Image credit: Naturalmat
The best winter duvets and how to know your tog
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As the mercury drops embrace the cosy months with a winter duvet. But which one should you go for? And what exactly is a tog rating?
Firstly, TOG stands for Thermal Overall Grade, and is essentially a standard measurement to indicate how effectively a duvet insulates heat.
Typically, the higher tog rating the warmer the duvet will be. With 1 tog being the coolest and most lightweight, and 15 being the highest for the cosiest new season duvet.
An optimum bedroom temperature sits between 18 and 21 degrees overnight and a 13.5 tog should be ideal for this. Although if your bedroom gets colder, you could go up to the maximum 15 tog.
However, Dormeo explain that “it’s worth remembering that a thicker duvet isn’t necessarily warmer, as the effectiveness of the insulation will depend on the type of filling used.”
“Certain synthetic materials can be heavier than natural fibres, but still offer a similar level of insulation. So, rather than weight or thickness, the tog rating really refers to a duvet’s overall effectiveness at trapping heat.” From sumptuous wool and cashmere duvets to goose and down ones, read our guide to the best new season duvets on the market.
The Merino wool winter duvet – Piglet in Bed
When it comes to bagging a winter duvet, Piglet in Bed‘s award-winning Merino wool duvet is made by hand from 100% organic cotton and filled with 500g per square meters of carded Merino sheep’s wool.
Carded means separating the fibres and removing any tangles to make it super-smooth, lightweight and breathable. Merino wool is also great for moisture-wicking and extra insulation.
Merino wool is naturally thermo-regulating and steadily maintains your body temperature through the night.
It therefore doesn’t come with a tog rating, although as a handy guide the “lighter duvet has a comparative weight of a 4-6 Tog duvet and our warmer duvet has a comparative weight of an 8-10 Tog duvet.” You can opt for an insert in the winter if you’re after something warmer.
- Merino wool medium weight duvet, £189 from Piglet in Bed – buy here
The microfibre duvet – Wayfair
If you’re after something hypoallergenic, then try Silentnight’s luxury hotel collection duvet, which at 13.5 tog is extra cosy for the colder winter nights.
Lightweight, it’s made from hollow fibre and made in the UK. Handily, it’s fully machine washable, so you can regularly put it in a cycle.
- Silentnight Luxury Hotel Collection 13.5 Tog Duvet, £29.99 from Wayfair – buy here
The extra warm winter duvet – La Redoute
Renowned for its classic style, La Redoute began in 1837 as a wool mill in France.
Always ahead of its time La Redoute launched mail-order catalogues in the 1920s, and they’re still going strong with their one-stop shop website for chic French interiors.
They also do a fine line in new season duvets. Try the Alezan duvet, which although synthetic is made from Suprelle Duv Touch (350 g/m²) which replicates the soft, downy feel of feathers.
The filling is square stitched for even distribution.
If you live in a cold cottage or just like being extra warm, the DODO duvet has a soft downy feel, and excellent thermal insulation.
It’s ideal for cool bedroom temperatures between 12°C and 15°C and has anti-mite treatment.
- Alezan duvet and DODO duvet, £148 and £56 from La Redoute – buy here
The hotel choice duvet – Sweetpea & Willow
Sweetpea & Willow bill their Tielle duvets as “hotel-quality” (they are used at The Savoy no less) and come in a range of options from European goose down to their allergy-sensitive synthetic range.
The luxury microfibre duvet (pictured) is made from 100% Cambric cotton, which is made from finely woven, lightweight high-quality cotton fibres.
It’s also knownfor absorbing moisture well and being breathable.
Pair your new season duvet with some of Sweetpea & Willow’s 300 thread count crisp white linens for the ultimate hotel experience at home.
The feather duvet – French Bedroom
If you love a feather duvet, French Bedroom make a sink-into goose feather and down version, filled with 85% luxury goose feather and 15% down.
Which they describe as “lightweight, soft, warm, resilient, and comfortable.”
Each of the duvets is finished with piped edging and a smooth 100% cotton downproof cover. Try the 10.5 tog for a cosy night’s sleep.
- Goose feather and down duvet, £115 from French Bedroom – buy here
The innovative new season duvet – OTTY
Providing a full range of sleep products, from innovative hybrid mattresses that combine memory foam and pocket springs to offer temperature regulation, to mattress toppers infused with bamboo and charcoal to ensure the best possible night’s sleep.
The bamboo offers breathability, while the charcoal works to absorb moisture and odours.
OTTY’s luxurious new season duvets allow you to transition from autumn to winter by clipping a 10.5 tog duvet to a 3 tog duvet using lightweight metal clips. The antibacterial, microfibre duvets are vegan friendly and designed to be “crinkle free”, so it won’t make a noise.
- Multi-season duvet, £199.99 from OTTY – buy here
The eco-friendly duvet – Naturalmat
If having one of the most eco-friendly winter duvets on the market is high on your list, then Naturalmat is your company.
Try their organic wool duvets, which offer natural insulation and high breathability.
Handmade in Devon, the duvets are chemical free and come in different weights.
Cotton ties mean you can tie together your duvets together when the temperature dips.
- The organic wool duvet, £110 from Naturalmat – buy here
The luxury winter duvet – Ava Innes
Founded in the Scottish Highlands, by textile expert Joan Johnston, Ava Innes is a small independent company that makes the most sumptuous wool and cashmere duvets.
Each is crafted and hand-finished in the UK using traditional techniques.
Ava Innes uses cashmere guard hair in their duvets, which she describes as the “long-haired fibre which protects the soft undercoat” of the cashmere goat.
She describes how “majestic cashmere goats are known for producing one of the most luxurious fibres known to man but 70% of their coat is discarded by the luxury industry.”
She adds “but we know better. Washable, naturally odour resistant, and hypoallergenic, these natural fibres are the benchmark for excellence in sleep hygiene.
What’s more, cashmere goats are known to have a lower carbon footprint than sheep.”
Therefore the luxurious duvets are made from a pioneering new blend of 65% cashmere guard hair and 35% British wool.
Gently weighted to ensure the soundest night’s sleep, the duvets are encased in 100% organic cotton and perfectly regulate your temperature.
The all-rounder duvet – Loaf
Known for its laid-back style and cosy “loafing”, British homeware store Loaf, know a thing or two about relaxing.
Their range of easy-kip duvets, all made in Fife, will guarantee a good night’s sleep. The Friendly-Kip (pictured) is feather-free, with a 100% cotton and 233 thread count cover, which is hypoallergenic (and impermeable to dust mites). Its breathable eco-friendly filling (Aerelle® Softflex ECO) is made from recycled bottles, but has a soft down-like feel, and a 10.5 tog for year-round comfort.
For an uber-luxe duvet, try Loaf’s lightweight top-kip number, which guarantees “cloud-like” comfort.
Made from 85% Hungarian goose down and 15% Hungarian goose feather, certified by the EDFA (European Down and Feather Association), the filling is washed in a process which makes the feathers hypoallergenic.
- Friendly-kip duvet and top-kip duvet, £155 and £275 from Loaf – buy here
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