The best duvet covers

Your cozy down-filled duvet needs a stylish cover to keep it clean and add some spice to your bedroom’s décor.
Our favorite is the Classic Duvet Cover from Brooklinen with its reasonable price tag and high-quality fabric.

Duvets and their covers are a popular bedding choice. Cozy and comfortable, stylish and versatile, and available in a huge range of fashionable colors, designs, and fabrics, there’s a duvet cover for every taste, whether you’re young, old, or somewhere in between. Sometimes, however, too much choice makes it nearly impossible to make a decision; your brain gets bogged down in an overload of options. That’s where we step in.

We’ve whittled down your buying choices to just those options that really deserve a second look. We conducted the research – testing, studying the top consumer buying websites, as well as listening to what experts in the field and actual buyers of the products have to say – to present our findings to you. So, if you’d like to give your bedroom a style makeover – after all, changing your bedding is the fastest and easiest way to give the space a whole new look – then read on. We’ve rounded up the five duvet covers likeliest to suit your style, budget, and needs.

Here are the best duvet covers:

Best overall: Brooklinen Classic Duvet Cover
Best on a budget: HC Collection Duvet Cover Set
Best zip-up duvet cover: Crane & Canopy’s Nova Duvet Cover
Best organic duvet cover: Casper Sateen Duvet Cover
Best for kids: Where the Polka Dots Roam Animal-Print Reversible Duvet Cover Set

Prices and links are current as of 9/1/20. We removed our pick for the best high-end duvet cover due to stock issues. We added our pick for the best organic duvet cover.

The best overall

Not too hot, not too stiff, and not too boring – the Classic Duvet Cover from Brooklinen is just right.

Here at Insider Reviews, we’re pretty jazzed about Brooklinen. We chose their bed sheets as one of our best picks in that category, and we’re in full agreement with all of the internet buzz garnered by the company. So it’s no surprise that we picked its Classic Duvet Cover as our best-of-the-best duvet cover as well.

The Classic Duvet Cover is crafted from 100% premium long-staple cotton and has a 270-thread count. One of the things we love about Brooklinen is that it doesn’t artificially inflate thread counts like so many other manufacturers do. The lightweight percale weave is slightly crisp against your skin, but still pleasantly soft enough to fuel your sweet dreams. There are internal ties to simplify bed making, and large buttons to close the duvet cover once the duvet is inside.

Choose from several neutral solid colors, including navy blue. Brooklinen also offers the duvet cover in stripes or dots. If you aren't pleased with your duvet cover, Brooklinen has a 60-nights risk-free return policy, plus a lifetime warranty on its products.

Pros: High quality, soft feel, lovely colors

Cons: A bit pricey, does not include shams

The best on a budget

Foto: Source: Amazon

The HC Collection Duvet Cover Set adds plenty of comfort to your sleeping space without costing you a fortune.

Made from soft double-brushed microfiber, the HC Collection Duvet Cover Set is silky and cool against your skin. It's also a great choice for allergy sufferers because microfiber resists dust mites and other allergens. It's also easily machine-washable to further remove tiny particles that might cause asthma or allergy flare-ups.

Although the HC Collection duvet cover is woven from very fine threads, it resists pilling, wrinkling, shrinking, and staining. The duvet cover is strong and durable, and fairly breathable as well, although microfiber will never beat 100% cotton in that regard. Still, if you are counting your pennies, this is a great deal that looks far more expensive than its actual price.

However, the manufacturer's claims of "Egyptian quality" are a bit deceptive, as those words describe cotton, not microfiber.

The duvet set closes with buttons, but it has no inner ties to simplify bed making. The set - which includes two matching shams - comes in 12 different solid colors, including burgundy, navy, lavender, taupe, and chocolate brown.

Pros: Inexpensive price, soft feel, easy-care, lots of colors to choose from

Cons: No inner ties, no twin size, microfiber is not as breathable as cotton

The best zip-up duvet cover

Crane & Canopy's Nova Duvet Cover has a clever zip-up design that makes it easy to use, plus, it has attractive piping along the edges for added style.

Putting your comforter into your duvet and making sure it stays put is a difficult task more often than not, but if you have Crane & Canopy's Nova Duvet Cover, it's a lot easier, thanks to built-in ties that hold the duvet and comforter in place and a clever zipper that seals the comforter inside.

Decorative piping along the edges of the duvet cover effectively hides the zipper from view, too, so you're left with a sleek, attractive bed that looks like it belongs in a fancy hotel. A couple members of the Insider Reviews team - myself included - have tried the Nova Duvet Cover in our own homes, and we love it.

The 400 thread count, extra-long staple cotton fabric is exceptionally soft right out of the package, thanks to the sateen weave Crane & Canopy uses. You can get the Nova Duvet Cover in a wide range of colors and patterns to suit your style.

I had a remarkably hard time choosing between the many lovely patterns and colors but settled on the Avery Blue with its classic diamond pattern that mixes a heavenly shade of blue with crisp white and subtle green accents. It is the softest duvet cover I own, and it's also the easiest to put on top of my Ikea comforter. - Malarie Gokey

Pros: Easy to use, great zipper, fun colors and patterns, soft cotton, innovative design

Cons: Pricey

The best organic duvet cover

Foto: Source: Casper

The Sateen duvet cover from Casper is made from organic cotton, and its design details eliminate the typical annoyances of duvet covers.

Sateen is a style of weave that exposes more thread surface than percale, creating a satin-like, ultra-soft surface without the high price tag that typically comes with true satin. When used in bedding, like Casper's Sateen line, you get a high-quality product that feels soft and incredibly well-made.

Both Insider Reviews senior reporter, Connie Chen, and executive editor, Ellen Hoffman, tested Casper sheets and duvet covers. Connie said the duvet cover had a balanced weight and was well-designed, while Ellen praised the "superior design details that solve for the annoying inconveniences of typical duvet covers."

In addition to the snaps in each corner that help hold your duvet in place, there are hidden openings that let you easily readjust your duvet if it shifts around in the night. It has a good weight, but it's not so heavy that it overwhelms. A zipper runs along the bottom seam of the duvet cover and discreet flaps keep it hidden so the look stays streamlined.

Casper's Sateen Duvet Cover skews toward pricey, but it's 100% organic and competitively priced when pitted against other high-quality bedding. You're also getting a product sourced from high-quality cotton from the US, which is what you're paying for.

Pros: Made from high-quality US-grown cotton, cool and crisp, balanced weight, well-designed

Cons: On the pricey side

The best for kids

Foto: Source: Where The Polka Dots Roam/Business Insider

The Reversible Duvet Cover from Where the Polka Dots Roam brings an entire zoo's worth of creatures to keep your child company on the trip to dreamland.

What kid doesn't love animals? Lions, and tigers, and bears, oh my! Butterflies, penguins, llamas, foxes, alligators, pandas, and many more cute and colorful creatures adorn Where the Polka Dots Roam's Reversible Duvet Cover in animal print. Sure, there are lots of cutesy kids' bedding prints out there. But not all of them will appeal to as vast a range of children (and let's admit it, plenty of adults as well) like this adorable, and yet not too sweet, bedding set.

The animal-print Reversible Duvet Cover Set is made from soft, durable, and easy-care microfiber. That means that it will be cozy-soft against your child's skin, is hypoallergenic, shrugs off stains and spills, and easily washes clean without pilling, shrinking, wrinkling, or becoming scratchy. Plus, your little one might even be eager for bedtime when an entire menagerie is waiting to share in the sleepy-time fun. That's a win-win all the way around.

There are inner ties for the duvet, and the cover closes with a row of buttons. The set includes one pillowcase with the twin duvet cover and two pillowcases with the full/queen set.

Pros: Super cute and very easy care

Cons: The fabric is a bit thin

Everything you need to know about duvet covers

Foto: Source: Lolostock/Shutterstock

What's the difference between a duvet, a duvet cover, and a comforter?

Although duvets were used for centuries in northern Europe, they didn't really catch on in the UK until the 1970s, and they then spread across the pond to the US a couple of decades later. As duvets and duvet covers are a bit new on the bedding scene in the United States, there's still some confusion over exactly what they are, and how they differ from a comforter.

What is a duvet? A duvet (pronounce it "due-vay;" the word comes from the Old French for "down") is a type of quilt that is typically solid white and stuffed with feathers, down, or a down alternative. You'll sometimes find duvets referred to as "down comforters" in the United States. Duvets are generally warm and snug, although some are lightweight for use in the summertime.
Why does it need a cover? A duvet cover is a fabric "envelope" that is used to cover and protect a duvet, in the same way a pillowcase covers and protects a bed pillow. In Europe, it's unusual to use a top sheet; the duvet cover serves the same purpose and is removed for washing along with the fitted sheet. The duvet cover adds color and style to the bedroom, as well. One edge of the duvet cover closes with ties, buttons, or a zipper so you can insert or remove the duvet when it's time to wash the cover.
How is it different from a comforter? Comforters are usually colored or patterned, not solid white, so they don't require a cover to add style. And because comforters are normally used over a top sheet, they don't require an additional layer of fabric for protection from skin oil, sweat, and other nighttime body detritus, either. Comforters are most often stuffed with synthetic fill, although you can also find down-filled comforters.

How to choose a duvet cover

For the most part, the right duvet cover is the one you like best. There are nearly endless colors and patterns available, so choose whatever complements your bedroom's décor and brings a smile to your face. Aside from style, there are just a few things to know about buying a duvet cover:

Size: Duvet covers are sized the same as regular bedding, so choose the size that matches your duvet; don't go larger or smaller. You'll find many duvet covers sold with matching shams. That makes it easy to coordinate your bed's good looks.
Materials: Duvet covers are made from the same fabrics as bed sheets. Many are cotton, and as with cotton sheets, the softest, highest quality comes from Egyptian, Supima, or Pima cotton. But don't assume you need a duvet cover with the highest thread-count: 250 to 500 is generally sufficient. While cotton is very popular, you'll also find microfiber and other synthetics, flannel, and jersey duvet covers.
Care: The easier the care, the more often you'll be willing to wash your bedding, so look for duvet covers that safely machine-wash and dry.

How to put a duvet cover on your duvet

Foto: Source: Brooklinen

The struggle is real: putting your duvet into its cover

The frustration over putting a duvet inside its cover is enough to drive many people back to comforters. But don't give up. Here's how to do it without breaking a sweat or pulling out your hair.

Start by turning your duvet cover inside out, and then spreading it across your mattress with its opening at the foot of the bed.
Lay your duvet on top of its cover.
If your duvet and duvet cover have inner ties, fasten them now. If not, you can use safety pins to fasten the corners of the cover to the duvet, or simply do without.
Roll the duvet and its cover together like a burrito, starting from the head of your bed. It's easiest if you have a partner, but if not, switch from side to side as you work.
When your "burrito" is rolled, fold the duvet cover opening back around the bedding bundle.
Close your duvet cover with its zipper, buttons, or ties.
Unroll your "burrito" towards the top of the bed.
Fluff as necessary, and voila! Your duvet is back in its cover.

The best duvet covers