Not too hot, but not too cold either: how do you choose your ideal duvet? | Ask vtwonen

Which duvet do you choose?
Sleeping comfort is different for everyone. A good duvet offers security, warmth, allows perspiration to pass through and has the right weight. Both the type of filling and the amount of filling material influence this. There are four heat classes, where duvets with class 4 are the coolest and duvets with class 1 are the warmest.

However, you can imagine that a polyester summer duvet retains more heat than a duvet made of a natural material, which ventilates better. A duvet in the same heat class can also have a different weight due to the difference in filling material.

All year vs 4 seasons
It all yearduvet is medium warm. However, on the hottest summer days, the all-year duvet can be too warm, while an extra throw may be needed to keep you warm during winter nights.

A 4-season duvet is more expensive, but overcomes this problem. The thinnest duvet is the summer duvet, the thickest the spring and autumn duvet. You can attach the two parts together for the coldest winter nights.

Different materials and weights
The down duvet is a favorite for many. The air between the down hairs in such a duvet provides insulation, which stops the heat in the summer and the cold in the winter. In addition, down absorbs moisture well. But the extraction of this feather-light material is highly controversial. It concerns hair from geese and birds and according to the Fur for Animals, the method of plucking is sometimes comparable to pulling out your own hair.

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If you want to go for a down duvet, look especially for duvets made of recycled down. By offering your old down duvet for recycling, you contribute to this animal-friendly alternative.

Wool ventilates and absorbs better than down, but feels heavier on the body. Wool is cool in summer and warm in winter and naturally has a self-cleaning property, so that daily airing is sufficient to get back under a fresh duvet in the evening. Wool duvets are pricey, but very durable. Does the thought of wool on your skin make you itch? The wool duvet has a ticking (or cover) made of cotton.

Bamboo and camel hair
Cotton is a natural product that you can wash at 40 degrees. It insulates less well than wool, which means that more filling is required, which makes the duvet heavier. Tencel is a type of cotton, but it is made from the pulp of eucalyptus trees, which lead a more sustainable existence than the cotton plant. Bamboo duvets are on the rise because of their good insulating capacity and lighter feel compared to cotton. Camel hair is used in the more expensive duvets. It is extracted from the combing of the winter coat of camels. Camel hair is lighter than wool, regulates moisture, has an anti-allergic effect and is extra insulating. Downside: It’s expensive.

For people who are sensitive to house dust mites or who want to be able to wash their duvet often (hot), a synthetic duvet can offer a solution. In addition, it is less expensive. However, a polyester duvet can feel sweaty, especially if the cover is also made of polyester. It is therefore better to opt for a cotton ticking and – in the case of a house dust mite allergy – for a high ticking density.

In collaboration with vtwonen.