Practical
Which duvet tog you actually need
31 July 2026 · 4 min read
Tog measures insulation, not weight or quality. Match it to the bedroom temperature, not to the season on the packaging.
Tog is a measure of thermal resistance — how well the duvet stops heat leaving. It says nothing about weight, filling quality or price. A light down duvet and a heavy synthetic one can be the same tog and sleep completely differently.
The scale, against a real bedroom
- 2.5–4.5 tog — summer, or a bedroom above 21 °C year-round.
- 7.5–10.5 tog — spring and autumn, and the whole year for most heated flats. If you buy one duvet, buy this.
- 12–13.5 tog — winter in a genuinely cold room, under about 16 °C.
- 15 tog and above — uninsulated houses and people who feel the cold badly. Rare, and easy to overheat in.
The mistake almost everyone makes
Buying 13.5 tog because it is sold as "winter" while heating the bedroom to 21 °C. That combination overheats nearly everyone, and the result is waking at three, throwing the duvet off, and getting cold an hour later.
Measure the bedroom overnight with a cheap thermometer before deciding. Most people are two or three degrees warmer than they think.
All-season duvets
Two duvets — usually 4.5 and 9 tog — that clip together for a combined 13.5. Three configurations from one purchase, and genuinely the most sensible option if the room swings a lot between seasons.
The catch is bulk: two duvets take more storage than one, and the clips are fiddly.
Filling, which is a separate decision
- Down — the best warmth for its weight, and the most breathable. Expensive, needs specialist washing, and unsuitable for feather allergies. Look for a fill power above 600 and a responsible down standard.
- Feather and down blend — heavier, cheaper, quills occasionally poke through.
- Microfibre — good value, washable at home, and the sensible allergy choice. Loses loft after a few years.
- Wool — heavy and superb at moving moisture. The best choice for people who overheat and sweat, and it needs no washing, only airing.
Two people, one bed
If one of you is always too hot and the other always cold, no single tog is right. Two single duvets at different togs, on the same bed, is the only real answer, and it is normal across half of Europe.
Before buying anything
Check the pillow first. A flat, dead pillow ruins more nights than the wrong duvet does, and it costs a fifth as much to replace.
