Your Duvet Tog & Duvet Size Buying Guide

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Duvets Buying Guide

Tuck in for togs, temperatures, fabrics and finishes

Quality sleep is something everyone wants, and for that, warmth and comfort play a big part. To help you get it just right, Dunelm has over 50 varieties of natural filling duvets and synthetic fibre duvets on offer, in warmth levels ranging from the lightest 1 tog to extra warm 15 tog duvets. We also have a comprehensive collection of bedding brands to choose from, starting with our own Dunelm bedding, protection and toppers to big names in sleep like Fogarty, Hotel and luxurious Dorma.

Our duvet buying guide will help you find the right filling and warmth for your needs, and help you relax into a lovely long night’s sleep.

Tog ratings

Duvets come with their own scale of warmth called a 'tog' rating. This rating is about warmth, not thickness, so even if you find the fluffiest duvet ever, the tog is the part that makes the difference. The scale is simple, ranging from 1 to 4.5 tog for cooler options, to the extra-warming 15 tog duvets.

The tog rating tells you how good your duvet is at trapping air (which is basically what insulation is) and therefore provide more warmth. Natural filled duvets are often able to do with less materials than synthetic fibre duvets, which can mean they’re on the lighter side.

If you can’t decide, we also offer ‘all season’ duvets made from two parts that can be used individually as a low or medium tog duvet, or together to create a thick high tog duvet.

Duvet fillings: natural or synthetic?

For most people, the choice between natural or synthetic fibre duvets is matter of taste and budget, however, if allergies are an issue you’re probably better off with a synthetic filling duvet. They are available in all tog ratings and are non-allergenic by their nature, so are suitable for use by the whole family.

Generally thought of as a more luxurious way to sleep, the natural filings of down or feather duvets tend to feel warmer than synthetic duvets of the same thickness. Feather or down duvets can also feel heavier than their synthetic equivalents, so if you want a lighter feel synthetic could be the way to go.

SHOP NATURAL

SHOP SYNTHETIC

Natural filling types

Down
A cosy, light choice made from the warmest and fluffiest feathers

Feathers
Heavier than down but less expensive, the feathers are larger and more substantial.

Feathers & down
A larger feather and delicate down mix for a balance of weight and warmth.

Wool
Cosy, light, and a good all-rounder when it comes to temperatures. Wool doesn’t usually have a tog rating because it helps to regulate your body temperature for cool summers and warm winters. Wool fibres are flat for a neat and tidy look.

Synthetic filling types

Polyester fibre
This classic adds comfort, warmth and good loft (which is a fancy word for thickness).

Hollowfibre
Each fibre is hollow, which helps them trap more warmth and keep things lighter even at higher tog ratings.

Spiral polyester filling
The fibres are crimped while they’re being spun for extra comfort and durability.

Microfibre & down touch
Very fine fibres that are extra soft, lightweight and give your duvet plenty of volume. Great if you’re allergic to feathers but want a soft, down-like feel.

Silk
Blended with lightweight, robust microfibre for a very soft, luxurious experience.

Cover Fabrics

Before we begin, let’s talk about thread count…

Just like our fillings, there are different aspects to our duvet casings too. What they’re made from and their thread counts can make a noticeable difference to the smoothness, quality and feel of your duvet. Higher thread counts also mean there’s less chance that pieces of filling will wriggle their way out.

The thread count is literally the amount of threads running horizontally ('weft' threads) and vertically ('warp' threads) within any 1-inch square of the fabric. If a fabric has a 200 thread count, it means there are 200 threads per square inch of the fabric.

Cotton

Durable, easy to care for and naturally breathable so there’s less chance of overheating. Cotton often has that ‘crisp’ finish that looks fresh and inviting.

Polyester Microfibre

Made from 100% polyester, it’s durable, soft, easy to care for, and faster to dry.

Polycotton mixes

Made by blending durable polyester and soft cotton in different ratios, this easy-care option balances comfort with longevity.

Tencel™

A sustainable fibre made from the cellulose from wood pulp, it’s soft and is great for wicking away moisture to help to regulate your body temperature.

Bamboo

Using fibres from the fast growing Bamboo plant, this fibre is soft, breathable, and naturally anti-bacterial which can help minimise skin irritation and allergies.

Temperature regulating fabrics

Perfect for year-round use, these fibres can absorb and store or release heat as needed to keep you at a steady temperature.

Other benefits

Our anti-allergy duvets have been finished using an Aegis Microbe Shield treatment, which provides dust mite and allergen protection, and will still be effective for up to 10 machine washes. For more into, check out Anti Allergy guide.

ANTI ALLERGY BUYING GUIDE

For year-round comfort, try an All Seasons Duvet made from 2 parts: a 10.5 tog duvet for cooler nights, and a 4.5 tog for warmer nights. When things get really chilly, you can combine the two to create maximum cosiness with a 15 tog duvet.

SHOP ALL SEASON DUVETS

Duvet sizes

Let’s find you a comfortable fit

The size of your bed will usually dictate the size of your duvet, with single through to super king size duvets made to fit the standard dimensions of beds with the same name. Buy your bedding in the same size as your bed and your duvets will cover you comfortably, but if you like extra coverage try buying the next size up (e.g. a single bed with a double duvet).

Single	Double	King	Super King
Mattress size: 90cm x 190cm	Mattress size: 135cm x 190cm	Mattress size: 150cm x 200cm	Mattress size: 180cm x 200cm
Duvet size: 135cm x 200cm	Duvet size: 200cm x 200cm	Duvet size: 230cm x 220cm	Duvet size: 260cm x 220cm

Children's duvets

Children should not sleep under anything warmer than a 10.5 tog duvet. An adult sized duvet will trap more air around their small frames, which will keep them at a lower tog rating.

Duvets are not suitable for babies under 12 months, so to keep them comfortable we sell specialist cot duvets and blankets to tuck them in safely.

SHOP KIDS DUVETS

Caring for your duvet

To keep your bedding feeling its best, we always recommend using duvet protectors and pillow protectors. Dunelm offers lots of bedding protection options in all of the standard sizes and different materials to enhance your bed further, and you can find out more in our mattress protection and topper buying guide.

- Wash your duvet regularly to keep it hygienic.

- Follow the instructions on the care label.

- Keep light and dark coloured washes separate to keep things bright. You can also use 'white' washing powder with optical brightening agents.

- If your duvet is too big for your washing machine, take a trip to use a high-capacity machine at a professional laundrette.

- Dry and air your duvets thoroughly before returning it to your bed

- Natural fibre bedding can’t be dry cleaned as the chemicals could damage the fillings.

- The temperature you see on the care label is the highest temperature the duvet can take, so it’s okay to wash it at a lower temperature to be kinder on your product and the planet. Running a prewash can help with heavily soiled linens and most modern detergents provide excellent results at low temperatures.

- Tumble drying on a low setting will help the fibre plump up after washing.

FAQs

What is the Dorma 10 Year Guarantee?

It’s the Dorma “stamp of approval". This means that the product has been washed a minimum of 100 times and is then performance tested to guarantee the product is the best quality. This policy offers a 10-year guarantee in the form of a refund, repair or replacement if the product is found to be faulty within 10 years of purchase.

What is OEKO-TEX Made in Green?

OEKO-TEX Made In Green is a traceable product label for textiles that verifies that a product has been tested for harmful substances. It also guarantees that the product has been manufactured using sustainable processes under socially responsible working conditions.

What is OKEO-TEX Standard 100?

OEKO-TEX Standard 100 verifies that a product has been tested for harmful substances. If a product carries the STANDARD 100 label you can be certain that every component (thread, button, zip etc) has been tested for harmful substances and is therefore harmless in ecological terms.

What size is a small double bed?

A small double, also known as a ¾ double or Queen is 120cm x 190cm in size. Small doubles are commonly found in university accommodation.

Returns

For health and hygiene reasons we are unable to offer refunds or exchanges on duvets unless they are returned sealed and unopened in their original packaging. This does not affect your statutory rights. For further details of Dunelms return policy can be found here www.dunelm.com/info/help/returns-and-cancellations.