March 2023 Update: This blog post was originally published in July of 2014. We updated the article to keep this information current and accurate.
If there is one thing we’ve noticed a lot of over the past few years, it’s the amount of misinformation and misrepresentation of silk-filled duvets. Mattress & Sleep Company receives orders for silk-filled duvets all over Canada, and we’re huge fans of this type of duvet. That said, we often feel silk duvets are purchased for the wrong reasons, and the intended use often doesn't match the characteristics of this filling material.
The Marketing Angle
Silk duvets are advertised with two large benefits over other duvet types:
- Silk duvets are exceptionally light-weight
- Silk duvets keep you cooler than anything else
Both of these statements are misleading and generally false.
Light Weight
Yes, compared to synthetic fills, we would agree that silk duvets are light-weight. However, compared to most other natural filling materials, silk duvets are often heavier.
While the fill weight is often similar to other natural fillings, the fabric shell is where we see a large difference in weight. The types of fabrics used for silk duvet construction are usually heavy woven jacquard’s.
For example, the St Geneve Premium Silk Duvet features 22 ounces of silk fill in a queen, compared with 20 ounces of down fill in the St Geneve Maple Creek Duvet. However, the silk duvet's fabric is twice as heavy. As a result, the Maple Creek duvet weighs about half as much as the Silk duvet, since the fabric shell contributes more weight to these duvets than the filling.
It’s not just about the total weight. You must also consider how you want the duvet to feel on top of you. A silk duvet closely follows the shape of your body, transferring the duvet's full weight to you. A down duvet, on the other hand, floats above you, a side effect of the significant amount of air that high-quality down will trap. This means that a down duvet feels significantly lighter than any other duvet filling, as the already lightweight construction is enhanced by the floating effect of the filling material.
While everyone may have their own preferences as to what they believe is more comfortable, there is an objective reason that the behaviour of a down duvet is superior to all other types of duvets.
When we sleep, we naturally change positions during the night. It is critically important that our bedding does not restrict this movement when we turn over.
The heavier a duvet or blanket is, the more likely it is to restrict your movement. When this happens, we're more likely to wake up from deep sleep. Down duvets are not only the lightest style of duvet, but they also float more freely above the body, which greatly improves the ease of turning over.
While we're on this topic, we'd also like to briefly mention The Elastic Bed Principle. This principle guides everything we do. A more elastic mattress is simply more supportive and much easier to turn over.
Coolest Sleeping Temperatures
This is false. Although silk duvets tend to keep you very cool, they also operate in a narrower temperature range than most other natural fillings. This may sound negative, but it isn’t. If you have a climate-controlled environment which doesn’t vary, a silk-filled duvet can be absolutely fantastic to sleep under. They will maintain a very stable temperature and will do a fine job of balancing humidity.
However, if your temperature and environment are variable, silk may not be the best choice. High-quality goose down tends to work in the widest possible temperature range, followed by various wools such as Mérinos d’Arles Antiques® from Brun de Vian-Tiran or the Piatra wool duvet from St Geneve.
Why choose silk?
The reasons to choose silk are as follows:
- You'd like a medium-weight duvet which drapes naturally around the body.
- Your bedroom temperature is stable* and does not vary during the season(s) in which you plan to use the duvet.
- You are okay with the possibility of using two different duvets for summer and winter if the climate varies significantly where you live.
- You would like the health benefits of a natural-filled duvet at a more reasonable price point.
Silk Duvets are a wonderful choice when purchased for the right reasons. The Mattress & Sleep Company prides itself on having a very high success rate in matching our customers with the right type of duvet!
No matter which type of duvet you choose, a natural-filled duvet of any variety is superior to any synthetic duvet or comforter. They’re cleaner, healthier and made from renewable resources.
* - The common response we get to this is "of course my bedroom temperature is stable, the thermostat is set to 20 degrees, so it is 20 degrees!" The reality is actually much different. Thermostats are usually only set up to take one measurement at a central location in your home. This means they can't capture the significant temperature swings near windows and perimeter walls. It is not unusual to see a several-degree Celsius difference between the thermostat and an exterior wall, especially when it is very cold or very hot outside.
