The 13 best winter duvets for keeping the chill away, tried and tested

Score: 96/100

Our panel loved this 10.5 tog duvet, praising its soft, plush finish, which kept them warm but not too hot at night. It’s made with microfibre, so it’s suitable for anyone looking to avoid feathers (although it still has that classic down rustle).

It washed well, too – our experts noted that it retained its even filling and luxurious finish, and there was minimal shrinkage. It is bulky, which makes it trickier to fold away for storage, and if your house is particularly chilly, then you may want a thicker option for the very depths of winter. But at 10.5 togs, it should see you through most of the year in comfort.

Score: 94/100

As one of the highest-tog duvets on the list, this is the one for you if you frequently find yourself reaching for the electric blanket or cranking the heating up. It’s not as soft and snuggly as a down duvet, but our testers found it just as comfortable to sleep under (and it is more affordable).

For a 15-tog duvet, it wasn’t heavy or overly thick. Instead, testers liked the “puffy” appearance, which made their bedroom set-up even more inviting. In fact, everyone said they’d recommend this duvet to others.

Score: 91/100

Wool is something of an outlier when it comes to duvet fillings, so it would be understandable if you had some questions. However, it’s hypoallergenic and naturally temperature-regulating, and you don’t need to rely on our word alone. One well-rested panellist told us of this duvet: “It’s cosy and regulates my temperature nicely. I have never used a wool duvet before but I’m a total convert.” Others described the 10.5 tog design as “luxurious” and “super comfortable”.

While some noted that it isn’t silent to sleep with, they didn’t find it disruptively noisy. It’s also dry clean only. But it’s filled with organic British wool and, given the transformative sleep it gave our panel, we’d say the extra effort is worth it.

Score: 91/100

The clue is in the name – wool is wonderful for a reason. It’s thick, naturally insulating and anti-bacterial, making it a fantastic material for a warming winter duvet.

In terms of tog rating, wool duvets are typically hard to label as the material works with the temperature of your room to regulate body temperature in a different way to other materials. As a rough estimate, however, this one is the equivalent to a 10 to 13.5 tog duvet.

It pleased our testers across the board. But note that it proved a challenge to clean as it’s not machine washable – you’ll need to sponge clean instead.

Score: 91/100

Testers loved this lightweight yet warming duvet, which also has a soft-to-the-touch 100 per cent cotton casing. It boasts that luxurious goose down filling (a huge hit with testers) and the brand says that all the natural materials are ethically sourced.

Testers had to put in some work to re-disperse the filling evenly again after washing. However, otherwise, it’s easy to move, clean and fold, and everyone said they’d recommend this duvet to others.

Score: 90/100

This “huggable” duvet was a warm and cosy hit with our testers. In fact, they all said they’d recommend it to others after they fell in love with its premium feel and design.

To keep your duvet in tip-top condition, Christy recommends professional laundering, something our panellists agreed with, as it would be difficult to fit the thick duvet into a washing machine. You’ll only need to do this once or twice a year, though. And it’s more affordable than many down duvets on our list, making it a stellar buy if you’re after a cloud-like sleep for less.

Score: 90/100

This 13.5 tog winter duvet proved to be a real all-rounder; made with recycled plastic bottles, it emerged from the washing machine almost as good as new, and our panel found it luxuriously comfortable to sleep with. It’s also quiet, which means minimal rustling at night.

It has a light, bouncy feel that divided our testers; some loved it, while others would have preferred a heavier-feeling duvet to bed down with. Its buoyancy also made it a bit trickier for our expert to get it back into its canvas bag. Overall, though, this is a premium buy.

Score: 89/100

There’s a lot to love about this bargain duvet; it’s surprisingly lightweight for its high 13.5 tog rating (the lightest duvet on test!), it’s suitable for sleepers with allergies and it’s made in the UK (meaning it has a smaller carbon footprint). But top of our reasons to buy is that, despite its low price, its performance on test was outstanding.

Testers found the soft, quiet design was comfortable and cosy at night, and liked how easy it was to store away during summer. It also washed brilliantly in our lab, with only the slightest fraying of stitching, but note that it’s too bulky to fit into most domestic washing machines.

Score: 89/100

Bamboo has a lot of properties that make it ideal for bedding: it’s naturally hypoallergenic, anti-bacterial, temperature-regulating and moisture-wicking. It’s also the world’s fastest-growing plant and doesn’t require as much water as cotton, making it a great choice for both home and planet. Panda sources its bamboo sustainably, too, which is why this duvet is one of our top eco picks.

On test, it felt lightweight but still snuggly, and our panel enjoyed the outer fabric’s silk-like feel. The quilt folded away easily into its reusable bag, but didn’t fare so well in our wash tests. It took a long time to dry (even after 3 hours 30 minutes of drying, it was still damp!) and there was noticeable filling shrinkage, too.

Its tog rating is also on the lighter side, so if your house gets particularly cold, look elsewhere. That said, if you want an all-seasons duvet, it’s a great greener offering.

Score: 89/100

This fluffy down duvet is a luxurious way to stay warm, as it retains plenty of heat. At £65, it’s also excellent value in comparison with other down duvets, and its comfortable feel was likened to sleeping on a cloud.

Some testers found themselves flattening it out from time to time due to the volume of filling, but that was their only niggle.

It washed fairly well, maintaining its premium appearance after our tests, but there was a little shrinkage, which was noticeable when we put it back inside a duvet cover. It wasn’t too hard to pack away into its accompanying storage bag, though – ideal if you’re setting it aside for the coldest of nights.

Score: 88/100

EarthKind reclaims pre-loved pillows and duvets, and recycles the feather and down fillings by cleaning them (thoroughly!) and putting them into their new duvets. Testers found this one regulated their temperature well and they enjoyed the high-quality feel.

The duvet was relatively lightweight and washed well (although it’s hard stuffing it into a machine at home). However, testers found it could be noisy and had a slight smell upon opening.

We also tested the 10.5 tog version of this down duvet, and it also scored 88/100, making it a great option if you get slightly hotter at night.

Score: 87/100

The White Company’s down duvet comes in a handy cotton bag, which you can use for storage when the sun’s out. It’s a high-quality choice, bringing hotel-level comfort to our testers’ sleep set-up.

It can be machine washed, but professional laundering is recommended by the brand, and we’d agree – in our wash tests, the filling clumped together. It also remained damp after five hours in the tumble dryer.

Score: 84/100

For warmth that doesn’t break the bank, this soft duvet is a great choice. Its filling was evenly distributed and we were impressed with its quality – far above what we’d expect for its modest price tag. It washed well too, with minimal shrinkage, and our panel also found it fluffy and comfortable at night to sleep with.

It is a fairly basic design - we noticed some scruffy finishes to the seams - and it's rather lightweight. But these are minor qualms for what proved to be an otherwise reliable winter quilt.