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Original poster

To think coverless duvets are pointless?

166 replies

Moortown · 22/12/2025 16:41

I hate changing duvet covers so I thought I’d treat myself to a machine washable coverless duvet. I went for one made by silentnight. It’s king size.

It needed to be washed today, so I tried to put it in the machine. I couldn’t even get half of it in, so ended up having to drive 7 miles to the nearest launderette, paying nearly £20 to wash and dry it, the whole exercise taking over 2 hours of my day. It would have been a lot easier to just put a duvet cover on!

It’s a 10.5 tog one, so silly me just assumed that it would fit in the machine as my regular duvet is also 10.5 tog and fits in easily. So it can be done, but for whatever reason they decided to make these ‘washable’ ones far too big to fit into anything except a giant washing machine, that no regular household possesses.

I’m sending it back as it’s not fit for purpose.

AIBU to think this is a major design flaw?

OP posts:
SparklyGlitterballs · 23/12/2025 06:48

I love mine. I'm post menopausal and still have "energy surges" at night, so mine is the thinnest - 4.5 tog. If I do ever feel cold I just throw a fleecy blanket over it. Mine is king size but fits the machine and dryer easily, though if I wash it first thing, it'll dry over the bannister by evening.

Upholstery · 23/12/2025 06:38

Aren't these just what we used to call continental quilts, rebranded? We all switched to duvets in the 1980s because it was so much easier than fannying on with sheets and quilts, especially as domestic washing machines have drums too small to let them move properly. Amazing that they're being touted as a marvellous new invention. And that they've caught on! I wouldn't have thought there was much call, beyond for people with specific disabilities that make them unable to handle/wash duvet covers but still able to handle/wash entire quilts.

Imdunfer · 23/12/2025 06:16

Moortown · 23/12/2025 01:41

Seems that some people love them but a lot of people agree they’re pointless 🤣. Things I didn’t love about it (apart from it being a day trip to get it clean) are the 100% polyester bit, and also hard to explain but it doesn’t mould around you the way a normal duvet with a cover does, so you end up with chilly air inlets around you.

I will go back to the old school way and never moan about changing a duvet cover again.

And to the poster who said I can’t send it back, yes I can, the return has already been agreed by Amazon. I doubt the return of my £30 duvet is going to ruin Jeff’s Christmas, so I won’t feel too bad about it. And at least it’s clean (at great expense).

Jeff won't be paying, every other Amazon customer will. What you did was both morally and physically disgusting. Do you buy clothes, wear them for a party, wash them and send them back too?

gerispringer · 23/12/2025 04:52

i love my real linen sheets and duvet covers, and despite having frozen shoulders I’d rather change the covers than washing a duvet every week. The covers I buy have little ties in the corners do you can attach it to the duvet and it makes changing simple.

Changename12 · 23/12/2025 04:32

For people who have disabilities or trouble changing your duvet cover, try using the burrito method. Google it.
I could not be bothered washing my duvet every time I changed the sheets.ie every week.

MungoforPresident · 23/12/2025 04:07

Moortown · 22/12/2025 16:41

I hate changing duvet covers so I thought I’d treat myself to a machine washable coverless duvet. I went for one made by silentnight. It’s king size.

It needed to be washed today, so I tried to put it in the machine. I couldn’t even get half of it in, so ended up having to drive 7 miles to the nearest launderette, paying nearly £20 to wash and dry it, the whole exercise taking over 2 hours of my day. It would have been a lot easier to just put a duvet cover on!

It’s a 10.5 tog one, so silly me just assumed that it would fit in the machine as my regular duvet is also 10.5 tog and fits in easily. So it can be done, but for whatever reason they decided to make these ‘washable’ ones far too big to fit into anything except a giant washing machine, that no regular household possesses.

I’m sending it back as it’s not fit for purpose.

AIBU to think this is a major design flaw?

I use coverless ones as I can't sleep with a regular duvet and cover; they are too cumbersome and I get so hot, even in the lightest ones. It's the fact there are 4 layers of fabric as well as the inner.

I also have the washing issue but I have a huge bath and plonk them in there, and wash oldfashioned style with a big prodder! I use a floorstanding loo roll holder which has 4 prongs for feet, so is long and perfect for giving the duvets a good pummeling!

I add washing liquid to the water. They come out beautiful and dry super fast; I can wash it and have it back on the bed inside a day. It sounds like hard work to wash it in the big bath but it is good exercise and relatively infrequent!

FiveShelties · 23/12/2025 04:01

Moortown · 22/12/2025 16:56

Well in my case, 3 nights before the dog was sick on it.

Show quote history

You can't send it back now.

Original poster
Moortown · 23/12/2025 03:11

Firefly1987 · 23/12/2025 03:04

@Moortown but everyone else is saying it fits in their washing machine just fine. And you did get rid of it. It's just going to go to waste now anyway as presumably the retailer can't sell it on as it's no longer new it's second hand, had sick on it and been washed. But it just reminds me why I sometimes wash new duvets because you can never be too sure what some manky people have been doing on them and then returned. Luckily for me they fit in my washing machine.

The people saying that are generally the people who have the Night Lark brand. Mine is Silentnight, and trust me that doesn’t fit. Why on earth would I have gone to a launderette to wash it if it did? Also, the one that was already in the machine was a Slumberdown one, that didn’t fit in anything except a huge machine either. I had a sympathetic chat with the owner of that one about what a waste of time they are.

No it won’t be sold on, the same as anything else returned to Amazon. Are you honestly saying that every time you get a new duvet, rolled up in a sealed packet, that you wash it in case it’s been previously used? 🤣

OP posts:
CalmShaker · 23/12/2025 03:10

I agree and actually 'like' changing duvet cover often rather the wash the whole thing. I also like a very thick duvet which would never fit in machine.

HOWEVER, I can see there is a place for cover less. My elderly neighbour recently tried to change theirs and somehow managed to get trapped inside cover alongwith the duvet and spent 5 hours rolling around and eventually came crashing down the stairs and broke their hip. An air ambulance was called and it was awful

Firefly1987 · 23/12/2025 03:04

@Moortown but everyone else is saying it fits in their washing machine just fine. And you did get rid of it. It's just going to go to waste now anyway as presumably the retailer can't sell it on as it's no longer new it's second hand, had sick on it and been washed. But it just reminds me why I sometimes wash new duvets because you can never be too sure what some manky people have been doing on them and then returned. Luckily for me they fit in my washing machine.

Original poster
Moortown · 23/12/2025 02:47

Firefly1987 · 23/12/2025 02:38

I think you just didn't want it anymore after your dog was sick on it and thought you'd chance getting a new one. Neither that or your small washing machine is Amazon's fault.

Yes you’re right, it actually fitted in my machine no problem and I thought I’d spend half of my Christmas week Monday going to a launderette for the LOLs.

What a daft comment. I have 2 dogs and 2 cats, if I got rid of everything that had been peed/puked/shat on at some stage, I’d have no textiles left in my house. Washing machines are wonderful inventions (if things fit in them). My washing machine is not ‘small’, it’s a perfectly normal sized washing machine.

Oh, and I don’t want a new one. They’re shit.

OP posts:
Firefly1987 · 23/12/2025 02:38

I think you just didn't want it anymore after your dog was sick on it and thought you'd chance getting a new one. Neither that or your small washing machine is Amazon's fault.

Original poster
Moortown · 23/12/2025 01:41

Seems that some people love them but a lot of people agree they’re pointless 🤣. Things I didn’t love about it (apart from it being a day trip to get it clean) are the 100% polyester bit, and also hard to explain but it doesn’t mould around you the way a normal duvet with a cover does, so you end up with chilly air inlets around you.

I will go back to the old school way and never moan about changing a duvet cover again.

And to the poster who said I can’t send it back, yes I can, the return has already been agreed by Amazon. I doubt the return of my £30 duvet is going to ruin Jeff’s Christmas, so I won’t feel too bad about it. And at least it’s clean (at great expense).

OP posts:
itbemay1 · 22/12/2025 22:54

Yup! Have bought 2 and ended up giving both to the dog shelter.

OnTheBoardwalk · 22/12/2025 22:14

My 8kg machine means if i put the covers etc in it at once and try to start it doesn’t . I press it again and it does my king bed covers

there is no way it would cope with with a king sized duvet

i would never ever never use a commercial machine at a supermarket. I know when and how the local taxi service use then

PixellatedPixie · 22/12/2025 22:09

I have them for the kid and adult beds and the biggest ones fit into my normal sized washing machine with space for pillow cases etc Mine are Night Lark.

Funkytuna · 22/12/2025 22:03

My ND child has one after years of him struggling with different bedding, this actually works well for him/us. 10.5 tog, cotton and I can wash it and hang dry it inside in about 6 hours. No complaints here and he finally has a comfortable sleep.

LilyBunch25 · 22/12/2025 21:57

We wash our king size one from Dunelm in 9kg washing machine no issues at all.

freakingscared · 22/12/2025 21:41

How big is your washing machine and your tumble dryer ? I have no issue with our 3 king size ones but my machines are 11kg ones

Borborygmus · 22/12/2025 21:40

I'm amazed that anyone manages to fit a 10.5 tog king size duvet in a washing machine. There's absolutely no way my old (non-coverless) one would fit in my 9kg machine. Hence why I've just replaced it with one that splits into two halves that can each be washed separately.

rwalker · 22/12/2025 21:38

A quick google does say it needs to be 10kg+ washing machine

CloverPyramid · 22/12/2025 21:28

We have king sized ones that fit into our washing machine. No issues at all, and I love not having to do the duvet covers anymore.

Obviously if you have to drive them to the launderette every time to wash them, you shouldn’t have them.

REDB99 · 22/12/2025 21:25

I’ve got king size night owl ones that are 10.5 tog, they fit in my washing machine and dry in a few hours. I wash them every 7-10 days. I’d never go back to duvet covers.

CalzoneOnLegs · 22/12/2025 21:21

I imagine that they dry quickly because they are totally synthetic

Imdunfer · 22/12/2025 21:18

Minjou · 22/12/2025 21:04

But surely they'd equally struggle with the regular washing and drying of the duvet?

Show quote history

It's not the same action at all to bundle a coverless up and stuff it in a machine. There also a huge difference between the amount of arm action you have to use to flick a displaced duvet flat inside it's cover on the bed and a coverless.

They are obviously marmite bed covering and I'm not sure why there is such an effort being made by some posters who don't want them to tell the coverless lovers that they really don't need them. Horses for courses.