Summer is almost here and this is a sign to change your bedding to something lighter yet cosy. No matter the season, it’s undeniable that the right duvet is guaranteed to give you a well-rested night’s sleep when paired with one of the best mattresses for your sleeping style and body type.
When it comes to choosing the best duvet, it’s all about picking the right tog rating (more on this in shopping advice below). You can either go for a 4.5 tog or similar which is ideal for summer or opt for a 2-in-1 design you can use all-year round.
Our overall pick now is the Panda Cloud duvet— it's breathable, eco-friendly and keeps you at the perfect temperature all night, making it the perfect summer choice. Want a warmer model? Explore our full guide where we have rounded up a range of options for all sleeping styles and budgets.
The best duvet overall
Panda London is known for making snuggly bamboo bedding that’s kind to both the environment and your sleep. The Panda Cloud Duvet has a 10.5 tog rating and is crafted from a blend of bamboo and Nano-Microfibre, so it's lightweight and insulating. This duvet is designed to be used year-round, with a temperature-regulating build keeping things cool in summer and warm in winter.
Bamboo is often used in eco-friendly bedding because it's both antibacterial and antimicrobial — bed bugs and dust mites hate it. It's also moisture and odour wicking, making bamboo bedding a good choice for those who struggle with night sweats. Bavarian sewn-through pockets keep all that sumptuous fill in place, so you don't have to worry about clumping.
The Panda Cloud Duvet is made with zero animal products (good for vegans), using ethically sourced bamboo, and Standard 100 by OEKO-TEX certified threads and dyes (no nasty chemicals). It's also hypoallergenic, to protect against skin irritations. Oh, and it's machine washable too — for convenience.
The best cooling duvet for hot sleepers
The Simba Hybrid Duvet is tailored for those who often overheat in the night (but still feel chilly when they first climb into bed). Using Simba's Stratos Active temperature regulating tech, the hybrid duvet absorbs and holds onto heat when you're cold, before releasing it when you warm up. It's instant freshness, thanks to the space-inspired Stratos material used on the underside of the duvet.
In the middle of the Simba Hybrid Duvet you'll find 100% Simba Renew Bio filling. This unusual fill consists of recycled PET bottles, combed through to make fluffy fibers. While this might not sound like the snuggliest interior, the fibers are light and airy — plus eco-friendly and from a Global Recycled Standard certified supply chain.
The bottom layer of the Simba Hybrid Duvet is made of breathable cotton, and because it's stitched into square panels, every corner of the duvet is as comfortable as the other, 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 easy to care for.
The best all-season duvet
Available in a 10.5 tog, the Silentnight Airmax Duvet takes an unusual approach to breathable sleep. It features wide mesh panels on the sides that enable maximum airflow, for fresher rest even as the temperatures rise. A microfibre coating adds a silky finish against your skin, but to keep things clean, we recommend using a duvet cover.
The unusual construction adds coziness without weight, with the Airmax technology trapping a layer of insulating air. it's designed for all-seasons use, but on the hottest summer months, you might prefer to ditch the duvet and stick with sheets.
One of our sleep experts tested out the Airmax Duvet for over two months and loved 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.
4. The best lightweight duvet for summer
The 10.5 tog Nectar Duvet is ideal for those balmy summer nights when you don't want the warmth but you do want some cover. Our tester found the Nectar snuggly but not constricting, with no clumping even after several weeks of use.
The light and breathable feel is thanks to a distinctive fill, as the Nectar Duvet contains a blend of Smartfil technology (superfine recycled plastic fibers) mixed with Modal (a type of natural wood pulp). The woven Smartfil fibers enable airflow, while the Modal wicks away moisture for fresher sleep.
Be aware that while the Nectar provides summer comfort, it's not quite so good at keeping you cozy on very cold nights. Our tester found themselves reaching for an extra blanket on occasion, but admittedly this was during a particularly cold snap in North East England.
Our top choice for lightweight summer cover, if you do wake up sweating the Nectar Duvet can be machine washed (although you have to find a washing machine big enough). If you're looking for an entire new sleep setup, you can often save with bundle deals, such as the Nectar Starter Bundle at Nectar. These bundles pair a mattress with a duvet, pillows, sheets, and bedding, for a completely refreshed bed.
- Read more: Nectar Duvet review
5. 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. Silentnight has done that for you with its Yours and Mine Duvet. On one side you'll find a 4.5 tog duvet, and on the other, a 7.5 tog. No more bedding battles, just comfortable sleep all round.
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.
Duvet shopping advice
How to choose the best duvet tog for your sleep
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 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.
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. While 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 right for your sleep?
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.
Best Duvets FAQs
Can you wash a duvet in the washing machine?
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.
The answer to this question 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). The rule of thumb for bedding maintenance is to always check the care label and this applies to duvets too.
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 – though air drying is widely accepted as the best approach when the weather allows.
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.
What tog duvet do hotels use?
Hotels are known for their plush, luxurious duvets that instantly help you relax and drift off into a peaceful slumber. The secret lies in not one but two key factors: tog rating and materials.
Hotels usually opt for a fluffy tog rating anywhere between 10.5 to 13. They also pick and choose duvets specially crafted from premium materials like down or other synthetic alternatives which mimics the comfort of natural down. It should also be noted that these are freshened up frequently and maintained well to deliver the ultimate cosy sleep experience for each guest.
