We obviously all sleep under a duvet every night, but do you know how to choose the duvet that is right for you and for the time of year? Not all duvets are created equal, and the right weight and thickness for you will be determined by the season, your living space, and your tastes.
This duvet tog guide is going to let you know some tips and terminology. Whether you’re wondering which duvet is best for winter, summer, all year round, or for your child, we’ve got the answers.
Read on so you can find the right duvet for you.
Duvet togs are the measurement used to help you understand how warm a duvet is going to keep you. Based on how well a duvet can trap warm air, the scale goes from 1 tog (the coolest and worst ability to trap warm air) to 15 tog (the warmest and best at trapping air).
It’s important to note that a thicker duvet isn’t always warmer, as the insulation efficacy depends on the type of filling used. While certain synthetic materials are heavier than natural fibres, they nevertheless provide comparable insulation. The tog rating relates to a duvet’s overall ability at trapping heat, rather than its weight or thickness.
Your personal taste and some environmental factors, such as the temperature of your bedroom and the season, will determine the appropriate tog value for you.
You may think that anything above 7 must be good for winter, right? But that certainly isn’t how it works. With an 8 tog rating, you could still be cold.
Normally anything above a 10.5 tog will keep you cosy in bed throughout cold periods. Ideally, you should keep your bedroom between 18 and 21 degrees overnight, but if your home grows colder, you could even go as high as 15 togs.
There isn’t too much of a strict or correct answer to this question, as a lot of this comes down to personal preference. However, it’s generally said that 1-7 tog rating is a good rating for summer. With a tog this low, the duvet won’t trap as much hot air (if you can even make it under the duvet in a heatwave!)
Now you’re probably thinking that you need to get duvets for all the different seasons of the year, but this is unrealistic and not the case. It’s said that 10 tog ratings are suitable for all year round, but duvet options are all-season too! With this, there’s no need to worry about interchanging duvets all year round.
However, another option is having two different tog duvets that you can combine. Each duvet has its own tog rating, which is combined to give a higher tog. The most popular options are 3 and 4.5 tog summer duvets, as well as a 9 tog (for spring and autumn), which when combined make a 13.5 tog, which is ideal for the winter months.
When it comes to duvets, children and toddlers have various requirements. Because children are unable to regulate heat as well as adults, they might rapidly overheat if their bedding is too thick. As a result, even in the cold, your child will require a thinner duvet with a lower tog rating.
The optimal duvet tog rating for a child over the age of three is roughly 4.5 tog, assuming the temperature in their bedroom stays between 18 and 21 degrees overnight.
We’re all different so it shouldn’t be surprising that we all have different preferences when it comes to sleeping. Some people may get hot easily during the night whereas others may feel the need to snuggle up a lot.
If you’re on either of these sides of the spectrum or somewhere in the middle, then you should consider the information above and think about what could be good for you. For example, if you get hot easily at night, you may want a lower tog rating and vice versa.
Visit Mattressman today to find the perfect duvet for you. The range features a variety of tog ratings that are suitable for warmer and colder periods of the year. Using materials such as goose and feather down, our collection of duvets is superb for a soft and sumptuous night’s sleep.