What Tog Duvet Do I Need? UK Duvet Tog Guide
Choosing a duvet tog is easier once you know what the number actually tells you. As a simple starting point, 2.5–4.5 tog suits warmer summer nights, 7.5–10.5 tog works well through milder or changeable weather, and 13.5–16 tog provides progressively more insulation for colder winter bedrooms. The right choice still depends on how warm your bedroom gets overnight and whether you naturally feel hot or cold in bed.
Duvet tog chart: a quick UK guide
| Tog rating | When it may suit you |
|---|---|
| 2.5–4.5 tog | Summer, warm bedrooms or people who tend to sleep hot |
| 7.5 tog | Spring and autumn, or when 4.5 tog feels too light |
| 10.5 tog | Milder weather and a useful middle-ground for many heated bedrooms |
| 13.5 tog | A common winter choice when the bedroom becomes noticeably cooler |
| 15 tog | Cold bedrooms or people who particularly feel the cold at night |
| 16 tog | Very cold bedrooms or people who prefer more insulation than a 15 tog duvet provides |
Think of the table as a starting point rather than a fixed rule. A well-insulated bedroom that stays warm overnight may call for a lower tog than a draughty room where the heating is switched off before bed.
What does tog mean on a duvet?
Tog is a measure of thermal insulation. In practical terms, it tells you how effectively a duvet retains warmth rather than how heavy or thick it looks.
A higher tog means more insulation, while a lower tog allows less heat to be retained. That is why lightweight summer duvets usually carry lower tog ratings and winter duvets sit higher on the scale.
The filling can change how a duvet feels, drapes and weighs, but you should not judge warmth from thickness alone. Two duvets made with different fillings can have the same tog rating while feeling quite different when you pick them up.
What tog duvet is best for summer?
For warmer UK nights, a 2.5 to 4.5 tog duvet is usually the most practical place to start. A lower tog retains less warmth, which can make sleeping more comfortable when the bedroom remains warm overnight.
A 4.5 tog duvet is a popular summer option because it still provides a light layer of bedding without the insulation of a winter-weight duvet.
If you naturally sleep warm, live in a particularly well-insulated home or your bedroom receives a lot of heat during the day, you may prefer the lighter end of the range. Browse our summer duvets if you are specifically looking for a lighter seasonal option.
What tog duvet is best for spring and autumn?
Spring and autumn can be harder to judge because bedroom temperatures often change considerably from one week to the next.
A 7.5 tog duvet sits between a lightweight summer duvet and a more substantial 10.5 tog option. It can suit someone who finds 4.5 tog too light but does not yet want the warmth of a winter duvet.
We do not currently stock 7.5 tog duvets, so our 4.5 tog duvets and 10.5 tog duvets sit on either side of that middle ground.
What tog duvet do I need for winter?
For winter, many people compare 10.5, 13.5, 15 and 16 tog. The right choice depends less on the month shown on the calendar and more on what actually happens to your bedroom temperature overnight.
If your room remains comfortably heated, you may not need a very high tog. If the bedroom becomes cold, the property is less well insulated or you tend to feel the cold easily, moving to a higher tog can provide more insulation.
Is 10.5 tog warm enough for winter?
A 10.5 tog duvet can be enough for winter in a bedroom that stays reasonably warm, particularly for someone who tends to get hot during the night. It may feel too light, however, if your bedroom becomes cold or you regularly wake because you feel chilly.
If you already use 10.5 tog and feel comfortable through the colder months, there is no need to move to a higher rating simply because it is winter.
Is 13.5 tog warm enough for winter?
For many UK bedrooms, 13.5 tog is a practical winter choice. It provides noticeably more insulation than 10.5 tog without automatically moving to one of the highest warmth levels in the range.
Our 13.5 tog duvets are worth considering if your current 10.5 tog duvet starts to feel too light as temperatures fall.
13.5 vs 15 tog: which should you choose?
The difference comes down to warmth rather than duvet size or quality. A 15 tog duvet provides more insulation than a 13.5 tog duvet.
Choose 13.5 tog if you want a substantial winter duvet but your bedroom is not exceptionally cold. Consider 15 tog if your room becomes particularly cold overnight or you are someone who regularly feels the cold in bed.
If you already find yourself overheating under a 13.5 tog duvet, moving up to 15 tog is unlikely to make you more comfortable.
You can compare our 15 tog duvets or browse the wider winter duvet collection.
15 tog vs 16 tog: which is warmer?
A 16 tog duvet provides more thermal insulation than a 15 tog duvet. The difference is in warmth retention rather than duvet size, physical weight or quality.
If you are comparing the warmest options available, read our guide to the highest tog duvet in the UK for a closer look at 13.5, 15 and 16 tog.
A 15 tog duvet may suit you if you already feel comfortably warm during colder nights. A 16 tog duvet may be worth considering if your bedroom stays particularly cold or you prefer a higher level of insulation.
If you naturally sleep hot or your bedroom remains well heated overnight, 16 tog may feel warmer than you need.
Compare the Stoftly 16 Tog Duvet if you want more insulation than a 15 tog option provides.
10.5 vs 13.5 tog: is there much difference?
Yes. Moving from 10.5 to 13.5 tog increases the amount of thermal insulation the duvet provides, so the difference can be noticeable when your bedroom gets colder.
A simple way to decide between them is to look at how you feel under your current duvet:
- Choose 10.5 tog if your bedroom remains fairly warm or you tend to sleep hot.
- Choose 13.5 tog if your bedroom becomes colder during winter or you often feel chilly at night.
Your own comfort is a better guide than assuming every UK household needs the same winter tog.
4.5 vs 10.5 vs 13.5 vs 15 vs 16 tog
If you are choosing between the main ratings available at Stoftly, this is the simplest way to think about them:
| Tog | Consider it if... |
|---|---|
| 4.5 tog | You need a lightweight summer duvet or tend to sleep warm |
| 10.5 tog | You want moderate warmth without moving to a higher-insulation winter rating |
| 13.5 tog | You want more insulation for a cooler winter bedroom |
| 15 tog | Your bedroom gets particularly cold or you tend to feel the cold easily |
| 16 tog | You want more thermal insulation than 15 tog for a very cold bedroom or colder sleeping preference |
What is the best tog duvet for all year round?
There is no single tog that works perfectly throughout the year for every UK bedroom. If your home stays at a fairly consistent temperature, 10.5 tog can be a useful middle-ground and may work for much of the year.
However, if your bedroom is warm in summer and noticeably colder in winter, using separate seasonal duvets gives you more flexibility. A lightweight duvet can be used during warmer months before switching to a higher tog as the room cools.
Another option is to compare our all-season duvet choices if you prefer more flexibility across changing weather.
Does bedroom temperature affect which tog you need?
Yes. Your bedroom environment is one of the most useful factors when choosing a tog.
A room that remains warm because of central heating, good insulation or heat retained through the day may be comfortable with a lower tog. A colder or draughtier bedroom can make the same duvet feel less warm.
This is why rigid rules such as choosing one exact tog for every room temperature are not particularly helpful. Your bedding, sleepwear, mattress, heating habits and personal preference can all affect how warm you feel.
Does a higher tog mean a heavier duvet?
Not necessarily. Tog measures insulation, not physical weight.
The filling and construction of a duvet influence how heavy, lofty or substantial it feels. A higher-tog duvet is designed to retain more warmth, but that does not mean every 15 tog duvet will physically weigh more than every 13.5 tog duvet made from a different filling.
If you dislike heavy bedding, consider both the tog rating and the duvet's filling and construction rather than using tog as a measure of weight.
Does duvet size change the tog rating?
No. A duvet's tog rating describes its level of thermal insulation regardless of whether you choose Single, Double, King or Super King.
A 13.5 tog Single and a 13.5 tog Super King have the same stated tog rating; the larger duvet simply covers a larger bed.
Choose your tog according to the warmth you need, then select the correct dimensions for your duvet and bed. If you are unsure about sizing, see our UK duvet and duvet cover size guide.
Should you use one duvet all year or change it seasonally?
Either approach can work.
If your bedroom temperature stays relatively stable throughout the year, you may be comfortable using one moderate tog for most months. If your room changes substantially between summer and winter, separate seasonal duvets usually give you finer control over your comfort.
The best indication is how you actually sleep. Regularly waking too warm is a reason to consider less insulation; regularly feeling cold suggests that a higher tog may suit you better.
Browse Stoftly duvets by tog
- 4.5 Tog Duvets — lightweight options for summer and warmer bedrooms
- 10.5 Tog Duvets — moderate warmth for milder conditions and many heated bedrooms
- 13.5 Tog Duvets — a warmer option for colder months
- 15 Tog Duvets — higher insulation for particularly cold bedrooms
- 16 Tog Duvet — extra-warm insulation for very cold bedrooms or colder sleepers