Your bed is your daily retreat to rest, reset, and rejuvenate. A quality duvet insert plays a key role in how cozy and comfortable it feels. Fluffy and thick like a blanket, duvet inserts are white or neutral bedding basics that are meant to be used with a cover. While comforters are similar, they do not require a cover. When selecting a duvet insert, focus on practical considerations, such as fill material, shell material, warmth, construction, and care instructions.
Duvet inserts can be filled with down made of soft and fluffy feathers from the undercoat of a duck or goose or down alternative materials, such as microfiber, polyester, cotton, or rayon, that replicate the feel of down. The shell fabric is most commonly cotton or polyester. There is a wide range of duvet covers to protect your duvet insert from dirt and body oils. If you take proper care of a duvet insert, it will last for years. You can switch out the duvet cover seasonally or as your tastes or trends change.
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“I always want my beds to feel like a luxury hotel bed, and a duvet will help you achieve that,” says Jessica Mintz, principal designer, and owner of Jessica Mintz Interiors, an interior design firm based in Los Angeles. “It’s also going to give the bed a more full look. You can layer it with a waffle bed blanket or quilted bed blanket—I like to fold it down so a third of the bed is covered by a fluffy folded-over duvet.”
To find the best duvet inserts, we rounded up 34 inserts and comforters and put them through a series of rigorous tests in our home testing lab to evaluate their warmth, comfort, and ease of use, also taking into account shell material, fill, size options, and care instructions. For additional insights on what to look for when selecting a duvet insert, we also talked with Jessica Mintz; Lauren Sullivan, interior designer and founder of Well X Design in Nashville, Tennessee; and Mary Helen Rogers, vice president of marketing and communications for the Better Sleep Council.
After testing, we chose the Apsmile Full/Queen Size Goose Feathers Down Comforter Duvet Insert as our overall best duvet insert because of its high quality and breathability at an affordable price point.
Here are the best duvet inserts, backed by testing.
Best Overall
Apsmile Goose Feather Down Comforter Duvet Insert
Why You Should Get It: Its baffle-box construction means the down fill won’t shift or clump to create cool spots, while the 750 fill power makes it warm without feeling heavy.
Keep in Mind: The mixture of down and feathers in this dry clean-only duvet insert may not feel as soft as down-only options. It also arrives in vacuum-sealed packaging, so you’ll need to spread it out for a few days or dry it on low heat for 10 minutes to fluff it up.
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This insert was our overall choice for the best duvet insert, because our testers found it possessed a super-soft texture and excellent breathability at a reasonable value. Its high fill power and long-staple Egyptian cotton blend shell are features you usually find at higher price points. The 400 thread count fabric, which the manufacturer recommends to only spot or dry clean, also has a tight weave that won’t let feathers or fluff escape. Double-stitched piped edges offer durability, and eight corner tabs help keep a duvet cover in place.
“This duvet insert was really soft, smooth, and extra fluffy—it felt like a cool blanket and was easy to breathe in,” one tester said. “It made a little noise while moving around, but it was very comfortable.”
It’s also available in a wide range of sizes, including oversized king and oversized queen options, which aren’t common for many inserts. We found that the queen duvet insert measured a couple of inches smaller than the listed 90 x 90 inches, so you may want to size up if you like a drapey look.
We tested the medium-weight all-season duvet insert recommended for average temperatures. We found that its surface temperature remained cool and steady compared to other options, so it’s a desirable option for those who tend to sleep warm. The insert is also available in a lightweight style for warmer seasons and a winter weight for colder climates.
Price at time of publish: $165
Product Details:
Shell Material: Egyptian cotton-polyester blend | Fill: Down and feathers | Care: Dry clean recommended | Sizes: Twin, queen, oversized queen, king, California king, king, oversized king, super king
Best Budget
Bedsure Duvet Insert Queen Comforter
Why You Should Get It: This duvet insert is available in eight colors, so it can also be used as a standalone comforter. Its sewn-through box construction keeps the fill in place and offers a decorative detail while tabs at the corners and sides secure the duvet cover.
Keep in Mind: It’s completely made from synthetic materials, and the edges aren’t piped or reinforced. Plus, at 88 x 88 inches for the queen, it is several inches smaller than comparable queen-size duvet inserts.
The Bedsure Duvet Insert Comforter is a versatile option at a very affordable price point, making it our choice for the best duvet insert for shoppers on a budget. According to our testers, this machine-washable polyester down alternative duvet insert delivered high marks for breathability, durability, and value.
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In testing, we found that its surface temperature held steady at about 69°F, making it one of the cooler options in our roundup. If you easily get hot while sleeping, this insert will keep you comfortable.
The duvet insert comes equipped with subtle corner and side loops, so it would work well with a cover that has ties, but you don’t have to have one. We thought the light gray color, in particular, was an attractive neutral that could feel at home in a lot of bedroom styles. We also found that coffee stains came out easily from the microfiber shell with just a wet towel.
Combined with its low price point, range of sizes, easy-care instructions, and the option to use without a cover, this duvet insert is an affordable, low-maintenance choice for a kid’s room, vacation rental property, or dorm, or any room on a budget.
Price at time of publish: From $39
Product Details:
Shell Material: Microfiber | Fill: Polyester | Care: Machine washable, gentle cycle | Sizes: Twin, twin XL, full, queen, king, California king
Best Splurge
Boll & Branch Down Duvet Insert
Why You Should Get It: Available in three weights to accommodate a range of sleepers, this duvet insert features long-staple 100% organic cotton material and baffle-box construction to keep the RDS-certified down evenly distributed and fluffy with use.
Keep in Mind: This is more expensive than other comparable options, not available in a twin size, and is super fluffy, so it may take a few dryer cycles to dry completely.
If you take comfort in knowing your bedding is free of harmful chemicals, the Boll & Branch is the best duvet insert to splurge on. The 100% organic cotton shell meets Standard 100 by OEKO-TEX, which means it was tested and found to be free of over 100 harmful substances that are dangerous to humans and the environment. The down filling is ethically sourced and triple-washed, exceeding the U.S. government standard.
While this insert has four corner loops, our tester observed that it slid around a bit within our duvet cover. The shell fabric also made a little noise when moving it around the bed and didn’t feel as soft as other options tested, but it cleaned up well with a wet cloth and a stain pen. It’s also machine washable.
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“I thought this one was a bit expensive; however, there were some things about it that made it about worth the value,” one tester said. “I think the quality of sewing was really nice, and the fabric felt durable.”
It is important to note that while the full/queen size is listed as 92 x 96 inches on the company site, we found it to be 91 x 85 inches.
Price at time of publish: $458 for midweight full/queen duvet insert
Product Details:
Shell Material: Organic cotton | Fill: RDS-certified down | Care: Machine washable, cold water, gentle cycle | Sizes: Full/queen and king/California king
Best Down
Casper Down Duvet Insert
Why You Should Get It: The 100% cotton cover has a soft and silky texture and discreet tags that take the guesswork out of identifying the head and foot of the bed. It also comes with a one-year limited warranty.
Keep in Mind: This insert is slightly oversized compared to similar products because it’s designed to work best with Casper’s duvet covers and sheets. It did shrink a few inches after washing, though.
Made with RDS-certified duck down, the Casper Down Duvet has a fill power of 600 cubic inches. Just as down clusters help naturally insulate ducks, this duvet helps regulate your body’s natural temperature. We found that the surface temperature under the insert rose about 10°F after five minutes to 80°F, making it the warmest option in our round of testing.
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“It’s a very pretty material but is obviously just an insert, so you won’t see it a lot [if you use it with a cover]. It’s very thin but feels sturdy,” one tester said. “It is also very breathable—I did not feel hot at all after being under it for five minutes. However, when I added the duvet cover, it got pretty warm, so I think it can depend on the cover.”
We tested a full/queen-size insert, which measured 95 x 98 inches, and observed that it looked a little flat initially but fluffed up with movement. While the duvet insert is machine washable in cold water on a gentle cycle, our tester noted that a coffee stain on the cotton shell did not come out with a cloth and water or a stain remover pen.
Price at time of publish: From $299
Product Details:
Shell Material: Cotton | Fill: RDS-certified duck down | Care: Machine washable, cold water, gentle cycle | Sizes: Twin/twin XL, full/queen, king/California king
Best Down Alternative
Parachute Down Alternative Duvet Insert
Why You Should Get It: Covered by a five-year warranty, the hypoallergenic microfiber fill makes it a sensible choice for allergy sufferers, and the double-stitched piped seams and baffle-box design offer long-lasting construction.
Keep in Mind: Our tester found that coffee did not clean up well from this comforter, so you’ll want to have your morning cup outside of bed.
Parachute’s down alternative duvet insert checks a lot of boxes. The superfine hypoallergenic microfiber fiber fill mimicked the fluffiness and insulating properties of down in our tests. There are corner loops for a duvet cover. It’s also available in two weights, depending on your sleep preference or climate—the all-season full/queen insert is 45 ounces, while the lightweight version is 32 ounces. All options are machine-washable in cold water on a delicate cycle or dry-cleanable.
The soft-finish sateen cambric cotton shell is breathable and mimics the feel of silk; however, some may find its subtle sheen a little heavy. Our testers noted that this insert felt soft, light, and fluffy, but the fabric quality wasn’t as luxurious as others. At 90 x 94 inches, the full/queen size was a little smaller than other inserts at similar price points, too.
Price at time of publish: From $309
Product Details:
Shell Material: Cambric cotton | Fill: Hypoallergenic microfiber | Care: Machine washable, cold water, delicate cycle, or dry clean | Sizes: Twin/twin XL, full/queen, king/California king
Best Lightweight
Morrow Quilted Down Duvet Insert
Why You Should Get It: It is constructed of RSD-certified European white duck down with 700 fill power and 330 thread count cotton sateen outer shell.
Keep in Mind: It is on the pricier side for down comforters, is only available in one weight, and is not available in twin size.
With 80% down cluster fill and cotton sateen shell, the machine washable Morrow Quilted Down Duvet Insert earned Best Lightweight honors because our testers noted it was very breathable and “feels like a cloud.” It maintained a consistent surface temperature of about 70°F, even after five minutes, which indicates that it will maintain a consistently comfortable temperature that won’t feel too hot in warmer climates or for hot sleepers.
“The cover is made from a buttery-soft cloth and had a nice feel to it,” one tester said. “It might need to be fluffed after lying on it. You can hear it crinkle a little bit [when it moves] but not too much, and the fill is very evenly spread.”
The duvet edges are double-stitched with piping. Corner loops keep the machine duvet cover in place, and a baffle-box construction keeps the fill in place.
This insert only comes in two sizes, with the full/queen measuring 88 x 92 inches.
Price at time of publish: $375 for full/queen
Product Details:
Shell material: Cotton sateen | Fill: RSD-certified down | Care: Machine washable, cold water | Sizes: Full/queen, king/California king
The Bottom Line
The Apsmile Full/Queen Size Goose Feathers Down Comforter Duvet Insert is our overall best duvet insert, because its combination of down and feather fill and 400 thread count Egyptian cotton blend cover offers a very comfortable experience at a reasonable price point. We also liked that it’s available in three weights and more sizes than any other duvet insert we tested.
Our Testing Process
To find the best duvet inserts, we brought together a team of home experts to evaluate 34 down and down-alternative duvet inserts and comforters through a series of rigorous tests in our testing lab in Des Moines, Iowa. Our testers inspected the duvet inserts and comforters for visible defects and fill distribution, weighed and measured them, and handled them to experience their texture, scent, and sound.
To evaluate warming properties, the testers took initial surface temperature readings from underneath the duvet insert using an infrared thermometer and again after five minutes. Our testers lay under the duvet inserts and comforters for five minutes to compare comfort, loft, airflow, and breathability, and they lay on top of them for two minutes to observe compression. They put each duvet insert in a duvet cover to assess how well it fit and whether the insert’s filling shifted or clumped with movement or folding. They also folded and moved the duvet inserts on and off a bed—both with and without a cover—to rate how easy it was to maneuver them.
The testers attempted to spot-clean coffee from each cover’s shell. If duvet inserts were machine washable, they laundered and dried them according to the care instructions on the tag to see whether they’d shrink or become damaged or clumpy.
Finally, they assigned an individual score to each duvet insert and created a list of the best duvet inserts based on the overall performance in our tests, with consideration for shell material, fill, size options, and care instructions.
