The 15 best summer duvet picks for keeping it cool
Stay cool with GQ's edit of the best summer duvet options. Lightweight and breathable, these are the temperature regulating duvets summer dreams are made of.
All products are independently selected by our editors. If you buy something, we may earn an affiliate commission.
Best Hypoallergenic Summer DuvetThe White Company Hypoallergenic Soft & Light Breathable DuvetRead more
Best Year-Round Summer DuvetEmma Sleep Emma Cloud DuvetRead more
Best Sustainable Down DuvetEarthKind Feather and Down Duvet 4.5 togRead more
All products are independently selected by our editors. If you buy something, we may earn an affiliate commission.
We all love summer (that’s a given right?), but trying to sleep in hot weather is definitely one of the downsides. Enter, the summer duvet. Our top picks for the best summer duvet options not only include cooling duvets but ones with breathability and anti-allergy properties, making sure night sweats are a thing of the past yet you remain cosy, even on the warmest evenings.
Most summer duvets have a much lower tog rating than a winter duvet and many are designed with moisture-wicking features to keep you sweat-free, which we will always take as a win. All-season duvets are a good option, too, if you want the choice, but summer duvets can be good year-round if you tend to run warm. It really is personal preference.
When looking for a summer duvet, cotton is one of the materials you'll probably expect to see front and centre of most designs, but you’ll find a variety of different fillings, from goose feather to synthetic fillings, just like winter duvets. Thanks to new technologies, plenty of duvets with microfibre or hollowfibre fillings are now also suited to hot weather, designed to be moisture-wicking and to regulate the temperature to keep you cool, while you can find lower togs in feather filled duvets if you prefer that feeling.
Skip to: What are the best summer duvets? | How we test the best summer duvets: GQ's review process | Shop GQ's edit of the best summer duvets for 2024 | What tog rating is best for summer duvets? | What duvet cover is best for summer? | What is the best duvet for keeping cool? | What are the different fillings for summer duvets?
What are the best summer duvets?
We've detailed plenty about our favourite summer duvets picks a little further down but if you are in a rush and you want to find yourself a high-quality summer duvet for a good night's sleep in the upcoming summer months quickly, we have listed a couple of our top choices below. You'll find the best hypoallergenic summer duvet, the best hybrid summer duvet, the best budget-friendly summer duvet and the best luxury summer duvet from left to right, with an at a glance round up below.
- Best hypoallergenic summer duvet: The White Company Hypoallergenic Soft & Light, from £45 at thewhitecompany.com
- Best hybrid summer duvet: Simba Hybrid, from £139 simbasleep.com
- Best budget-friendly summer duvet: Silentnight Cooler Summer, from £24 at amazon.co.uk
- Best synthetic duvet for summer: John Lewis Synthetic Touch, from £25 at johnlewis.com
- Best luxury duvet for summer: The Wool Room Deluxe Washable Wool Duvet, from £145 at thewoolroom.com
How we test the best summer duvets: GQ's review process
All of GQ’s interiors guides are written by our in-house team of contributing testers and experts, and are edited by Daphne Bugler, British GQ’s Senior Commerce Writer, who has been working at GQ for the past four years and has written extensively about interiors since 2020. The team regularly talks to experts in a variety of interiors categories to better understand the products we write about and what we should be looking for.
To rank the best summer duvets, we've tried to put all of the ones included in this guide to the test, assessing how they performed on a range of factors, and where that wasn't possible we have considered a number of features before recommending them. Overall, when choosing which brands and duvets to include, we looked at the quality of the materials, the design, how fluffy they were, their tog rating, and how affordable they were.
What tog rating is best for summer duvets?
In the summer months, you want to look for a lower tog rating, ideally a 1.0 to 4.5 tog is good for a summer duvet. The lighter you go, the more likely you are to only bring it out during heatwaves. A 1.0 tog summer duvet won’t really give you any warmth on cooler, breezier nights for example, so we’d recommend opting for around a 4.5 tog, unless you’re naturally a warm sleeper. Tog rating, however, isn’t as important as it used to be as many brands (including Simba) no longer use it as a way to measure duvets. Instead, keep an eye out for temperature-regulating materials.
What duvet cover material is best for summer?
You might think that the inside component of your duvet set-up is the most important in determining how comfortable you are in a heatwave. While the choice between natural fillings and synthetic fillings certainly makes a difference, the duvet covers you use also play a big role. You want to make sure you have a breathable, lightweight duvet cover which is moisture-wicking for warmer weather, preventing you from overheating and allowing the summer duvet actually do its job of keeping you cooler.
So what materials should you be looking at? The best options tend to be linen, bamboo or Egyptian cotton duvet covers, all of which are breathable, lightweight, feel cool to the touch and work to wick moisture, overall contributing to a cooler, dryer and more pleasant hot weather sleeping environment. Percale cotton also tends to feel even more lightweight making it a good choice for year-round sleeping. Grab a summer duvet below and then head to our guides to the best linen duvet covers and the best Egyptian cotton duvet covers and you'll be set.
What is the best duvet for keeping cool?
When it comes to summer duvets, your options are either: something super lightweight that'll simply reduce the amount of material on you and help to keep you from overheating, or a duvet that might still be a bit heavier but actively works to keep you cool thanks to thermo-regulating properties. Often, this latter category incorporates specific cooling technologies or materials, as well as more innovative fibre constructions and designs to help circulate air overnight, or to eliminate moisture, keeping your sleeping environment as dry as possible.
Simba duvets are great for this, as well as Hungarian goose down duvet options, micro-fibre duvets, and comforters brands like Rest, which use Evercool fabrics. Whichever style works best for you comes down to personal preference, with some people still wanting that comfortable weighty feel in the summer, and others finding it hard to sleep even under something with a very low tog. Either way, if it works to regulate your temperature in some form or another, you'll find investing in a summer duvet will make a major difference to your comfort when sleeping through the hotter season.
What are the different fillings for summer duvets?
Duvets are available in a number of different fillings and that doesn't change between the different months. You'll find fillings including down and feather, microfibre, wool and silk, all of which can be used throughout the year and all of which have their advantages and disadvantages. Down and feather are lightweight and breathable offering good temperature regulation, but they aren't always suitable for allergy sufferers. Microfibre filled duvets are a hypoallergenic option that is often affordable and good at wicking away moisture, but they aren't always as cosy as down. Wool is naturally breathable and temperature regulating and is generally considered a good option all year, while silk is luxuriously soft and breathable, but can be expensive.
Shop GQ's edit of the best summer duvets for 2024…
These are our top picks of the best summer duvets around, all recommended by GQ's editors, writers or testers to make sure they really are lovely to snuggle into during the upcoming warmer months.
Best Hypoallergenic Summer Duvet
1/15The White Company
Hypoallergenic Soft & Light Breathable Duvet
- Tog: 4.5
- Material: Microfibre
- Sizes: Single, Double, King, Super King
- Machine washable: Yes
A lightweight duvet can still be luxurious, and this one is impeccably so. Designed to mimic the feeling of down and feathered duvets to a tee, The White Company has created a 4.5 tog modal micro-fibre filling that keeps things light and breezy, without just feeling like you're sleeping under a glorified bed sheet. It's also hypoallergenic, making it a good option for allergy sufferers.
The casing is one of the most exciting parts as well; a 200 thread count cotton jacquard design that's supremely breathable and keeps the air flowing through. It comes in a good range of size options too with a single and double duvets through to king size and super king. From £45. At thewhitecompany.com
Pros & ConsPros- Good for allergy sufferers
- Great quality
- Cool and comfortable
Cons- None except pricier than some alternatives
Best Year-Round Summer Duvet
2/15Emma Sleep
Emma Cloud Duvet
- Tog: N/A
- Material: Microfibre
- Sizes: Single, Double, King, Super King
- Machine washable: Yes at 60 degrees
Emma is renowned in the mattress world, but its duvets are also well worth a look. It's the Emma Cloud Duvet we recommend specifically for summer - it really is excellent (we should know, we have it), though the 4-Seasons option is great if you want something for all year round.
Made from microfibre for a cloud-like feeling - hence the name - the Emma Cloud Duvet is light as a feather whilst delivering just the right amount of insulation without overheating you thanks to its temperature-regulating properties. We currently sleep with it and it is wonderfully cosy, but light enough that we don't overheat. It's machine washable too so you can keep it fresh all summer long. From £69. At emma-sleep.co.uk
Pros & ConsPros- Soft and comfortable
- Washable
- Breathable
Cons- Might be too warm for super hot nights
Best Sustainable Down Duvet
3/15EarthKind
Feather and Down Duvet 4.5 tog
- Tog: 4.5
- Material: Reclaimed natural fillings
- Sizes: Single, Double, King, Super King
- Machine washable: Yes at 40 degrees
If down is your material of choice, we totally understand. We’d also advise you to think about some more sustainable options for how you can shop for duvets and pillows. One such option is EarthKind. Made from reclaimed natural fillings — all of which are taken from pre-loved pillows and duvets, then sorted, cleaned, sterilised and heat-treated — these duvets are all giving the exact same feel as new down, but cut out stages of the production process to help you shop more consciously.
This EarthKind duvet in particular is great for summer, with a medium weight and 4.5 tog feeling very airy, but without being too lightweight. Should you fancy something a bit more substantial though, there’s also a 10.5 and 13.5 tog option available too, giving you more warmth for the rest of the seasons. At £46 for a single, we’d say this is one of the best value duvets we’ve seen as well. From £46. At sleepseeker.co.uk
Pros & ConsPros- Sustainable
- Re-uses feathers
Cons- Not an all-season duvet
Best Luxury Duvet for Summer
4/15The Wool Room
Deluxe Washable Wool Duvet
- Tog: 2-5
- Material: 100% pure British wool fill
- Sizes: Single, Double, King, Super King, Emperor
- Machine washable: Yes
You'd be forgiven for thinking of wool as very much a material for winter rather than summer. Think of wool and you'll think of sheep and the look warm and fluffy rather than breathable and temperature regulating! Well, the latter is what wool is. Drawing moisture away to keep you cool while also working as a breathable insulator with your body to keep it warm. Those sheep are pretty lucky really.
The Wool Room Deluxe Washable Wool Duvet comes in a range of different tog options, though we would recommend the light option for summer. It is hypoallergenic, washable (in case its name didn't give it away) and it contains the finest quality wool fibres that are all traceable back to the company's Chatsworth Estate using its Wool ID traceability programme. Did we mention there is also a 30-night sleep trial to make sure you like it? Expensive, but worth it. From £145. At thewoolroom.com
Pros & ConsPros- Temperature regulating
- Natural materials
- Sleep trial
Cons- More expensive than other options on this list
Best wool summer duvets
5/15Devon Duvets
Wool Duvet Summer
- Tog: 4-7
- Material: 100% pure British wool
- Sizes: Single, Double, King, Super King
- Machine washable: Unspecified
If a luxury summer duvet is what you're after, how about a handcrafted one from Devon? The aptly-named Devon Duvets Wool Duvet Summer is filled with 100 per cent pure British wool, while the cover is 100 per cent cotton, delivering a cosy, comfortable and natural sleeping solution for the warmer evenings.
Lightweight and breathable with a 4 to 7 tog rating, this duvet has a 300gsm full weight to make sure it executes the perfect balance of weight and comfort. It's great for those with allergies too, as well as those with sensitive skin, and you won't find any bleach, chemicals, glue or artificial fibres so it's as natural as they come. From £125. At amazon.co.uk
Pros & ConsPros- Breathable
- Hypoallergenic
- Handmade
Cons- Quite expensive compared to some other options
Best light summer duvets
6/15Silentnight
So Cool Summer Duvet
- Tog: 4.5
- Material: 100% polyester
- Sizes: Single, Double, King, Super King
- Machine washable: Yes
Keeping things breezy on your bank budget, Silentnight’s So Cool Summer Duvet is the easiest investment for keeping you cool. It’s got a 4.5 tog, which is pretty standard for a summer duvet and probably still warm enough for spring and autumn too, depending on what kind of sleeper you are.
As opposed to just being a relatively low tog, the duvet is all about creating a cool environment through airflow and breathable fibres. And for anyone who’s sensitive to allergies, you can also have peace of mind that the duvet is hypoallergenic and shouldn’t trigger anything for you. From £22. At silentnight.co.uk
Pros & ConsPros- Thin and lightweight
- Breathable
- Good price
Cons- Quality may not be as good as more expensive options
Best detachable summer duvet
7/15Simba
Hybrid 3-in-1 Duvet
- Tog: 3.5, 7 and 10.5 (when used together)
- Material: Stratos and Simba Renew
- Sizes: Single, Double, King, Super King
- Machine washable: N/A
If you’re thinking that buying a duvet just for those odd heatwave nights is taking things a bit far, your best bet is to swap your everyday duvet for one suited to all seasons. And by that, we mean one that has detachable layers so you’re getting, as is the name, three duvets in one.
Simba’s latest innovation on the duvet front, the three-in-one, comprises two duvets, both of which can be used on their own, or attached together, giving you a 7-tog, 3.5-tog and 10.5-tog in one fell swoop. Combined, they’re warm and cosy for the coldest winter nights, but on its own, the 3.5 is not only a lightweight tog for summer, but also has cooling technology and a breathable design that helps to encourage airflow and body temperature regulation. Smart! From £249. At simbasleep.com
Pros & ConsPros- Adaptable for all seasons
- Breathable design
- Cooling technology
Cons- Expensive compared to some others
Best machine-washable summer duvet
8/15Marks & Spencer
Hotel Soft Cotton 4.5 Tog Duvet
- Tog: 4.5, 10.5, All Seasons
- Material: Recycled polyester
- Sizes: Single, Double, King, Super King
- Machine washable: Yes at 40 degrees
Marks and Spencer offers some great furniture for the home and garden, as well as excellent bedding. Ideal for hot nights the Hotel Soft Cotton Duvet is soft to touch, as well as lightweight and breathable thanks to the pure cotton cover.
Inside, there's a polyester filling with 30 per cent of it being from recycled polyester, so it's a more eco-friendly choice than some others. It is also vegan-friendly and machine washable. You can choose between a 4.5 tog option - which we recommend for summer - a 10.5 tog that is better for winter months, or the All-Season option that can be used all year. From £35. At marksandspencer.com
Pros & ConsPros- Great quality
- Lovely and soft
- Quiet
Cons- None at this price
Best eco-friendly summer duvet
9/15Fogarty Cool 4.5 Tog Duvet
- Tog: 4.5
- Material: Hollowfibre
- Sizes: Single, Double, King, Super King
- Machine washable: Yes
Made in the UK, this Cool duvet from the experts at Fogarty is an eco-friendly choice, with the lightweight and cooling hollow fibre filling made from certified recycled polyester from waste, including plastic bottles.
A microfibre cover ensures a lovely soft feeling along with non-allergenic properties, making it a great alternative to a natural duvet for the summer months. A range of sizes are available - starting at a good price too - and it's machine washable for convenience. From £11. At dunelm.com
Pros & ConsPros- Washable
- Lightweight
- Comfortable
Cons- May be too warm for some
Best hybrid summer duvet
10/15Simba
Hybrid Duvet
- Tog: 10.5
- Material: Simba Renew
- Sizes: Single, Double, King, Super King
- Machine washable: Yes at 40 degrees
Simba's Hybrid Duvet goes against the usual way we'd assess whether a duvet is suitable for summer or not, having a tog rating of 10.5. The catch though is that while it's thicker, the construction of the duvet works to keep things breathable and uses cooling technology to control body heat.
Having tested it ourselves, we can confirm it's cool enough for summer nights (although a bit too warm for the hottest heatwaves), but it's also suited to year-round use and will keep you warm enough on a winter evening. Focusing on temperature regulation, it's designed with astronaut-inspired technology which works to keep your body temperature at the right level. Innovation at its finest. From £139. At simbasleep.com
Pros & ConsPros- Excellent quality
- Cosy
- Comfortable
Cons- May be too warm for very hot nights
Best microfibre summer duvets
11/15Slumberdown
Cool Summer Nights
- Tog: 4.5, 7.5
- Material: 100% light microfibre
- Sizes: Single, Double, King
- Machine washable: Wash at 40 degrees, tumble dry at a low temperature
If you're looking for a summer duvet that does exactly what it says on the tin, the Slumberdown Cool Summer Duvet is for exactly what it suggest, keeping you cool during those warm summer nights. Filled with microfibre, it's hypoallergenic so it's perfect for those with allergies, and its machine washable as well as tumble drier friendly.
There are a couple of tog options and, while we would recommend the 4.5 tog for summer, if you run a little colder when you sleep, you might be better suited with the 7.5 tog option. The soft microfibre cover delivers a cosy and comfy feeling, while the hollow fibre filling makes for a lightweight, moisture wicking quilt that is fabulous value.
£23£21. At amazon.co.ukPros & ConsPros- Comfortable
- Lightweight
- Great value
Cons- Quite thin compared to some others
Best budget-friendly summer duvet
12/15Dusk
Feels Like Down Duvet
- Tog: 4.5, 9, 13.5, All Seasons (we recommend 4.5 for summer)
- Material: 100% light microfibre and 100% percale cotton casing
- Sizes: Single, Double, King, Super King
- Machine washable: Wash at 40 degrees, tumble dry at a low temperature
Summer duvets historically can be flat and flimsy. However, Dusk goes above and beyond to maintain the fluffy feeling of a down duvet with a feather filling, while still keeping things ultra lightweight and heatwave-friendly.
You can buy this synthetic duvet in three different tog ratings, or an all-season version, but the 4.5 tog duvet option is the most summer suited, made from 100 per cent light microfibre filling. The real winning point though? Currently on sale, you can grab a single for £30, which, for a good quality, well-made duvet, that you can machine wash is an absolute win. From
£49£30. At dusk.comPros & ConsPros- Very comfortable
- Good quality
- Great price
Cons- Can be a little noisy when you move around
Best affordable summer duvets
13/15Silentnight
Cooler Summer Duvet
- Tog: 4.5
- Material: Recycled fibres
- Sizes: Single, Double, King, Super King
- Machine washable: Yes
If you're only going to be using your summer duvet for a few weeks or months out of the year, you might be hoping not to have to spend too much on it. In which case, let us direct you to Silentnight's Cooler Summer Duvet. Currently available for less than £25, although it never goes higher than £36, Silentnight's duvet is a lightweight option that's designed specifically for the summer.
Lightweight and breathable at a 4.5 tog rating, with a moisture-wicking microfibre filling that works to regulate your temperature overnight and prevent you from overheating, it's ideal for hot sleepers or just hot nights. Hypoallergenic and machine washable, it's also an easy one to keep clean and hygienic, a useful feature if you're going to be storing it away during colder periods. From
£36£24. At amazon.co.ukPros & ConsPros- Lightweight and comfortable
- Good price
Cons- Not as good quality as others on this list
Best silk summer duvet
14/15Soak & Sleep
4.5 Tog Microfibre with Silk Duvet
- Tog: 4.5 - 18
- Material: Silk and microfibre filling
- Sizes: Single, Double, King, Super King
- Machine washable: Yes at 30 degrees
Silk's moisture-wicking properties make it a great material for summer, feeling naturally cool to the touch and lightweight. And coming through with a solid option, Soak & Sleep has combined silk with a microfibre filling for a great, all-around duvet.
While it's available in tog ratings ranging from 4.5 to 18, meaning you can pick and choose if you prefer a lightweight or more substantial duvet, the 4.5 makes for the best choice for summer. It isn't the lowest tog rating on this list, but it'll keep you cool while you reap its silky benefits at the same time. From £49. At soakandsleep.com
Pros & ConsPros- Cosy and comfortable
- Good quality
Cons- May have to air it out for a few days
Best actively cooling duvet
15/15Rest
Evercool Cooling Comforter
- Tog: N/A
- Material: Evercool fabric (90% nylon and 10% spandex), Sorona filling
- Sizes: Twin, Full/Queen, King/Cali King
- Machine washable: Yes
Lightweight duvets are a great choice for summer, but when a duvet is also designed to be actively cooling, it’s going to be even better at regulating and monitoring your temperature and reducing night sweats than one that simply goes minimal on weight. One of the most renowned for this is Rest’s Evercool comforter, a duvet/blanket/comforter situation that made waves in the States before coming to the UK.
Soft and smooth, the key to this duvet is how instantly cooling it is to the touch, meaning you’ll have a refreshing fabric against you throughout the night. It's also moisture-wicking, preventing you from waking up in a pool of sweat at 4am. The Evercool technology is specifically designed to disperse heat at a rate faster than cotton, while the fibres have also been placed in a capillary form to help balance your temperature while you sleep. Let’s be honest: that’s far more than just a cotton duvet will be doing for you.
£158£102. At restduvet.comPros & ConsPros- Cool and comfortable
- Good quality
- Moisture-wicking
Cons- May be too cool for some