Sign Up For Special Offers:

Our first experience sleeping under a duvet was on a freezing cold night in Munich, Germany.  We had checked in late and were provided with two end to end twin beds nestled under the sloping roof of the better than 100 year old hotel.  Icicles hung like huge teeth from the eaves outside our window overlooking the courtyard below.  Frost etched the window pane.

Having flown throughout the previous night from New York, we drove to Munich from Frankfort braving the icy roads and staying out of the way of the German drivers for whom the ice, snow, and wind posed no deterrents to their accustomed autobahn speed.  A warm, filling dinner in the hotel restaurant and we were ready for some sleep.  End to end beds were really better than nothing.

Each bed was covered by a billowing, white cover which turned out to be called a “duvet”.  That was it.  We looked at each other: this is it?  We looked all over the room for blankets.  We looked at each other again.  Under the “duvet” we found the bottom sheet. Just the Duvet and bottom sheet, no top sheet, no blanket.

Shivering we decided that we had better go to bed and warm ourselves with our rapidly depleting supply of natural warmth.  To our surprise and definite pleasure, we soon found ourselves getting warm … warmer … and soon very warm.  Those duvets were super.

“Duvet”, implies either goose or duck down or feathers, as it is used in French.  Essentially, a duvet is a loosely packed comforter. There are a wide range of fillings to choose from.  Both cotton and wool are used extensively and both provide the luxurious warmth one would expect.  The main difference between the down, cotton, and wool options are the weights one desires.  We know of marital disputes around the weight and therefore the warmth factor.  Some duvets are available with difference weights on two sides of the duvet.  There are those who will claim that silk duvets, constructed of layers of silk, are the superior duvet and silk is indeed a great option.  However, traditionalists, people, particularly those who have come from Europe, who have slept under duvets since birth swear by the down filled duvet.  It is soft and only requires shaking out every few days to regain its plump.

Most duvet users slip the duvet into a duvet cover.  A duvet cover is essentially a large pillowcase.  The bottom end of the cover is fastened by cloth ties, or a zipper, or a row of button.  The cover serves several utilitarian and aesthetic functions.  First of all, it protects the duvet from becoming soiled.  Depending on the duvet cover’s fabric, it only requires washing at appropriate times.  The duvet cover also relieves the lumpy look the au natural duvet tends to have.  The cover provides a smooth attractive look to the bed.

The first duvet we slept under was white, as most duvets are.  Some, particularly the organic duvets which may also feature wool or cotton stuffing instead of goose down, are a natural white; not overly bleached. Sort of off-white.  Wool and cotton filling are both very acceptable fillings and the wool is hypoallergenic for those who are affected by allergens.

Duvet covers come in many styles and make the duvet serve in place of comforters or bedspreads over the bed.  Some are extremely ornate.  They may be selected to coordinate with the rest of the bedroom’s décor or to “illuminate” the bedroom as we like to say.  Always read the cleaning and washing instructions before you buy.  The cost of dry cleaning versus machine washing at home may be a decision point for you.

Our research indicates that the duvet has become an increasingly popular piece of bedding in the United States.  It is in our home.  The duvet was brought to the United States by immigrant families.  In the early years many immigrants found it necessary to request duvets and covers from their former homelands, because they were unavailable in America.  Fortunately, there are many sources of duvets and duvet covers today, and the variety of filling materials and weights provide a broad array of products from which to choose the ideal duvet.

One last thought. Duvet Post-Washing, Re-Insertion Instructions:  After washing the duvet cover, position yourself near your bed with your back to it. Calves touching the mattress.  Place the duvet cover over your head and let it gather on your shoulders.  Then, feeling around blindly, grasp the top two corners of the duvet. Now lift your hands with the duvet corners up close to your shoulders and shrug the duvet cover off your shoulders so that the cover falls down around your fists...and you.  Raise your arms and shimmy the duvet upwards into the cover until your fists are in the corners of the duvet cover.  Release grip on corners.   Fall backwards onto the bed and slither out the bottom … alright … it works for me to my wife’s amusement.  This method, admittedly, may not work for you.  Perhaps we should say, “Don’t try this method at home! Leave it to the professionals.”

Sleep well!