Duvet and Coverlet are luxury bedding pieces that are primarily used to maximize comfort. They also make the bed look better by incorporating different artistic elements into their appearance. While both are quite similar in terms of their design, they do have major differences when it comes to their function and size.
Key Takeaways
- A duvet is a soft, thick quilt filled with down or synthetic fibers, while a coverlet is a lightweight, decorative bedspread.
- Duvets require a cover to protect them and add style, whereas coverlets can be used alone or as a layer with other bedding.
- Coverlets are easier to maintain and wash, while duvets need special care due to their filling.
Duvet vs Coverlet
A duvet is a soft, flat bag filled with down, feathers, wool, or synthetic fibers, used as a warm bed covering, and are popular in colder climates because they offer excellent insulation and warmth. A coverlet is a lightweight blanket that is used as a decorative layer on top of the bedding.
Duvets are perfect for cold weather, as their primary function is to keep the user warm. They are thick and relatively heavyweight. Their filling consists of a down, which is bagged into a casing. Normally, a duvet only covers the mattress and is confined to that area.
Meanwhile, a coverlet is perfect to use for warmer seasons. This is because it is used mostly for design purposes and is not as warm as the former. It does not have any filling and is thin and lightweight. Normally, it has a large size that covers the entire mattress and even extends down to the floor.
Comparison Table
| Parameters of Comparison | Duvet | Coverlet |
|---|---|---|
| Function | It is used as a blanket for comfort and warmth. | It is used to cover other bedding pieces and is mostly for decoration. |
| Size | It is as large as the mattress and is only confined to that area. | It is larger in comparison to duvets and extends down to the floor. |
| Weight | It is heavyweight. | It is lightweight. |
| Filling | It has a down or synthetic filling. | It does not have any filling. |
| Usage | It is used in cold weather. | It is used in warm weather. |
What is Duvet?
A duvet can be looked at as a blanket that has the specific purpose of keeping the user warm. For this reason, it is mostly used in cold weather. The bedding piece consists of a soft bag that is either filled with cotton, wool, silk, feathers, or synthetic materials. This bad is then enclosed in a casing that has a relatively better appearance.
People use this on their own, without any other upper bedding piece. When used with other pieces, it normally takes the bottom-most position. They are heavier than coverlets but not as heavy as quilts and comforters. For this reason, it is easy to transport and use them.
The term ‘duvet’ is a French word that translates to ‘down’. This refers to geese and duck feathers, which were originally used as filling for this bedding piece. However, their earliest use is known to be in China in 3000 BC.
Regardless, duvets are nowadays made with different fillings and designs. Most people who find down to be unethical choose to use synthetic materials as fillings. They come in a variety of sizes and standards, but most of them are just as big as the mattress of the bed.
What is Coverlet?
A coverlet is a covering for all the other bedding pieces. It primarily has a decorative function but can also be used in warm weather as a spreadsheet or throw-over. Unlike duvets, a coverlet does not have any filling. Rather, it is a woven multi-layered fabric made from cotton or linen.
Their origins can be dated back to the 18th century. Then, the people of America used to weave twill with linen and wool. The material was then dyed in dark colours. In the 19th century, coverlets came in two forms. One was with a single undyed woven layer, while the other had two layers, out of which one was dyed.
Since then, a lot has changed in their manufacturing process. Earlier, they were woven by hand, which took a considerably hefty amount of time and manual labour. However, they are now woven by machines in a much quicker manner. As compared to duvets, they have a much lighter weight because of their architectural integrity.
Instead of being dyed in just one colour, coverlets are now available in various designs and patterns. People mostly use them as eye candy to make their bedrooms look fancier. Unlike duvets, they are large and extend down to the floor.
Main Differences Between Duvet and Coverlet
- Duvet is used as a blanket for comfort and warmth, whereas a coverlet is used to cover other bedding pieces and is mostly for decoration.
- Duvet is as large as the mattress and is only confined to that area, whereas a coverlet is larger in comparison to duvets and extends down till the floor.
- Duvet is heavyweight, whereas a coverlet is lightweight.
- Duvet has a down or synthetic filling, whereas a coverlet does not have any filling.
- Duvet is used in cold weather, whereas a coverlet can also be used as a throw-over in warm weather.
- https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/14759756.2016.1212887
- https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Allison-Burkette/publication/286385932_Blanket_Coverage_Pointers_for_Conducting_Lexical_Research_with_Atlas_Data/links/56685c5008ae193b5fa06826/Blanket-Coverage-Pointers-for-Conducting-Lexical-Research-with-Atlas-Data.pdf
Last Updated : 13 July, 2023
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Chara Yadav holds MBA in Finance. Her goal is to simplify finance-related topics. She has worked in finance for about 25 years. She has held multiple finance and banking classes for business schools and communities. Read more at her bio page.
I didn’t expect that the difference between a duvet and a coverlet would be so striking.
This explains perfectly everything you need to know about duvets and coverlets.
Yes, it does. Wonderfully informative.
I agree, everyone should know the difference.
It is interesting that coverlets are easier to maintain and wash, while duvets need special care due to their filling.
Yes, and the difference in the filling is noteworthy.
The size differences between the two are also striking.
Interesting that a duvet is used in cold weather and a coverlet for warm weather. Makes sense!
The weight and usability differences are very important to consider when choosing between the two types of bedding.
This post is really informative, it explains the great differences between the two.
Duvet is a soft, thick quilt filled with down or synthetic fibers, while a coverlet is a lightweight, decorative bedspread.
It’s great that this post explains the differences in depth!