# Duvets and Comforters **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 24, 2010, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/duvets-and-comforters/558223 "2010-10-24T22:30:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2010, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/duvets-and-comforters/558223/1 "2010-10-24T22:30:47Z")
What’s the difference between a duvet and a comforter? Why is there such a thing as a “duvet cover”, but apparently not a “comforter cover”? What happens if my cat throws up on the comforter/duvet (as he is wont to do on my current bedding)? ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2010, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/duvets-and-comforters/558223/2 "2010-10-25T13:46:57Z")
While the terms are somewhat interchangeable, a duvet tends to have down/feathers and is fairly flat (flatish ?? ). A comforter tends to be stuffed with various types of material and places an emphasis on keeping you warm (and is fluffier). However, a duvet is sometimes used to cover a comforter. ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2010, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/duvets-and-comforters/558223/3 "2010-10-25T14:33:48Z")
A duvet is not meant to be next to the skin and requires a cover. In many cases it is made of a material which is not washable, or not easy to wash, such as thick wool or down. A comfortor, while not usually used next to the skin (as most people prefer a topsheet), is made of washable materials such that a cover is not required. Hence, no such thing as a “comfortor cover.” ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2010, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/duvets-and-comforters/558223/4 "2010-10-25T15:07:12Z")
Thanks, HA. Can you wash a comforter? Somehow I can’t picture all those little feathers coming through the wash intact. ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2010, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/duvets-and-comforters/558223/5 "2010-10-25T15:12:55Z")
> [@jsc1953](#): > > Can you wash a comforter? Somehow I can’t picture all those little feathers coming through the wash intact. I think of anything containing down as a duvet because of the difficulty of washing. Although you can machine wash down, you need special soap and to fuss over it in the dryer, and it is never quite the same. If you don’t have a washable cover on your feather blanket – and you’ve never washed it – ummm… yeah that’s gross. A comfortor generally has synthetic or cotton fill. ---
**Author:** ![jasg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f0a364/32.png) [@jasg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasg)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2010, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/duvets-and-comforters/558223/6 "2010-10-25T15:15:10Z")
I am probably just slow because it took me a long time to work out how to put a duvet in a cover… Simply turn the cover inside out, lay it flat on the duvet, reach in from the bottom and grab the top corners of both the cover and duvet. Then pull the duvet into the cover, inverting the cover as you go. Clumsy but it works - if anyone has a better method, I’d love to hear it. ---
**Author:** ![naita](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naita/32/5862_2.png) [@naita](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/naita)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2010, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/duvets-and-comforters/558223/7 "2010-10-25T15:42:44Z")
> [@jasg](#): > > I am probably just slow because it took me a long time to work out how to put a duvet in a cover… > > Simply turn the cover inside out, lay it flat on the duvet, reach in from the bottom and grab the top corners of both the cover and duvet. Then pull the duvet into the cover, inverting the cover as you go. > > Clumsy but it works - if anyone has a better method, I’d love to hear it. Stuff duvet into cover, push pair of corners of duvet into corners of cover, grab and shake. Repeat with other pair of corners. Done. May be improved by not stuffing duvet in randomly. ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2010, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/duvets-and-comforters/558223/8 "2010-10-25T15:54:13Z")
If you make over $75,00 (US) a year it’s called a duvet. If you make between $30,000 - $74,999.99 (US) it’s called a comforter If you make between $10,000 - $29,999.99 it’s called a blanket If you make less than $10,000 it’s a cover And if you’re homeless in Minneapolis in December it’s called a god-send ---
**Author:** ![Rayne\_Man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df705f/32.png) [@Rayne\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rayne_Man)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2010, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/duvets-and-comforters/558223/9 "2010-10-25T18:47:41Z")
In the UK we don’t use the term comforter. “Our” duvets can have any type of filling. These can range from cheap (but washable) artificial fibres, right up to very expensive pure down. They all require removable covers. ---
**Author:** ![Shot\_From\_Guns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ccd318/32.png) [@Shot\_From\_Guns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shot_From_Guns)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2010, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/duvets-and-comforters/558223/10 "2010-10-25T21:40:16Z")
The distinction in my dialect is always quite distinct. They’re both intended as the top or heaviest layer of blanket, but a duvet has a removable cover and a comforter doesn’t. My bed has a comforter; my boyfriend’s has a duvet.