It’s definitely the time of year when we’re grateful for our duvets. Soft, warm and snuggly, they’re practically the only thing getting us through the winter! If you’re thinking of buying a new duvet, though, you may get lost in the world of tog ratings. This is the measure of how warm a duvet is – but what does it mean, and what should you choose? Our guide explains.
Types of duvet
The first thing that has an effect on the warmth of the duvet is the filling. The main choices are polyester, wool and feather, and each has benefits and disadvantages.
Polyester tends to be lighter, cheaper and easier to wash at home if you have a large enough washing machine. It’s also the best choice if you need something hypoallergenic. As it’s a manmade fibre, though, it can be difficult to regulate body temperature and you may overheat.
As a natural fibre, wool is brilliant at regulating temperature and retaining heat, and it’s sustainable too. On the downside, it’s heavier, thicker to store and needs specialist dry cleaning. It can also be more expensive to buy.
Feather and down duvets are often considered to be the gold standard of comfort, and they are gloriously warm. The filling shifts with you, so you don’t tend to get the ‘balling’ effect of other fillings. There are some disadvantages, though. Feathers can irritate allergies, the feather shafts can poke through the outer lining, features are not considered a sustainable option compared to other fillings and this type of duvet tends to cost more and require specialist cleaning.
This ‘Friendly Kip’ duvet from Loaf is non-feather, hypoallergenic and comes with its own storage bag. Available in different sizes, prices start at £130 from Loaf.
TOG ratings explained
‘TOG’ stands for ‘Thermal Overall Grade’, and it’s a measure of how warm the duvet is. The higher the number, the warmer the duvet. The scale runs from 1 to 15, although it’s rare to see ratings at either extreme. The TOG rating refers to how well a duvet is able to trap heat, and isn’t directly related to weight or thickness. These latter factors are more to do with the filling type as explained above, than the TOG rating.
This luxury goosedown duvet by Tiele has a 300 thread count percale cover, making it not only soft to the touch but also naturally beautiful, simple to clean and long lasting. Available in different TOG ratings and sizes, prices start at £174 from Sweetpea and Willow.
The main TOG ratings you’ll see on duvets in the shops are 4.5, 9 and 13.5. These ratings mean the duvet is suitable for summer, autumn/spring and winter respectively. As in the UK our weather can do almost anything from freeze to drought, usually on the same day, it’s useful to have more than one duvet.
If budget or storage space only allow for one, then go for one of the thinner tog ratings and heap it up with blankets and throws to add warmth. Investing in two thin (4.5 TOG) duvets mean you can use them together to create a thick winter duvet.
Some outlets sell ‘multi season’ duvets which consist of a thicker option and a thinner option which can be used together or separately for flexibility. This duvet from Otty (above and main image) combines warm and cosy 10.5 tog and a cool and breathable 3 tog so that you can use it all year round. Prices start at £149.99, available from Otty.
