Duvets vs Quilts: Which to Choose

While choosing your ideal bedding may sound like an easy task, there’s more to it than meets the eye. There are different types of mattresses, different materials for sheets, different sizes of pillows, and countless other things that go into making your bed the oasis of your dreams.

When it comes to deciding what you want for your bed, the top layer can make or break your comfort. What is most important to you? Do you want warmth? Something that catches your eye? A softness that is cloud-like? Do you hate making the bed and want something that’s easy to wash? 

That’s where the debate comes in—a duvet or a quilt? No need to lose sleep (literally and figuratively) over making the decision! We’ve got you covered.

Read on to learn more about both, and find out which is the right choice for you.

Duvets

What is a Duvet?

Du·vet /ˌdo͞oˈvā / noun

: a soft quilt filled with down, feathers, or a synthetic fiber, used instead of an upper sheet and blankets.

Duvets originated in Europe, but they’re growing more and more popular in the U.S. 

The word “duvet” actually means “down” in French, which refers to their plush filling that consists of feathers and artificial substances.

Duvets look like giant clouds you can wrap yourself up in. They typically come in white and are crafted with two layers: the shell of the duvet and its filling. Duvet fillings usually contain down or down alternative, feathers, or wool. However, when choosing the right duvet, it is important to know the difference between all the fillings.

Natural fillings, such as goose down and feather, are soft and pretty warm. They’re heavier and give you the added pressure and secure feeling. 

If you’re skin and nose are on the sensitive side of things, you’ll want to choose a duvet that is synthetic or is crafted with a down alternative. These offer hypoallergenic properties and are a bit more breathable and cooling. 

Oftentimes, people also use a duvet cover, which slips over the duvet and serves a handful of different purposes, such as helping keep the duvet clean or adding a touch of color.

Reasons to Choose a Duvet

Duvets are great for multiple reasons and are one of the best choices in terms of building your bed. They allow you to customize the weight, warmth, and overall style and appearance of your bedroom. 

Crisp, Yet Warm Feel

Depending on the fill of your duvet, your duvet can range from a lightweight duvet to something a bit heavier. Modern duvets are typically soft, lightweight, and lofty, so your bedding can look soft and fluffy without trapping too much heat. 

It’s a controversial debate, but a duvet cover also allows you to choose if you want to use a top sheet or not. So you can customize your layers, making your bed warmer or cooler.

Change Up Your Look

Duvet inserts pair with duvet covers, which allows you to switch up your bedding easily. They can come in a variety of colors and patterns, so you can change up the look of your bedroom without the hassle of buying a whole new duvet.  

Easy Maintenance

Duvets sometimes need delicate care to expand their lifespan, and that’s where duvet covers come in handy. They help protect your duvet from everyday wear and tear, ensuring it lasts longer. 

Duvet covers keep your duvet fresher for longer and make washing your bedding easier. Even though many duvets are machine washable, sometimes they just don’t fit in a standard washer, which means you may need to take a trip to the cleaners. When it's laundry day, simply slip off the duvet cover and toss it in the wash!

Time-Saving

Using a duvet cuts down on the number of items you need on your bed for warmth and comfort, such as a flat sheet (again, controversial debate) and additional blankets or quilts (unless you prefer them, that is). Simply get out of bed, fix up your duvet, and your bed is made!

Quilts

What is a Quilt?

Quilt / kwilt / noun

: a warm bed covering made of padding enclosed between layers of fabric and kept in place by lines of stitching, typically applied in a decorative design.

Quilts bring up a certain nostalgia for many people. You might think of the multi-fabric quilt that your grandparents used or the warm quilt you used at the cabin you vacationed at that one time. Quilts can tell a story.

But today, quilts are no longer just your grandma’s quilt. They have exceeded their aesthetic expectations—there’s a look to match any vision you may have.

Traditionally, a quilt has three layers: two layers of fabric with filling, or batting, in between. Quilts typically come in decorative designs or textures, making them perfect statement pieces. 

Unlike voluminous duvets, quilts are thinner, but denser. 

Reasons to Choose a Quilt

If you know the exact look and feel you want for your bedroom, you might want to go with a quilt. But there are multiple reasons you may want to choose a quilt for your bedding: 

Perfect for Layering

If you like a put-together, sleek, tidy look for your bed, then a quilt is for you. Unlike the fluffy look of a duvet, quilts are thinner and allow for layering. Layering is also great if you have a hard time finding the perfect temperature to sleep at night.

Allows for a Cool Night's Sleep

Since quilts are thin, they typically have less insulation. They do lie close to the body, but they don’t smother you. This is a great option for those who are overly hot sleepers—especially in the hot summer months or if someone in your home cranks the heat a little too much in the wintertime. 

Homey Look

Compared to duvets and, in some cases their covers, quilts typically have a lot more visual appeal in terms of patterns, colors, and textures. If a farmhouse, rustic, or coastal style is for you, you’ll love adding a quilt to your bedroom. 

As we said before, quilts bring a nostalgic feeling, so adding a quilt can bring feelings of home.

Meet the Cosy House Line

At Cosy House Collection, we pride ourselves on crafting the most comfortable, dreamy bedding in order to help improve your overall sleep quality.

If you’re still torn between choosing a duvet or a quilt, no worries—we have both!

Let’s break down the differences between our Luxury Down Alternative Duvet and our Luxury Quilt.

Luxury Down Alternative Comforter

Our Luxury Down Alternative Comforter can be used as either a comforter or a duvet insert. Crafted with premium corner tie loops to secure a duvet cover in place, your comforter won’t shift around or bunch up throughout the night.

It’s stuffed with a fluffy polyester fill that resembles the airy, cuddly softness of traditional feather down.

Made of soft bamboo viscose and microfiber, our Luxury Down Alternative Comforter offers a ton of amazing benefits to improve your quality of sleep.

Benefits:

• Breathable and moisture-wicking properties that help circulate airflow so you stay cool.
• Bamboo viscose is softer than cotton.
• It is naturally hypoallergenic to keep you and your comforter cleaner for longer.
• Down Alternative Fill replaces the nuisance of poking feather quills.
• Machine washable for easy maintenance.

Luxury Quilt

This Luxury Quilt is crafted with silky soft bamboo viscose blend fabric. It has a classic and simple design to give you the nostalgia of a quilt with an upgraded look to enhance the aesthetic of your bedroom. 

But this Luxury Quilt isn’t your average quilt. It offers a heap of benefits that you’ll love:

Benefits:

• Has a cooling and moisture-wicking finish to keep you comfortable year-round.
• It is naturally hypoallergenic to keep you and your quilt cleaner for longer.
• Crafted with a polyester fill for ultimate comfort.
• Bamboo viscose processes cloud-like softness.
• Machine washable for easy maintenance.

So which one is for you? It all depends on your preference, but you can’t go wrong with either! Choosing typically comes down to two factors: 1) Your sleeping habits, and 2) Your preferred style. 

If you prefer having layers, aren’t prone to wanting to change the look of your bedroom often, and like the look of a flatter-style bed, go with a quilt. 

If you prefer something a little more fluffy, like to change up your bedding often, and like the ease of washing a duvet cover rather than a whole large cover, then go with a duvet. 

Ready to check them out for yourself? Click here to start shopping!

We've gone ahead & enclosed a 10% off coupon below for you to use if you'd like to take the plunge and try out our sheets for yourself! To shop our collection & get 10% OFF Use the code 'BLOG10' at checkout.