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Bed Linen Buying Guide

Three things to consider when buying a new duvet

Natural or synthetic, there’s always something so nice about the lofty and comfortable feeling of cocooning yourself under a cosy duvet.

1. Filling

What’s inside it

Natural or synthetic, there’s a range of comfortable options to choose from.

Down

This is the fluffy sub-layer on the underside of the bird. It feels supremely light and lofty; the higher the down percentage, the softer and airier the duvet will feel.

Duck feather & down

One of the most popular fillings for duvets. Feathers and down from different locations and species can have different properties.

Goose feather & down

Goose is perceived as more premium than duck, as the clusters of down are larger and puff back up very quickly after being used.

Eiderdown

The Icelandic eider duck grows extra-large and supremely fluffy down clusters, which farmers hand-pick from each nest once they have migrated, without disturbing the natural environment.

Smartdown®

Micro-clusters of synthetic fibres are blown into the casing until perfectly even to mimic the down-like feel of a natural duvet.

Smartfil®

Tiny micro fibres glazed with a silicone layer which allows them to slide over each other smoothly, resulting in a down-like feel.

2. Tog rating

How warm do you want it to be

Measured by tog (Thermal Overall Grade), the higher the rating, the warmer the duvet.

4.5 tog

Feels light and cooling to sleep beneath during warm summer nights.

7.5 tog

Keeps you snug during milder spring temperatures, without overheating.

10.5 tog

Warm when it’s cool and cool when it’s warm – ideal for all year round.

13.5 tog

High warmth rate designed to feel cocooning and warm during cold winter nights.

shop your tog the white company

Customise your tog

Some of our duvets are designed to be joined together using cuff links or buttons, so you can customise your own tog rating.

3. Purpose

Who is sleeping under it and where

Adjust for allergies, your individual body temperature, the overall warmth of the home and more.

Allergies

A down-alternative or hypoallergenic filling is ideal, and easy to wash regularly. Some of our natural ranges are Nomite™ certified, meaning fillings are sealed in a tightly woven fabric cover which acts as a barrier against dust mites.

a woman in white sitting on a bed holding a cup

The temperature

Sleeping with the window open, or in older homes, can necessitate a higher tog than you would usually choose, while you may want to go for a lower one if you tend to run hot.

a bedroom with a bed, a table and a window

Size of bed

Generally, choose the same size duvet as your mattress, however you could also try going a size up if you have a taller bed or are sharing the covers.

Tog vs fill power – what’s the difference?

Tog, determines how well a duvet can insulate heat. The rating describes the heat-storing ability of an entire duvet for both fabric and filling. So, as a general rule, the higher the tog rating, the warmer the duvet.


Fill power on the other hand, indicates the loftiness of a down duvet and how much space is taken up by the filling as the air trapped inside the duvet is warmed by your body heat. Large down clusters have a high fill power, meaning less filling is required for a warm duvet. So, with two duvets of the same tog, one may feel heavier if filled with 85% feathers and 15% down versus one filled with 100% down – as it would require more filling to reach the same level of warmth. 


We measure the warmth of our duvets in tog, but we also list the mix of feathers and down in all our duvets. If you were looking for a style that is warm but lighter weight, then look for a higher percentage of down in the composition of the filling.

a bed with a pile of white sheets and pillows
a close up of a pile of white pillows

Cleverly constructed

For our natural ranges, a box construction, where the duvet is split into smaller mini compartments, each individually filled, ensures that the down and feathers are evenly distributed throughout the duvet and don’t sink to the bottom. This results in a more consistent warmth and that puffy, cloud-like effect across the whole duvet. Each style is also encased in a super-soft, pure cotton cover to make sure no feathers escape.