Duvets: make your bed look and feel like a cloud

Have you ever slept in a hotel and wondered how come you can sleep better on a bed that is not even yours? The answer is simple really. In the higher grade hotels out there, bedding is viewed as science, which pretty much means that they pay close attention to what we have been talking about in previous blogs. Still, one thing that is very likely to make a big difference in your bed is the duvet. A duvet is important because of two main reasons. The first is that it regulates your body temperature while you sleep. The second reason is more psychological and it is that a good duvet should make you feel like you are sleeping on a cloud because it is light and fluffy.

So how can you get a duvet that will make you feel like you are sleeping in the clouds amongst the angels?

Duvets, much like pillows come in a variety of fillings natural and synthetic. The common natural fillings include down, wool, and silk. The synthetic alternative is usually gel fiber. By far, down duvets are the most popular ones. There are numerous grades of down out there and again the golden rule applies here as well: you get what you pay for. Still, normally comparing 2 duvets side by side, you will be able to see and feel the difference between the good quality duvet and the poor quality one (the salesperson should be able to easily demonstrate the benefits of each duvet). The things you should look for in a duvet are good fill power (or loft), it should be light weight, it should have baffle box construction to avoid shifting of the down inside, and a nice outer shell. Of course you want to make sure that it is Hypoallergenic (meaning cleaned to the highest standards).

Down duvets.
Lets start with fill power. Fill power refers to the volume a predetermined amount of down (for example, 2 grams) can fill. The maximum fill power for down is about 900 cm³/g, but 500 cm³/g is a good start. Two factors can determine the fill power: 1. percentage of cluster, and 2. the quality of the down. So to get 900 fill power you would have to get the best and purest down with 95% cluster. Another way of classifying down is by the type of bird it came from for example white goose down or white duck down. Typically, white goose down is considered higher grade down but not always. You should look at the fill power and cluster percentage for more reliable measures of quality. Generally, higher fill power down will be more durable and remain nice and fluffy for longer.

The outer shell
Beside the down inside the duvet it is important to look for a good quality outer shell. The shell should be light (it carries most of the weight of the duvet), yet strong, durable and tight as to prevent leakage of the down. In addition, you want the shell to be made of breathable, soft and cool fabric so that it feels good. And one last thing you may want to consider is to look for a shell that does not make any noise when you crinkle it (some people really despise that noise).

Alternatives to down duvets
One good alternative is a wool duvet. Wool duvets are good because they are extremely breathable and very good in regulating your temperature. So, many are useful year round. Some people also like the fact that wool duvets are heavier.

Silk is also a good option. The main benefits of silk is that it is the most breathable material and also the softest one. Silk is a good option for a summer blanket.

Another alternative for people who are allergic is the gel fiber synthetic duvet. There are many varieties out there. The good ones would feel very similar to down duvets but less lofty. Try to ask if they have a sample of the material to show you. It should be soft and light fibers that look similar to silk fibers (only a lot shorter). A good price range is about $150 to $250 for the queen size.

As a side note, we supply many of the hotels and get a lot of referrals from hotels such as the Fairmont and Delta hotel chains. To see some of the items that the high luxury hotels use on their beds come and see what's in store at NF DreamMakers Vancouver, 1750 West Broadway, or in our location at Park Royal in the Village (2 stores from Whole Foods).