The best duvets will keep you warm and snug for a restful night. Not only are the best duvets comfy, but will greatly improve the quality of your sleep. But with so many different types available, it can be tricky to know which one is best for your bedtime routine. Before you buy though, there are key things to consider to ensure you get value for money.
First, consider the tog, as the right duvet tog and fill will help you maintain a neutral temperature. If you tend to overheat, or suffer with allergies, a down alternative duvet might be better – although many natural materials are breathable. Other things to consider include the filling inside your duvet. These are usually natural duvets fillings, such as feather and down, or synthetic materials, including microfibre and hollow-fiber polyester.
Finally, what's your budget? There are plenty of options to suit every budget, and the majority are covered with either a two or five-year guarantee. What's more, some are available on a trial basis too, especially duvets made by the brands behind this year's best mattresses. We've rounded up a selection of the best duvets to suit any sleep style, lifestyle and budget right now.
The best duvets for 2024, chosen by experts
Why you can trust Tom's Guide Our writers and editors spend hours analyzing and reviewing products, services, and apps to help find what's best for you. Find out more about how we test, analyze, and rate.
The best duvet overall
Panda London is known for making snuggly bamboo bedding that’s kinder to the environment and your sleep. The temperature regulating 10.5 tog Panda Cloud Duvet is lightweight yet insulting, meaning it’s cool in summer and warm in winter. An equal blend of bamboo and Nano-Microfibre disperses air, while Bavarian sewn-through pockets keep all that luscious fill in place so that it doesn’t clump up.
Bamboo is used by plenty of eco-friendly bedding brands because it’s naturally antibacterial and antimicrobial – dust mites and bed bugs hate it – and it’s moisture and odour-wicking too. So if you’re dealing with night sweats, the Panda Cloud Duvet will help to wick away sweat and smells.
The machine-washable Panda Cloud is also one of the best duvets for vegans, as zero animal products are used to make it. Plus, the bamboo is ethically sourced, and even the thread and dyes are certified to Standard 100 by OEKO-TEX, guaranteeing to be free of nasty chemicals. Oh, and this hypoallergenic duvet protects against skin irritations.
The best cooling duvet for hot sleepers
The Simba Hybrid Duvet is tailor-made for people who overheat during sleep. It regulates temperature by holding heat when you’re cold, then releases it slowly when you no longer need all that extra warmth. The top layer features Simba’s space-inspired Stratos Active temperature regulating tech; this does all the heavy lifting of storing and absorbing heat, before releasing it.
The middle layer of the Simba Hybrid Duvet is 100% Simba Renew filling – a super-soft, eco-friendly material made from recycled PET bottles (the supply chain is certified to the Global Recycled Standard).
The bottom layer is made of breathable cotton, and because it's stitched into square panels, every corner of the duvet will be just as comfortable, with no bunching up. You can wash your Simba duvet in the machine (up to 40 degrees), and you can also machine dry it, making this high-tech duvet simple to care for.
The best all-season duvet
Available in a 10.5 tog, the Silentnight Airmax Duvet is pleasantly plump yet fully breathable. It has wide mesh sides that enable maximum airflow in and out, while the microfibre coating feels silky soft against the skin (you should still cover it with a duvet cover though to help it stay fresher for longer).
At £45 for a double size, we think the Silentnight Airmax Duvet is reasonably priced for the comfort and cooling it dishes out. That said, while Silentnight has designed it for all-season use, hot sleepers may prefer to ditch the duvet completely in the height of summer and stick to breathable sheets.
We’ve been testing out the Airmax Duvet for over two months now and love sleeping beneath it. It’s comforting without feeling hot, and it feels thick in the hand while still being as light as a cloud. How come? Hollow microfibre filling, which also helps it stay fluffy after prolonged use.
Those with common allergies are also safe with the Silentnight Airmax Duvet thanks to its hypoallergenic design. It's also machine washable, making laundry day a breeze, and comes with a 5-year guarantee. If you sleep hot but can’t stretch to the price of the high-tech Simba Hybrid Duvet above, Silentnight’s cool offering is the next best duvet for you.
The best lightweight duvet for summer
- Read more: Nectar Duvet review
The best duvet for couples
When one of you sleeps warmer and the other sleeps cooler, it can feel as though the only solution to your duvet drama is buying two single duvets – one with a higher tog, and one lower. Well, Silentnight has done that for you with its Yours and Mine Duvet. This one has a 4.5 tog on one side, which is perfect for hot sleepers, and a slightly higher 7.5 tog on the other.
You may need something a little warmer in winter, but for the rest of the year the Silentnight Yours and Mine 4.5/7.5 Tog Duvet should help you both stay at your optimum sleep temperature. It can be hard to get any kind of temperature control out of synthetic materials, but having the option of two different togs in one duvet is a neat solution.
The duvet itself is made from soft microfibre on the outside and plump hollowfibre on the side. It isn’t anywhere as plush as the other duvets in this guide, but if you want a good duvet for couples who have different sleep temperature needs – and you want it for a cheaper price too – then the Silentnight Yours and Mine 4.5/7.5 Tog Duvet is hard to beat.
Better still, it’s fully machine washable and dryable (machine wash as synthetic at 40C), so caring for it is pretty easy. For another budget-friendly duvet, take a look at the Slumberdown Allergy Protection 10.5 Tog Duvet (number 8).
Best duvets buying advice
How to choose the best duvet tog for your sleep
The best duvet for you will depend on whether you sleep warm, hot or cool, and whether you share a bed or sleep solo. Warm and hot sleepers need a breathable and lightweight duvet to prevent them from overheating in the night, whereas cold sleepers may prefer a duvet that's insulated and guaranteed to keep them warm and snuggly when it's chilly outside.
One of the best ways to choose a duvet is to look at the tog, which is a measure of insulation. Tog ratings range from 1 to 15, and most duvets offer a 10.5 tog as standard. For most people, this will also be the right tog for using the same duvet year-round, perhaps with the exception of high summer.
If you have the budget to buy a winter duvet and a summer duvet though, you can afford to get a bit more specific. For winter duvets, choose 11 tog and higher, and look for natural materials such as down and wool to help insulate heat without making you sweaty or sticky.
For summer, choose a 4.5 tog or similar. This is also our best tip for hot sleepers – anything warmer and you’ll spend half the night kicking it off. As we explain in our best cooling mattress guide, temperature can wreak havoc on your sleep, so listen to your body and choose the right tog for you.
If your optimal sleep temperature is different to your partner’s, choose either a temperature-regulating duvet, a two-togs-in-one duvet, or opt for individual single size duvets in your chosen tog. Cold sleepers who often feel restless in bed or anxious about sleep may also benefit from using one of the best weighted blankets, which can be used beneath a duvet for calming pressure and extra warmth.
Natural vs synthetic duvet fills: which is best?
If you suffer from allergies we’d recommend choosing a duvet made of hypoallergenic materials. Not everyone is allergic to the same properties in duvets, but a lot of people experience sensitivity around goose down or duck feathers, making traditional duvets an unsuitable option.
A duvet will usually state whether it's hypoallergenic, so if you suffer from so much as hay fever, these types of pillows are ones to consider.
Synthetic duvets are also often naturally antibacterial, which means they're unlikely to become a home for dust mites. However, natural fillings are undeniably more plump and lightweight than synthetic duvets, which can feel lovely to sleep in and naturally regulate temperature more effectively.
How much does a duvet cost?
There is a huge variety in the cost of a duvet, and this depends on two factors. Firstly, a single or double duvet will typically be cheaper than the king or queen-size counterparts. Secondly, the design and quality has a big part to play.
The Brook + Wilde duvet, for example, is made of high quality Hungarian goose down, a premium filling with a price tag to match. It is possible to find cheap duvets for as little as £20 though, and while they won't offer anywhere near as much in terms of quality or durability, they will typically be made of microfibres that are hypoallergenic and derived from plastic or cotton.
Premium duvets can cost up to £800, though some mattress in a box brands will offer bundles that provide you with a duvet and bedding for free. So if you're looking for a new mattress and a duvet, it's worth scouting out the latest mattress sales to see what freebies you can get.
Duvet care and maintenance guide
How to wash a duvet
As with your bed pillows, it's important to regularly wash your duvet to keep your sleeping space as fresh and hygienic as possible. After all, your duvet gets used every night of the year and can trap a lot of dust, dead skin, sweat and body odours.
One of the most frequent questions we get asked is, ‘Can you wash a duvet in a washing machine?’ The answer depends on what your duvet is made of and how big it is (king size and super king size duvets may be too large for some washing machine drums).
Opting for a washing machine-safe duvet obviously makes the cleaning process a lot easier, and while these lack the charm of naturally-filled duvets, synthetic fillings dry easily and can go through the tumble dryer.
Some natural fill duvets are also suitable for machine washing and drying – always read the manufacturer’s instructions before cleaning your duvet – though air drying is widely accepted as the best approach when the weather allows.
How to wash a duvet with synthetic fillings at home
- If your duvet fits into your machine without damaging either the drum or the duvet, choose a gentle cycle with reduced agitation.
- Air drying is best, but synthetic materials are fine to tumble dry.
- After washing a duvet, make sure you have completely dried and aired it before covering it in a duvet cover. If it’s slightly damp when you cover it, you risk mould or mildew growing inside.
How to wash a down duvet at home
We can’t stress this enough: always read the care instructions label of your duvet before washing it. This is vital with down-filled duvets.
- If your down duvet is suitable for machine washing, do so on a gentle cycle with non-bio detergent. Wool duvets need wool detergent.
- Air and dry your duvet fully before putting it on your bed. Some can be tumble dried, but air drying is best for natural duvet fills.
