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What we cover ourselves with at night is a surprisingly hot topic among the WIRED product reviews team. Just about everyone has a comforter of some kind. Some of us love duvets and some of us hate them. I used to be a duvet fan, but these days, I've left duvets in the dust in favor of a different bedding item: a quilt. The bedding I used to think was for Grandma's house only is now my favorite bedding around.
There's plenty of bedding for us to choose from. There's comforters meant for duvets, comforters that don't need duvets, the duvets themselves, quilts, coverlets, and even weighted blankets. If you're lost on whether you need a duvet or not, or what else you should get instead, look no further. Once you've figured out your covering situation, don't forget to check out our guides to the Best Mattresses, Best Pillows, and Best Sheets for more.
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Is It a Comforter? Is It a Duvet Insert?
First thing's first: You need a comforter of some kind. Many comforters are labeled “duvet insert/comforter.” They're usually made with an all-white plain fabric that looks fine enough on its own, but is also smooth enough to be stuffed inside a duvet cover.
Katie Elks, Brooklinen's design director, describes the two items as the exact same thing. “Comforters, or duvet inserts, are typically filled with an insulating material like down or vegan fill that provides warmth and loft, with everything wrapped in a plain fabric,” she says. Bedsure does the same thing.
Of course, there are some comforters that clearly aren't designed for duvet covers. Nearly anywhere you shop for bedding you can find textured, colorful comforters that aren't meant to be covered up. While these are easy to buy, you will have to wash them more frequently, which can be a hassle. It also means you'll have to replace them if you decide to redecorate your room.
The Great Duvet Debate
For years, my duvet covers could not be torn from my grasp. My husband hated it. He'd complain about the difficulty of getting the comforter back into the duvet cover after we washed it, and about how often the insert would get bunched up somewhere inside said duvet cover. He wasn't wrong! Too many nights, I found myself clutching an empty corner of my duvet in the middle of the night. Still, I didn't quit my duvets for years to come.
I wasn't alone in wanting a duvet cover. Leo Wang, CEO and cofounder of Buffy, says about 80 percent of their comforter customers also buy a duvet cover. “In many cases, customers will purchase two to three duvet covers which they'll rotate,” he says.
Not only do most people prefer them, but companies also make comforters with a duvet cover in mind. Elks says Brooklinen's comforters are made for a duvet, and that a duvet cover can “help increase the life of your comforter, while making it easy to wash and change the look.” She's right. It's much easier to wash a duvet cover than an entire comforter. (How many rounds in my rental drier does it take to dry my comforter? You don't want to know.) But that hasn't stopped me from finally quitting duvet covers two years ago
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Instead, I now use a top sheet underneath my plain white comforter. Here I was, thinking this is just how we're supposed to make the bed, per my grandmother's firm instructions as she critiqued my hospital corner folds (if you don't know, you don't want to know). Katie Cardullo of Cozy Earth told us that if you're using a comforter with no duvet cover, it's common to use a top sheet. However, Wang recommends against using a top sheet if you're already using a duvet cover, saying you don't need to overlayer.
So the debate isn't really about whether you should use a duvet cover or not. Instead, you should ask yourself: Do you use a top sheet? That, my friend, can make the decision for you on whether a duvet cover is needed on your bed. My grandmother's house never had duvet covers, just colorful comforters and quilts, so no wonder she loved a good top sheet.
Replace Your Duvet Cover
My bed would absolutely qualify as overlayered. Don't tell Wang.
But it's because my comforter is so light. Most manufacturers make a primary “all-season” weight and sometimes a heavier winter weight. Since I live in warm southern California, I usually use IKEA's cool-weight comforter; it's light enough to use during the hottest times of year. During the colder seasons, instead of switching to a heavier comforter, I layer a quilt and fleece blanket on top and switch to a fleece sheet set with a top sheet.
My quilt is a key layer for staying toasty at night. It updated the look of my bedroom while adding warmth and weight to my bedding on colder nights, and the quilt is light enough that in the summer I can choose to either use just the quilt or only the comforter.
It's worth noting that Wang recommends against doing that. “Nighttime fluctuation in temperature happens to everyone: We cool about 2 degrees to fall asleep, and our temperature naturally swings slightly throughout the night driven by patterns in digestion, REM sleep, and our circadian rhythm,” he says. “The solution isn't a stack of bedding that you apply or remove throughout the night, but rather to invest in temperature-regulating bedding made from breathable materials.”
Still, I love my quilt, and I'm not alone. Elks likes using one too. “In the summer, I will use a quilt on top of my flat sheet, and layer a coverlet folded at the bottom of my bed if the AC kicks on too high,” she says.
Bedding Worth Investing inA Great Comforter
Photograph: Nena Farrell
Bedsure All-Season Down Alternative Comforter$29 at Walmart$45 at Bedsure
I love the look of Bedsure's comforter ($29) without a duvet cover. I especially like that it comes in a few colors (I tested the peach shade, which is more of a sandy color, and will be forgoing white comforters after this), but is still the smooth, duvet-insert-ready style if you want to use it with a duvet insert. It's light and fluffy on its own, but still keeps you warm, especially if you add a duvet or quilt with it.
We're also a fan of Buffy's comforters. WIRED reviews writer Louryn Strampe loves Buffy's Breeze Comforter ($175) since it's cool enough to use in the summers, and is a great base for her to add a blanket on top of in the winter. She's been sleeping on it for a few years now and it's still in great shape.
Duvet Covers for Top Sheet Haters
Photograph: Ikea
Ikea Dytag Linen Duvet Cover$129 at Ikea
Even though I use a top sheet every night, I admit it will sometimes get bunched up at my feet or in the middle of the bed. I've tried a few duvet covers, and none are perfect. I love the texture of Ikea's linen duvet cover ($129), and it's a more affordable linen option than you'll find in most places.
I also tried Bedsure's duvet cover ($27), which has ties to match the loops you'll find on Bedsure's comforter to keep it in place. It takes a bit of effort to tie everything, but I couldn't feel the ties when I slept, and found the duvet to be soft and lightweight. Plus, it's super affordable compared to other duvet covers.
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If you want something nicer (and organic!), WIRED senior writer Scott Gilbertson recommends Antipodean's organic merino wool duvet ($325). He says it keeps you plenty warm, but still breathes enough that he rarely got too hot while using it, since wool is an active fiber that reacts to changes in your body temperature. He says it is a little heavier than most duvets, though—almost like a weighted blanket.
Or, Choose a Quilt (or Coverlet)
Photograph: Target
Casaluna Heavyweight Linen Blend Quilt$100 at Target
Target's Casaluna quilt ($99) has become my bed's MVP. I bought in on a whim since I liked the texture, but it's become a must-have while my other layers rotate on and off my bed. It's beautiful to look at, has a nice weight to it, and isn't too heavy to use on its own in the summer. If you're looking for something a little lighter, I liked how lightweight Bedsure's Ultrasonic quilt ($45) felt on my bed while still adding some nice texture.
You can also look for a coverlet, which is similar to a quilt but is just a single layer of fabric instead of two layers with a small amount of fill. Brooklinen's Cotton Matelasse Coverlet ($229) is beautiful to look at and just adds a little bit of warmth and weight onto your bedding.
