After an eventful day, you sink into bed exhausted in the evening and look forward to a restful sleep. To do this, pull the duvet over your shoulders and enjoy its warmth. Here you can find out what different types of duvets there are, which variant suits your personal feeling of warmth and how to properly care for the duvet so that you can enjoy it for a long time. 

In addition to a comfortable mattress, duvets are part of the basic equipment for a comfortable place to sleep. Whether it's a single or double duvet - the material of the duvet cover and the type of filling determine how warm the duvet keeps you and how loose and light it lies on you. Duvets made from synthetic fibers are easy to care for and robust, while natural fillings such as down, feathers or wool are characterized by being particularly breathable and durable.

For a restful sleep without sweating and cold feet, you should choose a duvet that is specifically tailored to your individual preferences and needs . Depending on the season and your personal temperature preference, you may feel more comfortable under a particularly thick duvet on cold winter nights, while on hot summer evenings you prefer an airy blanket that has hardly any weight and also has a cooling effect. 

In abundance: these ceiling models are popular

Down feathers, microfiber or would you prefer camel hair? If you find it difficult to make a decision when choosing duvets, you can simply take a look at the following overview. Here you will learn about the most popular models and the advantages of the individual filling materials.

In abundance: these ceiling models are popular

Down feathers, microfiber or would you prefer camel hair? If you find it difficult to make a decision when choosing duvets, you can simply take a look at the following overview. Here you will learn about the most popular models and the advantages of the individual filling materials.

Down comforters

Down duvets keep you warm and weigh almost nothing. A lot of air gets caught between the fine branches of the small, fluffy down feathers, which stores the heat and insulates it well from the outside . To ensure that down duvets feel soft and comfortable without the pricking quills, the fluffy filling is securely packed in a tightly woven cotton cover.

Tip: Goose down is a particularly exclusive filling material because it is larger and fluffier than duck down and therefore retains heat even better.

Cotton duvets

Cotton duvets are characterized by their longevity and are also particularly hard-wearing and easy to care for. You can usually wash blankets filled with cotton without any problems and even put them in the dryer. Since they only absorb a small amount of heat and are also breathable, duvets made from this natural plant material are ideal for the summer.

Tip: When buying a cotton duvet, look for the organic seal, which confirms the “controlled organic cultivation” of the cotton without the use of insecticides.

Silk duvets

Silk duvets are very light and supple, so they really caress your body. Like virgin wool, real silk hardly absorbs odors and also ensures a pleasantly dry sleeping environment. However, the skin-friendly natural material is primarily popular because of its cooling effect, which makes silk the preferred filling material for summer blankets.

Tip: When purchasing, make sure that the proportion of real silk is as high as possible. Its threads are smoother and longer than those of wild silk, which increases sleeping comfort.

Microfiber duvets

Synthetic fibers are not only an inexpensive alternative to natural fibers, their thermal performance can also compete well with blankets made from natural fibers or down and feathers. In addition, microfiber duvets are even lighter, more durable and, above all, easier to care for. Since they can usually be washed easily and at high temperatures, synthetic fiber blankets are also considered particularly hygienic. 

Quilted or buttoned: These different shapes are available

After you have decided on a filling that suits your sleeping needs, the next step is to think about what material the duvet should be made of. Here you can get an overview of the different versions, their advantages and possible uses.

Quilt

In quilted duvets, the lining is divided into individual chambers by seams. This quilting keeps the soft stuffing inside in shape and ensures a balanced distribution of the down, feathers or fibers. This keeps your body warm and requires less filling material, making the duvet lighter in comparison. The type of quilting also influences the thermal insulation of the blankets:

• Quilts in the form of cassettes with internal seams are popular for winter duvets, as the bars serve as a buffer for the filling to puff up evenly, so that the duvets are overall voluminous and thicker.
• Summer duvets usually have quilting in the form of diamonds,circles or checks, usually without or with very low inner bars. Because the cover is usually sewn directly from fabric to fabric, the filling has gaps at the stitching seams, creating cold zones that are pleasantly cool in summer.

Multi-layered duvets

4-season duvets consist of two individual duvets of different thicknesses, which can be connected to one another using snap fasteners to form a multi-layer duvet. You can also use the two blankets separately, with the thinner version serving as a top bed in summer and the fuller version being used for the transition between autumn and winter. Both together keep you warm in winter. Extended blankets also have the advantage that they can be put into the washing machine separately , meaning you can clean the individual blankets yourself. 

From cold to warm: Which duvet suits your sleeping style?

Depending on whether you sleep with the window open, in a cool or heated room, are slightly cold at night or sweat, you have very different demands on your duvet - this is especially true for allergy sufferers. Read here which set suits your personal sleeping type.

Do you get cold easily?

If you find yourself shivering quickly in bed, you should choose a blanket with a fluffy or slightly more voluminous filling that stores your body heat well thanks to the air cushion available. Feather or down duvets ensure carefree sleeping enjoyment, as these lightweights keep you particularly warm without weighing you down. If you sleep quickly, you are also well served with easy-to-clean duvets made from synthetic materials such as microfiber.

Tip: Flannel bed linen and flannel fitted sheets are popular in winter , because the brushed cotton fabric provides additional warmth and feels cuddly soft on the skin.

Do you sweat easily?

Do you sweat easily and quickly get hot under the covers at night? Then a thin cotton duvet is right for you. The material is light and pleasantly soft and allows plenty of air to pass through so you don't sweat. In general, natural fibers absorb body heat and moisture comparatively better than artificially produced materials. If you want something a little more luxurious, choose a cooling silk duvet or a blanket made of fine cashmere.

Tip: In addition to a breathable duvet, a jersey fitted sheet is a good choice for a cool summer bed - as well as airy satin or seersucker bed linen that you don't even have to iron.

Are you allergic?

If you are allergic to animal hair, you should avoid stuffing such as virgin wool, camel hair or cashmere. If you have a house dust allergy, we recommend duvets that can be washed in a hot wash, as hot temperatures kill the house dust mites in the bedding. In addition to microfiber duvets, most duvets with down or feather filling can also be washed at 60 degrees and are suitable for allergy sufferers due to their excellent climate regulation, as long as you are not overly sensitive to the keratin in the feathers.

Tip: For healthy sleep, you are well advised to use a washable underblanket and cotton bed linen, as the natural material is skin-friendly and particularly breathable. 

Shake, air, wash: Ten tips for cleaning and care

As a rule, a duvet will provide you with comfortable sleeping comfort for six to eight years before you need to replace it. To ensure that your duvet stays in top shape for a long time, the material needs the right care. 

1. After sleeping, shake your duvetand leave it open for a while without the bedspread. This allows the moisture to evaporate better.
2. You can reduce the risk of mite infestation by keeping the room temperature below 18 degreesand keeping the humidity low.
3. Change the bed every two weeks at the latest. If you sweat a lot, you can change the bed linen once a week.
4. The duvet itself should go into the washing machine at least twice a year- as long as the filling is machine washable.
5. Wash pure wool blankets and camel hair duvets carefullyby hand with a special wool detergent or a little shampoo and let them dry in a shady place.
6. Cashmere duvets like to breathe in the fresh air more often. To wash the precious blankets with the sensitive filling, take them to a professional dry cleaner.
7. Microfiber duvets and other synthetically produced materials can be washed in the laundry at up to 95 degrees to avoid allergies .
8. Allow natural fiber blankets to be ventilated regularly in the fresh air and pat out to loosenand distribute the filling.
9. Wash down and feather duvets in the washing machine without fabric softener at a maximum of 60 degrees with mild detergent. Then put it in the dryer with a few tennis balls. If the filling still clumps together, simply open a seam on the cover and blow cold air into the blanket.
10. Be sure to follow the care instructions on the manufacturer's label. 

Conclusion: Pleasant sleep thanks to the right duvet

In summer, winter or in the transitional period - with a duvet that is tailored to your body size and also suits your personal temperature sensitivity, you can expect a good night's sleep for a relaxed start to the day. You can find important information clearly summarized here:

• Duvets with fillings made from natural materials such as wool, down, feathers and animal hair are particularly breathable,light and durable, while synthetic fillings such as microfibre are usually inexpensive, easy to care for and durable. The thermal effect of natural fibers and synthetic fibers is quite similar.
• With down feathers you can conjure up a warm cozy bed in winter. Silk is a noble, particularly light materialthat feels cool on the skin in the warm season without making you sweat.
• Are you looking for an easy-care, skin-friendly and affordable option for the summer? Then choose a filling made of natural cotton.
• If the demands on your duvet fluctuate within a year, four-season duvets with different layers and snap fastenersare an alternative.
• Allergy sufferers should choose duvets made of microfiber or with down filling. These are usually washable at at least 60 degrees.