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News for duvets on Sunday 5 Sep 2010
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Why so much choice of pillows and duvets? (John Lewis)
I visited John Lewis the other day to buy a new duvet and pillows in their clearance sale. I nearly left without buying anything because there were just so many to choose from and I had no idea what decisions I had to make. Hence this article which I hope will demystify the process for you.
First let’s decide what size we want because that seems an easy enough decision, or is it? I mistakenly thought I simply had to buy for the size bed I have. But no, you should buy for the look you want and your size. If you want the bed to look ‘well made’ with the duvet tucked in around the sides then you need a size bigger than the bed itself. If you and/or your partner are quite large or you like to tuck the duvet around you in bed then go for a size bigger, or two sizes bigger if both factors apply.
What about tog rating? It seems that the higher the tog rating the warmer the duvet but who is going to have a different duvet for summer and winter? Does that mean we should opt for a mid range tog rating such as 10.5? Well apparently not because like most compromises this could mean that we are cold in winter and too hot in the summer. John Lewis has helpfully introduced a combination duvet which consists of two separate duvets of 4.5 and 9 so you use the two together in winter. This does seem to be the ideal solution and one that I expect most customers will opt for.
This still leaves the matter of filling to confuse us. First you need to choose between natural fillings or the cheaper synthetic ones.
- If you expect to wash the duvet quite often and want to be able to use your washing machine at home then a synthetic filling will be the most practical. It will be light and quick to dry in a way that the natural fillings are not.
- If you have an allergy to feathers or down then again synthetic will be the only option for you.
There are two types of synthetic duvet Spiral Light Plus and Microfibre Light. The latter is closest to the feel of a natural filled duvet.
If you can afford it, choose the natural fillings because their fibres enable your skin to breathe more effectively. They are more expensive but will last about 30 years compared to 10 years for a synthetic one. They aren’t 3 times the price so a more expensive choice now could work out to be an economy in the long run.
The main choice of natural fillings is feather and down combinations from duck or geese (Hungarian or Siberian). It’s the down that gives you the softness and the feather for the firmness. Check the fill power because the higher the fill power the greater the insulation and breathability. The higher fill power obviously cost more than the lower fill power because there’s more filling involved.
The labels also tell you the percentage of each type of filling so if you’re after a very soft duvet look for the highest percentage of down. This would be a Duck or Goose Down duvet. The fill power will indicate which will be warmest with the highest fill power warmer than the lower one. Once you are weighing up fill power and percentage down to feather you are close to a decision and you may have to balance cost against your ideal combination.
Having sorted out your duvet you now need pillows. Don’t just opt for the same filling as you’ve chosen for your duvet because what you want over you may be quite different from the support you want for your head. It could also prove to be a false economy if you found you needed two pillows where one firmer one would have worked best.
Pillows don’t last as long as duvets and need to be washed more frequently. All pillows can be washed, even natural fillings but they do take longer to dry. Again if you have allergies you will need synthetic pillows.
Natural pillows keep their shape for longer and maintain their level of support. Again the more feathers in the pillow, the firmer they will be and again the down adds softness. But whereas you may have chosen a higher percentage down for your duvet, if you like a firm pillow you should look for a higher feather content. The clue is usually in the name so a feather and down pillow has more feather and is therefore firmer than a down and feather pillow.
Just feather – medium to firm
Feather and down – medium
Down and feather – soft to medium
If you’re not sure what kind of pillow will suit you best, consider how you sleep. If you sleep on your back, choose a medium-firm pillow but if you sleep on your side you will need a firm pillow to support your neck. Stomach sleepers should choose a soft pillow for cushioning and comfort.
If it still all sounds too confusing and you want some help, just ask the staff in John Lewis because they are all trained to answer your questions and can make the decisions easier to make.
For further information:
Duvets and Pillows at John Lewis
John Lewis
Oxford Street
London
W1A 1EX
United Kingdom
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