Duvet tog – The mystery explained

When sleeping are you too hot in the summer and too cold in the winter? Do you know what ‘tog’ your duvet is? All too often we have no idea about the tog rating of our duvets or in fact, what tog would be more suitable in the summer or winter for young or for older adults. The house cleaning professionals at MOLLY MAID have some useful information on duvet togs to help clear up the mystery!

What is ‘a tog’?

The Tog rating indicates the warmth of the duvet and generally people use different Tog duvets at different times in the year. Tog is a measurement of thermal resistance within a unit or designated area. The lower the tog rating, the less warmth a duvet is expected to capture and vice versa. In the UK, they start as low as 1.5 tog up to 16.5 tog and there are usually seasonal variances.

Summer: Between 1.5 and 4.5 tog.

Spring & winter: Between 7.5 and 10.5 tog.

Winter: Starting at 10.5 but typically 12 or higher. Winter duvets are rated at 12 tog or higher.

A point to remember is that these togs are based on the assumption that the person is sleeping naked with no additional blankets or sheets.

Questions to ask:

• Do you share a bed? Sleeping with a partner will help to create warm, so a lighter tod may be needed.
• Do you sleep in a warm/ cold bedroom? If you sleep in a warm or heated bedroom you could probably get away with using a lighter tog even in the winter.
• Will your duvet be used all year round, or just seasonally? If you are looking to have just one duvet, then you may need to choose an all-season duvet, which has two duvet togs combined to create the maximum 13.5 tog. The 4.5 tog can be used in the winter; the 9 tog in the Spring and the combined 13.5 tog in the winter for example.
• Does it matter what sort of duvet cover you use? The weight and thread count of both your sheets and duvet covers can make a difference to the warm of your bed. Sheets and duvet covers with higher thread counts are known for their soft feel, but did you know that they don’t breathe as well as those with lower thread counts meaning that this can create more warmth and even over-heating in summer for instance.
• What is the optimum material a duvet should be made of? There are many different fillings on the market from goose down to synthetic materials to silk and wool – all with a ‘tog’ rating. It is generally down to personal preference, however, wool is a self regulating material meaning that it keeps you warm in the winter and cool in the summer, so ideal for use with children. Silk duvets are hypoallergenic, breathable and comfortable. The natural properties of silk wick away moisture from the body to keep you cool and comfortable all night long. This makes it an excellent choice for anyone who suffers from night sweats, but also works in the winter with the added benefit of feeling very light which works well for those with skin allergies for example.

We hope that MOLLY MAID has help to unravel the mystery behind togs

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