a 13.5 tog (featuring a 4.5 plus a 9 tog duvet). Personally, I'd opt for the 13.5 tog for year-round versatility.
That said, the price of this duvet certainly made my eyes water. As well as being the softest duvet fill, down is also the most expensive, and 90% Hungarian goose-down is pretty much the best quality you can get. However, it offers a super luxurious sleep. Just bear in mind that if you're a hot sleeper or suffer from night sweats then you might find down too warm; opt for a more breathable wool-filled duvet instead to avoid overheating.
Best budget all-seasons
If you want an affordable duvet that will see you through spring, summer, autumn, and winter then this 13.5 tog all-seasons duvet is a great choice. It's a combination of one 4.5 tog duvet and one 9 tog duvet, which in my book is a great combination of weights. It's also made from 30% recycled synthetic filling, is machine washable, and has a relatively budget-friendly price tag. No wonder it gets such rave reviews from M&S customers.
Practical and easy to care for, it's a great mid-range option, although it can't quite compete with a feather and down duvet in terms of luxuriousness. If you're a hot sleeper, you might also find a synthetic duvet lacks breathability, in that case, a wool-filled duvet offers better thermoregulation. And, its synthetic fill does mean it won't biodegrade at the end of its lifespan, so it's not as planet-friendly a choice as an all-natural fill.
Best wool duvets
Insulating, breathable, temperature regulating, hypoallergenic, made from a sustainable and renewable resource, and biodegradable at the end of the product's lifespan, a wool duvet ticks a whole lot of boxes and offers a brilliant night's sleep. Just make sure the wool duvet you opt for has an outer made from a natural material like cotton, as a synthetic outer can impact the breathability of the wool fill. And, not all wool duvets can be washed, so it pays to double-check the manufacturer's care instructions if this is imprtant to you.
Best wool duvet overall
In my opinion this is the best wool duvet money can buy. It's a definite investment, but it feels far more luxurious than most wool duvets and the attention to detail is second to none – from the minute you unpack it, this feels like a premium product. Unlike a lot of wool duvets I've reviewed that can tend to feel a little utilitarian, this Floks duvet feels lofty and luxurious without being too heavy, and drapes really well on the bed. It also has none of the inital 'sheepy' smell that's taken a while to disappear with other wool duvets I've reviewed.
Its breathability and temperature regulation is also superb, doing exactly what I've come to expect from wool in delivering a cooler, deeper night's sleep without any overheating or waking up cold. The only downside (asides from its high price tag) is that this option is dry clean only. If that's a dealbreaker for you, read on to my next choice.
Best washable wool duvet
If you want a wool duvet that can be washed, this is the option for you. The main selling point of a synthetic duvet is ease of care – the manmade polymers that synthetic duvets are filled with can usually be thrown in the washing machine, washed at 40°c, and are quick to dry. A wool duvet is far more breathable and far superior at temperature regulation, but it can be harder to care for. Most wool duvets can't be washed, but this Deluxe Washable Wool duvet from Woolroom can be machine washed on a wool cycle at 40°c, it just can't be tumble dried.
In terms of performance, this duvet does a great job at regulating temperature and creating the climate for a restful night's sleep. However, it does lack loft and feel a bit thin and utilitarian – this doesn't affect how well it performs at all, but overall it doesn't feel as luxurious to sleep under or have on the bed as the best-in-class Floks wool duvet.
Best budget wool duvet
If you're sold on the benefits of a wool duvet, but want an option that won't break the bank then this is the best affordable wool duvet I've come across. Woolroom's Classic Wool Duvet is one of the brand's first launches, and it's still a bestseller because it offers all of the breathable and temperature-regulating benefits of wool at a more affordable price point. Like all of Woolroom's bedding, it's also free from harmful chemicals and biodegradable, making it kinder on the planet.
The downsides are that this wool duvet isn't machine washable, and it lacks loft so doesn't feel as luxurious as the Floks option. On unpacking it also has a bit of an odour that takes a while to dissipate. However don't let first appearances disappoint you, especially if you're a hot sleeper, as overheating will be a thing of the past with this duvet on the bed.
Best feather and down duvets
Long thought of as the Holy Grail of duvet fillings, down creates a plump, squishy and super soft duvet. However, that luxurious feel tends to come with a luxury price tag to match. A more affordable alternative to pure down, a feather and down duvet fill bulks out down's fineness by adding some larger feathers into the mix. Goose feather and down tends to be the more luxurious mix, with duck feather and down the more affordable (yet often a little lumpier) alternative.
Best luxury feather and down duvet
No duvet fill feels quite as sumptuous as down, and this ethically sourced Hungarian goose-down option is one of the best quality we've come across. It's super warm yet lightweight, drapes beautifully on the bed, and feels super luxurious – you'll instantly feel like your bedding has levelled up. The all-seasons option also offers brilliant versatility; use the 4.5 and 9 tog duvets separately in warmer seasons and combine to create 13.5 togs of winter warmth.
The only real downside is that this luxury duvet comes with a luxury price tag to match, but, compared to more affordable options, it is evident why this duvet is the more premium choice. The only reason I wouldn't recommend it? If you're a hot sleeper or suffer from night sweats then you might find this high down-mix fill too warm; opt for a more breathable wool-filled duvet like Floks Luxury British All Seasons Wool Duvet instead to avoid overheating. However, if you're a cold sleeper, I don't think you'll regret this investment.
Best all-seasons feather and down duvet
If you want the luxury of Hungarian goose-down plus plenty of weight options then Scooms feather and down bedding is very hard to beat. As well as individual 2.5, 4.5 and 9 tog duvets, the brand also offers a host of all-season combination duvets, with a 7 tog (the 2.5 tog duvet plus a 4.5 tog), 11 tog (the 2.5 plus 9 tog combo), and 13.5 tog (4.5 plus 9 tog). Each all-season option comes with press studs to fasten the two duvets together. If your budget will stretch then I'd opt for the 13.5 tog all-seasons duvet for year-round versatility.
However, as well as being the softest duvet fill, down is also the most expensive fill, and 90% Hungarian goose-down is pretty much the best quality you can get. So you are going to be paying a premium for this mix. If you're a hot sleeper or suffer from night sweats then you might also find down too warm. But if you're a cold sleeper and want that 'hotel' sleep experience at home, there is no duvet quite like a feather and down duvet for transforming a bedroom into a spa-like retreat.
Best budget feather and down duvet
If you love the satisfying flumph of feather and down, but not the high price tag, then this duck feather and down duvet is a great compromise. It has a high feather-to-down ratio which makes it a far more affordable option than my two previous picks, but, unlike many other cheaper feather and down duvets I've tested, it still achieves that soft, squidgy feather and down feel. It also manages this without any sharp feathers sticking through the lining or escaped down which tends to go hand-in-hand with budget feather and down bedding.
The higher feather mix, and the use of duck feathers rather than goose feathers, does mean this M&S option feels more 'clumpy' than the two previous 90% down alternatives. But I still think it's a good buy, and the addition of feathers does make the duvet a little more breathable than a duvet with a higher down percentage, albeit not quite as warm.
Best winter duvets
If you're looking for the best winter duvet then, after much testing, I think a 13.5 tog duvet is the best choice for winter, with most of our testers finding a 15 tog duvet can retain warmth a little too much during the night and lead to overheating. We'd also highly recommend opting for a wool-filled duvet. Wool is thermoregulating which means it insulates to make things cosy whilst remaining breathable to avoid overheating or night sweats.
Best winter duvet overall
This wool-filled duvet is an investment, but we've tried and tested multiple winter duvet options, and in our opinion, this is the cream of the crop. It's the warmest duvet we've come across, keeping our testers warm and toasty throughout the night. But, crucially, that wool fill keeps you warm without any of the middle-of-the-night overheating or night sweats that occurred with many of the other high-tog options we tested. That breathability is down to the naturally thermoregulating properties of wool that allow body heat and the natural moisture our bodies release to dissipate rather than getting trapped under the covers. Handmade in Yorkshire using 100% traceable British Cheviot wool and certified organic cotton, this is also a great eco-friendly option.
The downsides are price and ease of care. Although it's well worth investing in the great night's sleep it offers, there's no denying the price is prohibitive, and this duvet is dry clean only.
Most versatile winter duvet
No duvet fill feels quite as sumptuous as down, and this 90% Hungarian goose-down and 10% goose feather option is one of the best. Our top recommendation for best luxury all-seasons duvet, the Scooms All-Season is also our top pick for most versatile winter duvet if you opt for the warmest 13.5 tog combination weight. That means you get two duvets in all, a 4.5 tog that's ideal for summer, plus a 9 tog that's perfect for the in-between spring and autumn months. Just clip them together with the press studs to create a luxurious 13.5 tog winter warmer.
The downsides are that this luxury duvet has a luxury price tag to match. If you're a hot sleeper or suffer from night sweats then you might find down too warm; opt for a more breathable wool-filled duvet instead to avoid overheating. And, if you're vegan, then the feather and down fill won't be for you.
Best budget winter duvet
If you want an affordable winter duvet that still feels both warm and luxurious, this is a great choice. The recycled polyester fill duvet has 10% silk mixed in, and whilst the proportion doesn't sound huge, it makes a big difference to the way this duvet feels. It has a much more luxurious texture to the filling than most synthetic duvets and a nice drape on the bed. Plus, although it's warm enough for winter, it still feels lightweight, especially compared to wool. Even better it's a relatively budget buy, and it's made from certified recycled polyester from waste (like plastic bottles or manufacturing off-cuts) which helps a little to reduce the amount of synthetic materials going to landfill.
If you're a particularly cold sleeper, you might just need an extra blanket for the coldest nights. Its 13.5 tog rating is snuggly enough, but the Floks Luxury British Wool duvet and Scooms All-Season duvet do pip it to the post in terms of cosiness. That said, this synthetic option is far easier to care for as it's machine washable and can be tumble dried on a low heat setting.
How to choose the best duvet
Spend some time looking for a new duvet and you'll soon realise there are a whole host of options available. To help you choose the best duvet for your needs we've broken down the basics of duvet shopping below, from understanding tog ratings to working out what duvet filling is best for you.
Deciding on which duvet fill best suits your needs is one of the key factors in getting this purchase right the first time. From hollow fibre to goose down, synthetic to natural, the array of duvet fillings available can be a little overwhelming, which is where we're here to help.
How to choose the best duvet filling
The best duvet filling for you will depend on your sleep and care requirements. If you want a warm yet breathable duvet, then wool is your best friend. If you want an affordable duvet or one that can be bunged in the washing machine and washed at a high temperature then you'll want a synthetic duvet.
We've broken down the pros and cons of the most common duvet fillings below.
Wool duvets: pros and cons
Wool is a bit of a wonder fibre in terms of duvet fill, and one of the best duvet fillings you can opt for whether it's summer or winter. Insulating, breathable, temperature regulating, hypoallergenic, durable, a sustainable and renewable resource, and bio-degradable at the end of the product's lifespan, it ticks a whole lot of boxes when it comes to the best duvet fill choice. 'Wool works in perfect harmony with your fluctuating temperature', says Chris Tattersall, sleep expert and managing director of Woolroom, 'it also helps to alleviate sleep prohibiting allergies through its exceptional moisture management'. However, not all wool duvets can be washed, so it pays to double-check the manufacturer's care instructions.
Feather and down duvets: pros and cons
Another popular natural duvet filling is down, or, a more affordable mix of feather and down.
Long thought of as the Holy Grail of duvet fillings, down creates a plump, squishy and super soft duvet. This natural filling also has far more breathability than a synthetic option, making for a cooler sleep.
However, sourced from either duck or goose on an industrial scale, the fill can raise concerns about animal cruelty and won't be the right option for vegans. Look for fill that is certified to be a by-product of the food industry, with Downpass or Downafresh accreditation that denotes ethically sourced and traceable feather and down. Generally, down duvets also aren't machine washable, and will need more plumping, and that luxury feel comes with a luxury price tag to match.
A more affordable alternative to pure down, a feather and down fill bulks out down's fine softness by adding some larger feathers into the mix. A goose feather and down duvet filling tends to be the most luxurious mix, with duck feather and down the more affordable (yet often a little lumpier) alternative.
Generally speaking, the more you spend on a feather and down duvet the better the quality, with some cheaper options resulting in escaped down and feathers that stick through the casing.
Synthetic duvets: pros and cons
If you're looking for a duvet that's more affordable and/or easier to care for, and that can be washed at high temperatures then you might also want to consider synthetic fillings. These duvets are filled with manmade fibres, like polyester and polyamide that are made from petroleum-based plastics.
The cheapest duvets you can buy tend to be made of hollowfibre. Made of polyester wadding, hollowfibre fill is dense but lightweight. A hollowfibre duvet is affordable, easy to care for as it can generally be washed at high temperatures, and is anti-allergenic, which makes it a popular choice for kid's bedding. However, over time this duvet fill is most likely to flatten and become lumpy. Synthetics can also cause overheating and night sweats as the plastic polymer fibres aren't breathable and reflect body heat towards the sleeper, and neither production nor disposal at the end of the duvet's life span (plastic is non-biodegradable) is good news from an environmental point of view.
Microfibre is the 'luxury' version of hollowfibre. A microfibre fill is made of much finer strands of polyester resulting in a very lightweight duvet with a, yes, more luxurious feel. Microfibre is often compared to the feel of down, but it's a vegan-friendly option that doesn't pose the risk of animal cruelty in its manufacture. The environmental impact of production and disposal is still a concern though, and, like hollowfibre, microfibre lacks natural breathability which can also cause overheating.
FAQs
How to choose the best duvet tog
Duvet tog is a measure of how effectively a duvet insulates heat and therefore how warm it will keep you during the night. Duvet tog ratings range from 1 tog to 15 tog, with higher numbers offering more warmth.
Although you can get duvets in almost any tog rating, the most common togs are 4.5 tog which makes a great summer duvet weight, 10.5 tog which tends to be the best bet for autumn and spring, and 13.5 tog which offers good winter warmth.
Obviously, it isn't always convenient to have a different duvet for each season, so the middle ground of the 10.5 tog duvet is one of the most popular options.
Another solution is to opt for an 'all-season' duvet. This consists of two separate lighter tog duvets that can be joined together (usually by way of press studs) to make a warmer winter duvet. Most commonly an all-season duvet will include a 4.5 tog and 9 tog duvet that can create a 13.5 tog duvet once combined, or a 4.5 tog and 10.5 tog duvet that will create a warmer 15 tog combination.
Read more in our guide to what tog duvet to buy, and find out when is the right time to switch to a summer duvet.
How to choose the best duvet size
Although it will mean spending a little more and may depend on your bed frame height and style, we'd generally advise sizing up with your duvet, especially if you sleep with a partner.
That means that if you have a single bed you should opt for a double duvet, on a double bed opt for a king-size duvet, and if you have a king-sized bed then opt for a super king duvet. (And if you're lucky enough to be the owner of a super king bed then you might want to try and track down an emperor duvet, although they are a harder size to find).
Opting for a duvet that's the size up from your mattress will prevent one partner from accidentally pulling the duvet off the other during the night, and keep you both warmer in bed by offering enough fabric to tuck around both your bodies rather than the duvet tenting between you both and allowing in draughts.
How we test
You'll find the general principles of how we review products at Ideal Home on our How We Test page, however, there's only one way to test out the best duvets on the market, and that's to do some snoozing on the job!
The Ideal Home team has put multiple bestselling duvets from a whole range of brands to the test for this guide, sleeping under each option every night for at least a week to rate each duvet's performance, warmth, breathability, ease of care, and taking into consideration price points to compile our edit of the best-in-class.
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