The bedding has a great impact not only on your sleep quality but on the style of the room as well. You should only choose quality pieces that are good for your skin and won’t cause any irritations. And since the bed is the focal point in the room, the bedding should also complement the overall décor. There are many options, so you need to take both looks and comfort into account.
The standard bedding set consists of several components, but some of the main pieces when it comes to the comfort and look of the bed are the toppers. The most common types of toppers used are duvets or quilts. A duvet is a filled top layer with a cover, while a quilt doesn’t come with one. Since this is the only difference between them, most people use these terms interchangeably.
Because duvets require covers, you can experiment with them as much as you like. This is convenient for those who frequently redecorate because you can just change the cover and you’ll have a whole different look. Whatever option you go for, the following tips will help you find a suitable bed quilt or duvet that’ll perfectly complement your bedroom style.
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How to Choose the Appropriate Warmth Rating?
The tog rating on a duvet represents the warmth and insulation that it has. You should choose this depending on the season and your preference. Finding the right tog rating is important so you can feel comfortable and get a good night’s sleep. If we feel too hot or cold during the night, it can affect our sleep. Every duvet comes with a tog rating and higher ratings mean more warmth.
For warmer days, we need something to keep us cool and which won’t make us sweat. For this reason, duvets with a tog rating from one to seven are ideal for summer and spring. For colder autumn or spring nights, a seven to 10 tog rating will give you that extra heat. For cold winter nights, 10 to 13.5 or even 15 should keep you warm enough. It depends, of course, on how cold it gets where you live.
There are also all-season quilts or duvets that combine two in a set. This is a great option for saving some money. You won’t need to buy more toppers separately because you can combine the two to create a duvet of a higher tog rating. The one duvet is with a low and the other with a high tog rating, for example, a summer and an autumn one that when combined will give you a winter duvet.
It’s important to mention that children have more body heat so have this in mind when buying a bed quilt for them. They don’t need a high tog rating and 4.5 is usually enough for toddlers in all seasons.
What Types of Fillings Are There?
The filling is the second most important thing that you need to know more about. It can be made of natural or synthetic fibres, but natural fillings are softer, warmer, and biodegradable. You can find down filling and goose and duck feathers which are the most popular but also the most expensive ones. They offer more insulation, which means that they’re lighter compared to synthetic bed quilts because less filling is needed to achieve the desired tog rating.
Other natural fillings are silk and wool. They’re both hypoallergenic, durable, and provide good temperature regulation. Silk is lightweight and wool has moisture-wicking properties meaning that it will keep you dry and warm.
If you’re allergic to wool or feathers, go for synthetic fillings. They’re cheaper, lighter, and hypoallergenic because they can be washed regularly. But they aren’t as breathable as the natural ones and aren’t recyclable. Synthetic duvets are either microfibre or hollowfibre. They’re both made of polyester and mass-produced. The difference is that hollowfibres have a hole down the centre of the thread that captures air. If you’re going for a more environmentally-friendly option, choose recycled hollowfibre quilts.
What Is the Fill Power of a Duvet?
This measurement is essential for the feather-filled duvets. It tells you about the insulation, how warm and fluffy the duvet is. Higher fill power means that it’s lighter, more breathable, durable, and will keep you warmer. It ranges from 400 to 900, and above 600 is considered a good fill. There’s also the fill weight and this is how heavy the duvet is. But it doesn’t mean that heavier is warmer because it can be heavy without providing good insulation.
Types of Duvet Constructions That You Can Choose from
There are two types of duvet constructions.
Box-stitched duvets keep the filling spread out and both sides are sewn together in square box-like construction. This keeps the filling equally spread in each box. These duvets are less warm and this construction is typically used for those with lower tog rating.
Baffle-box duvets provide more insulation because the top and the bottom part aren’t stitched together but there are small strips of fabric sewn between the squares. This allows more space in the boxes.
Several Other Things to Consider When Buying
Duvets and quilts can be found in all sizes so you want them to match your mattress size. To be sure, you can measure your mattress and pick the piece accordingly. You can get a bigger size if you want more room and, in this way, it will hang over the sides of the bed and create a more cosy and fluffy bed look
When choosing the tog rating, consider what kind of a sleeper you are. If you tend to overheat during the night, a lower tog duvet will probably work well for you even in the colder months. On the other side, if you’re constantly cold and add layers of blankets all the time, a higher tog quilt can keep you comfortable even on warmer nights. Also, take into account the other layers you typically use on your bed. If you have more, you might not need a high tog duvet because the other layers provide warmth as well.
Always follow the instructions that are provided by the manufacturer for washing the duvets. They don’t require frequent cleaning because you have the duvet covers that protect them. Just wash the covers regularly and you’ll have clean bedding to sleep in.
