Duvet cover closures

[WaitroseEssentialPancetta]

I want to buy some of these duvet covers www.mitreforhome.com/products/bedrooms/bed-linen/egyptian/#.Vfw2bPlVhBc but I don't understand the closures they're using.

The site says 'Note on Duvet Covers: Our duvet covers have an open end with bar tack fastening. The duvet slides in between these bar tacks to give an exceptional finish during ironing.'

Firstly, lol at ironing it. But what's a bar tack fastening? I rang them and the woman said you tuck it under the mattress like in the picture. That sounds rubbish?

They don't have press studs or buttons. A bar tack is a strong row of close together stitches - a bit like the longer side of a buttonhole - so the opening won't be the full width of the duvet cover. It sounds as though there may be a flap that tucks under the mattress from what you've been told.

Lots of hotels use duvet covers with no fastenings.

Thank you. Have you tried one? She said the duvet doesn't come out but it must?

IME in hotels it doesn't matter if they're not closed at the bottom because they tuck it under the mattress which is horrible because you can't like poke your feet out

Really common in the country I live in. It took a bit of getting used to. You have to tuck the duvet in at the bottom of the bed. But it works fine.

If you didn't tuck the duvet in it would look rubbish, the duvet cover is generally much longer than the duvet and it just hangs open. In other words it has no fastening!

If you don't mind the swaddling feeling it'll be fine, wouldn't work for me though.

I hate these in hotels. The duvet does fall out for me.

Is it like a narrower tube coming off the bottom of the duvet?

Hi Waitrose - I don't understand what you mean by a narrower tube. But if you think about the opening on the duvet cover - it will probably be about 2/3 of the total width of the cover. The fabric will lie so there is a flap under the free edge when the duvet is in the cover, a bit like a housewife pillow case (I am guessing, based on what I've seen in hotels and their description). In theory the duvet should be securely in the cover. Their double duvet covers in that range are 213x213cm. A standard size duvet cover is 200x200cm so there is extra fabric for tucking under the mattress or hanging over the foot of the bed.