They key to a happy home might as well be well-chosen bedding, if you ask me. Just think about it – on average, we spend 8 hours a day in bed, which is a whopping 2 920 hours a year. And what do we wrap ourselves in when the nights get colder? A warm and soft doona, of course. And if you get cold easily, a doona might be the one piece of topper you can use throughout the whole year.
But as much as the inside of the doona may be important, so is its outside cover. After all, the cover is what your skin will come into direct contact with. Today duvet covers are available in a huge range of fashionable colours, intricate designs, and most importantly – exquisite fabrics. Throughout all the years of buying and using doona covers, I figured that the key to choosing a great material is not thread count, but the weave.
If you’ve ever been to an up-scale winter resort, you might have noticed that their doona covers are a bit different. They’re not the plush, thick ones you’d normally expect. On the contrary, they’re much thinner, more structural, and look as if they’ve emerged from a … waffle maker. Funny, but that’s what they remind me of. Entering the simplistic, yet spectacular world of waffle doona covers!
Waffle doona covers got their name from their unique weave consisting of tiny indented squares with raised edges that give it a look similar to the common breakfast food. Because of this unique weave design, the cover is heavy enough to keep you warm when it’s cold, but also breathable enough to make the doona comfortable when the weather gets warmer.
Another great advantage of the waffle weave is that it’s incredibly absorbent. It’s small honeycomb-like pockets draw any moisture in, as opposed to pushing it away as is the case with most other weaves. This in turn helps you stay dry for longer during a particularly warm night.
Many people are sceptic whether waffle covers are pleasant to sleep under. Although they might look a bit rough at first sight, waffle doona covers (high-quality ones, that is) are very soft and sculptural to the touch. Plus, their fabric is very easy to maintain, it is wrinkle-resistant, and it can be easily washed. And the best part of it all – it doesn’t wear off after washing it a couple of times. In fact, the more you wash it, the softer and snugglier it will get.
While waffle weave fabric is usually 100% cotton, there are also polyester blends which I’d recommend to avoid for your own good, because all artificial fabrics come loaded with chemicals. On the other hand, cotton is an amazing, natural fibre that won’t pose a threat to your health or irritate your skin.
