The Best Duvets of 2023, Tested by HGTV Editors
From luxurious down to hypoallergenic down-alternative duvets, top your bed with one of these cloud-like comforters.
Our Top Duvet Insert Picks
- Best Overall: The Buffy Cloud Comforter
- Best Runner-Up: Brooklinen Down-Alternative Comforter
- Best Down: Parachute Down Duvet Insert
- Best Budget-Friendly Down: APSMILE Goose Down Comforter
- Best Cooling: Buffy Breeze Comforter
If you're looking for comfortable cloud-like bedding, a duvet is a great choice for many reasons. Duvets, also referred to as comforters with loops, are typically thinner than a regular comforter with a box-stitched and sometimes baffle-box construction that helps keep the soft down or down-alternative fiber filling evenly distributed. Loops stitched on the corners hold duvet covers in place, meaning it's easy to change up your bedding look by just replacing the cover instead of the whole duvet. Though some people do use duvets without covers for a minimalist look, it's best to use a cover to extend the life of your purchase. If you take care of a duvet, it can last 10 years or more. Using duvet covers also means you can change up the fabric style and warmth depending on the season. And finally, using a cover to protect a duvet means you don't have to wash the duvet nearly as often. Beyond price, here are a few key factors to consider when choosing a duvet.
The Best Duvet Covers
Whether you're a hot sleeper or are looking for organic bedding, add one of our top-rated, tested duvet cover recommendations to your bed.
Fill and Cover Materials: Duvets are typically filled with goose or duck down or down-alternative fibers, like polyester or eucalyptus. In response to animal welfare concerns, many companies follow specific sourcing criteria to meet the Responsible Down Standards (RDS). Down-alternative fibers are cheaper and a better fit for anyone looking to minimize the use of animal products. Down-alternative options are usually better for people who have allergies, too. The outer shell is typically made of cotton with a sateen weave, but there are a few popular alternatives like eucalyptus marketed as more breathable.
Fill Power: Most of our recommendations are suitable for year-round use, which means they have medium fill power. Fill power refers to the volume of one ounce of down measured in cubic inches. Higher fill power means the duvet will be fluffier and lightweight but still give warmth. For an entry-level down comforter, 600 to 700 fill power is a popular range. Some direct-to-consumer bedding brands like Brooklinen and Parachute offer multiple weight options for both their down and down-alternative comforters, from lightweight to all-season to ultra-warm.
Care and Maintenance: Most manufacturers recommend spot cleaning or dry cleaning at a cleaner that doesn't use the chemical perchloroethylene, which is considered hazardous by the Environmental Protection Agency. If you want to use a duvet without a cover or you have young kids or pets and don't think a cover will suffice to keep your investment clean, you may want to purchase a duvet that is machine washable.
Along with price, ratings, reviews and return policy, we've considered all of these factors when researching and testing our duvet insert picks. Check out our recommendations below.
The Buffy Cloud — Buffy’s original, cloud-like comforter — is covered in super-soft, Oeko-Tex-certified eucalyptus lyocell fiber and filled with layers of 100-percent recycled BPA-free polyethylene terephthalate (PET). Eucalyptus is considered an eco-friendly alternative to cotton because it's grown with 10x less water. The ultra-smooth, down-alternative fiber is naturally resistant to dust and mold, and the triangular stitching pattern keeps fill in place. For washing, dry cleaning is recommended. Buffy offers a seven-day trial period during which your payment method will say "pending" until the trial period is over in case you don't love the comforter. If you don't love it, request a return within 30 days. But if the thousands of five-star reviews are any indication, we don't think you'll need to utilize that return policy. With sustainability in mind, Buffy offsets the CO2 emissions of all shipments from its factory partners to distribution centers to the customer's doorstep. We chose Buffy's Cloud Comforter as our best overall pick because we like that it is reasonably priced with all sizes under $200, super soft and cozy to sleep under, made of hypoallergenic, eco-friendly materials and appropriate for year-round use. We also appreciate the company's sustainability practices.
Our Editor Says: "The eucalyptus shell is unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. It’s silky-smooth and feels like butter when you cover up. Paired with linen sheets, my bed is heaven on earth right now."
Though a little more expensive, we also love Brooklinen's down-alternative comforter, especially if you're also in the market to order a cover at the same time — the popular direct-to-consumer brand has tons of great cover options in a variety of colors and materials. Plus, Brooklinen sells bedding bundles that offer a better value when purchasing multiple products. Made in the U.S., this down-alternative comforter has a 100-percent microfiber fill and an ultra-soft, long-staple sateen cotton shell for cozy yet breathable warmth. Featuring a baffle-box construction for even distribution and corner loops for securing a cover, Brooklinen's duvet is available in lightweight, all-season and ultra-warm weights. Spot cleaning with a soft soap or dry cleaning is recommended. If for some reason you don't love this comforter, Brooklinen offers free returns within 365 days.
Our Editor Says: "I've been a fan of Brooklinen's sheets, and now I'm a fan of their down-alternative comforter. The all-season duvet is lightweight, fluffy and cozy and provides just the right amount of warmth. Brooklinen often has sales for 10-15% off, so watch for a deal!"
For the classic, luxurious feel of down, we recommend this Parachute comforter. Made in the U.S. using European Responsible Down Standard (RDS) certified down, it features a 100-percent sateen cotton shell and baffle-box construction. RDS is an independent, global animal welfare standard that ensures down and feathers come from humanely treated ducks and geese. Available in lightweight and all-season, the fluffy comforter is finished with sturdy, double-stitched seams so that the down filling won't end up flying around your bedroom. Parachute is the only brand we tried that includes machine washing — with cool water on a delicate cycle using mild detergent — in the recommended care instructions, along with the option to dry clean. While it's still recommended to use a duvet cover and it comes with a five-year warranty, we consider the ability to machine wash it a huge perk, especially given the higher price tag. If the ability to machine wash is a priority for you but you want to avoid down, we also like Parachute’s machine-washable down-alternative duvet.
Our Editor Says: "I didn’t like how heavy my old duvet felt. This one from Parachute is cozy and fluffy without feeling weighty. I like how soft and poofy it is, like a hug from a cloud."
Goose down is synonymous with luxury for many and it’s also pricey, so if you want goose down but aren’t willing to splurge on Parachute, this pick from Amazon, still with a 750 fill power, is a great value. With Oeko-Tex and Downpass certifications, this duvet features an outer shell made from 60 percent Egyptian cotton and 40 percent polyester, responsibly harvested goose down filling, baffle-box construction for even distribution, eight corner tabs for attaching a cover and double-stitched edge piping for extra durability.
Our Editor Says: "I feel as though I’m being wrapped in a cloud. I am neither warm nor cool, hot nor cold. Inside this duvet, I simply *am*. It’s magical!"
While most of our picks come in a lightweight option and are suitable for hot sleepers, one of our editors swears by The Buffy Breeze Comforter that she’s owned for several months to keep her cool. While about $60 more, the Buffy Breeze Comforter is even more cooling and breathable than the Cloud Comforter. With the same great eucalyptus shell as The Cloud, the fill of this comforter is also made of breathable eucalyptus lyocell instead of recycled fill material, and the stitching forms a wave-shaped pattern instead of a triangular design. Buffy recommends dry cleaning this one too and offers the same trial period and return policy.
Our Editor Says: "I love that it's lightweight, sustainable and non-allergen."
