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Duvet.
I like to wash my beddings a lot and there aren't any machines big enough to wash a comforter...so i design and sew duvets out of pretty fabrics, put in the comforter and when come time to wash...i strip the duvet and throw it in the wash...

and with duvet...it's easier and takes up less space in the linen closet, and i can change the "face" of my bed anytime just by putting on a new duvet on the comforter.

another plus is that, it's cold here...a duvet over the comforter ads a lot more warmth (than the comforter alone...more layers trap heat more effeciently), even when it gets 30 degrees at night, i can sleep without having to turn on the heater.

Sorry to post it for the third time but this is the perfect place for my question!

I prefer duvet covers to comforters or quilts because they are easy to wash frequently and hold up much better in a top load washer. This feature is key since i have a very fluffy cat.

I'm looking for a light summer appropriate duvet insert to use for summer with a duvet cover. I like the weight when I sleep. I guess it's a feeling of coziness. I can't sleep with just a sheet or blanket no matter how hot it is! So.. does anyone have a light weight duvet insert to recommend?

Thanks

The song "Duvet" (Theme song to Serial Experiments Lain) by BoA is awesome. Reminds me of an early Imogen Heap... Oh and I like real duvets too, they should have a less frilly name and maybe regular-joes would get into'em as well.

Laura - we always used to use a heavy flannel sheet as a light blanket in the summer. Pop it in the duvet and the air between the flannel and the cover will keep you warm, but it's still light (and washable).

hey Laura, I'm pretty sure that stores that specialize in bedding (BB&Beyond, etc) have temperature ratings alongside the down comforter displays telling you if they're meant for warm or cold weather use, if they're light or heavy weight, etc...

Laura - I insert a matelassé into my duvet in the summer. It's stiff enough to keep the shape and stay in the corners, but light enough not to be too warm.

i used to have a lightweight, very much synthetic duvet insert from ikea. still a little on the warm side, but much lighter than down duvet inserts!

we upgraded from a double to a queen a few months ago, but I haven't gotten around to researching any comforters heavy enough for our frigid weather...so we are using 4 double sized quilts scattered on a queen bed

*hangs head in shame*

Laura,

Check this website out:

http://www.thecompanystore.com/comfy_warmth.asp

They sell comforter (duvet inserts) by warmth level.

Lori, I agree... I feel your pain Laura; and feel similarly about liking a little weight. Only problem is fitting the matelasse into the case because I find that many are smaller than standard size or odd sized. Do troll about TJMaxx and such and find a good size; color and texture won't matter as much if you put it inside the duvet and you will be likely to find a great bargain...

I'm British and I grew up with duvets, I was shocked when I came to the US and found people using comforters and a top sheet - I just couldn't understand why anyone would do that!

Laura - we have a Target (Woolrich?) down blanket in our duvet cover right now that I think would be fine for the summer most places. It's a great product too - I take one when I travel for work so it gets washed lots and they hold up amazingly.

Thanks everyone for your suggestions! I've been afraid of buying something and then finding out that it's still too warm.

It's a weird struggle that I have with this weight vs. warmth thing. I love the weight of my down comforter and would sleep with that all year round if I could but it's too hot for the summer.

i grew up with a comforter and a top sheet and it was never a problem because all the cats were outdoor pets. now i have an indoor cat and i can't keep her off the bed when i'm not at home. so i use a duvet cover, insert, and still a top sheet.

Either, or. I have both and alternate between what matches what sheets.

I find comforters harder to clean, but duvets harder to insert the comforter into. Oh, what a tangled web.

I am moving into a new place soon and am thinking of going from a duvet to a quilted comforter for a more boutique hotel look. I want something in a deep chocolate with some white sheets. I am just afraid of missing the weight and fluffyness of a duvet.

Maybe I will keep a duvet in a trunk for when I begin to have withdrawals!

I have a synthetic comforter in a duvet cover because I'm allergic to feathers. My mom is Irish so we've always had this bedding setup. My husband was always a bed-in-a-bag guy until we vacationed together in Germany and he got hooked on the warm puffy bliss of the duvet...

im starting to feel odd that i use a duvet and a top sheet...

nonetheless, i like the insert and duvet idea because you have can tons of duvet covers for whatever mood/look and they are alot easier and cheaper to clean.

i find that dealing with inserting the down comforter into the duvet... you just have to crawl in with it almost

sounds weird but it works! helps to have a big open (clean) floor space as well...

Duvet down-alternative comforter inside. I'm allergic to the feathers! I love being able to store multiple duvets in a small space.

I like a duvet, but it's really really hard to find good duvet covers. If you ever wanted to do a round up of those...

i have: a comforter, three different duvet covers, a plain polyester blanket, a wool blanket twin size from childhood (tres reliable), a superthin blanket, plus a sari-type bedspread (snag prone). Don't use all of them at the same time.

The heat has been pretty high this winter so I'm sleeping under two duvets (no comforter) and an extremely thin blanket. I pull on a warmer blanket when it gets chilly.

Those West Elm duvet covers make for the perfect summer blanket. They don't add any warmth at all. Very comfortable.

Oh, and I'm adding two different quilts.

Vintage hand-made quilts. You can get them on eBay for a less than a so-so duvet at Target.

I currently have a cotton comforter, but long for a nice down comforter duvet cover. My problem is similar to Laura's: I love the warmth and weight of a big heavy comforter, but my husband's body temp soars to about 170*F when he's sleeping. There's not way he could sleep under something that warm.

Duvet with a down comforter inside. I have a wool quilt for especially cold nights -- but since upgrading my down to 650 fill and fancy baffles, I've been uber toasty.

Laura,

in the summer, I replace my down insert with my wool quilt. Ikea also makes a summer weight down for about $20. It's more like a feather mist than a feather comforter. Perfect for sleepers who want more than a sheet, less than a nest on a hot summer night.

I have both - a cotton quilt and a duvet in a duvet cover at the foot of the bed ready to pull up over me on cold nights.

Duvets are awesome. You can get them for dirt cheap during sales at Pottery Barn/PBTeen (if you don't like the aesthetic, sorry), and can switch them according to your mood/the season. And washing them is a snap.

I'm starting to feel downright old school -- we have a bedspread (for looks) and nice thin blankets (for sleeping under). Comforters are way too warm.

I have a king size bed and it's thick, so unfortunately my duvet isn't big enough to cover the top mattress.

I finally bought a bedspread and am so happy with the result. My bed finally looks finished and neat.

Under it is a down duvet with a cover, a comforter, and a top sheet. And I live in Florida. Weird huh? We like to be cozy.

Hm. In Canada, we call the down thingie inside a duvet. The thing you put over it is a duvet cover.

I say down duvet all the way! There's nothing like getting into bed & feeling the subtle weight of those feathers settling around you. Warm, but breathable & natural. Who wants to sleep under synthetics?!?

My kitty kids worked on the down pillow inserts until the covers were trashed, so no down in my house any more. I had duvet covers galore and put in a synthetic comforter and washed the cover to get rid of the black cat hair. Also have a cashmere/wook blanket which I needed in NYC, but almost never use it in So Cal. Now, I just put inexpensive cotton throws on top of the comforter insert so I can easily wash without having the fight to put the cover on the comforter/duvet insert. The kitty kids love the bed and I love them, so anything that works without feathers!

Duvet. It MUST be easily washable.

Someone was looking for a pretty duvet cover - you can find some beautiful ones at http://www.elegantlinenspc.com/duvet-covers-cover.htm, they have a great selection, plus they sell the down comforters in a couple of different weights too, if you are looking for one. If you call the store you can talk to a real person and they can steer you in the right direction if you are not sure what you want. There are so many options when it comes to bedding, you might as well be comfortable.