What is a good duvet? Which duvet is best for you to choose?

Depending on the quality you have invested in, every 5 to 10 years you are faced with the choice of a new duvet. But what is a good duvet? A lot can change within this period: your body, the house you live in or your relationship, for example, to name a few things.

What determines your choice of a good duvet?

Take a moment before being seduced by the “best offer” or the “puniest price,” even though this may play into your choice process. Ask yourself: what do you have or what do you and your sleeping companion need? That’s what we want to talk about in this blog.

Which duvet fits who you are?

To choose a duvet, look at your sleeping environment, at yourself as a person and at your worldview. The interplay between these things determines your choice. You will undoubtedly find the perfect duvet if you take a moment to do some self-reflection.

Your duvet and sleeping environment.

Most people sleep in a bed, which is in a bedroom. This environment is ideal around 18 degrees Celsius. We all know that theory and practice are often apart. So do you have a cool bedroom that, even in the summer months, has a fairly constant temperature trend? Or do you sleep in a bedroom that is freezing cold in winter and more like a sauna in summer? Or did you just move into a new construction home or apartment with an energy-efficient insulation envelope and the temperature is constantly controlled? Do you sleep with your window open or closed or do you have an air conditioner in the bedroom?

In short, the temperature of your sleeping environment matters! The industry has also thought about this and in the Benelux, duvets are therefore usually classified into four heat classes. In a previous blog, we already zoomed in on the heat classes of duvets: Which duvet is the warmest?

A heat rating at least gives you a good understanding of the choices you have at what temperature. However, you do not yet have enough information to make a good choice on that basis alone.

Your personal preferences

What is your situation like? And if you’re not sleeping alone, it’s best to check with each other to see how you match. Are the answers too far apart? No worries! Then just opt for two separate duvets. It may be a little less romantic, but it’s the best solution.

Heat Experience

Do you get hot easily or like to be nice and warm in your bed? Ask this question nonchalantly at a family party and for the next hour you won’t have to say much. Everyone has their experiences and ideas.

What do we know about temperature in our bodies? Your body’s core temperature automatically drops on cues from your biorhythms in the evening hours and during sleep. The lowest point is thus reached between four and five in the morning. When you sleep, skin temperature is also best balanced with core temperature. This feels safe and unthreatening because when you get too cold or too hot, your body is going to react to protect your organs and brain. This is sleep disruptive.

So the heat regulation or thermoregulation of a duvet’s filling and ticking plays a role.

Also the weight of the duvet has an impact on the perception of warmth. Weight can be determined by the padding. Pure down is lighter than sheep’s wool, for example. But using a double or four-season version also has an impact on weight. Two duvets on top of each other weigh, logically, more. I am not really an advocate of a four-season comforter. It seems like the ideal solution but in my experience it is better to invest in two separate solutions for summer and winter.

Don’t underestimate the suppleness of the filling and the ticking, either. A filling and ticking that fall smoothly around your body provide a better fit and connection with your duvet. A stiffer variety allows more air to circulate and leak heat, so to speak. That can really make a heat class difference sometimes!

Ventilation

Like a home, insulation and ventilation best go hand in hand. Otherwise, heat spikes or moisture problems occur and you wake up feeling too hot or completely clammy.

So it is best to include the moisture-regulating properties of the comforter cover and filling in your decision-making process. Because perspiration or excessive sweating under a duvet can be prevented to a considerable extent if you take this into account.

Hygiene and allergy

A fairly large portion of our population has an allergy to the allergens produced by the house dust mite. It is often said that it is best to choose a synthetic and well-washable duvet. Because from 60°C, the allergens are killed. Today, however, you have a greater choice. Wool fat or lanolin is a natural component of a wool filling and allergy resistant. Down, especially in the pure ratios starting at 90% down, also provides excellent protection against dust mites.

Hygiene is often mentioned in the same breath as allergy. Proper airing or proper cleaning is often more than enough for a duvet. Washing is not always necessary and also impacts the life of your duvet. Be sure to pay attention to the drying time as well. Because a well-washed but poorly dried duvet seems hygienic, but really isn’t!

The duvet and your worldview

Strange title? That’s right! But how important do you think your carbon footprint is? How and where is your duvet made? Are containers imported from faraway countries or do you choose local production?

And what happens to your duvet when you want to throw it away? Do you care to sleep under plant-based fibers such as kapok, cotton or linen? Or do you prefer animal fillings such as wool or camel or goat hair? Or do you prefer state-of-the-art and recyclable polyester fibers?

A lot of energy and water is used to make cotton or to clean certain fillings. Certain chemicals or bleaches are also an important part of the production process. Many companies are committed to sustainable and socially responsible production methods. You don’t always experience that difference in the quality, but you do see it reflected in the price.

Environment, ecology and sustainability play a major role in industry and production. The regulations of countries and continents are becoming increasingly strict. You too, as a consumer, can make conscious choices here … or not.

What is a good duvet: frequently asked questions