When spring finally rolls around and starts to make our days lighter and brighter, we tend to forget the single most frustrating thing that goes hand in hand with the warmer weather until it hits us square in the face. That’s right, we’re talking about allergies.
Whether you’re a seasonal sufferer or struggle with allergy symptoms all year-round, you’re probably already familiar with the many remedies and potions available over the counter at your local pharmacy, designed to help combat everything from sinus pressure to runny noses. Pollen wipes, antihistamines and Sudafed, however, can only do so much during the day – and they certainly won’t relieve your symptoms at night.
“But I’m not exposed to pollen during the night!” we hear you exclaim. What if we told you about a recent study commissioned by bedding retailer Woolroom, which uncovered that 43 per cent of the public are unaware of the fact that agitating fibres such as feather/down, microfibre and polyester can affect their allergy symptoms? Likewise, according to Allergy UK, over 60 per cent of the UK population (approximately 41m people), suffer from a form of allergy – whether aware of it or not.
Fear not, for there’s a simple way for you to experience a great night’s sleep despite those pesky allergies. The answer is anti-allergy bedding. There are various pillows and sheets that do the trick, but we’re going to focus on duvets.
What is anti-allergy bedding?
Designed to keep allergens such as pollen and dust mites away, anti-allergy bedding is made from tightly woven, moisture-wicking and antimicrobial fabrics to reduce symptoms and improve your quality of sleep.
The most common materials used to produce anti-allergy bedding include organic cotton, bamboo, wool and microfibres.
What material should I look for in anti-allergy bedding?
- Organic cotton: a fantastic choice for those with sensitive skin, organic cotton is pesticide free, hypoallergenic, pigment-free and therefore void of any harmful finishing chemicals such as bleach and formaldehyde. Though hypoallergenic duvets won’t be filled with cotton alone, they are often encased in organic cotton for extra protection against allergens.
- Natural bamboo: another material produced without the addition of any harmful chemicals, bamboo fibres are naturally smooth and round which causes far less irritation to the skin. Though strong and durable, bamboo is also moisture-wicking and breathable – making it a suitable material for those with contact allergies that are exacerbated by sweat.
- Microfibre: tightly woven and designed to keep all those pesky dust mites and airborne allergens out, microfibre is a go-to choice for seasonal allergy sufferers. Despite the compact nature of the fibres, microfiber is also light and breathable. However, it’s worth noting that hot sleepers might find they trap more body heat than other materials.
- Wool: naturally hypoallergenic, wool repels dust mites and fungal spores by maintaining a dry environment. Wool is also known to help regulate your temperature during the night, making it a fantastic investment for allergy-free sleep all year round, no matter the season.
Keep scrolling for a selection of the best anti-allergy duvets on the market for your best night’s sleep yet.
Best anti-allergy duvets at a glance:
- Best for skin sensitivities: Panda Cloud Duvet - £116.96, Panda London
- Best for asthma sufferers: The Fine Bedding Company Allergy Defence Duvet - £57.50, The Fine Bedding Company
- Best for luxury down feeling: 9 Tog Soft As Down Microfibre Double Duvet Soak & Sleep - £48, Soak & Sleep
- Best for value for money: Sealy Anti Allergy Hollowfibre 10.5 Tog Duvet - £51, Argos
- Best for thermoregulated and allergy-free sleep all year round: Chatsworth Collection Washable Wool Duvet – Medium - £111.99, Woolroom
- Best for high-quality craftsmanship: Piglet in Bed Merino Wool Duvet - £127.20, Piglet in Bed
Natural Bamboo
Panda Cloud Duvet
Best for: skin sensitivities
Tog: 10.5
Warm and cosy in the winter yet ultra-breathable in the summer, bamboo bedding is not only thermoregulating, but it is a fantastic option for those who suffer from skin sensitivity, contact dermatitis and eczema. As Panda puts it, they’ve managed to magically ‘recreate the down feather feeling without taking any birds out of the sky,’ and – importantly – without triggering allergies.
The Cloud Duvet filling is made from a blend of 50 per cent bamboo and 50 per cent Nano-Microfibre (which is made from recycled water bottles) – but the duvet’s finish is 100 per cent bamboo. This gives it the hypoallergenic quality but it’s machine-washable and quick-drying too. Additionally, Panda London uses sustainably sourced, organically grown bamboo – so you can be sure you’re being as kind to the environment as you are to your body.
Buy now £116.96, Panda London
Microfibre and hollowfibre
Allergy Defence Duvet
Best for: asthma sufferers
Tog: 4.5, 10.5, 13.5
The allergy defence collection from The Fine Bedding Company employs an Allergy UK-approved textile treatment known as HeiQ Allergen Tech to combat common household allergens such as pet dander and dust mites through an innovative probiotic textile technology which ‘cleans-up’ the pesky substances. According to Allergy UK, the probiotics colonize textile surfaces with good bacteria to reduce the presence of airborne allergens on bedding.
Manufactured from 100 per cent biological materials, the ultra-soft microfibre fabric not only breaks down and cleans away allergens, but the tightly woven fabric stops any straggling inanimate allergens from burrowing into your duvet. Complete the set with the allergy defence pillow, pillow protectors and a mattress protector.
Buy now £57.50, The Fine Bedding Company
9 Tog Soft As Down Microfibre Double Duvet Soak & Sleep
Best for: luxury down feeling
Tog: 9
Beloved for feeling remarkably like traditional down, allergy sufferers will rejoice for this sumptuously soft hypoallergenic duvet from Soak & Sleep. A mid-weight option that will ensure blissful sleep all year round, this duvet has a 100 per cent microfibre filling and a pure cotton casing for supreme comfort.
Buy now £48.00, Soak & Sleep
Sealy Anti Allergy Hollowfibre 10.5 Tog Duvet
Best for: value for money
Tog: 10.5
One of the more value for money anti-allergy bedding options out there, Sealy’s hollowfibre duvet protects against bacteria and common allergens to keep your bed fresh, hygienic and dust-free for longer.
Though breathable, lightweight and hypoallergenic, hollowfibre is made up of finer, hollow strands of polyester. This means that it is not as likely to prevent 100 per cent of allergens from becoming trapped between fibres. Plus, due to the fact that this duvet is made from 100 per cent polyester, we wouldn’t recommend this product to sufferers of contact dermatitis and eczema.
Buy now £51.00, Argos
Wool
Chatsworth Collection Washable Wool Duvet – Medium
Best for: thermoregulated and allergy-free sleep all year round
Tog: 7-10 equivalent
This medium-weight, 7-10 tog duvet has been crafted from the softest British wool and certified organic cotton. As part of the Chatsworth collection, all the wool used in this bedding is sourced from the Chatsworth Estate through a sustainable, traceable wool program.
Though machine washable for easy care, all Woolroom bedding holds the Allergy UK seal of approval, so you won’t have to put extra strain on your pocket and the environment through those repeated extra-hot washes to flush out pesky allergens and dust mites.
If after your 30-night sleep trial you can’t get enough of anti-allergy wool bedding, you can also purchase a set of pillows and an extra cosy mattress topper from the same collection.
Buy now £111.99, Woolroom
Merino Wool Duvet
Best for: high-quality craftsmanship
Tog: choice between 4-6 (lighter) or 8-10 (warmer) equivalent
Piglet in Bed is dedicated to producing high-quality, naturally hypoallergenic bedding made from all-natural materials with absolutely zero nasty chemicals included in the production process. This merino wool duvet is one of the brand’s best-sellers thanks to the thermoregulating and sustainably sourced merino wool, which is encased in 100 per cent organic cotton.
What’s more, on a practical note, this duvet also comes with functional corner loops for easy sheet changing.
Buy now £127.22, Piglet in Bed
