When should I change to a warmer duvet? Bedding expert says by this date

The days are getting colder, the night’s are getting darker and we’re not too far away from the clocks changing in the UK. All of this means that winter is coming, so it might be time to consider switching from your summer bedding to your warmer winter duvet.

During the summer months, people tend to swap to lighter sheets, duvets and blankets, and now that we’re entering autumn/winter, it could be time to switch to the best duvet with a higher tog rate. But as September and October still have a few spells of warmer weather, it’s tricky to figure out when’s the best time to make the switch.

According to bedding expert and CEO of Ethical Bedding, James Higgins has found the exact date to upgrade to a warmer sleep set-up, after studying temperature statistics from over the past two years.

“It can be tricky to determine the best time to switch out our duvet tog as the temperature transition in September can be quite sporadic… changing too soon means you could be left hot and restless, but wait too long and you’ll feel the chill,” explained James.

While some people might find it silly to worry about switching to a different duvet or the best bedding at the right time, no one wants to experience discomfort when they sleep. Having an overly sweaty night’s sleep can result in a restless night, can leave you feeling dirty and means you’ll have to change your sheets more frequently. On the other end of the spectrum, having a cold night’s sleep can keep you awake and contribute to you getting sick.

After looking into the difference in temperature from August to October, James remarked that “the months August to September only show a one degree average drop in temperature. However, moving into October, there is a dramatic 25% decrease in average daily temperatures, which can make a huge difference to the heat retention in your room.”

So when should we switch to a warmer duvet? “The Met Office’s monthly weather report recorded 27th September 2021 saw a significant temperature decrease across the country… Based on these figures and usual weather routines, we would advise that people looking to swap their duvet tog a little earlier in preparation, which would be Sunday 25th September,” predicts James.

As of writing, this means we should have switched our beds from summer to winter a week ago. If you’ve been considering it for a while, take this as the go ahead to say goodbye to your thin bedding and hello to your thick cosy duvet. If you’re new to togs, keep reading for what tog is and which tog you should have on your bed this winter.

What tog should my duvet have for winter?

Firstly, let’s explain what ‘tog’ is. A duvet tog rating measures how effectively your duvet insulates heat, so how warm it is. If your duvet has a low tog rating, it doesn’t retain much heat but if your duvet has a higher tog rating, it’ll be much warmer. Tog rating starts from 1-15, and according to Dormeo, the thinnest duvet on the market is typically 4.5 tog, while the thickest and heaviest is around 13.5 tog.

For winter, you’ll want to look for a duvet that has a higher tog rating which James has commented should be “a winter thickness of around 10.5-15 togs.” Of course, there will be circumstances that will change how warm you want your duvet to be during the winter season.

For example, if your bedroom is small or doesn’t have many windows, it could trap more heat overnight compared to larger rooms. “In this case, I’d advise sleeping with a tog of 7 instead of 10.5 as it will better help your body control temperatures in a smaller space.”

Looking for more duvet tips? Check out our guide on how to choose the best duvet for allergies and for general maintenance, see how to clean a duvet.