Here’s a conversation starter for your next cocktail party: Are you a duvet person or a comforter person? When you go to bed tonight, is it underneath a big fluffy comforter or a slim, smooth duvet? In the great comforter vs. duvet showdown, which one wins?
The short answer is it depends on what you like and what you’re used to. Both options give you a cozy nest in which to snooze and are available in every color, style, and price point. However, while comforters have a slight advantage right now, bedding preferences are changing. IKEA reports the Western U.S. sells more duvets than in the rest of the country. So will duvets reign supreme in 2025?
- Melanie Kaplan is the senior merchant of product development at The Company Store.
- Theresa Echeverry is the home furnishing business leader for bed textiles at IKEA US.
- Alyssa Steiger is a bedding designer who works on the BHG Collection at Walmart.
America Loves Comforters
For years, the comforter has won in the U.S. market for a variety of reasons. “In the U.S., most of us are pretty familiar with comforters. They’ve been a cozy staple for generations, especially in colder parts of the country where people love that plush, oversized feel,” says Melanie Kaplan, senior merchant of product development at The Company Store. “Comforters act as the top layer of your bed, with a fluffy fill—whether it’s real down or a down alternative—stitched into small sections to keep everything evenly spread out so you have balanced warmth.”
“The best thing about a comforter is convenience,” Kaplan continues. “It’s ready to go straight out of the package, no extra covers or inserts needed. And the fact that a lot of them are machine washable is huge when it comes to easy care.”
In fact, IKEA, which sells far more duvets than comforters worldwide, launched its first line of comforters last year to address this decidedly American preference. “How we sleep is linked to more cultural and societal norms than we may realize,” says Theresa Echeverry, home furnishing business leader for bed textiles at IKEA US. “We know the majority of US consumers prefer comforters, as it has been a prevalent sleeping pattern in the US.”
Alyssa Steiger, a bedding designer who works on the BHG Collection at Walmart, highlights another aspect of the comforter’s appeal. “While shopping in stores, customers may be drawn to comforters because they appear loftier in their packaging compared to a duvet cover,” she says. “This may make comforters easier to give as a gift, as well.”
Duvets Are Gaining Popularity
While all the pros we talked with acknowledge that comforters are what the U.S. market is most familiar with, they also see duvets coming on strong. “Comforters have been a staple in the United States market, but I believe duvets will continue to gain popularity across the mass market,” says Steiger. “I think people are seeing more and more about refreshing their home styles, personalizing bedrooms and decor. Duvets make it really easy to achieve this.”
“It’s been really interesting to see how duvets have gained so much popularity over the past decade,” says Kaplan. “Some people are gravitating toward that clean, layered look of a duvet, which aligns with a more versatile and minimalist and easy approach to bedding.”
Why People Are Choosing Duvets
So what else is behind this gradual yet noticeable increase in duvet popularity? Why are more people deciding it’s worth the extra effort to stuff a duvet insert into a cover (because let’s face it, it is a bit of a struggle) rather than just stick with the one-piece comforters most of us are used to?
Pros agree that compared to comforters, duvets are a more flexible top-of-bed situation, especially if you like to change up the look of your bed. “What’s great about duvets is how versatile they are,” says Kaplan. “You can easily switch out the covers to give your bedroom a fresh, seasonal look without having to splurge on an entirely new set.”
There are practical advantages, too. Because duvet covers are less bulky than comforters, they are easier to launder and store, making the idea of giving your bed a seasonal wardrobe change more achievable.
Steiger suggests the fact that duvet covers can be stored more compactly than comforters might be contributing to their popularity in urban areas, where smaller living spaces often mean less storage area.
Also, the mix-and-match nature of duvet inserts and covers is a plus when it comes to getting both the look and the feel you want for your bed. “Inserts can be chosen based on a customer’s desires—weight, fill, hypoallergenic preferences—without sacrificing the style or fabrication of the cover,” says Echeverry.
“Since there are different fill options, you can customize the warmth of match your sleep preferences. it’s like having a tailored sleeping experience every night,” adds Kaplan.
Steiger sees duvets as giving customers more choice about the type of materials they surround themselves with. “With a continued focus on eco-friendly choices, customers may be more interested in the details of their home products that maybe they didn’t consider before—fill types in comforters, duvets, and pillows and customizing face fabrics.”
