A duvet cover is a removable fabric bag that goes over a duvet, the way a pillowcase goes over a pillow. It keeps the duvet clean, comes off for washing as often as your sheets, and is the part of the bed you see. A duvet cover set is the cover plus matching pillowcases. Ours have 1 pillowcase with a single and 2 with a double, king, super king or emperor. The duvet itself and the fitted sheet aren't part of the set. Here's what you get at each size, and which cover fits which duvet.
| Set size | Cover size | Fits duvet | Pillowcases | Pillowcase size | Price from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single | 137 x 200 cm | 135 x 200 cm | 1 | 54 x 77 cm | £26.99 |
| Double | 204 x 204 cm | 200 x 200 cm | 2 | 54 x 77 cm | £30.99 |
| King | 235 x 225 cm | 225 x 220 cm | 2 | 54 x 77 cm | £34.99 |
| Super king | 265 x 225 cm | 260 x 220 cm | 2 | 54 x 77 cm | £38.99 |
| Emperor | 290 x 235 cm | 290 x 235 cm | 2 | 54 x 77 cm | £42.99 |
Each cover is a few centimetres bigger than the duvet it's made for, so the duvet slides in without straining the seams. The emperor cover is made to the same 290 x 235 cm as an emperor duvet.
What is a duvet cover for?
A duvet cover protects the duvet and gives you a layer you can take off and wash. The duvet stays inside, clean, and needs washing far less often. The cover also sets the look of the bed, since it's the biggest piece of fabric in the room.
Duvets were uncommon in Britain until the 1960s. Wikipedia reports that Terence Conran sold them through his Habitat shop in London from 1964, as a simpler way to make a bed than a top sheet and blankets. A duvet in a washable cover replaced both.
Does a duvet cover set include the duvet?
No, a duvet cover set doesn't include the duvet. You get the cover and its pillowcases, and the duvet (the filled quilt that goes inside) is bought on its own.
If you need a duvet too, our microfibre duvet is filled with hollowfibre, comes in single to super king and in warmth ratings from 1 to 15 tog, from £15.99.
How many pillowcases come with a single duvet cover set?
A single duvet cover set comes with 1 pillowcase, because a single bed sleeps one. Our double, king, super king and emperor sets each come with 2 pillowcases. All of them are 54 x 77 cm.
If you sleep on two pillows in a single bed, add a plain pack: our plain pillowcases come in pairs at 48 x 74 cm, in 6 colours, at £7.99.
Does a duvet cover set include a fitted sheet?
No, our duvet cover sets don't include a fitted sheet. The set covers the duvet and the pillows, and the fitted sheet that goes over the mattress is sold on its own, in the size of your mattress rather than your duvet.
Some bedding sets abroad do. Wikipedia notes that in China a four-piece set is a duvet cover, two pillowcases and a fitted or flat sheet. In our range, the extra deep fitted sheet is a separate buy, in brushed microfibre with a 40 cm pocket, single to super king, from £8.99.
What's the difference between a duvet, a duvet cover and a flat sheet?
A duvet is the filled quilt that keeps you warm. A duvet cover is the fabric bag it goes into. A flat sheet is a single layer of fabric with no elastic, tucked under the mattress or used as a top sheet between you and the bedding.
| Item | What it is | Where it goes |
|---|---|---|
| Duvet | Filled quilt, rated in tog for warmth | Inside the duvet cover |
| Duvet cover | Fabric bag that closes round the duvet | Over the duvet |
| Flat sheet | Plain sheet, no elastic | Under the mattress, or as a top sheet |
| Fitted sheet | Sheet with elasticated corners | Over the mattress |
Our guide to the correct order of bedding layers shows where each one sits on a made bed.
Do you need a top sheet with a duvet cover?
No, you don't need a top sheet with a duvet cover. The cover is the layer that touches you, and it comes off to wash as often as the bottom sheet. You can still use a top sheet if you like one, and it means the cover needs washing less often.
Sleep Foundation suggests washing sheets once a week and duvet covers every 2 weeks to a month. If you skip the top sheet, the cover is the layer touching you, so put it in with your weekly sheet wash.
What size duvet cover do you need?
Buy the duvet cover that matches your duvet size, not your bed size. A double duvet needs a double cover, even on a king bed. The table above pairs each of our covers with the duvet it fits.
UK duvets run from 135 x 200 cm for a single to 290 x 235 cm for an emperor. King duvets vary a little between makers, so measure yours if it isn't a standard size. Our chart of UK duvet sizes in cm lists each size with the bed it fits.
What size are the pillowcases in a duvet cover set?
The pillowcases in our duvet cover sets are 54 x 77 cm. That's roomy enough for a standard UK pillow of 48 x 74 cm, which usually takes a 50 x 75 cm case, with a little extra space for a thick or plump pillow.
A king pillow at 48 x 90 cm needs a longer case. Our guide to UK pillow sizes matches each pillow to its case.
How does a duvet cover fasten?
Our duvet covers fasten with snap buttons across the opening. Other makers use a zip, sewn buttons or an envelope flap. Any of them stops the duvet working its way out in the night.
Our guide to zip vs button duvet covers compares them for speed and washing.
What is our duvet cover made of?
Our duvet covers are 100% polyester microfibre, designed and made in the UK, and machine washable. Most have the print on the front and a plain white back, and a few are reversible with a design on both sides. Our guides compare microfibre and cotton duvet covers, explain what a 3D printed duvet cover is and show the reversible duvet covers.
Which duvet cover sets do we sell?
Our duvet cover sets come in single, double, king, super king and emperor, from £26.99 for a single to £42.99 for an emperor. Each set is a duvet cover with 1 or 2 matching pillowcases, in prints from plaid and gingham to florals and stripes, and they're only sold at adamhome.co.uk.
The stripe designs include Teal Rust Folk Stripe, Charcoal Grey Stripe, Dove Grey Dot Stripe, Mauve Houndstooth Stripe, Mustard Yellow Stripe, Blush Duck Egg Washed Stripe, Mona Stripe and Plum Caramel Washed Stripe. For geometric prints there's Taupe Diamond Trellis and Cream Rose Retro Geometric, and Black and White Bandana Patchwork is one of the patchwork sets.
Written by the Adam Home team in the UK.
