It's one of the lightest and most supple fillings, meaning even a 14-tog microfibre duvet will feel light. Some people prefer this as the duvet won't feel heavy on you as you sleep, while others prefer a heavier, more closely hugging duvet. If you're not sure which you'd prefer, make sure you try them out in store before buying. Wool is a less common choice of duvet filling. It's similarly priced to feather and down, and excellent at retaining warm air, keeping you warm when cold and removing heat and moisture when you’re warm. Unlike feather and down, it’s naturally hypoallergenic and resistant to dust mites.

Higher-quality bedding should last longer, but experts recommend changing out your duvet every five years. We asked duvet owners whether they felt buying one helped. One third felt their anti-allergic or hypoallergenic duvet had made a fair difference to allergy symptoms and around one in five felt it helped just a little. Microfibre: tightly woven and designed to keep all those pesky dust mites and airborne allergens out, microfibre is a go-to choice for seasonal allergy sufferers. Despite the compact nature of the fibres, microfiber is also light and breathable. However, it’s worth noting that hot sleepers might find they trap more body heat than other materials. These all correspond to different mattress sizes. If you tend to feel cold in bed, go for the next size up from your mattress size (for example, if you have a double bed, use a king-size duvet), so that the duvet flows over the edges to keep warm air in and any draughts out. As you’d expect, it’s a belief that tends to be propagated by the makers of synthetic duvets, and hotly disputed by the makers of down ones! It should also not be confused with the fact that some people are specifically allergic to feathers themselves (the numbers affected by this problem are relatively small).Having the right duvet can help make the difference between a difficult night's sleep and a peaceful one. Just over half of our survey respondents had bought a new duvet during the past five years.

Washing at lower temperatures can dissolve the dust mite droppings that trigger most people's reactions, which will fix the issue temporarily. However, to kill the dust mites themselves, you need to wash at 60C or above. but the mites will survive, so it's not a long-term solution. Aim to wash your duvet every six months (bedding that sits against your skin covers – so sheets, duvet covers and pillowcases – should be washed weekly or fortnightly). Just to spell it out: any duvet that proclaims itself ‘anti-allergy’ but is not washable at 60C is no such thing. 2. Look for 'anti-allergy' rather than 'hypoallergenic' Tog, size and type of filling were the three most important considerations reported by the duvet owners we asked. Other important factors included whether the duvet was machine washable, labelled hypoallergenic, and how much it cost.Hypoallergenic doesn't mean the same thing as anti-allergy, so it's important to know the difference before buying. Get help deciding what to buy with our guides to the best mattresses and the best pillows. Duvet types explained Anti-allergy means the filling and casing will have been treated to resist and combat the development of dust mites. You might find that this type of duvet is good for you if you have asthma, eczema or rhinitis, all of which could be exacerbated by allergens. Microfibre duvets are a relatively recent addition to the market, but they aren't to be confused with hollowfibre. Microfibres are finer but don't have the hollow space that hollowfibre has. Instead, microfibre is intended to be a synthetic equivalent to down; its extra-fine fibres give the same feel. Feather/down duvets are also very popular, owned by around a third of members. Less popular types include wool, silk and other synthetic duvets.

Cons: Can be expensive, needs to be washed gently at a low temperature, can seem flat in comparison with other fillings Often viewed as the height of luxury, silk duvets are naturally hypoallergenic and resistant to dust mites, and therefore ideal for people with eczema or asthma. Like wool, silk will help you stay cool in summer and warm in winter. Like all natural fillings though, they will need to be professionally laundered. Microfibre duvets: pros and cons Hypoallergenic means that the actual material and filling of the duvet isn't made of a known potential allergen, like feathers or wool. But other allergens, mainly dust mites, can still develop on these types of duvets. You'll know your duvet is due for an upgrade when the filling becomes limp or uneven, or it starts coming through the casing. Hollowfibre or microfibre polyester duvets are the most popular type among Which? members – nearly half own one of these.Cons: More expensive than hollowfibre, has to be professionally laundered, some people can be allergic to the filling As well as having a tog rating (see below for more information on these), feather and down duvets are rated by their fill power. The higher the fill power, the larger each individual piece of down will be, resulting in a loftier, fluffier duvet, which provides better insulation.