Debenhams guide to buying pillows and duvets
Is there a better feeling than snuggling down in bed after a long day? Surely not. Imagine being enveloped by a deliciously soft duvet that’s neither hot nor cold, resting your head comfortably in a pillow that perfectly adjusts to your needs for a night of zero tossing and turning. If this sounds like the dream – no pun intended – than read on for our advice on how to choose pillows and duvets for the best sleep of your life.
PILLOWS AND DUVETS BY FILLING
Synthetic
Synthetic fillings are breathable, supportive and make for the most practical – and most affordable - choice if you suffer from allergies as man-made materials don’t harbour dust mites and bacteria. The synthetic fillings are also easier to wash, quicker to dry, and ultimately easy to care for.
Available in two types of materials: hollow fibres have the closest feel to down and are thicker, but easily trap warmth, on the other hand, microfibres are extra-fine and soft, but they lose their shape faster.
Natural
Natural fillings are usually made of feathers and/or down providing a sumptuously soft yet supportive pillow. Feathers are heavy to help the pillow keep its shape, whereas the lightweight down consists of fluffy feathers allowing for unbeatable softness.
Something to consider is that natural fibres make for a more luxurious option, so they often come with a slightly higher price tag, while feathers are slightly less expensive, a mix of feather and down offers a good value compromise.
PILLOWS BY SLEEP STYLE
PILLOWS BY FEATURE
Memory foam
Designed to help alleviate back and neck problems, pressure-relieving memory foam moulds itself to the shape of your head and neck, providing better support to your body for a restful sleep.
Anti-snore
Ergonomically designed to open up airways, an anti-snore pillow will align your head and nose with the centre of your chest without letting the neck to slouch, to take the pressure off airways for snore-free sleep.
Orthopaedic Pillows
Specially designed to reduce back and neck pain by keeping them in correct alignment whilst still supporting the lower cervical spine, orthopaedic pillows help improve comfort and reduce aches.
DUVETS BY THERMAL PERFORMANCE
The warmth of a duvet is defined by the “tog” rating, so what is a tog you might ask? Ranging from 1 to 15, a tog is a measurement of thermal insulation used to quantify a duvet’s ability to trap air and retain heat. Simply put, the higher the tog value, the warmer the duvet will be.
DUVETS BY SIZE
In most cases, the safest choice is to get a duvet in the size that matches the size of your bed, but this doesn’t mean you can’t go up or down a size if this suits your preferences.
For example, you can choose a larger size if you like your bed to have a fuller, well-made look as a larger quilt will hang neatly over the edges of the bed for a more luxurious appearance.
For couples you might go one or two ways. If your partner (or yourself) is prone to hogging the covers, a larger duvet means you'll both have ample coverage during the night, you can also opt to have separate, smaller duvets. This can really help if you like to sleep at different temperatures or often find yourself fighting over the covers.
HOW TO CARE FOR YOUR PILLOWS AND DUVET
Pillows should last roughly 3-5 years, and duvets about 10-15 years, depending on how well you look after them. Pillows have a more limited lifespan than duvets because of the weight of our heads, which flattens them over time and deteriorates the level of support
For both pillows and duvets, we recommend you use a liner if you want to clean these bulky items less frequently, as these will help prevent saliva or sweat stains and protect against general wear and tear.
Pillows should be washed two to three times a year. Another good idea is to plump pillows every day to prevent flattening. If you’re not here for germs, once a month, pop your pillows into a tumble dryer for 10 minutes to kill any dust mites and general bacteria.
Duvets should be washed at least once a year. Before you go ahead, it's important to check the care label for clarity on washing temperatures and whether it can be tumble dried, or dry cleaned.
In the case of natural-filled duvets we recommend that you have them professional dry cleaned as they need to be thoroughly dried to avoid the filling clumping, which may be difficult to do at home.