With the winter getting colder and nights getting longer, it feels nicer to be wrapped up a little cosier in bed. If you haven't already, it is time to swap those summer silk quilts for thicker winter ones.

Actually, the word quilt is a bit of a misnomer, and should be correctly referred to as a duvet. A duvet can be filled with natural fibres such as feathers and down, or from a synthetic material such as polyester. A quilt, strictly speaking, is made up of layers and normally very decorative. Some are not even used on beds at all, but hung on walls to be displayed.

There are different classes of duvet for all seasons and these are measured by something called a TOG rating. The TOG rating is a measurement of how much body heat is retained by the duvet. Put basically, the higher the TOG rating, then the warmer the duvet will be. So, whereas a cool 3 TOG rated duvet will serve you well during the summer, a higher rated warm 13.5 TOG would be much more suitable for the winter months. (more...)