Category Archives: duvet inserts

Recently updated on March 9th, 2023 at 04:27 am

Editor’s Note: This post contains affiliate links, which means I receive a commission if you make a purchase using these links. For full details visit the disclosures page.

It’s rare that a duvet will keep you at an ideal temperature year-round. This is especially true in colder climates. And even if you do find a duvet insert with multiple layers you can swap out, chances are if you sleep with a partner, they probably sleep warmer or cooler than you. Enter the Apollo Duvet from Ministry of Supply. Ministry of Supply was founded in 2012 by two MIT students with the goal of using science to create more comfortable clothing and textiles. The Apollo Duvet is an innovative take on an age-old piece of fabric we sleep with every night.  This duvet inset attempts to provide more customization for temperature control for each side of the bed. While this duvet insert certainly isn’t cheap at $358 for a queen size, it is worth a try.

Ordering Unboxing the Apollo Climate Control Duvet

I was given a free queen-size duvet for review by the Ministry of Supply. It arrived in a box a little bigger than the bag below. The bag can be reused for storage or for other purposes. I was impressed with the packaging and thought put into the design. Shipping is relatively fast and should arrive about a week after placing your order. This duvet comes with a 100-day trial. If you don’t like it, it’s a free return and you will get store credit instead of a refund. I would prefer a full refund but there are plenty of cool things to choose from in the store and chances are you will probably keep the duvet anyways.

Construction of the Apollo Duvet

Below are the construction details of the Apollo Duvet as listed on their website. What sets this duvet apart from most duvets on the market is the Phase Change Material. If you are at all familiar with new mattresses, most of them will have a phase change material on their cover. This is makes the fabric cool to the touch and will help draw out heat to keep you cool. Of course, it will eventually reach a saturation point until it cools down again but it feels great and should help you fall asleep a little faster and keep you asleep.

• NASA-derived temperature regulating Phase Change Material
• Dual-layer modular insulation system supports two simultaneous weights
• Tonal snaps for easy alignment
• Made of hypoallergenic materials
• Storage bag included; duvet cover not included
• Duvet weighs 6lb 1oz; extra panels weigh 3lb 2oz each
• 200 GSM duvet + two extra 150 GSM panels
• Shell: 55% TENCEL™ Lyocell, 45% Cotton
• Fill: 70% Recycled Polyester (GRS), 30% Outlast PCM Viscose
• Made by Staroon Textile Co., Ltd. (Zhejiang, CN)

• Dimensions: 90″ x 92″ (extra panels are 45″ x 92″)
• Comfortably fits Queen and Full sized beds
• Additional panels can double as individual Twin-sized duvets

My Ministry of Supply Apollo Duvet Findings and Recommendation

Out of the bag, the duvet is neatly rolled up. Good luck getting it back in that bag, it was hard enough getting it out.

There are some neat details with this duvet that I haven’t seen elsewhere such as this little diagram illustrating how the duvet works. Come to think of it, this would be an ideal duvet for guests. You never know how they set their thermostat at night and they could be sleeping much hotter or colder than you, especially if they are on a different floor of the house. By empowering them to adjust the thickness of the duvet and providing more temperature regulation, they should sleep much better!

Here’s what the duvet looks like right out of the box and unrolled. Notice that there are two distinct sides. This duvet is on a queen size bed. It comes with the second layers fully attached which is what I would recommend starting with. I would also highly recommend putting this in a duvet cover to keep it clean. While it can be machine washed, it’s much more of a hassle to wash the insert rather than the cover.

The perimeter of the duvet has snap buttons while the inside attachments use the buttons below. My guess is that these types of buttons on the inside of the duvet are less noticeable while you are sleeping. The tradeoff is that they are slightly more cumbersome to attach but they are needed to keep each side together.

The snap buttons are well made and look great with more of a mat finish.

Aside from the instruction diagram, there is also a care tag stitched on all four sides to the outside of the duvet. It’s a minor detail but one that I appreciate as I hate having those tax hanging off the end of my duvet. I normally rip them off then lose the care instructions.

Final Thoughts on the Ministry of Supply Duvet

This duvet is a summer and winter duvet in one. Instead of buying two duvets you can buy this one that, for the money, will basically be the same value as two of your other duvets. I phase change material is subtle but does work and every advantage I can get for sleeping better at night, I’ll take. This is definitely worth the investment, I just wish it came in a king size.

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Recently updated on March 7th, 2023 at 11:55 am

Editor’s Note: This post contains affiliate links, which means I receive a commission if you make a purchase using these links. For full details visit the disclosures page.

I’m a big fan of silk duvet inserts. What sets them apart from down or down alternative duvet inserts is that a quality silk duvet will last decades. The Kailu silk comforter is made with raw silk that is hand-stretched to provide consistent comfort throughout. You can also choose between a single and dual-core set. If you live in a warmer climate the single core is your best option while people living in northern states will want to go with the dual-core. The Kailu comforter is certainly not the cheapest-priced comforter but in terms of quality, feel, temperature regulation and durability, it’s way ahead of the pack.

Overview of the Kailu Silk Comforter

Kailu was founded in 2018 by LiLi Tan, an Emmy-winning journalist and former magazine editor. Kailu is Mandarin for “Open Road.” The name is inspired by Kailushen, a Chinese god (shen) who removes barriers and clears the way. Its mission is:

“…to open the road for those who are curious about the world, ready to explore new ideas and discover new experiences, and desirous of meaningful goods that benefit others and themselves.”

The Kailu silk products are handmade in the Yangtze River Delta which has a long history of handmade bedding. It’s clear that a lot of thought and craftsmanship has gone into this product. Here’s a video overview I made of the comforter. For this review, I received a dual-core set, emperor size.

Construction of the Kailu Silk Comforter

Here are the construction details as of this writing.

RAW SILK CORE(S)

• 100% long-strand mulberry silk fill
• 100% cotton fabric casing
• Allergy resistant / dust-mite free
• Naturally temperature regulating
• Supremely breathable
• Includes 8+ ties to correspond with duvet cover
• Hidden zipper closure

DUVET COVER

• 100% cotton
• Sateen fabric: classic 4 over 1 sateen weave using cotton yarn in both warp and weft, elegant drape, slight sheen
• White fabric, with choice of white or black piping
• Perfectly fitted to raw silk cores to prevent gaping and bunching
• Includes 8+ ties to keep raw silk cores in place
• Hidden zipper closure

Proudly handmade in China. Designed in San Francisco. 

My Kailu Duvet Findings

A lot of detail has gone into creating this product. Even the packaging is something you will want to hold on to. You can use it to store comforter or if you go with the dual core option, you can store one of the cores during the summer months when you don’t need two.

I have been sleeping on my Kailu comforter for over two months now and I am extremely happy with it. If you have never slept with a silk comforter, the first thing you will notice is that it hugs your body. There are no dead spaces that you may find with a down comforter. This makes silk comforters extra cozy and provides a consistent temperature throughout the night. Additionally, the silk doesn’t make me too hot or too cold. I have been using a single layer all summer. I may add the second core this winter but being in San Diego right now, our house doesn’t really get that cold.

The comforter has 8 ties to secure the duvet cover. Most comforters I receive only have 4, or one for each corner. The extra ties in the middle of the comforter ensure that the comforter lays evenly across your bed on won’t get scrunched up overnight. It’s a small but important detail that that makes for a neater bed.

If you have a king size bed, I strongly recommend going with the emperor size.

Queen: 86 in. x 86 in.
King: 94 in. x 104 in.
Emperor: 98 in. x 110 in.

I like having the duvet drape over my bed and it keeps me and my wife from fighting over the bedding.

Quality silk comforters are hard to come by and you definitely get what you pay for here. You get more silk and an included duvet cover. I have done a lot of traveling this past summer and it has been so nice to come home to a bed with this type of bedding. Once you go silk, it will be hard to go back to any other textile.

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Recently updated on February 21st, 2023 at 06:22 am

Editor’s Note: This post contains affiliate links, which means I receive a commission if you make a purchase using these links. For full details visit the disclosures page.

I received a king size lightweight Avocado alpaca duvet insert for review. This is the first alpaca duvet insert I have tried and after sleeping with it for over a week, I have noticed some significant advantages over a down or down alternative duvet insert. Although this is expensive, at $479 for a king sie lightweight, it is not overly thick and lays on the mattress neatly. It also does a phenomenal job of regulating temperature throughout the night. Avocado is best known for their all-natural mattress but they have expanded their offering of products to outfit your whole bedroom.

Ordering the Avocado Alpaca Duvet

You can order this exclusively through the Avocado website. They occasionally have discounts and they can be found on the website at checkout. It will arrive in a nondescript box and you will get tracking. These ship fast as they are normally in stock. As you can see below the are wrapped in plastic to stay clean and tied together with cloth ribbons.

Construction of the Avocado Alpaca Duvet

Below are the details on the duvet insert as listed on the Avocado website.

Dimensions

Twin Lightweight: 91″ x 70″ | 5.5 lbs
Full/Queen Lightweight: 96″ x 92″ | 7.6 lbs
King/California King Lightweight: 107″ x 96″ | 8 lbs
Twin All Season: 91″ x 70″ | 6.2 lbs
Full/Queen All Season: 96″ x 92″ | 8.6 lbs
King/California King All Season: 107″ x 96″ | 10.5 lbs

Materials

Alpaca fiber is renowned in the textile industry for its unparalleled sophistication. It has the delicate texture of cashmere, the luster of silk, and the functionality of sheep’s wool. It’s lightweight, temperature and moisture regulating, flame resistant, and antimicrobial. And we fill our Alpaca Duvet Insert with 100% Peruvian alpaca fiber. Our lightweight Alpaca Duvet Insert has 2,100 grams of 28-30 micron alpaca fiber. Our 4 season version has 2,800 grams of 28-30 micron alpaca fiber. To enclose the fiber, we stitch a layer of 100% GOTS organic certified cotton percale. We recommend a duvet cover — our Alpaca Duvet Insert pairs perfectly with our Organic Linen Duvet Cover and our Organic Cotton Duvet Cover.

Certifications

The Global Organic Textile Standards (GOTS) is the worldwide leading textile processing standard for organic fibers, including ecological and social criteria, backed up by independent certification of the entire textile supply chain. Standard 100 by OEKO-TEX®, certified by Hohenstein #18.HUS.40240. This ensures this product has passed strict testing for banned chemicals and harmful substances.

How Much Does the Avocado Alpaca Duvet Cost?

Here are the most recent prices before any discounts.

My Avocado Alpaca Duvet Insert Findings and Recommendation

The first thing I noticed about this duvet insert is that it didn’t smell. That’s because there’s no synthetic material. It’s basically just alpaca with an organic cotton cover. Once you unravel it, you will find large loops for your duvet ties at each corner.

Here’s the law tag showing exactly what it is made of and where it is made. The alpaca is imported from Peru.

Here’s a photo of it on my king size bed, right out of the box. Normally, I will wash my duvet first if it is made of synthetic materials but this one cannot be washed, they do not recommend dry cleaning either. Instead, to freshen it up you should air it out in the sun. I know that may not be practical for everyone so if you do commit to purchasing an alpaca duvet insert, make sure you are always using a duvet cover and be mindful about eating or drinking in bed!

The duvet is stitched into squares to keep the alpaca filling from shifting to one part of the duvet insert. This is not a fluffy duvet like a down duvet would be. It feels more like a thick blanket.

If you are on the fence about whether or not to get the lightweight or all season, I would recommend the lightweight for people that live in predominantly warmer areas. If you live in the upper midwest, pacific northwest or northeast, definitely get the all season. Here’s a picture to give you an idea of thickness.

Overall, I really enjoy my alpaca duvet. It regulates temperature better than any synthetic material I have tried and is more breathable than down. I don’t feel like kicking it off at night because I am too hot. It also keeps me warm enough but I would recommend going with the all-season if you keep your bedroom cooler than 65 degrees at night Chances are you are reading this review because you are committed to purchasing products that are made sustainably. You may also be drawn to this because you want a chemical-free bedroom. If you already have a natural mattress it only makes sense to add organic cotton sheets and a natural duvet insert like this one.

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