How do I get the right duvet? (UK). I don't understand this 1.3 tog, 0.3 tog business!!?

Answer 1

Duvet Tog Ratings
The tog rating is a human-friendly system used to indicate the warmth of duvets (quilt), sleeping bags, etc. It is mainly used in the UK.

What Are Togs?
In technical terms, tog ratings measure thermal resistance. This in effect refers to how good an item is at keeping you warm on a cold night. Duvets with a higher tog value are more suited to colder winter nights whereas low tog values are suited to warmer summer nights.
Speaking of "suited", this is apparently the origin of the word "tog". The fabric of a typical man's suit has a thermal resistance of around 0.1 m2K/W. Since, like many SI units, that is horribly inconvenient for ordinary people it was called "one tog".

The tog was invented by workers at the Shirley Institute, Manchester, in the 1940s. The name comes from the informal word "togs" for clothing. Tog values are used to measure the potential warmth of many products, not just duvets.

Note that the tog rating does not necessarily relate directly to the thickness of the duvet. Different materials have different thermal resistance characteristics and different thicknesses will be required to achieve the same tog rating.


Tog Values
Most duvets you can buy vary in tog rating from as low as 4 to as high as 15.
A lightweight summer duvet will usually have a tog rating of around 4 or 5. A medium warmth duvet will probably have a tog rating of around 9 to 11. A winter duvet is likely to be rated from 12 togs upwards. These are typical values for adults.


How Are Togs Measured?
With a togmeter, of course!
Yes, really. Despite the somewhat ridiculous name, a togmeter is a precision piece of apparatus capable of measuring tog ratings in accordance with British Standard BS5335 (1984).

Answer 2

0.3 would be a duvet for a VERY hot SUMMER night.
1.3 would be for a slightly cooler night.
and so it goes on. the higher the TOG number the warmer or better its thermal insulating value.

probably better to get a two part duvet 15tog in two parts that total the 15tog would give excellent warmth and insulation from the coldest of nights and the thiner or lower Tog can be used on it's own on the warmest summer nights.

of course if you share your bed regularly with someone then a 12 or 13 tog may be better as a 15 tog could get too warm with both of you in bed together.

i hope that makes sense.
good luck.

Answer 3

For most of the year you need a 13 tog rated duvet in the summer you will find a 3-5 tog rating comfortable depending on how hot it gets. The tog rating relates to the thermal efficiency and amount of insulation in the duvet.

Answer 4

Hi, last winter here, on the north Devon coast, was the coldest in 35 years. My Raeburn broke, what's new? and so I marched to town and bought a 15 tog duvet from Poundstretcher. It kept me very warm. However, what I will say to you is this, I bought a cheap polyester type quilt (as many are) and with a year of my dog lying on my bed the filling materials have compacted and the quilt has certainly lost some efficiency. I wonder if this is reversible by washing or beating but reckon next time I will spend the extra money and buy a feather filled quilt. I hope I haven't wasted your time. Noel.

Answer 5

Higher tog = warmer duvet

You can get a mix which is versitile, like a 4 and 8. That emans you can have 4,8 or 12 (if you use both).

More expensive duvets have a higher tog and keep you warm but are less heavy. Cheaper ones can feel much heavier on you.

Answer 6

Think 6 tog is normal. Anything over that and you're getting a heavier duvet. Anything under would be a very light duvet

Answer 7

The higher the tog the warmer they are I have a 13 tog on the mo and I am toastie warm under that its brill but when summer comes I will change it to 3 or 3.5 they are thinner and lighter, but apparently you can get them that are half and half, I would have the side with the higher tog and my boyfriend who isnt nesh like me could have the side with lower tog rating, they are probably expensive though.

Answer 8

They rate Togs according to the degree of warmth it affords in the relevant temperature.
15 togs = cold winter (room not continually heated)
13 or 13.5 togs = normal winter
11 togs = mild winter
below this you get spring/summer type rating with around 6 togs for normal use and for warm summers 3.5 togs.
It all depends how warm you like to be in bed (ie if you are on your own etc !!!)

Answer 9

..And further to other answers on here..
for a single bed get a double duvet and for a double bed get a king size duvet.
I find they stretch right down over your feet, with more to spare.