Duvet Tog and Type Buying Guide

Tossing and turning is the nemesis of a good night’s sleep, and nothing causes this more so than a duvet that’s making you too hot or cold. One of the most important things to consider when buying new bedding is what tog duvet to get, and another thing is what type of filling you should choose. 

Let us solve your quilt quandaries with our guide to duvet togs and types. 

A tog is a rating that measures how well a duvet holds heat, with the scale ranging from 1 to 15.  The higher the number, the warmer the duvet. 

For children, the numbers are much lower because they can’t regulate their body temperatures in the same way that adults can. The tog scale for babies and young children ranges from 1 to 3.5, with 2.5 the recommended all-year-round option and 3.5 the warmest for very cold nights. These tog ratings are often found on baby and toddler sleeping bags.

To stay toasty over winter when temperatures plummet, 13.5 is usually recommended. However, you might find that a regular all-seasons 10.5 is enough if your home retains heat well. On the other hand, if your home gets very cold and draughty in the winter, a tog rating of 15 may be a better option.

In summer, a 4.5 tog duvet is ideal. These are thin and lightweight for warm nights and will prevent any unnecessary tossing and turning in the heat.

The standard all-season tog rating is 10.5. This will give you a comfortable night’s sleep at any time of year but may need swapping when temperatures soar or plummet.

There are two types of duvet filling: natural and synthetic. The type you choose depends on your needs, so let’s have a look at the benefits of each.

Natural fillings keep you warm in winter and cool in summer and help your skin to ‘breathe’. They can be made of duck feathers and down, wool or even bamboo which is light and hypoallergenic. However, they tend to be more expensive than synthetic duvets.

Synthetic duvets are a more affordable option and are great if you’re allergic to feathers and down – just look for those that are labelled as hypoallergenic. Synthetic duvets are filled with hollow fibres – which are thicker and trap warmth – or microfibres, which are thinner and lighter, often matching the lightness of natural duvets. 

Duvets with synthetic fibres are easier to wash than those with natural fibres and they’ll dry much more quickly, making them lower maintenance.

Usually it’s best to get a duvet that’s the same size as your bed, but some people like to get a size larger. This can achieve a more luxurious look as the duvet spills down over the sides of the bed, but more importantly, can help avoid a middle-of-the-night tug of war! With ample bedding to share, it’ll put an end to any duvet-hogging.

Instead of sending your old duvet to landfill, put it in a clothes recycling bin, which you can often find at supermarkets, or donate it to a homeless charity or animal shelter. 

If you now know what tog duvet to buy and are ready to find the perfect one, check out our range of duvets and sleep in comfort all year round.