Get the wrong duvet for the summer months and you could be in for a season of insomnia as you toss and turn feeling clammy and uncomfortable. Get the right one, however, and you should be able to sleep like a log, no matter what the weather.
While some duvets are suitable all year round, most have different seasonal options, based on tog ratings. Generally speaking, the higher the tog rating, the warmer the duvet, with anything below 7.5 suitable for warmer months.
But it’s not just the tog that you need to consider. The material your duvet is made from can be crucial to a good night’s sleep. Some synthetic microfibre duvets, for instance, can make all the difference to allergy sufferers, while non-allergy sufferers who love a luxurious, cloud-like feel often swear by natural down. And it gets more complicated still. If you plump for a synthetic filling, will you go for pure microfibre or an added ingredient such as Amicor – a fibre with anti-bacterial and anti-fungal additives? Or if you favour a natural filling such as down, will you go for duck or goose?
Always check how evenly distributed the filling is – some duvet fillings quickly disappear down to your toes, leaving your upper body essentially lying under a sheet. And finally, consider the quality of the casing, which can affect softness against the skin (even with a duvet cover over it) and breathability.
1. The White Company Goose Feather and Down: From £50, The White Company
Goose feather and down are a wonderful combo for those who either can’t afford pure down or prefer a bit more weight to their duvet. This one – which is ethically sourced and hand plumped – remains evenly distributed even after years. It’s been treated for house mite allergy sufferers and we think it’s great value. Choose 3 or 4.5 tog for summer. Available in single, double, king and super king.
2. Fogarty 4.5 Tog Duvet: From £10, Dunelm
This is a steal at just a tenner for the single version. Made from a lightweight combo of microfibre and hollowfibre, it’s both non-allergenic and machine washable, and we found it both soft and snug, with plenty of substance, but without weighing you down. The filling is evenly spread too, so there are no annoying cold spots. Available in single, double, king and super king.
3. Rested Outlast Summer Duvet: From £160, Rested
Made from a NASA-designed, thermo-regulating fabric that really stands the test of time, this innovative, long-lasting synthetic duvet reacts to you and your partner’s differing body temperatures (it absorbs your heat when you need cooling down, and then releases it when the room temperature falls). As such, it’s a godsend for couples who can never agree on which thickness of duvet to go for. Available in single, king and super king.
4. Snuggledown Wash and Dry Me Hollowfibre Duvet 4.5 Tog: From £37.02, Amazon
This soft duvet, made with non-allergenic hollowfibre filling, is fluffy and soft, and it does a good job at stopping you feeling clammy, even on hot summer nights. As its name suggests, it washes easily in the machine and you can dry it in the tumble drier too. Available in single, double, king and super king.
5. The Wool Room Deluxe Wool Duvet Superlight: From £75.99, The Wool Room
Pure wool duvets are not known for being the lightest, but this one – which is the equivalent of around 1-2 tog – is like air, making it ideal for ultra-hot sleepers. It’s machine washable, temperature regulating, hypoallergenic and dust mite resistant – and gets the Allergy UK seal of approval to prove it. Available in single, double, king or super king.
6. Ikea Blekvide: From £60, Ikea
This 4-tog duck down quilt (with 10 per cent feathers to add a slight feeling of weight) is light and fluffy but warm enough for those cooler British summer nights. You won’t sweat as the filling absorbs any moisture and the cotton cover makes it comfy against the skin, as well as breathable. Available in single, double or king.
7. Tielle Duck Down Duvet 4.5 Tog: From £100, Tielle
This duck down duvet with piped edges is favoured by many five-star hotels. With a light-as-air feel, it’s a good one for people who are free sleepers, rather than “snugglers”, as it floats over the body instead of cocooning you, as is the case with many duvets with higher fill power. Available in single, double, king or super king.
8. The Fine Cotton Company Pure Silk Summer Weight Duvet: From £119, The Fine Cotton Company
Silk is proven to adjust not just to your individual body temperature but the temperature of the room, keeping you cool at all times, and it’s great for allergy sufferers too because it’s dust-mite resistant and hypoallergenic. This one – which is the equivalent of 4-5 tog – drapes gracefully over you as you sleep. Available in single, double, king or super king.
9. Soak & Sleep Ultimate Hungarian Goose Down 4.5 Tog: From £63, Soak and Sleep
You won’t find a more luxurious and cloud-like duvet filler than down. And while most people think of goose down being the perfect winter warmer, this duvet is a great summer version that keeps you snug, but never hot – and unlike some other goose down duvets we tried, the filling doesn’t migrate. It lasts well too. Available in single, double, king, super king and emperor.
10. John Lewis Active Anti-Allergy Duvet: From £35, John Lewis
Allergy sufferers can face nights of hell under the wrong type of duvet, but this breathable, fluffy duvet gets the British Allergy Foundation’s seal of approval for reducing symptoms such as coughing. It’s made from 80 per cent siliconised microfibre and 20 per cent Amicor, a fibre with anti-bacterial and anti-fungal additives. Available in single, double, king and super king.
11. Julian Charles Anti Allergy 4.5 Tog: From £20, Julian Charles
Another good anti-allergy duvet with a bargain price tag, this one is slightly less plump than the Fogarty one. Bacteria and dust-mite resistant, we found it lived up to its promise to wash well in the machine too. Available in single, double and king size.
The Verdict: Summer-weight duvets
The White Company Goose Feather and Down is the entry level duvet to its feather and down range – but while this retailer sells much more expensive versions, we think this is the best value for money and it’s durable too. For a budget buy, the Fogarty 4.5 Tog Duvet is hard to beat and for pure luxury, our vote goes to Tielle Duck Down Duvet 4.5 Tog.
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