Duvets and Comforters, recommendations

Parent Cafe
41

We use a Macy’s Charter Club Damask collection duvet cover over our Charter Club down comforters for our king size bed (kids have them too for their twin and full beds). We have 2 different weight comforters and change them out at beginning of winter and mid-Springish. We use a flat sheet as well. I do not feel it necessary to wash the duvet cover every time we wash the sheets but I do wash it probably every other time.

It does take a little bit to put it on our king bed by myself but that’s more because of the time it takes to walk around the whole bed (which has a bench at the end) to get to the other side when putting the comforter into the cover. When my husband helps it’s very quick because each of us get to stay on our side.

I would never go back to a fiber-fill type comforter after using a down comforter. Obviously the duvet cover is not necessary - you could use the down comforter with it. But I like that it adds one extra layer of protection from dirt, etc. so that I only have to wash the actual down comforter very infrequently. It is also a way of adding color or pattern to the decor.

42

We are duvet and sheet family. We wash our sheets weekly and duvet every other week (couldn’t see myself washing a comforter without duvet every other week.) My girls do not live at home any more, but that’s what they do.

I have an easy way of putting a duvet on a comforter now.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c1IzS2oBBN0

43

I’m a little confused by the people saying they hate duvets but like down comforters. They’re the same thing!

For those worried about washing the duvet cover, it’s just like washing your sheets. You strip the cover off, throw it in the wash with the fitted sheet, then put it back on.

44

I thought that a duvet was like a pillowcase for a comforter.

45

There are some comforters with corner loops and duvet covers with ties in the corner. I added loops to my son’s comforter so it wouldn’t shift inside the cover.

46

The duvet is a down filled comforter but with a plain cover, like the ticking on a pillow. You encase it in a sheet-like cover. To use the pillow analogy, the duvet is the pillow, the duvet cover is the pillow case.

47

From Peacock Alley.

DUVET VS COMFORTER
While duvets and comforters are similar, here are some factors to consider.

Duvets tend to be warm but surprisingly lightweight. The duvet cover makes it easier to change bedding looks and styles. You won’t need to wash your duvet very often, just wash the cover regularly. Additionally, duvets tend to be fluffier than comforters, and can simplify bed making if you choose the European style.

Comforters tend to be flatter. They may need to be layered with blankets during colder weather. With no protective cover, they require regular washing. To change the look of your bedding, switch out the entire comforter, as they are made with decorative fabrics and no cover. A comforter is a simple, one-and-done option for those who don’t want a separate covering.

So which is better in the comforter vs. duvet debate? Like most bedding choices, that is somewhat subjective. We prefer duvets for their ease of care and ability to change styles. But many like the simplicity of comforters.

Our advice: choose the bedding that works best for your home and lifestyle, and you can’t go wrong.

It also specifically defines a Duvet:
WHAT IS A DUVET?
Duvet definition: A duvet is made from cloth sewn to form a large bag, then filled with down or other soft materials. A duvet is used as the top layer of bedding to keep the sleeper warm as they rest.

It has become a little harder to define duvet because some use the word interchangeably with comforter. In fact, some dictionaries include the word comforter in the entry, as a synonym. But in fact, the two pieces of bedding are not the same.

The word duvet comes from the french for down, and down is still a very popular filling for duvets. Today, you can still find duvets filled with down as well as other natural choices such as wool or feathers. Alternatively, synthetic fiber duvets offer a hypoallergenic duvet option.

They are typically white, and they are almost always plain, so they won’t show through the duvet cover.

48

Ironing a large cotton object?! What a hassle! :slight_smile:

49

We live in the northeast, and we use quilts on our beds. We have very light weight ones for the summer, and heavier ones for the winter. Right now, I am using a really nice warm quilt from Garnet Hill. We use top sheets.

One of our extra bedrooms has a solid color quilted coverlet on the bed.

Can be washed in the washer.

I like the look of a duvet…but it doesn’t really fit my house,

50

Hate. Hate duvets. What a hastle getting it on! And it’s wrinkly- very hard to get a smooth perfect bed. They always look lumpy and not straight.

I Use a comforter and sheets in the summer and comforter, then blanket, then sheets in the winter.

51

We have a bunch of duvet covers and really liked them and used them often until global warming made our home hotter. Now we rarely use any comforters—too hot. We sometimes use the duvet cover as a light blanket. Even the thin cotton comforter is often too hot most of the year.

Getting the duvet covers on and off isn’t that hard—like a large pillow case. If the duvet and cover match up well, it’s not too bad—if there’s a significant mismatch it can be challenging. Full/queen is really not a good size. It should be one or the other.

52

Cuddledown of Maine sells awesome duvets and pillows. The duvets are sold in six different fill levels. They are not inexpensive, but very well made. I buy their 50% down/50% feather pillows and am still a bit astounded by the prices, but try to remind myself that it is a third of my life.

53

“Getting the duvet covers on and off isn’t that hard—like a large pillow case”

Yeah… getting the cover back on every morning after Mr. kicks it off… gets old very fast. :slight_smile: I tried ties in the corners and every other trick imaginable, and he still manages to do this. He is a duvet Houdini. Lol.

54

The duvet we had had ties in the corner that corresponded with ties on the duvet cover. You tied the duvet to each corner of the cover. It worked great and the cover never shifted.

55

Nope. The duvet cover dries stretched and almost wrinkle-free on the floor; it just gets a touch up with the iron where needed while still on the floor (and only one requires this). I’m not sure why all of you are washing the covers so often unless no top sheet is used. Mine get washed once when the weather turns cold just before I insert the down comforters and once again just before the weather warms up when I remove the comforters. (In the summer, we just use the empty envelopes.) Because we use a top sheet, our duvet covers are more like bedspreads. They don’t touch our bodies and don’t get any real wear. No need for frequent washing. The sheets get washed weekly or more often as necessary.

56

I guess you don’t have cats.

We have a duvet and a couple of different duvet covers that are changed once a week. No ironing necessary. The trick is to fluff it such that all the down ends up on my husband’s side so I don’t get too hot.

57

We keep a little fleece blanket at the foot of our bed…and that is where our kitty is very happy to sleep. As naughty as he is…he doesn’t get on the quilts at all…just on his personal fleece…which gets washed often.

58

I have a duvet and cover from Pottery Barn. I still use a top sheet, as I don’t want to wash the duvet cover every time a change the sheets. It is a bit of a hassle to take off and then put it back on. You have to be sure that the duvet and cover match in size. Having ties in the corners helps keep it flat and if I put it back on right out of the drier, no problems with wrinkles. I do it on the bed, inside out and then flip it in.

But I agree that you need to check in with your kid on what they want. Sometimes I find the duvet to be too warm.

59

You see that all the time in Germany. You can take it to Cleaners. I wouldn’t do it but nice to to sleep in. I would take it if someone does it for me.

60

I took the expensive Italian cotton duvet cover to the cleaners… ain’t paying $50 to have my bedding washed and ironed! And this is the cleaner that charges $50 to clean a boatload of Mr.'s dress pants. I guess they don’t like to iron large objects either! :)) So the nicely washed and ironed cover is hanging in the closet!