The Nectar Duvet review: weightless warmth and excellent breathability

Welcome to T3's Nectar Duvet review. I've been sleeping under this 10.5 tog 'all-season' duvet, with Smartfil stuffing for a couple of weeks now – enough time to test out the brand's claims, and see if it's worthy of inclusion in our best duvet guide. 

Note: this review is of the UK Nectar duvet. It's the only duvet option in the UK range. If you've landed on this article from the US, your option is the Nectar Hit The Hay White Duvet, which may well be an excellent duvet, but it is not this duvet. 

Nectar is known for making one of today's best memory foam mattresses (we gave it four stars in our Nectar Memory Foam Mattress review), but it also makes some great sleep accessories – we were especially impressed with the Nectar Mattress Protector. 

Nectar's UK duvet is another victim of this brand's zero-tolerance policy for whimsical product names, but does it deliver on comfort? Read on for my full Nectar Duvet review.

The Nectar Duvet review: design and comfort

The Nectar Duvet is 10.5 tog, and the brand calls it an 'all-season' option. I've been testing it out in a quite-cold flat over the winter, and I'd say that definition is pushing it slightly, as I've had to add throws over the top to get warm enough. (If you know you get cold at night, I'd probably recommend a heavier-weight, 13 tog duvet in any case.)

Nectar has stuffed its duvet with 'Smartfil' (essentially synthetic microfibre stuffing), blended with a "special ingredient" called 'Modal', which is made from natural wood pulp, and is designed to improve breathability. There's also some chat about climate control features.

Buzzwords aside, I found this duvet delivers on the breathability front. It feels very lightweight and soft. I haven't had a chance to test it out in warm weather yet, but my impression is that this would be a great choice for hot sleepers and balmy nights, because it feels almost weightless. 

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Considering Nectar has opted for long, wavy, vertical lines of stitching rather than a more traditional, tighter grid pattern, the stuffing also stays in place impressively well. I've been sleeping under this quilt for a few weeks and it hasn't needed shaking out yet. 

The casing is made from very lightweight, soft microfibre with a slight texture to it. In place of stitching around the edges, Nectar has gone for what looks like a heat-pressed closure. I haven't seen this before, but it seems to work effectively. Overall, the quality is fitting for the mid-range price point. There are more luxurious, high-end looking options, with details like piping and embroidery, but those will cost you more.  

For those suffering from allergies, The Nectar Duvet is 'non allergenic' and you can also bung it into a washing machine at 60C. Provided it'll fit, that is. (Here's more advice on how to clean a duvet and how to choose the best duvet for allergies.)

The Nectar Duvet review: price and alternatives

At RRP, the Nectar Duvet's pricing is as follows: a Single is £80 (currently £48), a Double is £100 (currently £60), a King is £115 (currently £69), and a Super King is £130 (currently £78). 

The reason I've included the current pricing here is that Nectar has a curious habit of never seeming to sell its products at RRP. So I'd be tempted to take that sale price as a baseline for what you can expect to actually pay. There are also regular Nectar mattress discount codes and deals, some of which will bundle in bedding.

That price puts the Nectar Duvet in the mid-range, and I'd say it's good value for that.  For something more luxurious, check out the five-star Panda Cloud duvet, or for something more budget-friendly, the Silentnight Airmax duvet might suit.  

Nectar offers a 2 year warranty on it's duvet, and there's free, no-contact delivery and free returns too. 

The Nectar Duvet review: verdict

Now to the crux of our Nectar Duvet review: is it any good? In terms of comfort, this duvet delivers. The stuffing is super soft, evenly distributed, and gives an almost weightless feel that I think would be great on warmer nights. The flip side of this is that the Nectar Duvet doesn't feel quite as cosy as heavier options, and indeed if you get cold at night you'd perhaps be better off picking at 13 tog instead anyway. The build quality is good for the mid-range price point.