Should you size up your duvet? Bedding experts reveal the mistake you could be making

There’s nothing better than snuggling up under your duvet at the end of a long day, but experts have recently revealed a bedding mistake that could be costing you a good night’s sleep.

As it turns out there’s more to buying the best duvet than simply considering the duvet tog rating and duvet filling you prefer. When you're considering what size duvet to buy, we discovered that many bedding experts also advise sizing up your duvet.

What does that mean? Well, if you have a double bed that means buying a king size duvet, and if you have a king size bed it means opting for a super king duvet to cover it. Why? We explain all below.

Should you size up your duvet?

You’d be forgiven for thinking that the right way to buy a duvet is to ensure it matches the size of your bed. Buy a single duvet for a single bed, and buy a double duvet for a double bed, right? But many sleep experts say that this could turn out to be a duvet-buying mistake, especially if you share your bed with a partner.

'Having a duvet that covers the people sleeping in the bed (and a little extra room either side) allows for heat to stay trapped in the space for longer, as there's little to no gaps around the edges,' says Alison Jones, sleep expert at mattress manufacturer Sealy.

'Some opt for a larger duvet as they like the feeling of having more duvet to snuggle into as you sleep,' agrees Emily Atwood, founder of luxury feather and down bedding brand, scooms. 'This is particularly great if you're saving on energy costs by keeping the heating low in your bedroom.'

(You could improve warmth and cosiness even more by pairing your extra large duvet with one of the best electric blankets to stave away the night-time chills).

Ideal Home’s own Sleep Editor, Amy Lockwood, also thinks that sizing up is a good idea. ‘If you share a bed I’d usually recommend investing in a duvet one size bigger than your mattress – especially when you’re switching to a winter duvet'.

'A larger duvet means that there’s plenty of coverage for both people to tuck in around them which eliminates draughts, and it also helps to eliminate arguments if one of you tends to be a duvet hog!’.

Hannah Shore, sleep knowledge and research manager at bedding brand Silentnight agrees, saying 'Just one night of bad sleep can lead to you feeling unrefreshed, a decrease in mood, concentration levels and reaction time. Therefore, ensuring you have the right shared sleeping environment will improve your sleep and how you feel the next day.'

‘Depending on your style and the type of bed that you have, a larger duvet can also hang better’, Amy continues, ‘sizing up gives you more overhang at the edges of the bed, which can make a bedroom look more luxurious and cover the sides of a deeper mattress better’.

‘Using a king-size duvet on a double bed gives a relaxed, oversized vibe, whereas matching duvet size to bed size achieves a more tailored appearance’, expands Rhiannon Masters, Head of Brand at bedding specialists Piglet in Bed.

They all sound like convincing reasons to us. But what are there any reasons that sizing up your duvet isn’t a good idea? We break down the pros and cons of sizing up your duvet below.

Benefits of sizing up your duvet

• Better coverage: a bigger duvet means there’s more coverage to share if you sleep with a partner.
• More warmth: a larger duvet means that you have more fabric to tuck in around your body to keep out the draughts.
• Style preference: a larger duvet will overhang the sides of your bed more, which might be a look you prefer.
• Balances out a deep mattress or topper: if you opt for a mattress over the average 25cm deep, or you add a mattress topper to the bed for extra comfort, then your mattress will be higher than usual. A larger duvet will look more in proportion.
• Disguises your bed: if your bed frame isn’t to your taste then a larger duvet can help to hide it better.

Disadvantages of sizing up your duvet

• Cost: a larger duvet will be more expensive, both in terms of the duvet itself and the duvet covers you buy for it.
• Harder to wash: the bigger the duvet you buy, the harder it will be to fit it into a normal washing machine, so you may need to factor in specialist cleaning.
• Too long: if your bed is a low platform bed then sizing up could mean your duvet hangs on the ground. This can look messy and cause a trip hazard.
• Too much to tuck: your duvet choice will be affected by the style of your bed. If you have a footboard, or you prefer to tuck your duvet under the mattress for clean lines, then upsizing will mean more duvet to tuck away when you make the bed.

Hopefully, this has helped you to work out if sizing up your duvet is an option that will help you sleep better. Although it's worth adding one more caveat – if you do decide to upsize your duvet you may find yourself in need of some new bed linen, in which case our guide to where to buy bedding can help!

And to make sure you don't make any other expensive errors when purchasing new bedding, don't forget to check out our sleep writer, Zoe's, guide to things she wishes she'd known before buying a duvet.

So are you planning to size up your duvet this winter – or have you already done so?