If you are confused as to what are the differences between duvet, quilt and comforter, we have sorted that out in an earlier post. Before we suggest duvet covers for your needs, we would like to go in-depth into what makes a duvet and what you can look out for when purchasing one.

What is the best type of duvet inner for a good night's sleep?

1. Duvet Fillings

When purchasing duvets you will come across different fillings. The filling determines the comfort of a duvet, whether it feels comfortable or awful. The two main types of fillings are either natural or synthetic. The material used to encase the filling is also important. Cotton is a common fabric used to encase duvet filling due to its breathability and ability to regulate temperature and wick away sweat.

These are duvet covers you will come across:
● Microfibre
● Wool
● Down and Feather
● Down
● Silk
● Hollowfibre
● Regenerated or recycled hollowfibre duvets

2. Natural Duvet Fillings

Natural duvet fillings include down, feather, wool and silk. Natural fillings are naturally softer, warm and more breathable than synthetic materials.

Down fillings use goose or duck feathers found on their belly and underneath the exterior of the outside feather. Down has better insulation than synthetic fillings. They are also lighter than their synthetic counterpart.

Feather are heavier and cheaper than down as they use the feathers on the top surface of goose and duck. These feathers have a spine going down the centre, also known as quill. Unlike down, they can be a bit spiky if the cover of the fabric to encase the duvet isn’t strong enough.

If you are getting a mix down and feather duvet, a higher ratio of down to feather will provide a lighter and warmer duvet. Studies at St. George’s hospital in London found that synthetic fibres harbour more than traditional feather and down. However, if you are an allergy sufferer and worry down and feather duvets may increase your allergic symptoms, check with the store if there is any certification on their duvet against dust-mites.

Wool on the other hand is naturally hypoallergenic, recyclable and durable. Wool traps air really well and offers excellent temperature regulation. Wool also wicks away moisture from the skin and retains dry air and warmth. But you probably wouldn’t need wool fillings in a tropical climate.

Silk is the best of natural all natural duvets. Silk duvet is hypoallergenic, durable and lightweight. It suits both cold and warm climates and is great at regulating body temperature. However, it cannot be washed often and the best way to clean it is to air dry silk duvets. The best way to find out how to care for your duvet is to check the care instructions.

3. Synthetic Duvet Fillings

Synthetic duvet fillings are hypoallergenic because they can be washed regularly at higher temperature. Although synthetic duvets can wick away moisture, they are less breathable than natural fillings and are unsuitable for a hot sleeper. Synthetic duvets are however, not environmentally friendly as they can release microplastics into the environment when washed. They are also not recyclable and are not biodegradable.

Hollowfibre duvets are made from polyester with a single hole down the centre in each strand of fibre to trap air. It is cheap to produce and its hollow fibres are lightweight, airy and firm. It is very durable and not costly to purchase. Regenerated or recycled hollowfibre duvets contain polyester fibres produced by waste plastic. Waste plastic bottles are melted into plastic chips and then spun into polyester fibres. It takes 120 plastic bottles to produce the filling for a double duvet. Although they require less energy to produce and reduce extraction of petrochemicals from the environment compared to virgin polyester, they can still create microfibre plastic pollution.

Microfibre duvets are also made from polyester and their threads are thinner than human hair. Microfibre is equivalent to man-made down with its soft and silky fibres. They are also cheap to mass produce. But it cannot match the loft and airiness of a down duvet. It has less loft than hollowfibre.

What Are Duvet Covers?

Once you have decided on the type of duvet to purchase, the next thing to think about would be the duvet cover. A duvet cover is what a pillowcase is to a pillow. A duvet cover is an absolute necessity to protect your duvet so that it can go a long way. Besides being a protective layering for your duvet, duvet covers also give you an opportunity to dress your bed with different colours and prints. Duvet covers can be easily washed in machines and are affordable for you to switch styles whenever you get bored of a style of bedding.

Types of Duvet Covers

Palais Suite TENCEL™ Empress Blue Quilt Cover

TENCEL™ is an eco-friendly fabric produced in a closed-loop production. It comes from the cellulose of eucalyptus trees. TENCEL™ is also referred to as lyocell and rayon. The fabric is cool to the skin, extremely soft and feels silky. Lycocell duvet covers are great for hot sleepers and those living in the tropics.

Supima cotton is the best cotton, second only to pure Eygption cotton. Supima cotton is smooth, silky, soft and breathable due to its extra long staple cotton fibre. The length of cotton fibre matters as it affects the texture, such as how smooth and soft the fabric is.

You can also choose cotton Jersey duvet covers. Jersey is a single-knot cotton fabric known for its stretch and softness. The way that Jersey is knotted gives it a natural elasticity without needing stretch fibres like elastane. The great thing about Jersey cotton is its ability to be wrinkle free compared to percale, another cotton fabric. Sleeping under a Jersey cotton duvet cover feels like slipping into your tee-shirt every night.

Shop for all your bedding needs at Bedding Affairs Malaysia.