Tell Me Again Why....?

[Madeleine]

I'm at a hotel right now. Duvet on the bed. Absolutely no cover nor is there a top sheet. I'm checking the housekeeper's cart when I go out for breakfast..

You mean the comforter does not have a duvet cover? Or do you mean that the comforter with duvet is the only "blanket" on the bed?
.

You mean the comforter does not have a duvet cover? Or do you mean that the comforter with duvet is the only "blanket" on the bed?

The duvet does not have a cover. There is a bottom sheet, the uncovered duvet and a light coverlet on top. The housekeeping cart had those coverlets but not extra duvets or covers for the duvets.
They will hear from me. They do every time I stay here.

 

[Madeleine]

I'm at a hotel right now. Duvet on the bed. Absolutely no cover nor is there a top sheet. I'm checking the housekeeper's cart when I go out for breakfast..

You mean the comforter does not have a duvet cover? Or do you mean that the comforter with duvet is the only "blanket" on the bed?
.

I always get a little confused reading discussions about "duvets" because I am not sure that everyone is always talking about exactly the same thing.
My understanding is that "duvet" and "comforter" are the same thing -- the insulation-filled layer, typically quilted and filled with goose down. One would pretty much always want a separate, removable, washable, fabric envelope over (around) their duvet or comforter. Again, my understanding is that this is called the "duvet cover" or "comforter cover" and is not the duvet itself.
.

My understanding is that "duvet" and "comforter" are the same thing -- the insulation-filled layer, typically quilted and filled with goose down. One would pretty much always want a separate, removable, washable, fabric envelope over (around) their duvet or comforter. Again, my understanding is that this is called the "duvet cover" or "comforter cover" and is not the duvet itself.

Related, but not really the same thing.
A comforter is actually two piece of material (usually with a design) with synthetic fill that is quilted together. They are related to quilts. And often the quilting is down to hold down the layer of synthetic fill. Comforters are usually sold in sets with a skirt and pillow protectors as a "bed in a bag". Something we would find at WallyWorld.
A duvet is definitely thicker, but is usually filled with natural fill (down or silk) and is loosely quilted, generally square pockets (waffle box, it's called) of about 30cm and is usually totally white. They are also usually quite expensive. In our case our personal duvet is several hundred dollars when I can get a comforter for as little as $30. And a duvet is sold separately and often passed on from generation to generation. My mother has one from my grandparents from Europe (not white though) that is so filled that you could sleep outside under it in the dead of winter.
Just to give you an idea, when I go to the local Cost Club's website, a queen duvet in goose down is $350 and a queen comforter set (2 shams included) is $60. The cheapest down duvet is $170. It actually took WallyWorld about 5 years to understand the market around here and to start stocking duvet cover sets. Locals don't generally buy comforters, it's for our cousins to the south, too light.
Now, to be honest, I use comforters, not duvets for the guests because of allergies and ease to replace. And I honestly have some comforters inside of duvet covers. Again, I won't use feathers with the guests because of allergies. But my own bed... duvet. So wonderful in the winter.
PS: The quilting on duvets doesn't keep the fill from migrating, just within the box, so you do rotate a duvet to redistribute the fill from time to time.
.

You're both right.
I call it a duvet if it's filled with down or other natural materials.
It's a comforter if it's poly-filled. But you can get them completely plain and you can't tell them apart.

 

[Silverspoon]

I'm at a hotel right now. Duvet on the bed. Absolutely no cover nor is there a top sheet. I'm checking the housekeeper's cart when I go out for breakfast..

You mean the comforter does not have a duvet cover? Or do you mean that the comforter with duvet is the only "blanket" on the bed?
.

I always get a little confused reading discussions about "duvets" because I am not sure that everyone is always talking about exactly the same thing.
My understanding is that "duvet" and "comforter" are the same thing -- the insulation-filled layer, typically quilted and filled with goose down. One would pretty much always want a separate, removable, washable, fabric envelope over (around) their duvet or comforter. Again, my understanding is that this is called the "duvet cover" or "comforter cover" and is not the duvet itself.
.

My understanding is that "duvet" and "comforter" are the same thing -- the insulation-filled layer, typically quilted and filled with goose down. One would pretty much always want a separate, removable, washable, fabric envelope over (around) their duvet or comforter. Again, my understanding is that this is called the "duvet cover" or "comforter cover" and is not the duvet itself.

Related, but not really the same thing.
A comforter is actually two piece of material (usually with a design) with synthetic fill that is quilted together. They are related to quilts. And often the quilting is down to hold down the layer of synthetic fill. Comforters are usually sold in sets with a skirt and pillow protectors as a "bed in a bag". Something we would find at WallyWorld.
A duvet is definitely thicker, but is usually filled with natural fill (down or silk) and is loosely quilted, generally square pockets (waffle box, it's called) of about 30cm and is usually totally white. They are also usually quite expensive. In our case our personal duvet is several hundred dollars when I can get a comforter for as little as $30. And a duvet is sold separately and often passed on from generation to generation. My mother has one from my grandparents from Europe (not white though) that is so filled that you could sleep outside under it in the dead of winter.
Just to give you an idea, when I go to the local Cost Club's website, a queen duvet in goose down is $350 and a queen comforter set (2 shams included) is $60. The cheapest down duvet is $170. It actually took WallyWorld about 5 years to understand the market around here and to start stocking duvet cover sets. Locals don't generally buy comforters, it's for our cousins to the south, too light.
Now, to be honest, I use comforters, not duvets for the guests because of allergies and ease to replace. And I honestly have some comforters inside of duvet covers. Again, I won't use feathers with the guests because of allergies. But my own bed... duvet. So wonderful in the winter.
PS: The quilting on duvets doesn't keep the fill from migrating, just within the box, so you do rotate a duvet to redistribute the fill from time to time.
.

You're both right.
I call it a duvet if it's filled with down or other natural materials.
It's a comforter if it's poly-filled. But you can get them completely plain and you can't tell them apart.
.

Got it. I always thought that the covering was the duvet part, regardless of the type of filling (comforter for example) But now I see that the whole thing is a duvet....with or without the cover.

 

[Silverspoon]

I've traveled in Wales and where I stayed they had 2 sheets and a blanket like in America.
Some people sleep on a blanket in winter because it's warmer than a bottom sheet.
Only place I've traveled where they did it like the Swedes, where you sleep between a covered duvet and a bottom sheet, was China.
I wash my duvet covers after every guest. Takes me about 2 minutes to stuff the duvet back into the cover, and another 1 minute to get it looking smooth and nice. But I'm 6 feet tall and extremely strong ;-).

My duvet covers only come out for the cold months, since they cover heavy comforters. Other months, I have a lightweight matelasse cover that I can wash & dry quick. If I had to wash a duvet cover for every change over, I would slit my throat! It's the OCD thing...it will just never get in there the way I want it, and takes me forever.
.

I just finished sewing ties on the corners of the duvet and loops on the corners of the down comforters. Now I just tie the comforter onto the duvet and it stays put. It is so much easier to make a nice looking bed now that all the comforter is not migrating to one side of the cover.
Last fall when we traveled in Switzerland and northern Italy we often came across the bottom-sheet/individual-duvet combo. DH loved it because his size 14 feet were not hemmed in by a tightly tucked bottom sheet. If we had a lot of European guests it would make sense to convert the duvet/comforter as the main cover. But most of our guests during the cooler months are from the northeast so we just fold the comforter at the bottom of the bed, changing the duvet if it is used.
.

I just finished sewing ties on the corners of the duvet and loops on the corners of the down comforters. Now I just tie the comforter onto the duvet and it stays put. It is so much easier to make a nice looking bed now that all the comforter is not migrating to one side of the cover.

So let me rephrase this.....I just finished sewing ties on the corners of the duvet cover and loops on the corners of the down duvets. Now I just tie the duvet onto the duvet cover and it stays put. It is so much easier to make a nice looking bed now that all the duvet is not migrating to one side of the cover.
Better?

 

[Flower]

I'm at a hotel right now. Duvet on the bed. Absolutely no cover nor is there a top sheet. I'm checking the housekeeper's cart when I go out for breakfast..

You mean the comforter does not have a duvet cover? Or do you mean that the comforter with duvet is the only "blanket" on the bed?
.

I always get a little confused reading discussions about "duvets" because I am not sure that everyone is always talking about exactly the same thing.
My understanding is that "duvet" and "comforter" are the same thing -- the insulation-filled layer, typically quilted and filled with goose down. One would pretty much always want a separate, removable, washable, fabric envelope over (around) their duvet or comforter. Again, my understanding is that this is called the "duvet cover" or "comforter cover" and is not the duvet itself.
.

My understanding is that "duvet" and "comforter" are the same thing -- the insulation-filled layer, typically quilted and filled with goose down. One would pretty much always want a separate, removable, washable, fabric envelope over (around) their duvet or comforter. Again, my understanding is that this is called the "duvet cover" or "comforter cover" and is not the duvet itself.

Related, but not really the same thing.
A comforter is actually two piece of material (usually with a design) with synthetic fill that is quilted together. They are related to quilts. And often the quilting is down to hold down the layer of synthetic fill. Comforters are usually sold in sets with a skirt and pillow protectors as a "bed in a bag". Something we would find at WallyWorld.
A duvet is definitely thicker, but is usually filled with natural fill (down or silk) and is loosely quilted, generally square pockets (waffle box, it's called) of about 30cm and is usually totally white. They are also usually quite expensive. In our case our personal duvet is several hundred dollars when I can get a comforter for as little as $30. And a duvet is sold separately and often passed on from generation to generation. My mother has one from my grandparents from Europe (not white though) that is so filled that you could sleep outside under it in the dead of winter.
Just to give you an idea, when I go to the local Cost Club's website, a queen duvet in goose down is $350 and a queen comforter set (2 shams included) is $60. The cheapest down duvet is $170. It actually took WallyWorld about 5 years to understand the market around here and to start stocking duvet cover sets. Locals don't generally buy comforters, it's for our cousins to the south, too light.
Now, to be honest, I use comforters, not duvets for the guests because of allergies and ease to replace. And I honestly have some comforters inside of duvet covers. Again, I won't use feathers with the guests because of allergies. But my own bed... duvet. So wonderful in the winter.
PS: The quilting on duvets doesn't keep the fill from migrating, just within the box, so you do rotate a duvet to redistribute the fill from time to time.
.

There is But to this. Down is non allergic. It is the mix of feathers that some duvets have. Silk is great. cost is not cheap. But they last for ever.
.But I just bought a comforter. with 2 pillow shams and 2 decorate pillows to match and the set of sheets It cost me $800.00 plus tax, oh yes then the bed skirt on top of that . Plus now you have to have at least one blanket. Put that cost in I would say another $60 ?
When you compare the two the duvet and cover and matching shams, to match., plus bed skirt. Oh yes and one fit bottom sheet. It was a bit cheaper. I have two kinds of duvets one winter weight and one summer weight. When it is 85 and up It is just the duvet covers. too hot at times even for them.
I just shake my duvets when making the bed and all is well. Once a month I put mine in the dryer and fluff them up.