Quality sleep. We all crave it, yet few of us actually get enough of it. You may have tried to tackle poor sleep by assessing the feng shui of your bedroom, banning electronics and stripping out your airy curtains for a black-out window solution, but you could be overlooking one thing – your duvet. After all, we snuggle under it every night – surely, it plays a pivotal role in whether we get quality slumber. So in our never-ending quest for a good night’s sleep, we ask… is an expensive duvet worth it?
When it comes to which are the best duvets – synthetic, down, or wool – opinions abound, and the choices can be overwhelming. But how much can our duvet selection truly affect sleep quality? Quite a bit, says clinical psychologist Dr Daniel Glazer from UK Therapy Rooms, who explains that the humble duvet more than pulls its weight in the bedroom, ‘This simple bedding piece plays a subtle yet absolutely critical role in cultivating quality sleep by helping regulate body temperature throughout the night,’ he says.
‘Overheat, and we’re restlessly tossing and turning; get too chilly, and we're shivering ourselves awake. Either extreme ends up draining our energy reserves, leaving us feeling far from refreshed when it's time to face the next day,’ Dr Daniel continues.
So, if a good duvet can really help us sleep better, should we splurge and invest in the best that money can buy? We asked a selection of sleep and bedding experts whether an expensive duvet is worth it.
What is the price range for duvets?
First, let’s look at how much duvets cost. A very basic supermarket microfibre 10.5 tog double duvet can come in at as little as £10 and go up to around £15 for a king-size. A duck feather and down 13.5 tog can cost as little as £65 for a double and £75 for a king-size. Meanwhile, a high-end wool duvet could set you back around £365, and you could expect to pay £515 for a luxury cashmere king-size duvet.
With such a wide variation in price, it’s easy to feel unsure about what you should be paying, what benefits a bigger investment might bring and whether an expensive duvet is worth it. So, let’s take a look at why the cost of duvets can differ so significantly.
What can affect the difference in price between duvets?
We asked Holly Castle, Brand Manager at Snuggledown, to explain why costs vary so widely. ‘A whole range of factors can affect price point. The biggest factor is usually the material,’ she tells us. ‘Natural bedding usually comes with a higher price tag due to its higher quality. For instance, a feather and down duvet with cotton cover would come with a higher price tag than synthetic bedding,’ Holly continues.
With fillings having the biggest influence on price, we delved into some of the most common materials used:
Microfibre
Microfibre is synthetic, often made from polyester, and can be produced at scale in factories, meaning labour costs can be kept low, making this filling a particularly affordable option. Another factor keeping the price down is that, unlike natural fillings, microfibres are manmade and, therefore, not in short supply.
However, the material does have downsides, namely longevity, breathability, and moisture-wicking capabilities, which can rarely compete with its natural counterparts.
Duck feather and down
The feathers used in duck feather and down duvets are carefully selected and rigorously cleaned to remove dust, dirt, and allergens to meet the quality standards needed for bedding. Because of the labour involved, natural fillings are usually more expensive than synthetic options.
This M&S duvet is a perfect example how duck feather and down duvets can still deliver that luxurious feel without a hefty price tag.
Wool
Since the production of wool duvets relies on sheep farming, it requires ample time and resources, and wool is also in limited supply. Therefore it’s no surprise that it’s one of the more expensive filling options. However, the extra expense is not without its rewards.
Haldi Kranich-Wood, Bedding Product Specialist at British Wool, explains, ‘As a powerful insulator, wool traps warm air inside to keep you cosy during winter, and its moisture-wicking properties help release air and absorb moisture when temperatures rise.’
This breathable wool duvet is not only comfortable but machine washable, a rarity with wool duvets.
Luxury fillings
Alongside the most common three fillings listed above, some aren’t as widespread. Take, for example, goose down, which comes in at a higher cost than duck because not only are geese less common than ducks, but the down is often sourced from older birds with more mature, higher-quality down.
Then there is cashmere. Taken from the undercoat of cashmere goats who only produce on average 150-200 grams of cashmere a year, this filling provides extra softness and insulation. Production is also labour-intensive and time-consuming, which again influences the cost.
This 90% Hungarian goose-down all-seasons duvet will instantly upgrade your sleep. But while it is super soft, it is also the most expensive duvet our team has tried.
Other factors that can influence price
Along with fillings, the material used to make the cover can drive up cost, as can construction and craftmanship, which tog you opt for, sustainability and of course size.
How do you know you’re buying a good-quality duvet?
Other than deciding based on a specific filling type, it’s good to be informed about different accreditations and what they mean.
Emily and Jonathan Attwood from luxury bed and bath brand scooms suggest checking out what the manufacturer says about the materials used. ‘Read the information provided carefully and look for these top accreditations':
- Nomite - anti-allergen standard for house dust mite allergy sufferers.
- Oeko-Tex 100 - verifies tested against harmful toxins and chemicals.
Plus, for down and feather fillings:
- Single country source; by-product of the food industry.
- Downafresh - feather and down hygiene and cleanliness requirements to European standard EN 12935.
- Responsible Down Standard - ensuring down and feathers come from geese that have been treated well and never suffer from live-plucking; following the chain of custody from farm to product,’ Emily and Jonathan explain.
Can a ‘value’ duvet ever be a good buy?
Whilst we all know the old adage, ‘buy cheap, buy twice’, opting for a budget microfibre duvet isn’t always a bad idea. Theresa Schnorbach, a sleep expert from Emma - The Sleep Company explains, ‘Synthetic materials such as microfibre or hollow fibre polyester, for example, are made to mimic the feel of natural materials such as feather and down, but are generally easier to clean and more affordable whilst also offering breathability and being nonallergic.’
So, if you suffer from allergies and want a low-maintenance option, an affordable synthetic duvet could be the solution for you.
Final verdict - What should you pay for a duvet?
If you’re still struggling with the question is an expensive duvet worth it, why not look at it this way – the average person spends eight hours in bed a night, that is 2,920 hours per year which equates to 121.7 days out of 365. If you’re torn over whether to splurge, perhaps working out the cost per hour of use could help. After all, a third of the year is a long time to spend using a sub-par product, so investing in the best quality materials will be worth it in the long run.
However, what you should pay for a duvet really comes down to what your current budget will allow. If you can only stretch to a supermarket microfibre option at the moment, consider spending a tiny bit extra on a king-size because it might give you a more luxurious feel. As Danielle Mason, Head of Product Development at The Fine Bedding Company explains, ‘Opting for a larger duvet can provide extra comfort by ensuring full coverage, especially if you or your partner tend to move around during the night.’ Not only that, but it can help with aesthetics too; ‘A larger duvet adds a luxurious and cosy dive right into your duvet look to the bed,’ she continues.
And, lastly, if you have a bedmate, it might actually be worth taking inspo from our Nordic neighbours and spending a little more to get two single duvets rather than one large one. Dr Daniel Glazer says, ‘The Scandinavian sleep method is gaining popularity – using two separate duvets on a shared bed to avoid cover battles. This approach allows each partner to comfortably regulate their ideal sleeping temperature, eliminating the need for a nightly game of tug-of-war!’
