How Anti-Allergy Duvets Can Improve Sleep and Health

An estimated two-thirds of the UK population suffer from Allergies, as of 2024 – and this number is expected to only increase in the years to come. Factors like shifts in our collective diets, climate change, and urban spaces have caused us to become more vulnerable to developing an allergy than ever.

Often, food sensitivities traditionally come to mind when we think of allergies, but they can manifest in other common health problems, such as asthma, hay fever, and sensitive skin.

Allergic reactions can manifest even in our sleep – our bedding can be a hotspot for pollen, dust mites, heat, and moisture, which can spill over into responses like skin rashes, interrupted sleep, and for sleepers with health issues like asthma, could trigger dangerous reactions.

This is where anti-allergy duvets are important. Bedding that prevents potentially harmful allergens from sticking onto the material – instead easing their removal – can improve the quality and duration of sleep, as well as our health during the day.

Bedrooms are natural epicentres for allergens to gather and cling to surfaces. The room – bedding especially – contain large surfaces where dust, pet hair, skin flakes, moisture, and other allergens can collect and lay dormant for long periods of time.

On average, sleepers – even those with an allergy -  do not change or wash their bedding nearly as much as they should, at an estimated every four weeks for women and every three to four months for men. This means that many of us are wrapping ourselves in allergens, night after night, only worsening, over several weeks.

Natural duvet fillings are commonly made of goose and duck feathers – which can trigger reactions in many allergy sufferers. As these duvets often have a high tog rating and can be extremely warm – which can be a benefit in colder climates – but higher temperatures can result in excess sweating, irritated or puffy skin, or heat rash. This is especially something to be wary of for those with sensitive skin or are generally allergy-prone, as sweat can trigger a number of reactions on the face and body.

However, there are several anti-allergy (often referred to as hypoallergenic) natural duvet fillings available on the market. Silk and wool are two types of natural filling that are much less vulnerable to overheating, as well as being far less likely to trigger an allergy.

Take, for example, Brooke + Wilde’s The Tussar Silk Duvet – at a tog rating of 7.5, it is substantially cooler than many of the feather-filling duvets. A naturally colder material, silk can wick away excess moisture, preventing overheating and skin breakouts. Tog ratings range from 0 to 15, with 15 being the warmest, thus it is important to get a lower tog rating if you are vulnerable to overheating and developing rashes.

A middling tog rating can be used year-round as a balanced duvet temperature between the summer and winter months, but the Tussar Silk Duvet is especially ideal for the hottest nights of the year. The bedding is less vulnerable to allergy season in the springtime, as pollen and other allergens have much more difficulty clinging onto the material and can be wiped down with ease.

Overall, synthetic duvet fillings are the overall best anti-allergy option. As they lack the natural ingredients that make up more traditional fillings, they do not trigger the same reactions in sleepers as they would normally. Instead, they use scientifically-developed materials, backed with tried and tested methods, to provide fillings that are designed not to irritate skin or keep allergens attached to or ingrained in the bedding.

Duvets with synthetic fillings are also much easier to clean than those with natural, feather fillings, as feathers become damaged and weaken over time with frequent washes. Cleaning duvets at the recommended interval of at least once every two weeks is essential for those with allergies and sensitivities, as dirty sheets will trigger you constantly, causing lasting health issues.

Synthetic duvets are divided by two types: hollowfibre and microfibre . As they do not contain feathers, both microfibre and hollowfibre fillings are much more lightweight, and both offer their own advantages in preventing allergic reactions and irritation.

Hollowfibre, like the name suggests, is made up of hollow polyester fibres. Hollowfibre fillings make for lightweight duvets, but never fails to provide the same warmth of much heavier bedding. As they are smaller than feather-filled duvets, they can easily be washed - typically at 60 degrees - which is an ideal scenario and temperature to kill germs and rid the material of allergens.

Microfibre fillings are similar to hollowfibres in that they are far less heavy than other duvets available to buy, without sacrificing warm coziness. The filling uses tightly-woven polyester fibres that trap heat, at a fraction of the price of typical feather or down fillings. Compared to hollowfibre, microfibre is the most durable in terms of washing, meaning that allergy sufferers can wash this duvet as many times as required without damaging the material or its qualities.

One example of bedding that provides ultra-protection from allergies is The Fine Bedding Company’s Allergy Defence Duvet. The duvet uses Smartfil® microfibre filling as part of its HeiQ Allergen* Tech, a chemical-free, yet synthetic filling that is designed to withstand multiple washes, in a super-soft fabric that won’t lose its softness or moisture as a result – all while preventing skin from irritation.

In addition, the Allergy Defence Duvet prevents allergens from making contact with sleepers altogether. Using HeiQ Allergen* technology, the material creates naturally occurring probiotics that breaks down inanimate allergens at first contact and destroying them before they can penetrate the material and reach sleepers. The tech is specially designed to combat dust mites, pet hair, pollen, and other potential irritants.