What Is a Duvet Cover?
If you want to have a good night's sleep, you need to have a few things covered: a good mattress or at least a good-quality mattress topper, a breathable mattress protector, a bamboo pillow and bamboo sheets, and of course, a duvet cover.
That's precisely what we're going to talk about in this article—everything you need to know about duvets and duvet covers!
What Is a Duvet?
If "duvet" sounds rather French to you, that's because it is. It's a French name for the soft layer of plumage that sits under the more coarse layer of feathers in birds. Basically, the word "duvet" is the French word for these types of feathers, called "down feathers."
A duvet is a type of blanket, similar to a quilted blanket, filled with down feathers or other natural or synthetic materials like wool or polyester. Duvets are like big light pillows. They're usually pretty soft, don't weigh much, and the best part is that they still get to keep you warm.
There are different kinds of duvets made from different fabrics and materials. The kind you choose to buy depends on what kind of climate you usually sleep in. If you don't experience extreme weather temperatures during the year (from cold winners to boiling hot summers), then a duvet for all seasons will do the trick.
If you want to have more specific info on the warmth capability of your duvet, you can try looking at its fill power. So, if you want a summertime duvet, you should search for one that has a fill power of about 400. For colder temperatures, it's best to go with a fill power of 600 and above. An all-season duvet will have a fill power between 400 and 600.
What Is a Duvet Cover?
A duvet cover is exactly that: a cover for your duvet. It's supposed to serve as a protective layer for the duvet. There are different designs of duvet covers. You can find ones that close with buttons, zips, or snaps. Duvet covers also come in a variety of synthetic and natural materials, such as flannel for colder weather conditions and cotton and bamboo for warmer climates.
Duvet covers are a good way to keep the duvet itself clean, so you won't have to clean it or wash it every week. Duvet covers, as they're usually made from a lighter material than duvets, can be washed more easily and they also dry much faster. Also, duvet covers offer a great way to protect staining your duvet from spills, stains, sweat, and also body oils.
Most duvet covers are machine-washable, depending on their material and stuffing. In any case, be sure to check the maintenance instructions on how best to clean and dry your duvet and duvet cover.
What Is a Duvet Cover Set?
A duvet cover set or a duvet set is a term that describes all the elements that can come with a duvet. It can include the duvet itself, the duvet cover, and sometimes linens and pillow shams that match the duvet covers.
Getting a duvet set is a great, low-budget way to freshen up the look of your bedroom without investing too much money in renovation and expensive furniture.
What Kinds of Materials Are Duvet Covers Made Of?
There is a vast choice of duvet covers out there, which is a good thing, but that can also make it even more complicated when the time comes to make a decision. That being said, the material of your duvet cover is as important as the material and type of the duvet itself.
People often choose light, easily washable materials like bamboo or cotton duvet covers, but there are other materials they can be made from as well (not all of them cheap, though). Let's take a look at what kinds of duvet cover materials you can choose from.
Cotton
Cotton is one of the most widely used fabrics for all kinds of linen and bed covers, including duvet covers. And it's no surprise—cotton is a pretty soft, lightweight, breathable material. It also does a good job when it comes to temperature regulation, so you feel cool when it's hot and warm when it's cold. Not to mention how cotton is one of the easiest materials to clean; you can even toss some varieties in the machine at near-boiling points, and nothing will happen to them!
Of course, there are countless cotton varieties out there—from really cheap ones to more expensive materials like Egyptian cotton and Pima cotton. These high-quality cotton materials are usually more long-lasting than the cheap ones, but they also often require more delicate maintenance.
Bamboo
Bamboo is a natural material that can be used for a variety of bed linen products, mattresses, pillows, and pillowcases, as well as clothing and furniture. It's a very breathable material, and it also has antimicrobial and hypoallergenic properties that keep your body protected from bacteria, dust mites, and other types of microorganisms that cause allergies and skin conditions.
Bamboo is also easy to wash and dry, and it's a great material for duvets, duvet covers, and quilts if you live in a warmer climate.
Flannel
Flannel is a soft fabric originally made from yarn (a type called worsted yarn) and carded wool. Nowadays, though, flannel can also be made from cotton and synthetic materials.
Flannel is a great material for colder climates. It keeps the sleeper warm, and it's also pretty soft and comfortable. This kind of material is also easy to clean, so you can be sure that your flannel duvet covers will be machine-washable. However, because this is a thicker material, they will need a bit more time to dry than, let's say, cotton or bamboo cotton.
Also, flannel is not a material we'd recommend if you sleep in places where the weather is often warm. If you live in a place where the temperatures change according to the season, then make sure to get several different types of duvet cover materials and switch between them according to the current temperature.
Silk
Silk is a natural material. It's breathable, lightweight, and it feels amazingly smooth to the touch (hence the phrase "silky smooth"). And because it's a natural material, it regulates body temperature much better than synthetic materials. Hence, you can use silk duvet covers throughout the whole year.
The downside to using silk as a duvet cover is that, well, it can be expensive. It can also be more difficult to clean because it requires a gentle touch. There are some silk-made duvet covers that can be washed in the machine - the best way to do this is to put them in a mesh bag and let them dry on their own. In any event, read the care instructions that usually come with your duvet cover on how to take the best care of the material it's made of.
Additional Note: We see a lot of people confuse quilts and blankets. Check out our blog on the difference between a quilt and a blanket what you should keep in mind when buying.
Conclusion
As you can see, there's a lot to be said about duvets and duvet covers. What kind of duvet cover set you choose will depend on the weather, your own personal preferences, and of course, your budget limitations. The idea of this article was to give you all the essential info on duvets so you can make the best decision possible!