AT this time of year a duvet at night is often just too much heat, at the same time it can be difficult to sleep soundly without a cover, which is why what you didn’t know you really needed is a temperature regulating duvet.
These are the best duvets and hot sleepers will find them a godsend. Not only will they keep you cool in the summer, but they will also keep you warm in the winter – it all comes down to the type of filling and the cover they’re made from.
Natural materials, such as wool, down and bamboo, are great for hot bodies as these have thermoregulating properties that help wick away heat. At the same time, their fibres hold in warmth when it’s needed so you’ll always feel snug during colder months (which let’s face it, is most of them).
Manmade fibres can deliver the same thermoregulating effects and they have the added bonus of being animal-free as they contain fillings made from recycled PET (plastic bottles), so they’re also environmentally friendly.
It’s the more expensive manmade duvets that fit the bill here. Emma’s duvet for example uses microfibre filling, while Simba combines recycled plastic fibre layers with its Stratos cool-touch technology, which eliminates excess heat, all wrapped up in a sustainable cotton cover.
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All-season duvets are another alternative if you suffer from sweats at this time of year. Use the thinner layer (usually around 4 tog) in summer and the heavier layer (around 9 tog) in spring and autumn. Put them together and voila! You have a cosy winter-weight duvet.
The cheapest way to deal with different temperatures is to have a thin (max 4.5 tog) duvet to see you through the summer. This provides that all-essential cover to keep you asleep, but is light enough to stop you from overheating.
Read on for our reviews of the best duvets for you to buy right now in the UK.
Best Duvets At a Glance:
- Best overall duvet: Panda Cloud Duvet
- Best thick duvet: Sainsbury’s Home Supersoft Washable
- Best 10.5 tog duvet: Simba Hybrid 3-in-1
- Best synthetic duvet: Emma Cloud Duvet
- Best value duvet: Tesco Home Soft Touch
Panda Cloud Duvet
Panda Cloud Duvet, from £99.95
Panda Signature+ Bamboo Lyocell Bedding Duvet Cover, from £85
Pros: Super handy ties that attach to duvet corners, light, soft and fluffy, hypoallergenic, vegan
Cons: Needs ‘fluffing’ now and then, tumble drying not recommended, runs slightly on the warmer side
Rating: 5/5
As someone who cherishes a good night's sleep, I approach sleep health products with the seriousness they deserve. So, when the Panda Cloud Duvet landed on my desk, my excitement was palpable. Aside from my bamboo underwear, this was my first foray into the world of bamboo-based products.
The first thing that struck me was how light the duvet felt. I was sceptical about its ability to retain heat, but once I was under it, I was pleasantly surprised. It felt like a gentle hug – not too heavy, not too light. Thanks to bamboo's natural thermo-regulating properties, this duvet keeps you cosy in winter and cool in summer. If I were to nitpick at the thermoregulation claims, then I would say it runs slightly on the warmer side, but it was nothing a leg outside the duvet in the middle of the night couldn’t fix.
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Word on the street is that the Cloud Duvet was designed to replicate the fluffiness and luxury of down feathers using organic silky bamboo fibres. As a die-hard fan of down feather pillows, I was curious to see if it lived up to this claim. I can confirm it passes the test - it has all the luxury of down without waking up to a stray feather in your mouth.
Composed of 50% bamboo and 50% nano-microfibre (sourced from recycled water bottles), this duvet is 100% hypoallergenic. So, if allergies are your nemesis, this could be your new best friend. I typically run an air purifier most days for at least 30 minutes because, between a shedding dog and hay fever, my allergies are a beast to control. I found this duvet didn’t irritate them at all!
Panda also threw in their Signature+ Bamboo Lyocell bedding to test alongside the duvet. The real game-changer? The small corner loops on the duvet tie onto the sheets. No more wrestling with duvet corners to achieve even distribution – it's pure genius!
Specs: Machine washable, 10.5 tog, 50% Bamboo fibre, 50% Nano-Microfibre
Review by Aaron Dowler
Emma Cloud Duvet
The Emma Cloud double duvet, £89
Pros: Temperature regulating, light, Machine washable, fluffy cloud feeling
Cons: Expensive however 200, night trail offered
Rating: 4/5
Before testing out Emma's Cloud duvet, I'd been using a goodness-knows-how-old duvet and had never really considered upgrading.
I didn't know what I was missing.
The Emma Cloud duvet is super light (6.7 tog), yet surprisingly warm and sees me through a range of seasons.
I found it kept me warm during chilly spring evenings and cool during the summer heatwave, due to its clever temperature-regulating microfibres.
I can also see where it gets its name from: it has a light, almost fluffy, cloud-like feeling, which I just loved.
Another pro is that it's completely machine washable up to 60°C, a massive bonus for me as I have a dog that tends to sleep on the bed when I'm not looking.
The only drawback is the price – at £89 it's not cheap, but the good news is that Emma offers a 14-night trial on the duvet so if you don't love it as much as I do, you can always return it.
Read my full Emma Cloud Duvet review here.
Specs: Machine washable up to 60°C, Made of microfibre
Review by Joel Watson
READ MORE:
- Emma Original mattress
- Best mattress toppers
- Simba Original Hybrid Mattress review
- Best mattress deals
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Simba Hybrid Duvet
Simba Hybrid Duvet, from £139
Pros: Temperature regulating, breathable, machine washable, works for all seasons, hypoallergenic, squashy, comfy feel
Cons: Expensive
Rating: 4/5
The Simba Hybrid Duvet is a high-end product that's packed with smart technology, which delivers on its promises.
It's constructed from three layers: the top and bottom layers are both made from sustainable, breathable cotton, but while one side is pure cotton, the other is injected with NASA-inspired Stratos technology, which regulates body temperature by drawing away heat and releasing it, depending on your needs.
You can tell which is the Stratos temperature-regulating side as it has a grey cubed pattern on it, while the regular cotton side is white. There's also a blue trim across the edge on the Stratos side to help guide you when you're stuffing it into a duvet cover.
The Simba Hybrid Duvet is expensive, but if you struggle with staying warm or keeping cool while you sleep — and you don't want to switch duvets between seasons — it works.
It's made from recycled materials, making it eco-friendly too. What more could you want?
Read my full Simba duvet review to find out even more.
Specs: Machine washable, better cotton
Review by Sianade Curry
Simba Hybrid 3-in-1
Simba 3-in-1 Duvet, from £249
Pros: Easy to combine and separate duvets, comfortable, evenly distributed filling with no clumping
Cons: Very expensive, storage bag doesn't save space
Rating: 3/5
This duvet comes with a storage case, which can be used to store the half of the duvet you’re not using, but I found it wasn’t much of a space saver, so I vac packed the part of the duvet I wasn't using instead.
As you’d expect, Simba’s 3-in-1 duvet feels premium right away. It’s got a soft cotton cover which you can still notice through a bed sheet and the ‘renew clusters’ in the filling – which are made from recycled plastic – are evenly distributed and are divided into pockets so they can’t form clumps.
I tested this duvet during the summer, so I mostly used it with its lightest 3.5 tog (blue binding), which I didn’t find unbearable, even in the middle of a heatwave. That could be down to the duvet’s moisture-wicking properties that draw sweat away from you as you sleep.
The spring/autumn duvet (grey binding) is a 7-tog covering and I’d back up Simba’s claim that it’s suitable for the majority of the year. Similar to the light summer duvet, the 7 tog feels lux and is incredibly soft.
Combine the two duvets and – yes, you've guessed it – you get a 10.5 tog duvet designed for cold winter nights. Because of the premium design and the different weights available, I’d be surprised if I could find someone who didn’t like at least one of the options all year round.
Head over to my Simba 3-in-1 duvet review for the full in-depth rundown.
Specs: Machine washable, better cotton
Review by Joel Watson
Silentnight Ultrabounce
Silentnight Ultrabounce Duvet, king size £25.84
Pros: Warm, snug, budget-friendly
Cons: Flimsy feel
Rating: 4/5
When I got this out of the packaging, I thought it was a bit flimsy but put it on the bed anyway hoping for the best. Within just five minutes, I was lovely and snug.
It kept me warm even though it is quite lightweight and I woke up refreshed, feeling like I'd slept well.
Costing less than £30 for the king-size version, I thought this was a good budget choice.
Amazon shoppers agree with me, with most shoppers rating its warmth, comfort and thickness as its best features.
Specs: Machine washable, hypoallergenic
Review by Lynsey Hope
Slumberdown Extra Warm
Slumberdown Extra Warm, double £32
Pros: Great value for money, fluffy, cosy, warm
Cons: Will struggle to cool down in summer
Rating: 4/5
The cover is very soft and it feels lovely and fluffy when you snuggle down for the night.
Beautifully warm and cosy, it is just the thing for those cold nights if you want to keep your heating bill down during the current cost-of-living crisis.
I thought Slumberdown would have been more expensive because of the brand name, but it was cheaper than I'd expected and superior to supermarket duvets I tried.
Great value for money and 97% of Argos shoppers have said they would recommend this duvet.
Specs: Machine washable, suitable for tumble drying
Review by Lynsey Hope
Habitat Supersoft Washable
Habitat Supersoft Washable Duvet, double £22
Pros: Soft, fluffy
Cons: Doesn't trap heat very well, flimsy
Rating: 2/5
Unfortunately, this one was not my favourite. It did feel soft and fluffy, but was also a bit flimsy, and I wouldn’t have said it was a winter duvet.
Although it is a 10.5 tog, it didn’t keep me as warm as other brands with the same tog rating.
Habitat does have the same duvet in a 15 tog if you get particularly cold at night – I recommend that one if it’s warmth you're after.
Although I didn't have the best experience with it, Argos shoppers do enjoy it and most rated its comfort, design and quality as great features.
Specs: Machine washable, non-allergenic
Review by Lynsey Hope
Sainsbury’s Home Supersoft Washable
Sainsbury’s Home Supersoft Washable Duvet, double £26
Pros: Comfortable, heavy, very warm
Cons: Too hot for most of the year, heavy if you like to move around in your sleep
Rating: 3.5/5
A comfortable duvet, perfect for lazy days in bed.
I found it quite heavy and if you are someone who moves around a lot at night you might find this restricts you a little.
That said, it is super warm.
You definitely won’t need to touch the thermostat if you're sleeping underneath this. It’s ideal for the coldest of nights, but I think it's too warm for most of the year.
Specs: Machine washable, shake well to restore fullness
Review by Lynsey Hope
Tesco Home Soft Touch
Tesco Home Soft Touch, double £13.50
Pros: Soft, affordable, great middle-of-the-road choice
Cons: None
Rating: 5/5
Lovely soft duvet and, for the price, I thought it was excellent.
Some duvets I tested were very hot and heavy, while some 10.5 togs were not warm enough, so this was a great middle-of-the-road choice.
I couldn’t believe how cosy it was, even though it was half the price of most I tried. For £13.50, you can’t go wrong.
There are also over 100 reviews from Tesco shoppers and it's got an average 4.8 star rating.
One happy shopper added: 'This is excellent quality and so soft. It's way better than some duvets I've purchased at double the price. Fantastic value.'
Specs: Machine washable
Review by Lynsey Hope
M&S Simply Soft All Seasons
M&S Simply Soft All Seasons, king size £55
Pros: Thick, squishy, can split into two for the colder months, made from recycled material
Cons: None
Rating: 4.5/5
Squishy and thick without being too heavy, this duvet allows you to move freely.
The quality is as good as you’d expect from Marks & Spencer and it keeps you super-warm.
The best feature is that it splits in two so you can have a 4.5-tog duvet for summer and a 9-tog for autumn. Button them together for a 13.5-tog when it’s super cold. This saves buying multiple duvets.
It’s crafted from recycled plastic, so a winner for the environment, too. It’s like sleeping on a cloud.
An impressed M&S shopper added: 'Excellent product which gives the flexibility of combinations of the two duvets to match the weather and temperature conditions.'
Specs: Simply shake to return shape, 30% recycled material
Review by Lynsey Hope
Where to buy duvets in the UK?
There are many retailers that stock duvets in the UK, ranging from supermarkets where you can find affordable and comfortable ones to sleep specialists that focus on providing high-quality duvets filled with tech aimed at helping you feel more rested in the mornings.
Here's a quick list of places to help you get started on your search.
- Simba
- Emma
- Dunelm
- Tescos
- Sainsbury's
- Argos
How much do duvets in the UK cost?
There is no one size-fits-all answer to how much duvets will cost you, it depends on a few factors like size, quality and materials used to create them.
However, if you're looking for cheaper options, you can find some great quality duvets for as little as £15.
On the other hand, if you need one that is hypoallergenic and has other fancy functions, it can rocket up to £200+, as seen with the Simba duvets.
What are duvet togs?
The tog rating of a duvet is simply a way of measuring how warm a duvet is. They most commonly start at 4.5 tog (the coolest) and go right up to 15 tog (the warmest).
A 4.5 tog duvet is generally considered cool enough for summer, and either a 10.5 or 13.5 tog is ideal for winter.
If you have a memory foam mattress or mattress topper, you may want to think about going for a lower tog duvet to counteract the warmth of the memory foam.
What is the best tog duvet for all year round?
This depends on how warm or cool you like to be in bed, but an all-season duvet can be a great investment.
These consist of a lightweight spring/summer duvet (4.5 tog) and a warmer autumn duvet (10.5 tog), which can be fastened together (often with buttons along the edge) if you need extra warmth in the winter.
A 10.5 tog duvet should be sufficient for the majority of the year.
What is the coolest duvet filling for summer?
Many duvet fillings have breathable, sweat-wicking properties.
In theory, natural rather than synthetic fibres should keep you coolest, but we recommend both the Emma Cloud and Simba Hybrid duvets for their clever temperature-regulating microfibres.
Plus, 100% cotton-cover duvets are airy and lightweight, making them ideal for the summer months.
How do you clean a duvet?
The good news is most duvets are machine-washable - provided your duvet fits in the machine (one clever hack is to wash a too-big duvet in the bath).
To rid the duvet of all bacteria and dust mites, experts recommend washing duvets on a 60°c cycle.
Aim to wash your duvet every few months, and either air dry it or if appropriate, dry it in the tumble dryer on a low heat setting.
You can also spot-clean duvets by rubbing a soap solution or gentle detergent into any stains and then rinsing with water.
How much should you spend on a duvet?
This depends entirely on your budget, but prices usually vary from around £20 to hundreds of pounds.
The cost will mainly depend on the tog and the filling that you choose.
Hollowfibre synthetic duvets are more affordable and the most popular ones with shoppers, according to consumer group Which? while feather and down duvets are usually more costly.
How often should you change your duvet?
After some time, any filling, whether it’s hollow fibre or goose feather, will lose its springiness.
It will start to feel flat and deflated, and this is usually a sign that it needs replacing.
As a general rule of thumb, we should change our duvets after five years (although it will depend on the quality of your duvet), according to the Sleep Council.
What tog rating is best for hot sleepers?
If you find you often overheat at night, try a 3-4.5 tog summer duvet to keep you cool.
As well as the tog rating, you should consider the material used for the filling and cover of your duvet, as many natural fibre duvets have sweat-wicking properties that can make you more comfortable.
What duvets do 5* hotels use?
Hotels will often use natural feather and down duvets with high thread count covers for that soft, luxurious feel.
You're likely to find fairly light 10.5 tog year-round duvets at hotels but often with additional blankets and sheets for extra warmth.
What size duvet should I choose?
The size of your bed will indicate what size duvet you should choose but always check the dimensions to be sure.
A standard double in the UK is 135cm x 190cm, but in Europe, a standard double-sized mattress is 140cm x 200cm, so always best to check when you're making a purchase.
Also, if you like extra coverage, try buying the next size up, e.g. a single bed with a double duvet.
What are the different duvet fillings and what are they good for?
There are two main types of duvet fillings: natural and synthetic.
If cared for properly, natural duvets can last longer than synthetic ones, and they tend to be more breathable.
Down — a type of fine feather and thermal insulator — is the warmest material and is pretty lightweight but generally the most expensive. Down is definitely for splurging.
Feathers, usually from geese, are slightly less warm but heavier and, therefore, a more affordable option. A mix of both down and feather offers the best of both worlds.
Wool is best if you’re a cold person and struggle in the winter months, and it also eliminates heat and moisture, so there's no need to worry about any nasties brewing.
On the synthetic side of the fence, duvets made from polyester benefit from being extremely hard-wearing and are easier to wash regularly than natural duvets. They tend to keep their shape better too, and don't get lumpy over time.
Think of synthetic duvets as solid all-rounders that offer a good degree of comfort, warmth and softness at a very reasonable price.
What is the warmest duvet filling for winter?
As well as being better at keeping you cool in the summer, natural fibres are also more efficient as thermal insulation in colder weather.
We would recommend a goose down or feather duvet to keep you cosy and warm.
A pure wool duvet would also certainly keep you toasty. Our suggestion of the Soak & Sleep New Zealand Mitchell Wool Duvet will keep you both cool and warm, so it's all you'll need all year round.
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