Description

We receive a lot of questions about silk duvets, so we’ve added plenty of detail to this product page to help explain the differences in weights, sizes, suppliers, and care instructions.

Our goal is to give you enough information to make a confident, informed decision before ordering — and, ideally, to save us from typing the same explanation quite so often.

We only list the features a product actually includes. So, to be clear: silk duvets are not waterproof, they are not lofty like down, and they are not meant to behave like every other type of duvet. Silk has its own feel, weight, drape, and temperament.

Some details may vary slightly by supplier, including stitching style, edge finish, packaging, and exact measurements. We do our best to provide the information that matters most for choosing the right duvet: size, weight, fibre content, care instructions, and general feel.

We are not currently producing a comparative chart of piped-edge thickness by brand, because retail has not yet broken us quite that far.

We probably still will, but optimism is important in retail.

Why Does the Packaging Say “All Season” on the ‘Summer’ Silk Duvet?

Silk duvet packaging can be a tiny bit confusing. Not “assemble Swedish furniture without instructions” confusing, but close enough to cause a raised eyebrow.

In warmer climates — the subtropical, humid sort of places where mulberry silk first learned to mind its manners — a lighter silk duvet is often suitable year-round. It naturally wicks moisture, helps regulate body temperature, and generally behaves with the quiet competence one hopes for in bedding. Lovely. Sensible. Very civilized.

Here in Canada, however, “all season” needs to survive actual seasons — including damp spring, surprise autumn, and winter doing its best impression of a freezer drawer.

That’s why we separate our silk duvets into lighter summer weights and heavier all-season options. True all-season silk duvets suitable for Canadian winters are surprisingly tricky to source, so we work closely with our suppliers to secure weights that make sense for our climate.

Some summer-weight silk duvets may still say “All Season Silk Comforter” on the main package label. This reflects how that weight is commonly described in warmer climates, not necessarily how we would classify it for Canadian winters.

To confirm the actual weight, check the size/weight chart on the package — the red dot will indicate the ounce weight of the duvet you ordered. Because apparently the red dot is doing all the heavy lifting here.

Packaging note:
The image above shows the summer silk duvet packaging. Although the main label says “All Season Silk Comforter,” the red dot on the size/weight chart is beside the 36 oz option, which confirms it is the summer weight.

Confusing, we know. The red dot is the thing to trust here.

Why do you carry different silk duvets, weights, and dimensions, I’m confused?

Because mulberry silk comes from Asia, not North America, finding silk duvets that are heavy enough to survive our local weather roulette can be a bit of a project.

We did ask our Canadian worms if they would consider making mulberry silk for us, but they remain firmly committed to composting and making dirt. Admirable work, just not terribly helpful for duvet production. Also, dirt duvets do not include corner ties, so we have decided not to pursue that product line at this time…

The complication is that not every supplier offers every size or weight. Some sizes are in high demand, others weights are made less often, and availability can vary — one of the many charming little souvenirs left behind by post-pandemic shipping logistics. To give you the best range possible, we may source our silk duvets from more than one supplier.

This means the packaging you receive may not always match the packaging shown on this product page. The duvet itself will still be selected based on the size and weight ordered, but the outer packaging may differ depending on which supplier currently has the right option available.

Silk duvet measurements can also vary slightly from supplier to supplier. For example, one supplier’s Queen silk duvet may measure a few inches differently from another supplier’s Queen silk duvet, even though both are considered standard Queen size. (See above dimension chart for Queen)

A 2″–4″ difference between brands or suppliers is not unusual across bedding in general — silk, wool, down, cotton, oh my — and should still work with most standard duvet covers. That said, some duvets are more forgiving than others when it comes to fit. Down duvets are lofty and compressible, so they can often settle more easily into a slightly smaller cover. Flatter-profile duvets, such as silk, wool, and cotton, tend to work best in a more accurate or slightly roomier duvet cover, as they do not puff up and fill extra space in the same way.

An Essay on Corner Ties

Corner ties are a surprisingly loaded question, because availability can vary by brand, supplier, size, and batch.

Across the silk duvets we carry, newer and older batches of the same product may not always have identical finishing details. Some batches include corner ties to help secure the duvet inside a duvet cover, while others may not.

For example, the Double Summer silk duvet currently in our warehouse does not have corner ties in the batch we have on hand. We will not be ordering a fresh batch specifically to accommodate a corner-tie preference; we will sell through the stock currently available before updating the corner-tie situation for that particular size and weight.

At the moment, the rest of our silk duvets currently have corner ties in all four corners.

Some newer batches arriving from suppliers may also include middle ties for extra security. However, many duvet covers only include four internal ties, so even if a duvet has eight tie points, your cover may not have matching ties in all eight positions.

If corner ties are important to you, please email us before ordering so we can confirm the current batch before you purchase.

Bedding is sadly not governed by one tidy international duvet council, although honestly, perhaps it should be.

We do our best to provide the most accurate information available so you can make an informed decision before ordering. If you are unsure, or if you would like to confirm the exact size, weight, or packaging of the duvet currently available, please email us before placing your order:

nslinensorders@gmail.com

Summer Silk Duvet Manufacturer Care Instructions:

All Season Silk Duvet Manufacturer Care Instructions:

Why are there different care instructions for summer and all season silk duvets?

A quick note on silk, detergent, and pH

Also known as: “I followed the cleaning instructions and it still got ruined.”

Silk is a protein fiber, much like wool, which means it prefers gentle treatment. It does not enjoy harsh detergents, high heat, bleach, aggressive agitation, or being treated like a gym towel with delusions of grandeur.

On the pH scale, 7 is neutral. Anything below 7 is acidic, and anything above 7 is alkaline. Many laundry detergents are moderately alkaline, often sitting around pH 9–12, because alkaline cleaners are very good at breaking down oils, stains, and general human evidence.

That is wonderful for deep cleaning cotton towels.

It is less wonderful for delicate protein fibers like silk and wool.

Bleach is highly alkaline and should not be used on silk. Chlorine bleach can attack the protein structure of silk fibers, weakening them, causing yellowing, brittleness, fiber damage, or even holes. It may be excellent at making whites white, but it is also excellent at ruining delicate natural fibers with great confidence. Bleach and silk are not enemies-to-lovers. They are simply enemies. Leave silk alone.

If you are spot cleaning or laundering silk, always use a detergent suitable for delicate fibers, ideally one as close to neutral pH as possible.

If you are taking your silk duvet to a dry cleaner, we recommend confirming that they are comfortable cleaning silk-filled bedding and that they understand it is a delicate protein fiber.

This is one of those times when it is perfectly acceptable to politely be that person. Ask what cleaning method they plan to use, whether they use detergents or solvents suitable for silk, and whether any strong cleaning odours are likely to linger afterwards.

Some cleaning products, solvents, or finishing treatments can leave a smell behind longer than expected, so it is better to ask before handing over the duvet than to simply release the goods into the wild and hope they return looking brand new.

AspenClean detergents are more delicate than many standard laundry detergents and are often a better option for wool and silk. However, that does not mean they are perfectly pH neutral or automatically risk-free for protein fibres. AspenClean detergent still sits around the mildly alkaline range of approximately pH 9–10, so they recommend using only 1/2 oz per standard load of laundry.

It would also be best to patch test the material first by spot cleaning a small hidden area of the duvet before cleaning a larger section.

Nellie’s Laundry Soda is more alkaline, with a pH range of approximately 10.5–11.9. That higher alkalinity is fantastic for cleaning stains and keeping whites white, but it is not as gentle on delicate protein fibres like silk and wool.

Nellie’s does not advertise their laundry detergent as being protein-fibre safe, but we have in the past encouraged customers to use much smaller portions of it when cleaning.

It comes with a scoop, and people are prone to adding 2–3 scoops per load, but in actual fact, you likely only need half a scoop because it is so pure and high pH, which gets the work done.

If you are going to use Nellie’s on a protein fibre, please test a small hidden area first. Use a quarter of the scoop, pre-mix it thoroughly with water before adding it to the laundry, and do not pour concentrated detergent directly onto the fabric.

In short: silk is beautiful, breathable, and civilized. Please do not introduce it to bleach and a heaping scoop of detergent unless you are trying to create a very expensive lesson.