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A duvet cover not only protects your comforter, it also adds a design element to your bedscape. Even if you’re conservative in your choice of bed sheets — crisp, white percale sheets, for example — a duvet cover gives you a chance to experiment with color, texture, pattern, and, if you’re after a very specific feel, fabrication. To help you find the best duvet covers no matter your aesthetic or material preference, I tested a bunch of options at home myself: I got cozy and slept under duvets of all kinds. I also consulted dozens of interior designers who think about bedding for a living, plus other folks we trust, including Strategist staffers, about their favorites. The resulting recommendations encompass luxurious hotel-style duvet covers, brightly patterned statement pieces, and plenty of linen options, as well as heftier styles made from velvet, brocade, and waffle weave that are great for burrowing under in cooler weather. I’m also keeping price in mind, and, perhaps more crucially, how soft the duvet cover is, based on my years of handling a slew of materials including cotton, linen, and naturally derived fibers like bamboo. The prices shown are for queen-size duvet covers unless otherwise noted.
Brooklinen Classic Percale Duvet Cover – Full/Queen – Best Overall
Material: Long-staple cotton percale, 270 thread count, Lightweight | Style: 10 colors
A classic cotton duvet cover goes a long way in creating a pleasing, go-with-everything bedscape, especially in breathable percale, one of my favorite materials to sleep in. This one from Brooklinen, maker of some of the Strategist’s favorite bedding — including (affordable) linen and sateen sheets — is made from 270-thread-count long-staple cotton and feels like all the best percale I’ve tried. It’s smooth, lightweight, and breathable, and has a delicious crispiness that you can almost hear. I got it in warm gray, which has lovely pale pink undertones without being too feminine, but it comes in nine other equally appealing colors and patterns, including, of course, white, which interior designer Ghislaine Viñas loves. “We use a lot of white bedding only, so this is a great, easy, and comfy staple we suggest to clients,” she says. Strategist senior editor Winnie Yang also owns this duvet cover, and reports that her daughter has been using it for over four years. “The percale is smooth and soft,” she says, and “feels cool and never clammy.” (Percale is also known to be one of the best weaves for hot sleepers.) Buttons close the bottom of the duvet cover, and there are interior corner ties to keep the duvet insert in place. It’s also a great value at under $160, making it my top choice.
Brooklinen Luxe Sateen Duvet Cover – Best sateen duvet cover
Material: Cotton sateen, 480 thread count, Lightweight | Style: 13 colors
For something slightly cozier, consider a duvet cover made from cotton sateen, which has a smoother, silkier hand feel than percale thanks to its looser, three-over-one weave. Brooklinen’s Luxe sateen duvet cover is just as soft as the brand’s Luxe sheets — our top choice for sateen bedding — and has the same thread count of 480. Strategist writer Emma Wartzman calls herself “a finicky sleeper who can run a bit hot but also likes to be super-cozy and under multiple layers, especially when I first get into bed.” She doesn’t use a top sheet, which means the duvet layer is directly on her body, so she prefers ones that are on the cooler side. She says this Brooklinen cover is “a noticeably good combination of crisp and soft. It strikes a good balance of not being too heavy but still soft to the touch. I noticed it got even softer after a couple of washes, so I’m excited to see how it wears in even more over time.”
Levtex Home Washed Linen Duvet Cover, Queen – Best (less expensive) linen duvet cover
Linen is more expensive than cotton, so if you’re looking for something more affordable than the Parachute pick above, Emmanuelle Bernard, the founder of Hoem, recommends this linen duvet cover as a relatively budget-friendly option. One thing she likes about it is that it comes in a range of colors. (She particularly likes the baby-pink shade and suggests pairing it with contrasting pillows to achieve a Scandinavian look.) “Linen duvet covers in pastel hues are my favorite because they give a boho sort of look to my bedroom,” says Bernard, who notes that this model is stonewashed, which gives it “a vintage look, makes it very comfortable,” and even makes it more natural-looking because it “comes with some wrinkles.”
Annadaif Khaki Duvet Cover, Queen – Best microfiber duvet cover
Material: Microfiber, Lightweight | Style: 16 colors
For a duvet cover that’s affordable, super-soft, and a somewhat playful, consider this one that Shaffer calls his “go-to bedding for the past few years.” Made with a soft microfiber, it uses oversize ties for fastening — Shaffer calls them no-fuss — that give the duvet cover a more casual, bohemian feel. He prefers the khaki color shown, which he says “creates a backdrop for a variety of throws and pillows,” but it also comes in 14 other colors. The cover comes with two matching pillowcases. For $40, it’s a great value.