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, investing in a top quality duvet is well worth the money.
But with a vast range of filling types – from feather and down to wool and microfibre to hollowfibre – along with a sea of different tog ratings and factors such as breathability, temperature regulation, ease of care, and, of course, price, to take into consideration, where do you start?
This is where I come in. As Ideal Home's Sleep Editor I've spent the last four years testing all types of bedding, from reviewing the best mattresses to researching the latest sleep technologies.
For this guide, I put over twenty (and counting) of the best duvets on the market through our testing process to find the best-in-class. That means I slept under each duvet for a minimum of a week (often far longer), to test out its temperature regulation, breathability, snuggle-factor, and ease of care. I then assessed it for performance and value for money before compiling this shortlist.
It's incredibly difficult to crown the 'best duvet' overall as so many factors play into the choice. However, if pushed, (and money was no object) as a hot sleeper I would chose the Floks Luxury British Wool Duvet because of its first rate temperature regulation and breathability. That said, there are plenty more affordable options in this guide. Read on for my top recommendations based on thousands of hours of snoozing.
Best winter duvet
Temperature regulation: This is one of the warmest winter duvets I've ever slept under. I tested it in a cold bedroom in a listed Victorian building, and I stayed warm and cosy under this duvet all through the night. Even better, thanks to the wool filling's excellent temperature regulation, I never woke up too warm. That temperature regulation is also a huge benefit if you share a bed. Instead of me sweltering whilst my partner shivered, this duvet kept both of us at the exact right temperature all night long.
Breathability: I'm a hot sleeper who is prone to overheating, and this duvet is by far the most breathable I've tested. Whilst sleeping under it I've never once woken up feeling too hot or clammy or kicked off the covers at 3am like I have sleeping under pretty much every other winter duvet I've tested.
Feel: Before testing the Floks I'd been sleeping under a cloud-like feather-and-down duvet. In comparison, this wool-filled duvet feels heavier, a little thinner, and less squashy and airy. However, it still feels like a premium product, and I found I enjoyed sleeping under its slightly weightier feel.
Ease of care: There had to be a downside right? Yep, it's the fact that this duvet can't be washed. (And its price... but we'll come onto that in a minute). Floks advise airing the duvet by hanging it outside on a sunny day, but, if it needs a deeper clean, you'll have to dry clean it. I haven't had any issues keeping it fresh by using the airing method, but others may prefer a duvet that can be machine-washed.
Value for money: There's no point beating around the bush, this is a very expensive duvet. However, I do think it's worth the money. It offers such good temperature regulation that it's transformed my sleep quality, and the fact that sleeping under it meant I could turn the thermostat in my bedroom down in winter means that in a few years it might have almost recouped its expense.
Winter duvet alternatives
For the most luxurious sleep, nothing rivals a goose down duvet. If you want to feel like you're sleeping in a high-end hotel, the Soak & Sleep 90% Hungarian Goose Down 13.5 Tog Winter Duvet is the one. It feels super puffy, squashy and airy, and is like snuggling into a cloud. It's also super warm and cosy – as a hot sleeper, I just found it less breathable than the wool-filled Floks duvet and overheated by 3am.
Vegan? Then the Floks wool-filled duvet won't be for you. The M&S Supremely Washable 13.5 Tog Duvet or the John Lewis Synthetic Soft Touch Washable 13.5 Tog Duvet are the best synthetic winter duvets I've found. Plus, they're both machine washable and far more budget-friendly. Again, as a hot sleeper, I just found I tended to get hot and sticky under the winter weights or was left shivering under lower togs.
If, like me, you're prone to overheating at night and want to benefit from the breathability of wool but at a lower price point, the Woolroom Deluxe Washable Wool Duvet is a more affordable (and washable) alternative. It's thinner and more basic than Floks' duvets, and I didn't find it as warm, but I still highly recommend it if you're a hot sleeper. You'll probably just want to add a wool blanket over the top on colder nights.
Best all-season duvet
Temperature regulation: After researching and testing numerous All-Season duvets, I chose this as the best-in-class not just because of its superior comfort levels, but because of the range of tog mixes available. Unlike most All-Season duvets which only offer one tog mix, scooms offer three options; a 7 tog (2.5 +9 tog) All-Seasons duvet, an 11 tog (2.5 + 9 tog) duvet, and a 13.5 tog (4.5 + 9 tog) combo. However warm or cool your bedroom is you'll find your ideal warmth combo within that mix.
Breathability: I'm a hot sleeper who is prone to overheating on bedding that isn't super breathable, and sadly for me this is the one area that this duvet lost some marks. I found the down fill much more breathable than the synthetic filled duvets I've tested, but it couldn't compare to a wool-fill in terms of breathability, and under the higher togs of this duvet, I did still overheat.
Feel: A down duvet made from the highest quality Hungarian goose down and a very small ratio of feathers, this is the crème de la crème of duvets comfort-wise. It feels (and looks) super luxurious on the bed. It's soft, squashy, light and airy, and has plenty of 'flumph'. It feels fantastic to snuggle up under after a long day and has plenty of malleability so you can tuck it around every inch of your body for the ultimate cocooning softness.
Ease of care: Whilst a feather and down duvet isn't quite as easy to care for as a synthetic duvet, scooms duvets can still be machine-washed at 40°c. It can even be popped in the tumble dryer on a low heat, although I found it took a lot longer to dry than a synthetic option.
Value for money: Unfortunately luxury comes at a price, so this duvet is a significant investment. That said, I can vouch for the fact that its premium price tag is matched by its premium comfort levels. If you're looking for high-end hotel comfort at home (and you aren't prone to getting too hot at night, like me), this duvet is the ultimate luxury, and is worth the money.
All-Season duvet alternatives
If you love the sound of a goose down duvet, but not the price, I have found an affordable alternative in the M&S Duck Feather & Down 13.5 Tog All Season Duvet. The higher feather mix, and the use of duck rather than goose down, mean this M&S option feels more 'clumpy' than scooms light and airy duvet, but it still offers plenty of squish, warmth, and a versatile mix of a (summer) 4.5 tog and a (autumn/sping) 9 tog duvet that combine to create a (winter) 13.5 tog duvet.
If you're vegan, prize ease of care, or want a far more budget-friendly All-Seasons duvet, either the M&S Supremely Washable 13.5 Tog All Season Duvet or the John Lewis Synthetic Soft Touch Washable 3-in-1 13.5 Tog Duvet are my top recommendations. Both are made from recycled polyester, both can be machine-washed, and both are reasonably priced. Hence, they're often out of stock, so if one retailer doesn't have the size you need, try the other!
Wool-filled duvets don't have tog ratings because they offer such excellent temperature regulation and breathability that (unlike other duvet fillings that trap heat) it's impossible to put a tog rating to them. However, the Woolroom Deluxe Washable All-Seasons Wool Duvet is estimated to be roughly equivalent to 2-15 togs which makes it a great option for year round use – especially if you're prone to overheating, as wool's breathability is second to none.
Best summer duvet
Temperature regulation: Finding the best summer duvet isn't just about opting for a low tog duvet, good temperature regulation is actually far more important, especially in Britain where night time temperatures can still fluctuate dramatically in summer. That's why a lightweight wool duvet is brilliant summer option, as the temperature regulation wool provides is far superior to any other duvet fill. I slept under this Woolroom duvet from May to September without any overheating on hot nights and stayed cosy on cooler nights.
Breathability: Good breathability is another key factor in summer when we're all prone to getting more hot and sweaty then usual. Under even the lowest 2-5 tog synthetic or feather and down summer duvets I tested I still found myself waking up clammy, not so with this wool duvet which allows air to circulate through the fibres for a sweat-free summer sleep.
Feel: When I first unpacked this duvet I have to admit I was a little underwhelmed by how thin it felt. There's no indulgent squashiness to it, instead it feels very utilitarian. However, you definitely shouldn't judge a book by its cover in this case because its performance is 100% worth the sacrifice in aesthetics, especially if you're a hot sleeper. (Although, I do wish Woolroom would make the corners square as its rounded edges do not fit a duvet cover well!)
Ease of care: Unlike most wool duvets, Woolroom's Deluxe duvet can be machine-washed at 40°c following the brand's instructions, making it far easier to care for than most . You will need to line dry it rather than tumble dry it, but as this is a summer duvet you should have good weather on your side.
Value for money: This is a mid-range wool duvet and, whilst definitely not cheap, it does offer a lot of USPs that make it worth the investment. Firstly, it's the only wool duvet that comes with a sleep trial, that means you can sleep-test it for 30 nights on your own bed to see if it transforms your sleep in the same way it has mine. It also comes in three warmth levels, plus an all-season option, and four bed sizes. Plus, it's machine washable. I haven't found any other wool duvet that offers all of those benefits.
Summer duvet alternatives
Whilst I didn't find any of the feather and down duvets I tested as breathable or temperature regulating as Woolroom's Deluxe Duvet, a quality goose down duvet does have the most luxurious feel. Soak & Sleep's 90% Hungarian Goose Down 4.5 Tog Duvet is currently the best value premium feather and down duvet, although if you can find the more expensive scooms 90% Hungarian Goose Down 4.5 Tog Duvet or The White Company 90% Hungarian Goose Down 4.5 Tog Duvet reduced, then both are also great options, and the M&S Duck Feather & Down 4.5 Tog Duvet is an affordable alternative.
If you want the ease of a synthetic duvet then the M&S Supremely Washable 4.5 Tog Duvet is my top recommendation. It feels super light and airy on the bed, so much so that you barely know it's on top of you. Personally I prefer the extra weight a wool duvet offers and I found the synthetic fill was prone to making me hot and sticky on warm nights and leaving me shivering on cooler nights, but the fact it can be bunged into the washing machine and tumble dried is a real bonus. It's made from recycled polyester, and it's very affordable at under £30 for a double duvet.
The Floks Luxury British Summer Wool 4-5 Tog Duvet is more of an investment than the Woolroom Deluxe Washable Wool Duvet, doesn't come with a sleep trial, and isn't machine washable, but it does feel a lot more premium, has more loft, and has square corners so it fits a duvet cover much better! If you already know you love the breathability and temperature regulation of a wool duvet and are looking to invest in the best night's sleep possible this summer, then this would be my top recommendation for the crème de la crème of wool duvets.
Best budget duvet
Temperature regulation: The downside of any synthetic duvet is poor temperature regulation (especially compared to a wool duvet). That can make a synthetic duvet a false economy, as you usually need to buy two if not three seperate duvets to get the right warmth for summer, winter, and the shoulder seasons of spring and autumn. Opting for an All-Season synthetic duvet can be a solution, and is usually still cheaper than a natural fill duvet. I found this M&S combo of a cooler 4.5 tog duvet and a warmer 9 tog duvet that combine to create a 13.5 tog winter duvet verstaile enough to suit all seasons.
Breathability: This duvet has lots of plus points, namely affordability and ease of care, but breathability is the one thing it lacks. This is the case with any synthetic duvet, and although the Supremely Washable is more breathable than many synthetic options thanks to its airier fill, it can't compete with a wool duvet in this category, and I did find myself feeling clammy on hotter nights or when my temperature was high.
Feel: It doesn't have the same cocooning feel as a feather and down duvet, but thanks to its airy recycled polyester fill I still found the Supremely Washable squishy and pliable meaning I could tuck it around my body to keep out any draughts.
Ease of care: This is where a synthetic duvet really comes into its own. The Supremely Washable can be machine washed at 60°c, a temperature that kill dust mites which is good news for those with allergies. It can also be tumble dried on low and is super fast to dry, so it can be washed and back on the bed in the same day.
Value for money: Synthetic duvets are far cheaper than wool or feather and down fillings, and this is one of the best value polyester duvets I've found. I think the All-Seasons option is the best buy overall because it means you have a warmth option for each season, but if you need an even more affordable option then the M&S Supremely Washable Duvet range is also available in a 1, 4.5, 7.5, 10.5 and 13.5 tog duvet which range from £19.50-£69.
Budget duvet alternatives
The M&S Supremely Washable feels more snuggly than many synthetic duvets, but isn't quite on a par with the snuggle-factor of a more expensive feather and down option. The best budget-friendly feather and down duvet I've tested is the M&S Duck Feather & Down Duvet collection. Prices start from £34.50 and go up to £115 depending on which size and warmth rating you opt for. Although more expensive than the Supremely Washable, that's still very good value for feather and down.
This M&S range is hard to beat if you're after a synthetic duvet, but John Lewis Synthetic Soft Touch Washable Duvet collection poses stiff competition. And, depending on what tog and size you're after it can sometimes be better value for money, or offer a warmth rating or size that the M&S range does not. Both are very comparable products made from recycled polyester, washable at 60°c, and great value for money, so you won't go wrong whichever brand you opt for.
If you're a hot sleeper then I wouldn't advise a synthetic duvet (however affordable they may be) as the filling tends to be the least breathable and most likely to cause overheating. Instead you need a wool filled duvet, but wool usually costs (a lot) more than polyester fill. The best value wool duvet I've found is the Dunelm Fogarty Temperature Regulating Wool All Seasons Duvet which, as of writing, costs £65 for the double. I'm currently testing it so will report back soon.
Best duvet brands
Which duvet brand to shop largely depends on what you're looking for. Dunelm, M&S, and John Lewis are great for affordable easy-care synthetic duvets and budget-friendly duck feather and down. Soak & Sleep offers more luxurious duvet fillings at hard-to-beat price points. For a premium goose down duvet scooms or The White Company can come up trumps. And for a wool-filled duvet, Woolroom is one of my first ports of call.
Here are my top recommendations for the best duvet brands to shop:
Dunelm: affordable synthetic and feather and down duvets
John Lewis: budget synthetics, mid-range feather and down, and premium wool duvets
M&S: affordable synthetic and feather and down duvets with a focus on ease of care
scooms: premium feather and down duvets
Soak & Sleep: great quality and good value premium duvets of all fill types
The White Company: premium feather and down duvets
Woolroom: great mid-range and washable wool duvets
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
Why you can trust Ideal Home Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test.
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!
As Ideal Home's Sleep Editor I've 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 in my own home to rate each duvet's temperature regulation, breathability, feel, and ease of care.
I also took into consideration each duvet's price point, its environmental impact, and factored in third-party customer reviews to see if other people's experience with each product matched my own, before compiling my edit of the best-in-class.
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