Six of the Best: Striped Duvet Covers

I have loved mattress ticking for as long as I can remember – and actually slept on it for years at boarding school – but when, a few years ago, I decided I wanted some for our bedroom there was none to be found. Suddenly now it’s everywhere though so I thought I would include some of the best examples that I have found. But I have done it in Do Less Harm style and that is how I plan to do these shopping features from now on.

Because everyone needs different things at different times and this is, essentially, a magazine to inspire you and help you find things for your home, it makes no sense if I suddenly stop writing about new products. So instead I will include a variety of suggestions so that you can make the best choice for you according to what you need and can afford.

So in this round up you will find a set from Toast, a small family run firm based in Wales. This set is organic. The company strives to include as much organic product as possible, their leather is made from off-cuts and their soap isn’t tested on animals. This set is organic and made in India and costs £89.

Perhaps your budget means that high street prices are better for you in which case this striped cotton set from Zara might be the thing. It’s a penny under £70 for a double and you can read about Zara’s ethical policy in their Do Less Harm entry (at the moment you will have to scroll down as I haven’t yet worked out a way to make it easily searchable but it’s under High Street and in short it was named the most sustainable retailer in 2018 for the second year in a row.

This is from another independent company Wallace Cotton and is also organic. Wallace Cotton was founded in New Zealand in 2006 and launched in the UK a couple of years ago. This set costs £120 for a double.

This set is 50 per cent linen and 50 per cent cotton from The Secret Linen Store and, at the time of writing, is on offer for £85 for a standard double. Again this is a family run business – set up by two of four sisters – both of whom worked in high street bedding retail before setting up on their own. They offer directly from source to you and their products are made in Portugal and the UK.

Bedeck Home was founded in 1951 when Alexander Irwin began embroidering handkerchiefs. The company still has its own in-house textile design studio (a rarity these days) doing weaving, printing and drawing. In addition to creating products they also “curate” others from craftspeople around the world using traditional techniques. Everything designed in house is done at their head office in Northern Ireland and everything is shipped directly from a single warehouse. A double duvet (not including pillow cases) costs £95.

Finally this by Harriet Hare, via Not on the High Street, which retails for £80 for a double (interesting to note how the prices are all actually quite comparable). This is a heavier yarn than normal and in weave designed to make the stripes stand out. The cover closes with mother of pearl buttons and each one comes in a matching bag with a gros grain ribbon closure. The price is duvet cover only and all products are sourced from a family run firm in Portugal.

So there we have it. I hope that gives you a few more relevant details when choosing what to buy and, perhaps when you find something on your own, gives you an idea of what sort of qualities you are looking for in a maker or seller.