Tom's Guide Verdict
Pleasantly light, breathable and very well made, the Nectar Duvet offers excellent value for anyone seeking bedding that'll work in pretty much any season. You can pop it into the washing machine for easy cleaning (assuming it'll fit), too. While it'll keep you at a comfortable temperature in most weather, you might need an extra blanket when it gets really cold.
Pros
- +
Light and breathable
- +
Machine washable
- +
All-year round use
- +
Affordable price
Cons
- -
Not warm enough for very cold nights
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If you live in the UK, then your idea of the best duvet is likely one you can use throughout the year, whatever the weather. The Nectar Duvet promises to be just that: a 10.5 tog all-season duvet which is perfect for spring, summer, autumn and winter. But is this true, and does it really deliver in practice?
To find out, we got hold of one and tried it out. We rate Nectar amongst the best mattress brands around (see our Nectar Original mattress review, Nectar Essential Hybrid mattress review and Nectar Premier Hybrid review to find out why). In short, so we had high hopes for its bedding. Read on to find out if it delivered, in our Nectar Duvet review.
Nectar duvet review: Price and availability
You can buy the Nectar Duvet directly from Nectar; it's £80 for a Single, £100 for a Double, £115 for a King and £130 for a Super King.
However, at the time of writing this, all these prices were heavily discounted. So a Single is currently £48, a Double is £60, a King is £69 and a Super King is £78. Our hunch is that these are really the long-term prices, and that they've been presented as discounts as a marketing ploy. But hey, maybe we're just being cynics.
Nectar duvet review: Design
The Nectar Duvet is 10.5 tog and comes in four sizes. These are Single (135x200cm, 1.5kg); Double (200x200cm, 2.5kg), King (225x220cm, 3kg) and Super King (260x220cm, 3.5kg). It's designed to suit all types of bed, including box spring, divan bases, platform, and traditional frames.
While this looks and feels like a regular plain duvet, it's what's inside that really makes it distinctive. The filling incorporates Nectar's proprietary Smartfil technology, which weaves super-fine fibres – which are made from recycled plastic bottles – in a way that lets more air flow through the material.
These Smartfil fibres are blended with 20% modal, which is made from natural wood pulp and helps to wick moisture away from the body. All this filling is encased in a machine-stitched, microfibre cover which is textured and feels soft to the touch.
Nectar duvet review: Performance
The idea behind Nectar's SmartFil technology is to replicate the feel of premium down, while still being light and breathable. So does it live up to its promise? In our experience, yes.
We found this duvet to be warm, cosy and comfortable without being overly heavy or constricting, which is pretty much the ideal when it comes to a relaxed night's sleep. The filling is evenly distributed throughout, and has remained so for many weeks of use, with no obvious clumping.
Admittedly, we've had some pretty cold temperatures this year, especially in North East England where this duvet was tested, and this duvet wasn't quite warm enough by itself on some nights. That meant we had to layer it with another duvet. However, the good news is that because of the cooling, moisture-wicking nature of the Nectar Duvet, we never got overheated or sticky doing so.
We also liked that the duvet can be washed at 40C. Admittedly, depending on the size you go for, you may not be able to fit it in your washing machine. But, even a trip to the launderette is still more convenient than having to hand-wash your bedding.
Finally, we liked the textured look and feel of the duvet's outer casing. Okay, you're not actually going to see or touch it that much, as most of the time it'll be inside a duvet cover, but it still adds to the feeling that you're getting a premium product.
Nectar duvet review:
Nectar offers free, no-contact delivery for all sizes of the Nectar Duvet, and free named-day shipping to the UK mainland. Nectar is not currently able to deliver to some areas of Scotland, Northern Ireland, or any UK offshore islands including the Isle of Wight.
A two-year guarantee covers you for any defects in materials and workmanship, from the day your duvet is delivered to you. They may require a photo of the defective item, but Nectar will cover the cost of returning it.
Confusingly, the website advertises a "365-Night Home Trial" on this product's page. However, this only applies to Nectar mattresses and not its duvets, or indeed any other Nectar bedding products.
Should I buy the Nectar duvet?
Overall, if you're looking for a mid-priced duvet that you can use throughout the year, then the Nectar Duvet offers excellent value. It's light, well-designed, breathable and cooling. And the fact that it's machine-washable is an added bonus.
A word of warning, though: if you tend to get cold at night, or live in northern climates, then the "all-seasons" tag may be a little bit misleading. In winter, certainly, you'll need to team this up with a blanket or another duvet.
