March 8, 2024
How to find the right linen or duvet. Togs, thread counts, fillings can all be quite confusing, so in this post we tell you what’s what and make some recommendations.
Discover Duvets and Bed Linen that are luxurious, fulfil a function or reasonably priced.
Duvet
Duvets have come along way from the time they replaced blankets and a really good duvet can cost upwards of £500 depending on size.
Choosing the Duvet to suit you is vital for a good nights sleep and you may want one for winter and another for summer. The higher the tog, the warmer the duvet. Combining two with different tog ratings gives you greater temperature control but can be quite bulky.
You then have to decide what filling you want.
Feather Filling:
Feathers offer a firmer feel and provide that snug, tucked-in sensation to duvets and pillows, thanks to their small quills.
Duck Down Filling:
Down, sourced from the breast of ducks and geese, is renowned for its exceptional insulation properties. Soft, fluffy, and incredibly lightweight, down clusters trap air effectively, delivering warmth without adding bulk.
European Goose Down Filling:
European geese, raised with care and maturity, yield premium-grade down.Goose Down duvets and pillows are light, soft, and exceptionally comfortable, offering superior warmth with breathability. They outperform Duck Down and are ideal for all-season use.
Non-Allergenic Filling:
While synthetic duvets were once considered inferior, modern microfibre options rival natural materials. Microfibre duvets mimic the feel of natural ones, offering warmth, softness, and lightness while being anti-allergy. Encased in a high thread count, dust mite-proof outer shell, natural duvets and pillows can also offer protection against dust mites.
Cost will vary depending on tog number and filling type.
Our suggested duvets are also a reliable source for linens.
Tielle
Have already been recommended for their pillows and their duvets and linen are just as highly regarded. Worth checking out their bundles for duvet, duvet cover, sheets and pillowcases. For a little extra, you can have them embroidered.
Tielleloveluxury.co.uk from £389
The White Company
This top-ranking duvet is a true standout for its exceptional quality, despite its higher price tag. Crafted with a generous proportion of Hungarian goose down (90% down to 10% feather), its luxurious softness speaks volumes about the superior grade of its filling. Ethically sourced from cruelty-free suppliers in the food industry, you can rest assured about its origins.
The even distribution of the filling ensures consistent warmth, while the breathable cotton percale cover prevents any uncomfortable sweating. Available in 10.5 tog which many find ideal for most seasons it also comes in 4.5 and 13.5 togs for personalized warmth year-round. Moreover, the option to button together two duvets adds versatility. With White Company duvets boasting a 10-year guarantee, it’s a purchase that promises lasting comfort and satisfaction. Beware, it is not refundable.
The White Company from £230
Ava Innes Luxury Cashmere and Wool
Crafted from the outer coat of the cashmere goat, known as cashmere guard hair, this duvet offers exceptional warmth without the bulk. Blended with Yorkshire wool by Scotland’s Ava Innes, it creates a luxurious and indulgent bedding experience.
The unique S-shaped stitching ensures the filling remains evenly distributed for consistent comfort.
The combination of wool, cashmere, and cotton provides a cosy yet breathable sleeping environment.
Despite its slim and heavy feel, the duvet excels in regulating heat, making it suitable for couples with different temperature preferences.
While it comes with a higher price tag (with the super king version costing from £650), the Ava Innes duvet offers a truly special sleeping experience. We’d say it’s best for those with different temperature preferences. If you are suffering from the menopause you can trial sleeping under cashmere.
Ava Innes has a very ethical approach to what they produce and define themselves as “doing good, by doing better” so when you make a purchase, they will plant a tree. Like us, you may well want to support them.
Avainnes.com from £350
Simba Summer Hybrid Duvet
Simba’s Hybrid duvet, unlike their mattress counterpart, is uniquely designed for temperature regulation. Made with a thin fleece filling from recycled plastic bottles and featuring a ‘Stratos’ cover, this duvet stands out for its ability to absorb and transfer body heat away from you. The hexagon-patterned sheen on the cover is created by polymers that help maintain a comfortable sleeping temperature by adjusting to your body’s needs. Originally developed for astronauts, this technology ensures you stay cool and sweat-free even on hot nights.
This duvet effectively minimizes sweating and interruptions during warm nights.
For those seeking versatility, Simba also offers the Hybrid 3-in-1 duvet, which consists of two separate duvets—a 3.5 tog summer duvet and a 7-tog spring/autumn duvet. These can be fastened together to create a 10.5 tog mega-duvet for colder nights. Although it’s a pricier option, it provides excellent functionality and saves storage space in the cupboard.
Simbasleep.com from £219
Fine Bedding Company Smart Temperature Duvet
The Fine Bedding Company’s cooling duvet features the same innovative heat-wicking material found in the Simba Summer Hybrid, but at a more affordable price point. Utilizing HeiQ Cool technology developed by a Swiss high-tech materials firm, this duvet effectively regulates body temperature by absorbing heat and moisture, keeping you cool and dry throughout the night. With its hexagon-patterned side designed for cooling and a cotton side for regular use, it offers versatility and comfort.
While the Smart Temperature Duvet is available only in 10.5 tog, making it suitable for cooler nights, it may feel too warm during exceptionally hot weather. However, it’s ideal for individuals who prefer a snug feel even in sticky conditions. Despite its thin filling, the duvet retains a luxurious and fluffy texture, making it suitable for year-round use, particularly for those prone to overheating while sleeping. Overall, it’s a great option for hot sleepers seeking consistent comfort and temperature regulation.
Finebedding.co.uk from £120
Bed Linen
Do you know how thread count is calculated?
It refers to the number of threads in a square inch of cloth and can make the difference between jumping into bed with crisp linen or silky, luxurious sheets.
Linen can range from 120 to over 1,000, but biggest isn’t always best and a very high thread count can feel stiff and unsupple. Anything over 200 is considered sufficient and 300-400 high quality.
If you want to find out the quality of your linen:
Step 1: Hold the linen up to a light source and see how light filters through the weave. Uneven patches of light can suggest poor quality spinning and a weaker linen.
Step 2: Drape the linen across your hand and look across its surface. Hairy or fluffy linen won’t have been ‘singed’, a high quality finishing process that results in a soft, smooth finish.
Step 3: Inspect the linen for stray flecks of coloured thread or yarn. These shouldn’t be present in any high quality products and can suggest an inferior product.
When considering what linen to buy look for a single-ply fabric woven using a single thread with long staple cotton fibres. This soft, strong single ply relies on high quality yarn that doesn’t need twisting with another thread to strengthen it, creating durability, softness and quality.
Most common bed sheets are:
If you are buying a recommended duvet as highlighted above, then their sheets and sets can give you the total package and at a discount.
Here are some other choices:
Dusk
Dusk’s Egyptian cotton fitted sheet is a luxury sheet. Made from smooth 400 thread count Egyptian cotton sateen, it promises exceptional softness for a dreamy sleep. With elasticated edges for a snug fit, it comes in crisp white and various sizes, ensuring a perfect match for any bed. Enjoy the hotel-quality feel and value, backed by over 3400 satisfied 5-star reviews.
Dusk.com from £20
The White Company
If you’re after luxurious bed sheets that feel just like the ones you’d sleep on in a hotel, consider The White Company’s Savoy (the clue is in the name) deep fitted sheet. It has been crafted in Portugal from a 400-thread-count Egyptian cotton percale which feels soft and drapes over a deep mattress beautifully. The White Company are renowned for luxury bed linen and have 1000 thread count sheets..
The White Company from £55 or Essentials Collection from £25
M&S
If you’ve got a deep mattress and want the hotel sheet feel, this is a good choice. Without skimping on quality, this Egyptian cotton extra deep fitted sheet is the picture perfect way to recreate those five-star hotel crisp, clean lines.
Marksandspencer.com from £29.50
Dunelm
A good option if you’re looking for more affordable bed sheets. Their soft and cosy luxury cotton sheet are both lightweight and breathable, coming in various colours, bedsheet depths, and sizes to suit your needs.
Dunelm.com from £9
Simba
You might have considered a Simba for a mattress or duvet and they have a temperature-regulating set of bed linen to keep night sweats at bay. Crafted from 100% cotton, it’s available in two different options; a crisp 200 thread count sheet or a silky 400 thread count.
Simba Performance Bed Linen from £60
If you have a duvet or bed linen that you would recommend, do please tell us as spreading the word is what it’s all about.
If you are thinking of changing your mattress or pillow, read our post.
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