Which duvet is right for me?

 

A duvet is important for more reasons than you might think. Many people believe that a decent bed frame, a comfortable mattress and a soft pillow are all they need for a good night’s sleep. However, the role of the duvet shouldn't be overlooked, as it significantly affects our sleep environment.

In this article, we want to answer the following questions: "Which duvet is the right fit for me?", "Which duvet should I buy?" and "Which duvet should I use in the winter?" We’ll give you an overview of the various duvet types and explain their individual functions. We hope that this will help you find your perfect duvet.

 

What is a duvet’s purpose?

As mentioned above, the duvet plays a crucial role in establishing a comfortable sleeping environment. Its main purpose is to provide balance between our body’s temperature and that of our bedroom. If your comforter is too thick, heat can build up under the blanket, which will lead you to feel hot and sweaty.

On the other hand, if the blanket lets too much of your body’s warmth escape to the outside, we quickly feel cold. So, the right duvet provides the optimal microclimate and prevents us from waking up wet, clammy or cold at night.

However, the duvet has another important task: it regulates the moisture which can accumulate underneath the comforter. A good duvet is capable of releasing moisture from the body to the outside, thus ensuring a dry sleeping environment and a more comfortable night’s sleep. If you frequently wake up drenched in sweat, you should think about changing your duvet.

 

Which duvet is the right fit for me?

Only you can know this for yourself, as everyone’s preferences are different. Moreover, the answer to this question is not only influenced by our personal preferences, but also by our gender, age and your bedroom’s temperature.

For example, older people start to feel cold faster than younger people; likewise, men often feel warm faster than women. If you’re thinking about changing your duvet, you should first ask yourself the following questions:

• How thick and how heavy should the duvet be?
• How big should the quilt be?
• Which material suits me best?
• Do I often freeze during sleep or do I tend to sweat?

In addition, the duvet should also be adapted to the season. Of course, in summer we need a thinner blanket than in winter. Accordingly, you can also change the bedding depending on the weather. Thus, there are special types of summer and winter bedding that can help you find the sleeping environment which fits you best.

 

Which duvet should I use in the summer?

We don’t need to be so warm in the summer, which is why a breathable duvet is the best choice once the temperatures start to rise. A summer duvet doesn’t need to retain so much and should also be able to transfer moisture away from itself and your body, as we obviously sweat more in summer.

A summer duvet made from natural materials is the best choice. Synthetic materials such as polyester aren’t as breathable as natural materials, which means that the heat and sweat your body releases not only builds up underneath your duvet, but that it also stays there. Fabrics made from natural materials, such as organic cotton, are a good choice as they are breathable and feel nice on your skin, thereby providing a comfortable sleeping environment.

Duvets made with camel hair or silk can also be good choices for the summer. This is generally true of fabrics with a smooth surface, as this has a cooling effect on the skin. Last but not least, you should make sure that the fabrics are machine washable, as we need to change our bedding more often in the summer than in winter.

 

Which duvet should I use in the winter?

It goes without saying that the temperature in our bedroom is lower in winter than in summer. In order to save on heating costs, a duvet with a higher heat class can be a good investment. The heat class for duvets indicates how thick the duvet is, how well it stores heat and how well it insulates.

What do the various warmth classes mean?

Warmth class one - very light

Duvets or blankets with a warmth class of one are ideal for people who don’t need much warmth at night. These duvets are as light as air and barely warm at all.

Warmth class two - light

Blankets with a thermal class of two are also quite light and have a low heat output. They’re good choices for both the summer and as transitional blankets.

Warmth class three - medium

Comforters with a thermal class of three are fairly warm. People who quickly get cold can use this as a summer duvet. Everyone else can use them as a transitional blanket.

Warmth class four - warm

Duvets with a warmth class of four are make great winter duvets for those people who are somewhere in the middle, i.e., who have an average need for warmth. These duvets do a good job of at retaining heat and keeping your temperature balanced.

Warmth class five - very warm

Duvets with a warmth class of five are incredibly warm, cozy and snug. They’re perfect for people who get cold quickly in winter. Alternatively, they’re a good fit for people who like to sleep with the window open even when it’s freezing outside.

Usually, winter duvets are filled with duck or goose down or feathers, as these are mother nature’s best insulators. The main difference between down and feathers is that down has no quill and is fluffier.

Thanks to its cluster-like structure, which allows it to trap and retain heat, down is also the superior insulator of the two. There are many alternatives to down and feathers, such as camel hair, yak hair, cashmere or virgin sheep’s wool. Eiderdown duvets are excellent insulators, so of course they’re correspondingly higher in price.

 

Four-seasons duvets

Four-seasons duvets that you can use both in winter and summer are an altnerative to duvets which are specifically made for either the summer or winter.

Our sheep wool comforter is considered a four-seasons duvet because it can be used all year round. It is warm enough for winter and cool enough for the summer. An exception of course are the hottest summer nights, when you can sleep without a comforter.

 

Which filling is best?

The filling also plays an important role when answering the questions “Which duvet suits me best?" and "Which duvet should I buy?" The question can be simplified by dividing all fillings into natural and synthetics. As mentioned above, duck and goose down are among the most commonly-found duvet fillings, especially when it comes to winter duvets.

If you like wool, you can choose between duvets made virgin sheep's wool, cashmere or merino wool, though make sure that it has a cotton cover. Due to their excellent insulating properties, cashmere and merino wool belong to a somewhat higher price class.

Duvets made with fillings from silk, lyocell or camel hair are also becoming increasingly popular. Lyocell, which is made from cellulose, is perfect for people with allergies. Of course, synthetic fabrics such as polyester are the cheapest option. Polyester retains heat well, but has the downside of not being breathable.

 

Natural duvets from Zizzz

At Zizzz, we offer the best duvets made from natural materials. Our duvets are made exclusively in Europe to keep transportation distances as short as possible.

What kind of duvets do we offer? With us, you can choose between sheep wool duvets and European down duvets. Our sheep wool comes directly from the Swiss Alps; the down used in our down duvets has been awarded the Downpass seal, which means that no live-plucking or force-feeding were used on the animals.