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Originally Posted On: https://www.hushhome.com/blogs/sleep-products-guide/how-to-choose-the-best-duvet-or-best-comforter-the-ultimate-guide

Considering you spend one-third of your life in bed, it only makes sense to invest in bedding perfectly made to make sure you get a good night’s sleep every time your head hits the pillow. If you are not certain how to choose the duvet, quilt or comforter of your dreams, our 3-step guide explains how to choose the best duvet, best quilt or best comforter for you in 2020:

Choose your FILLING

There are two types of duvet filling, natural and synthetic:

Natural – Ducks and geese tend to come from cold climes, so duvets filled with their down provide great insulation and warmth! They are generally lighter than synthetic fillings and allow your skin to breathe more easily.  However, they can be a problem for those with allergies and are the most expensive filling to choose for your duvet or comforter. One money-saving option is to buy a feather-filled duvet or comforter, but those tend to be heavier. Bear in mind that washing these natural fillings can be costly, as specialist cleaning materials are often required and they may not last as long as synthetic materials.

Synthetic – These duvets and comforters are a great option for those who are allergic to feather, down or even dust mites as the materials used to construct them are normally hypo-allergenic. The fibers wick sweat away from your body to provide a comfortable night’s sleep and the duvets can be washed at home without causing damage. There are two fillings to choose from:

• Hollow fiber. As the name suggests, the wire-like fibers create hollows in the duvet that act as a heat trap to provide great insulation. It is the hypo-allergenic version of feathers when it comes to weight and comfort.

• Microfiber. The fibers of a microfiber filling are extra fine to create the luxurious feeling associated with down-filled duvets but at a more affordable price. The lightweight texture also leads to a lighter duvet overall. At Hush Home, we’re proud of the high-grade down-like microfiber filling used in our duvets, carefully shaved to mimic the texture and warmth of down. In fact, we use millions of microfibers in every one of our duvets, each measuring just 1/5 the diameter of a typical strand of your hair to give it a temperature profile almost identical to natural down.

2. Make sure your duvet is hypoallergenic

Your bedding makes the ideal home for a variety of allergens, such as dust mites, mold and dust and reactions to these can lead to a disturbed night’s sleep. – a runny or itchy nose might not be a cold after all. However, choosing a duvet (and other bedding such as cotton sheets and memory foam pillows) made from hypoallergenic materials ensures you keep such irritants at bay. Natural materials such as cotton will resist allergens, and for even better protection, choose a high thread count as the closely woven fabric provides less gaps for irritants to hide in. Similarly, a duvet with an all natural filling will harbour more dust and mites as the down and feathers provide many tiny spaces for them to flourish – a microfiber filling is a better choice to keep them away.

3. Choose your STRUCTURE

That stitching you see on your duvet actually has some science behind it! It’s important to know as how your duvet is constructed will affect its insulation and breathability.

Bavarian (also known as Sewn-Through or Box-Stitch) . This type of stitching gets its name because the shell fabric (the top of your duvet) and liner fabric (the bottom of your duvet) are sewn completely through the fabric in square patterns. This creates a very secure stitch that ensures your filling will stay exactly where it was intended to be. It’s also a lighter-weight construction technique because it requires no additional fabric to create the square pockets. If you live in a humid climate such as Hong Kong, this may be a good choice as it keeps your duvet lightweight and breathable.

Baffle Box. This construction style uses an extra layer of vertical fabric between the shell and liner fabric, which creates a series of continuous fabric boxes filled with filling. By creating walls around each bafflex box, this style allows the filling to move around and prevents cold spots. Do note that the added fabric needed to create baffle boxes adds weight to your duvet or comforter.

4. Choose your TOG

The tog of a duvet or comforter refers to its ability to keep you warm and ranges from 1 (coolest) to 15 (warmest). Your choice depends on the climate, range of temperature experienced during the year and personal preference. It is worth remembering that the tog of a duvet is not connected to its weight – the better the insulation quality of your chosen filling, whether natural or synthetic, the less filling is needed to reach that tog rating. While some choose to have two different duvets to switch between according to the season, if you choose wisely, have a duvet that provides breathability and temperature regulation all year round, ideal for the climes of Hong Kong! For those who don’t want the hassle or cost of multiple duvets and comforters, our All-Season Duvet, with its high-end super-fine filling and lofty, lightweight and breathable structure is the perfect choice.

Other choices

Once you have considered all of the above, you might think you’ve found your perfect bed partner, but we have just a few more things that you might want to think about before you make your purchase the best duvet or best comforter for you:

• Ticking – Not boxes (!), this actually refers to the material used to cover the duvet’s filling. A high-quality 100% cotton material is essential to maintain temperature control, prevent sweating and allow your skin to breath overnight.
• Protecting – The time and money involved in cleaning your duvet means that it makes sense to do it as little as possible. To extend the time between washing, consider a duvet cover. They come in many different patterns, styles and materials and are a great way to add a touch of colour or individuality to your bedroom.
• Size – although duvets come in set sizes, many people prefer to order theirs one size bigger to have a little more hanging over the edges – great if you are tall or sleep with a duvet hogger!

Now armed with this information, we wish you the best of luck choosing the perfect duvet and staying warm (and breathable) in 2020!