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Two single instead of one double duvet experiences, please.

(59 Posts)
SueDonim Mon 28-Aug-23 17:09:22

I’ve seen it suggested that it’s easier for bedchanging and personal comfort to have two single duvets instead of one double duvet on the bed. We’re currently trying this with summer-weight duvets but I’m not yet convinced!

I’m sure there will be Gransnetters who’ve tried this and I’d love your thoughts, please.

Dorrain Tue 29-Aug-23 09:12:55

My son runs hot while his wife feels the cold.

They converted to individual doonas/douvets a couple of years ago and have not looked back.

A simple and effective solution.

JackyB Tue 29-Aug-23 10:15:02

Yes, here in Germany the two single duvets is the norm. You have to really search for double duvets and covers if you want to buy one. Special offers are always only for 135 cm width, which is the standard single size.

I once read a hotel review from a German visiting Ireland who complained that there was only one double duvet on the hotel bed. They had never seen that before.

What puzzles me is that (again going back to the old days, before fitted sheets) German beds are far larger than British ones, but the sheets are ridiculously small and hardly reach under the mattresses. I have had sheets inherited from my mother and mother-in-law on the line together to verify this!

Back before the fall of the Berlin Wall, when the area where I live was still occupied by Americans. I was talking to an American lady who had moved here and was living "on the economy" (which means not on the US compounds, but in the local community). They had been given a handbook on how to behave to fit in with the locals and she was amused to read that you were supposed to hang your bed linen out to air in the morning, but on no account after 10 am. I wish I could see a copy of that now.

JackyB Tue 29-Aug-23 10:20:32

To answer your question, we have a double duvet at home but in hotels of course there are always the two singles. Happy with either, but then DH and I seem to have the same sensibilités when it comes to temperature. I do prefer the windows and shutters wide open at night, though, while he shuts both hermetically. Guess who wins out there.

The neatest way to make the beds is, as described, by folding the duvets in half across and laying them on the bed with the folds parallel to the side of the bed. Sometimes you even see them folded into thirds.

hollysteers Tue 29-Aug-23 10:37:22

We had the first continental quilt, my dad’s army overcoat thrown over the bed 😁

hollysteers Tue 29-Aug-23 10:43:55

Continental quilt with arms

Granny23 Tue 29-Aug-23 11:01:13

When my late DH and I needed a new bed we opted for two singles, + 2single duvets and a giant throw over both. = BLISS. No more him hogging the whole duvet or me, with RLS, kicking him where it hurt, but close enough for a cuddle or more. When DH developed dementia = restless sleep and incontinence, this arrangement meant we could remain together and only one side of the bed needed changing after 'accidents'

SueDonim Tue 29-Aug-23 12:31:18

Thank you for the range of answers. It’s interesting to hear what other people do. I won’t be using two double duvets - I’m trying to cut down on work, not expand it! 😂

Our house is generally warm so keeping cosy isn’t an issue, in fact me being too hot is a more likely scenario. After four nights, we’re getting better at not finding the quilts on the floor by morning and last night I didn’t get tangled up, either.

amazonia Tue 29-Aug-23 12:37:15

The Linen Cupboard do a small double (and the duvet covers in several colours) which is much nicer than a single and easier to change than a standard double. I use them in my holiday cottage on single beds to provide more coverage for an adult. In the summer I use them when the singles are zipped into a superking and the guests seem to like it that way.
They have lots of offers on this week.
linencupboard.co.uk/collections/small-double-duvets

Nagmad2016 Tue 29-Aug-23 12:38:05

We've been using two single sets of bedlinen for a while. It is much easier when washing/drying/ironing and making up the bed. We have a large double, made up of two separate mattresses (medium firmness and soft). It also helps to have your own tog rated duvet as I get very warm and often do not have a duvet at all, just a sheet and a throw. Makes sense to me.

ParlorGames Tue 29-Aug-23 12:41:57

We use single duvets and have done for some years. OH likes a higher Tog than I do and the smaller ones are so much easier to launder.
Having our own duvet does prevent that "tog-o-war" during the night too smile

AlysonH Tue 29-Aug-23 12:46:19

Works for us too. Husband likes a thicker, warmer duvet than me and doesn't want to change at the same time. Besides which he no longer turns over and takes the whole duvet with him...

Jens Tue 29-Aug-23 12:49:12

Lived in Germany for many years, had a husband who took the duvet with him when he turned. Result, one each, they were, are, I still have them, 2mx2m called french sized, solved the problem, also, I didn't need same weight, each to their own, mine was down his was silk. Worked well. Ok, Double laundry but marriage beds in Germany are effectively two single beds/mattresses, within a single frame. Each can be adjusted height wise, head or feet to your wish, and no rolling into the middle because mattress gone soft. Each has their own bed, individual taste and needs, slept very well. Married life great.

nipsmum Tue 29-Aug-23 12:50:20

For me, single bed, double duvet.

DutchDoll Tue 29-Aug-23 13:30:03

We have a 5' Tempur adjustable bed that we operate individually.
We have a 3' cotton jersey duvet each (1 tog M&S) for cooler weather we also have a 5' decorative duvet cover which we have a 5' duvet in. We have single mattress covers, bottom sheets and obviously a pillow case each. This makes it easy to make each bed and can be laundered for each of us separately. It's really comfortable and we've done this for the last 10+ years, since I needed an electric adjustable bed. It's bliss!

Greta Tue 29-Aug-23 14:07:28

My husband and I always had 2 single beds pushed together and a single duvet each. When he became ill and needed more space in the room we just removed one bed. In my opinion single items are much more practical.
What I found interesting when I first arrived in the UK was that many beds had a bedspread. I'm not sure that is still the case.

Sue162 Tue 29-Aug-23 14:15:19

My DH and I share a super king bed with separate mattresses. We have a single duvet cover each and really dislike sharing a double duvet when on holiday! (He hogs it!!!) grin

ForeverAutumn Tue 29-Aug-23 14:22:48

We lived in Germany for 6 years from 1977. A typical Germany double bed was a bed frame with 2 single mattresses, so not only did we have a single duvet each we also had our own mattress. Since then we have visited Germany whenever we can and in some hotels, usually the more traditional type, we still find individual mattresses in one frame with single mattresses, and in some places we had a 'normal ' double or king size bed.

RedRidingHood Tue 29-Aug-23 15:21:21

I've done this for years. I can have my thin cotton duvet all year round and DH can stay warm under as many togs as he likes.

I hate it when we are in a hotel and I have to share a hot duvet.

We travelled a lot in Germany, Austria and Holland in the 70s and they always had two single duvets on a bed. My Dutch friends used to throw them out of the window every day. You would see everyone in the street left their duvets handing out of dormer windows onto the roof.

Gundy Tue 29-Aug-23 16:01:14

Everyone should have their own duvet. I like to wrap myself up like I’m in a cocoon 😆, others like to have their feet free - and no one will steal your blankie.
USA Gundy

Mallin Tue 29-Aug-23 16:12:50

We are the only country in Europe where cheese isn’t normal for breakfast and a quilt each

icanhandthemback Tue 29-Aug-23 17:04:40

We did this and I loved it but the DH found his too small. At the time I was reluctant to go back to a single double duvet but our bed was over 6ft so he had a double and I had a single. Now we have a 5ft bed, I am forever finding myself sleeping with 2 duvets when he throws his into the middle of the bed which gets a bit hot.

Mollygo Tue 29-Aug-23 17:15:45

Mallin, are we the only country where breakfast doesn’t look like afternoon tea? The English and US guests went for the hot food option most days rather than cakes and chocolate mousse.

Romola Tue 29-Aug-23 17:58:22

Well, me and him, we stuck to a double duvet, much cuddlier wink

GrammaH Tue 29-Aug-23 18:10:39

We've got a superking bed with 2 pairs of single Night Owl coverless duvets - summer weight & winter weight. We love them, so snuggly & no duvet theft going in in the middle of the night! Love the coverless duvets too, no more wrestling with the awful covers!

cc Tue 29-Aug-23 18:17:19

I get really hot at night and usually sleep under just a sheet or a very thin duvet, my husband likes more weight, particularly in the winter. We solve this by him sleeping under a fairly lightweight single duvet with the main kingsize one on top. (We tried it the other way round but the smaller one kept on sliding off!).