Which? experts have tested 40 duvets so you don't have to! This £32 budget buy will see you through winter - and the pricey version worth your money

The question In 1689, British diplomat Paul Rycaut visited Hamburg and slept under an early version of a duvet. Rycaut was so thrilled by it, he sent bags of eiderdown to various friends in England, with instructions on how to build their own. Sadly, it didn’t stick; duvets didn’t catch on in the UK until 1964, when Terence Conran started flogging them in Habitat. Now, though, they’re everywhere. But when stores like John Lewis sell duvets from £25 right up to £12,460, which is best to buy?

The basics 40 testers from Which? rated a total of 24 king-size duvets. The cheapest was £20 from Slumberdown and the priciest was £349 from Simba.

The method Which? experts weighed and washed each duvet, checking whether it was easy to handle when changing covers and if it showed wear after cleaning. The panel took turns to lie under each duvet, marking it for comfort, weight and quality. After that, the top-scoring seven duvets were taken home by seven testers, who slept under them for four weeks, giving more detailed results.

The thing to remember Which? buys the products before testing them, which means no freebies and no biased results.

Find the full range of expert reviews at which.co.uk/duvets

BEST VALUE

Tog level 13.5

Type Synthetic

What works? This is versatile. It has a heavy tog (so it’s good for winter) but it’s also, at 2.9kg, relatively light and therefore easy to handle when changing sheets. Testers also said it felt ‘luxurious’ to lie under. And, of course, it’s cheap.

What’s the catch? It didn’t wash too well; testers spotted a few loose threads afterwards.

BEST MID-RANGE

Tog level 13.5

Type Feather

What works? Testers said this was very comfy. It also washed brilliantly and weighs just 3.38kg so wasn’t a faff to change. Plus, it’s stuffed with 85 per cent reclaimed waterfowl feathers and 15 per cent down feathers from old bedding – eco!

What’s the catch? Not much, though it does feel quite lightweight; heavy-duvet lovers beware.

BEST BLOWOUT

Tog level 7

Type Synthetic

What works? Lots. Testers found this was comfortable, washed well and had tip-top weight distribution. It also comes with an extra, easy-to-attach 3.5 tog duvet, so you can adjust how heavy it is throughout the year.

What’s the catch? The price. Also, when the extra duvet is attached this weighs 5.1kg, which some people might find too heavy to handle.