How to Choose the Right Duvet: Fill Weight, Size and Material

Most people choose a duvet by colour. Then they spend the winter with cold feet, or throwing it on the floor at three in the morning. The decision that matters is fill weight — and then size. Colour comes last.

1. Fill weight decides almost everything

Fill weight is measured in grams of filling per square metre (g/m²). It is the number that determines how much heat the duvet holds.

Fill weight Season Who it is for
150-200 g/m² Summer Nights above 20 °C, or anyone who gets hot in bed
250-300 g/m² Mid-season and winter with heating Autumn, spring, homes with radiators on
350-450 g/m² Full winter Homes without continuous heating, north-facing rooms

In Portugal, the most common mistake is buying 400 g/m² just in case. Then you sleep with the heating on, wake up perspiring, and conclude the duvet is the problem. It was the combination.

The question that settles it

Do you sleep with the heating on through the night?

  • Yes → 300 g/m² is enough, with room to spare.
  • No, I turn it off before going to bed → 350 g/m².
  • I have no heating in the bedroom and the house is cold → 350 g/m² and a blanket on top in the worst weeks.

Room temperature counts as much as the duvet. The ideal range for sleeping is between 16 and 19 °C — more on that here.

2. Size: the duvet is always bigger than the bed

This is the second cause of bad nights. A duvet cut to the exact size of the bed stops covering as soon as one person turns over. As a couple, it becomes a nightly dispute.

Bed Duvet
90 cm (single) 180x240
140 / 160 cm (double) 220x240
180 cm (king) 250x240 or 260x240

If you sleep as a couple on a 160 bed and each of you pulls to your own side, go up to 250x240. It is the cheapest solution to that problem — cheaper than two separate duvets, which is the other option and works well.

Not sure of your bed size? The full table of sizes used in Portugal is in this article.

3. Filling: fibre or feather

Siliconised synthetic fibre. Keeps its loft after washing, goes in the machine, does not trigger allergies and costs less. It is what we use across the range.

Feather and down. Lighter for the same warmth and more durable, but it needs specialist cleaning, is sensitive to humidity, and is out of the question for anyone with a dust mite allergy.

For most Portuguese homes — high humidity in winter, a washing machine at home — fibre is the practical choice.

Construction counts too

Look at whether the duvet is stitched in squares or in channels. Channels let the filling slide from one end to the other, and after a season you have cold spots. Squares hold the filling in place. All Dreamura duvets are stitched in squares.

4. The Dreamura duvets

Two weights, for the two situations:

  • Yume duvet — 350 g/m². Yume (夢) means dream. It is our best seller and the one I recommend for full winter without the heating on. Siliconised fibre, square stitching, microfibre cover. Sizes 160x240 (€39), 220x240 (€49) and 260x240 (€59).
  • Iro duvet line — 300 g/m². Iro (色) means colour. Reversible two-tone, in Taupe, Grey and Petrol Blue. For autumn, spring and winter with heating. Sizes 180x240, 220x240 and 250x240. From €59.

Both are washable at 30 °C and carry a 3-year warranty. Free delivery in mainland Portugal.

5. Duvet cover

The duvet is not washed every week — the cover is. Choose the cover in the same size as the duvet, not the bed, and prefer long-staple cotton. The 220x240 and 260x240 sizes are standard in Portugal, so covers are easy to find.

6. Care

  • Wash twice a year, at 30 °C.
  • Dry on low heat, with dryer balls, to restore the loft.
  • Shake it out in the morning before making the bed — it redistributes the filling and airs it.
  • Store out of season in a fabric bag, not plastic. Plastic traps moisture.

Frequently asked questions

Does a 4-season duvet solve the problem?

It does, with one caveat: it is two duvets joined by ties, which gives three weights but takes up more space and is more work to wash. If you have storage for two separate duvets, I prefer that option.

How long does a duvet last?

Between 5 and 7 years, with correct washing. The sign that it is past its time is the loft: if it has flattened and no longer recovers after being shaken out, it has stopped insulating.

Can I use the duvet without a cover?

You can, but then you have to wash it monthly, and that halves its life. That is what the cover is for.

Is it strange to have two separate duvets on a double bed?

It is the norm in Scandinavia and it solves two problems at once: different temperature preferences and the nightly tug of war. If you sleep with someone who always feels colder or hotter than you, it is the simplest solution there is.

Fibre or feather for people with allergies?

Fibre, without hesitation. And wash the cover at 60 °C every two weeks. If the symptoms persist, speak to your doctor.

In short

Decide in this order: fill weight (300 if you sleep with heating, 350 if not), size (one step up from what seems obvious), fibre filling stitched in squares. Colour you choose last, and there is no wrong answer there.

If you are torn between the Yume and the Iro, tell me what your bedroom is like in winter and I will tell you which to choose.
— Ana Cristina, Sleep Adviser · +351 21 150 95 04

See also

See all Dreamura duvets.

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