Finally, the use of the duvet and duvet cover is becoming more and more widespread in Italy, after several years when, to my surprise, it was not so widely used. In my family, in fact, the duvet has replaced winter blankets ever since I was a child, so I always took it for granted that everyone knew the advantages of this winter bedding. Over the years, I have endeavoured to make it known and use it more and more, given its comfort and practicality, and talking to many customers, I am often asked whether the duvet cover is more comfortable than the classic sheet accompanied by layers of more or less heavy blankets.

What is a duvet cover and which one to choose?

First of all, let us clarify what I am talking about, I am in fact referring to a duvet that can be made of goose down or a synthetic fibre such as Dacron, and that is covered with a cover of different types of fabric, silk, linen in our case, or cotton. When I speak of duvet cover, I mean the fabric bag that covers the duvet in its entirety, top and bottom, and there are various sizes, from double to single duvet covers, passing through square and a half and king size. And here's the first doubt that we dispel: with the duvet cover, there is no need to use another sheet in addition to the one covering the mattress, in fact it is enough to use a sheet with corners and a pillowcase for the pillow. winter.

​​The duvet cover has always been popular in all Northern European countries, such as France, Germany and Scandinavia, and has finally found its way into Italian bedrooms in recent times too, making it, thanks to its practicality, a valid alternative to the layers of blankets we use during the

Duvet cover: how to choose it and put the duvet in the bag?

The best way to use a duvet cover starts with the choice: duvet covers come in different sizes, depending on the size of the bed and duvet. For this reason, consider choosing the most suitable size from the moment of purchase. Take into account that the standard size for a double bed is 250×200 cm, while for a single duvet cover we would go for the size 155×220 cm. If you have a single bed, you can opt for the 200×220 cm size. Many people get scared because they think it's complicated to tuck the duvet into the duvet cover but once you've done the training it's not difficult at all: everyone has their own method but, if you need a tip, the one I prefer is this.

  • Turn the duvet cover inside out and place it on its short side so that you can easily reach the top corners.
  • Insert your hands into the duvet cover, grasping the top corners and, with the duvet cover fitted like a glove, grasp the corresponding corners of the duvet: at this point, slide the fabric, letting it cover the entire length of the duvet.
  • Finally, fasten the buttons or ties at the bottom of the cover to give it a tidy appearance.

Now that we know more, I confess that for me there is no comparison, so I decided to give you all the reasons why I prefer the duvet to the blanket and why I recommend it so enthusiastically.

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A duvet cover is lighter than a blanket for the same amount of warmth offered

The first reason for choosing to sleep under a duvet rather than a blanket is the difference in weight. A duvet is very light, weighing from 180 g/m² to 270 g/m² for a winter down duvet, whereas synthetic duvets weigh more, 200 g/m² for a summer duvet and 300 to 450 g/m² for the winter version. The pressure on our body is barely noticeable, while blankets are often heavy, can make us feel a bit plastered and do not allow us to move freely in our sleep.

Making the bed with a duvet cover is comfortable and quick

The second advantage of a duvet cover is that by using only one layer, making the bed is easy, just a gesture. You don't have to pull back all the layers of sheets and blankets, turn the sheet upside down and finally tuck it all in, instead it only takes one movement to place the duvet in its position and give it the tidy appearance of a cloud on our bed. What a discovery when I was a little girl and mum adopted duvets for our beds: how much easier it was for us little ones to keep the room tidy and make that blessed bed that was always a bit askew before! This is exactly why you can easily use it to get children used to making their own beds.

A duvet cover takes up little space in the wardrobe and you can even change the colour of the bed every week.

The third reason to choose a duvet is the possibility to change the style whenever we want. The duvet never changes, but duvet covers can all be different, giving us the possibility to give our bed a new look whenever we want. So every week you can decide to see your bed all white or pink or even blue: the footprint of a duvet cover in the wardrobe is the same as that of a sheet and so I can indulge in a thousand different versions, something I could not do with blankets and bedspreads. It would take four four-season wardrobes to hold all the blankets in the colours I can give my bed with duvet covers. Also in terms of cost, there is no comparison, a duvet cover costs much less than a bedspread or a nice blanket!

The duvet cover can be washed at home, saving on laundry.

The fourth reason for choosing a duvet cover is hygiene: it has a removable cover and can be machine washed, like a sheet, every week, which cannot be done with heavy woolen blankets or elaborate bedspreads made of furnishing fabrics! In fact, blankets almost always have to be taken to the laundry for professional washing, which is expensive and time-consuming. A washing machine can be used to wash the whole bed outfit, including pillowcases and sheets from underneath, and if the weather is bad, you can dry them in the tumble dryer and the beds are already made, clean and fragrant within a day! From the point of view of health and allergies, the duvet cover is the ideal solution since the materials a duvet is made of are generally more breathable and hypoallergenic. Traditional duvet covers tend to accumulate more allergens, which can cause respiratory problems.

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The bed made with a duvet cover is neater and more beautiful

The fifth reason for preferring duvet covers is a bit more subjective but in my opinion, from a purely aesthetic point of view, a bed made with a nice puffy duvet is a thousand times nicer than a flat bed made with blankets. Of course, then if you know me a little, you know that I equip my bed with no less than 6/8 pillows of different sizes and colours, with a princely result!

The duvet saves on heating

The sixth reason is very practical: with a duvet, warmth is guaranteed and will help you save on heating, sleep healthier and pollute less. If you fear that the temperature is too high, consider that there are different weights so that you can choose the one that best suits your degree of cold and the season. Then consider that thanks to the duvet we can lower the temperature of the house by several degrees at night, with the result that the air will be cooler and healthier, you will spend much less on heating and you will also be doing our planet and the environment a favour. I hope I have convinced you, also because after years, I know that every time I list my good reasons for using a duvet and win someone over, I then receive enthusiastic comments and not infrequently other good reasons that add to mine!

So let's summarise the good reasons for a moment

  • The duvet cover is lighter than a blanket for the same warmth;
  • The bed is easier to make, so I encourage even young children to make their own bed;
  • A duvet cover takes up very little space in the wardrobe;
  • It also allows me to change the colour of my bed every week;
  • You can wash the duvet cover in the washing machine, saving the hassle of taking it to the laundry;
  • The duvet is not afraid of moths;
  • A duvet cover costs much less than a new blanket;
  • It saves money on heating and healthy sleep;
  • A bed made with a duvet is much nicer than one made with layered blankets.