Whether you call it a comforter, a duvet, un édredon, une couette or ein Daunen Deckbett ... we're all talking about the same thing, either filled with genuine eiderdown or with synthetic fiber.
The 'thing' goes into a duvet cover and, as far as I know, it's not common in Europe to use a separate top flat sheet. It's just the duvet cover, preferably in a natural fabric.

A couple of weeks ago, we stayed at the City Hilton in Munich, and the bedding was unusual to me: On the double mattress were two twinsize duvets, each with a cover made of sheeting material. There were no other sheets at all! The only choice as the room got warm in the night was between remaining under the overly warm duvet, and trying to sleep with no cover at all.

The hotel was extremely nice overall, but this bugged me.

Hi alya, your set sounds wonderful. Mine (duvet/comforter) is winter weight. So in summer, as it can get real hot where I live, I just remove it at night and sleep under the top sheet. Having two and being able to combine them in winter is a big plus IMO.

I've just come back from London, France and Germany and I loved having a duvet with a sheet cover (Germany). I was not worried about who had used the blankets and when they were last washed. Even in the best hotels you just don't know. True some of them were too warm but I'd rather be warm than covered with something nasty.

Changing the duvet cover is really pretty easy and I have a king size. Just turn the cover inside out, match up the corners with the comforter and turn the cover right side out over the comforter. Don't know if I'm explaining it well enough. It IS easier with two people with the king size, but I CAN do myself if needed. It's so much easier than trying to stuff the comtorter into the duvet. I fell in love with the down comforter and duvet when I was in Switzerland and bought one as soon as I got home and have never looked back. Love 'em.

I always thought you "americans" weren't THAT different, but all this sounds like you were all born on mars. ;-) A welcome from the citizens of planet earth.

Hi logos, what are we doing or saying wrong, LOL?

We go back and forth. We have comforters (insider duvets) and don't use the flat sheet, then we decide we feel like a change and go with the flat sheet. At the moment, we're in the flat sheet mood. I like a tucked in flat sheet because I hate it when my feet stick out from under the covers. And with the cold weather coming on, I like the heavy feel of lots of blankets...both DH and I like being ensconced under a mountain of covers with the window open. Especially if it's raining hard (straight, not blowing in) so we can hear the sound of the rain as we fall asleep.

This subject is very strange. Using nothing but sheets and blankets is an absolutly freaky idea. Why would anybody do this. Don't you realize it could get cold a night... Freaks... ;-)

OK logos, got it!!! And I agree! Once one starts using a duvet/comforter the idea of blankets is terrible. They do not keep you warm enough and they get so heavy. I haven't used blankets in over 35 years unless I am not at home and that is all there is. Take care!

I have to post here again- to vent!

My local store that used to stock sheets, 350 count for a really good price (I don't want to use the word cheap - but I hope you know what I mean), have now stopped selling them individually - only sets, Arrgh!

We have a queen sized bed but a king sized duvet that we use a sheet under so when it's too warm for the duvet we still have something to sleep under :">

So, I need a queen fitted and a king flat - I guess I'm just going to have to bite the bullet and pay twice the price from now on!!!!

Thanks all, Strangely I do feel better now :-)

A good alternative to an eiderdown/duvet/comforter is a down-stuffed blanket: lighter and longer, can be tucked in at the end of the bed. Works nicely with just a light cover on top.

I hate blankets now, you can't tuck them round you properly - you either have to heave them out of place and end up cold cos part of them is untucked at the side, or you get a tent-pole effect with big gaps at the side of your body. Give me a snuggly duvet any day.
A hint for someone who is too hot: stick one foot out from beneath it and you will soon cool down.

Just remembered that when they were introduced to the UK everyone called them Continental Quilts and it gradually changed to duvet.

In Australia they were also called continental quilts but now we just call they quilts and quilt covers.

The trick to sleeping with a down duvet is to roll yourself in it like a pig in a blanket or if you are from So.Cal. a burrito.

LOL SeaUrchin, I haven't heard that one, but of course I am in N Ca!

Alya, can't you use a queen size flat sheet even though you have a king size duvet/comforter? If you are not using the comforter, and you have a queen size bed the queen size top flat sheet should work just fine.

logos--FWIW, I do use a comforter on my bed at home. But I also use a flat sheet underneath it. Just as it can get cold at night, it can also get swelteringly hot, and then it's nice to be able to push off the comforter and still have some light cover.

jill h--To return to the question with which you opened this thread, I understand the difference between a comforter and a duvet to be this: A comforter has a finished and unremovable cover of decorative fabric, while a duvet is just the flat "bag" of down with a cover of white fabric--it is put into a duvet cover from which it can be removed.

My duvet is long enough (2.40m x 2.20m) to be tucked in at the end of the bed. I hate it too, when my feet stick out.
That's why I have a duvet problem in Germany. Those duvets are usually way too short. On the other hand, sleeping under sheets and heavy blankets is no option either.
I-)

In Australia, I'm more familiar with calling the duvet, a doona and the collective name for sheets, pillow cases etc being called manchester.

Geordie

"Even in the best hotels you just don't know."

Of course you know. Those that people here call "a duvet cover" I call "an upper sheet". And that gets changed every week, and in every single hotel between peoples.

And it has one half open end to slide the feathery thing (OR a blanket) in, and on the other end it has an opening on each side so you can slip your hands in and pull the feathery thing (OR a blanket) in. Takes no more time than changing a sheet.