Know your linens: Tog Ratings

It is a common misconception that the tog rating is an indication of the quality for weight of a duvet. Duvets work by trapping heat from the body and a tog is essentially a measure of how effectively a duvet insulates heat. The higher the tog rating, the warmer the duvet will be, with 1 tog being very cool and lightweight, and 15 being the warmest. 

Typically, the thinnest, lightest duvet you’ll find on the market is 4.5 tog, while the thickest and heaviest is usually around 13.5 tog.

A thicker duvet isn’t necessarily warmer, as the effectiveness of the insulation will depend on the type of filling used. Duvets can be filled with feathers (duck or goose), man-made fibers, natural fibers or viscose. All of these will have a bearing on the heat retention of the duvet and so the tog rating. So, rather than weight or thickness, the tog rating really refers to a duvet’s overall effectiveness at trapping heat.

If you are purchasing duvets for your guests onboard it is important to pay attention to the tog rating, remembering that usually the interior is kept at a constant temperature in the cabins due to the air-conditioning. Consider also where the yacht will be cruising – will you be spending most of the time cruising warm tropical climates or will you be venturing off the beaten track and heading to icier waters.