These Are the Best Quilts and Coverlets for Year-Round Comfort

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There are almost too many options when it comes to finding the best quilts and coverlets, but across the board we love them for their ability to straddle temperature extremes: the sweaty nights of summer that call for breathable fabrics and the bone-chilling winter sleeps that require some heavy layering.

Our Top Picks for the Best Quilts and Coverlets:

• Best All-Season Quilt: Quince European Linen Quilt , $160
• A Breezy Linen Quilt: Brooklinen Linen Quilt , $279 $209
• Best Cotton Quilt: Schoolhouse Channeled Cotton Quilt , $249
• Best Sateen Quilt: Legends Hotel Wrinkle-Free Sateen Quilted Coverlet , $249 $174
• The Splurge-Worthy Pick: European Flax Linen Box Stitch Quilt , $329

Quilts and coverlets are the perfect mid-weight solution to this Goldilocks sleeping conundrum. They’re not too hefty for summer and won’t leave you in a pool of your own sweat come sunrise. In the winter, you can pull one on so you don’t wake up shivering. They also occupy the middle ground between comforters and duvets , landing in the solid and vague bedspread territory, so you don’t have to swap out your bedding more than twice a season—chances are they’ll feel just right despite the temporary fluctuations throughout the year.

Plus, there are so many choices at your disposal, from hand-stitched beauties with appliqués to understated textiles of all kinds. Patchwork quilts in particular are a revered historical art form used for expression, documenting important events, and communicating. What other bedding can show up in a museum—like the multidisciplinary artist Faith Ringgold’s narrative quilts in her past “American People” exhibition at the New Museum—or document American history quite like the legendary quilters of Gee’s Bend ?

Lately, we’ve been seeing throwback cabin quilts, graphic designs, and heirloom-quality linens in rich colors taking over beds, but there are also lots of high quality minimal options if you’re looking for more subtle bed covers. Below, the AD team tested and reviewed the best quilts and coverlets from retailers worth considering as a top layer, including some budget options. Rest assured: There’s something in this category to suit sleepers of all kinds.

In This Article

• Best Quilts, Overall
• More Quilts We Like
• How We Tested
• How We Chose
• FAQs

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Best All-Season Quilt

Quince European Linen Quilt

$160.00, Quince

Specs

• Sizes: Twin, full, queen, king, California king
• Colors: White, ivory, sand, willow leaf, aloe, light gray, desert sunset, terra-cotta, charcoal, soft blush, tobacco, mist, sage, bordeaux, dust mauve, dusty blue
• Materials: European flax
• Care: Machine washable. Tumble dry low or line dry.

A mid-weight linen quilt might seem like it’ll keep things a little too toasty, but contributor Megan Wahn disagrees. This one is “filled with polyester to give it a loft that’s reminiscent of a comforter, making it a great happy medium to those committed to the duvet or comforter life,” she says. “The weight combined with the smooth linen makes the quilt feel like a sigh of comfort I never want to leave.” It comes in 20 colors ranging from the lightest blush to the deepest blues, so it’s sure to complement the rest of your bedding. Made from European flax, it arrives supersoft and a little worn in, so there’s no off-gassing or starchiness to endure.

Best Linen Quilt

Brooklinen Linen Quilt

$279.00, Brooklinen

Specs

• Sizes: Full/queen, king/Cali king
• Colors: White, cream, moss, oxford stripe in oat chambray, oxford stripe in storm chambray
• Materials: Front textured fabric is 100% linen and back percale fabric is 100% cotton.
• Care: Machine washable. Tumble dry low or line dry.

“Can bedding feel like summer? This quilt set does,” says contributor Yelena Moroz Alpert . In linen and chambray, these stripes are soft, coastal , and have the slightly worn look that makes linen look so classic. The front textured fabric of the quilt is 100% linen and the back is made from 100% cotton and 200 thread count percale. “The mix of percale cotton on one side and linen on the other side gives it a fresh and casual look,” Alpert says. This is made from the same premium certified European flax as their linen sheet sets , also beloved by our staff, ensuring their quality, breathability, and durability are the same.

Best Cotton Quilt

Schoolhouse Channeled Cotton Quilt

$249.00, Schoolhouse

Specs

• Sizes: Twin, full/queen, king
• Colors: Alder, channeled blue, channeled ochre, channeled grey
• Materials: 100% cotton.
• Care: Machine washable. Tumble dry low or line dry.

Made of 100% cotton, this classic quilt from Schoolhouse is “nicely breathable (great news for those who sleep at a warm body temperature but still desire a quilted topper) and machine washable,” says AD PRO senior editor Mel Studach . The levity of the material makes it temperature-neutral, perfect for layering in deep winter, or snuggling up on the couch with the windows open in fall, or using in the summer as a comforter replacement. It’s also reversible, with a neutral heather-gray on one side and one of four staple neutrals on the other.

Best Sateen Quilt

Legends Hotel Premium Smooth Wrinkle-Free Sateen Quilted Coverlet

$249.00, The Company Store

Specs

• Sizes: Twin, full, queen, king
• Colors: White, ivory, light birch, light gray, midnight blue, steel blue, burnt sienna
• Materials: 100% polyfill
• Care: Machine washable, tumble dry low.

According to one of our longtime testers and contributors Terri Williams , “this coverlet feels as good as it looks.” She bought the midnight blue color—what can she say, she was in a “blue phase”—and loved how luxurious the dark color’s soft sheen looked on her bed. She notes that the quilt feels supersoft to touch without feeling oppressive, and adds warmth without too much additional weight so she doesn’t have to worry about overheating.

Best Splurge-Worthy Quilt

West Elm European Flax Linen Box Stitch Quilt

$329.00, West Elm

Specs

• Sizes: Twin, full/queen, king
• Colors: White, natural flax, frost gray, slate melange, graphite, dark olive, cedar, celadon, silver mist melange, ocean, midnight, lilac melange, adobe rose, shell pink, terra-cotta melange, amber, dijon
• Materials: 100% European flax
• Care: Machine wash cold on gentle. Place in mesh bag prior to laundering. Only non-chlorine bleach when needed.

This is Wahn’s—dare we say—favorite blanket: “Like your favorite pair of jeans, it’s only gotten more comfortable in that well-loved kind of way. It’s the optimal softness and weight for all seasons—warm enough when paired with a throw blanket during the winter, but also light enough to keep me pleasantly cool in the summer—that I’ve never had to dedicate any space or time to the arduous bedding-change process whenever the weather turns.” There are 14 charming colors to match your bedroom design or allow for a nice color element as a living room throw blanket. Wahn mentioned she saw light thread-pulling after a year of use, but personally “loves the lived-in quality” of it.

More Quilts and Coverlets We Recommend

Jungalow Hamsa Quilt Set

$100.00, Amazon

Specs

• Sizes: Full/queen, king
• Colors: Clay
• Materials: 100% polyfill
• Care: Machine washable, tumble dry low.

After seeing her incredible cover story come together, it came as no surprise that interior designer Justina Blakeney knocked it out of the park with this quilt from her brand, Jungalow, says visual editor Lizzie Soufleris . “It’s light, breathable, and, of course, looks adorable in my plant-filled bedroom,” she notes. The faded dusty-salmon hue is the optimal neutral-without-being-boring solid color and paired perfectly with Soufleris’s favorite sage green linen sheet sets. Inspired by tiles from all over the world, the gauzy fabric is laced with intricate stitching and brings bohemian detail to a space in need of a little personality. “As a diehard duvet user (and clumsy bedside coffee drinker), I must admit that I was a little concerned about cleaning a quilt,” Soufleris says. “But my trepidation turned out to be unnecessary because this one is machine washable, and you can even throw it in the dryer.”

Buffy Air Cooling Quilt

$89.00, Buffy

Specs

• Sizes: Twin/twin XL, full/queen, king/Cali king
• Colors: White
• Materials: 100% active cooling nylon filled with 100% polyester
• Care: Machine washable, hang to dry.

A hybrid between a quilt and duvet insert , this is a lightweight, cooling bedspread to keep hot sleepers comfortable. This is one of Alpert’s summer favorites because of its airy active cooling nylon and polyester material. “If it was more breathable it would be filled with oxygen,” she notes. Alpert also got creative with this piece, saying “there are loops at each corner and I’ve been using it as a duvet insert and paired it with the Brooklinen Classic percale duvet cover and it’s like sleeping under dandelion fluff.”

Brooklinen Airweave Cotton Quilt

$299.00, Brooklinen

Specs

• Sizes: Full/queen, king/Cali king
• Colors: Choose from 7
• Materials: 100% Turkish cotton. Fill is 100% polyester.
• Care: Machine wash cold, tumble dry low.

Another standout piece from Brooklinen , the Airweave quilt is made from four layers of 100% Turkish cotton, but Alpert says it feels like “dandelion fluff,” adding that “it is so incredibly soft and light, but at the same time, feels substantial. The exterior gauze feels delicate, but in a lived-in kind of way.” Between seven colorways, it works as a statement blanket or a neutral, cozy bedspread.

Dusen Dusen Check Bedding

$324.00, Design Within Reach

Specs

• Sizes: Twin, queen, king
• Colors: Blue, beige check
• Materials: 100% cotton. Fill: 100% polyester.
• Care: Machine wash cold, tumble dry low.

“I would gladly have Ellen Van Dusen design my entire world—so it should come as no surprise that Dusen Dusen’s green check coverlet takes a top spot among my favorite bedding I’ve tried (and trust me, I’ve tried a lot! ),” says commerce editor Audrey Lee . The coverlet has a lightweight design and an airy quality perfect for spring-to-summer weather, but it’s also super cozy on chillier nights when paired with a nice fuzzy throw. The textile pattern, in a cream-and-sea-foam or cream-and-beige palette provides just the right subtle color add, while the checkerboard itself feels like a chic update on a classic motif (not to mention that the delightful matching shams really tie the whole look together). Commerce writer Julia Harrison also owns this coverlet, in beige, and can attest it’s a forever piece: “It’s the base of my entire room—all decor leads back to this Dusen Dusen coverlet.”

Buffy Linen Quilt

$245.00, Buffy

Specs

• Sizes: Full/queen, king/California king
• Colors: White, oat
• Materials: 100% long-staple hemp linen fiber
• Care: Machine wash cold, gentle cycle, tumble dry low.

If you’re looking for a visually striking quilt, there are definitely bolder options on this list, but this is perfect for a serene setup. Commerce director Rachel Fletcher lauds its softness and the breathability of its hemp. “This quilt has a neat box-quilted pattern that feels visually interesting and almost veers into checkerboard territory. It’s available in white or oat (I chose the latter, which feels sophisticated and not too flashy if your bedroom leans more minimal, as mine does),” Fletcher says. She remarks it’s a thin layer, good for swaddling more for the feeling than the warmth, but ultimately loves “that hemp linen specifically has outstanding sustainability cred. I think it’s a great choice for anyone looking to upgrade their bedding without sacrificing the planet.”

Sunday Citizen Herringbone Snug Coverlet

$310.00, Revolve

Specs

• Sizes: Queen, king
• Colors: Off-white, cloud gray, taupe
• Materials: Front: 100% polyester microfiber, Back: 70% viscose 30% cotton
• Care: Machine wash cold, tumble dry low.

Need a coverlet that can double as a cozy blanket for winter movie nights? Contributor Abid Haque says the Sunday Citizen Herringbone coverlet—which also helped him finally end his relationship with duvets—can do just that. It’s double-sided, with a cotton and viscose top and soft, snuggly microfiber underside. Haque says this helps it “seamlessly transition from warmer months to colder ones,” and its minimalist color and design blends perfectly with his room.

Parachute Matelasse Coverlet

$249.00, Parachute

Specs

• Sizes: Full/queen, king/Cali king
• Colors: White, dune, pebble gray
• Materials: 100% premium combed cotton
• Care: Machine washable.

This coverlet from AD -favorite bedding brand Parachute features a ribbed stitch pattern that mimics a traditional French weave—but the subdued hue gives it a minimalist spin. “Its oatmealy color is a nice, natural neutral, but its stitched details are the true hero attribute,” says reviewer Madeleine Luckel . The cotton fabric is machine-washable, so anyone hooked on the duvet cover life can rest easy when it comes to cleaning. Since it’s a lightweight coverlet, this would probably fit better for the warmer months or as a neutral “throw quilt,” rather than a year-round bedding option.

How We Tested

Sleep is such a subjective experience that it’s tough to crown any one bed cover, or even a small crop of them, as the best for every sleeper on the planet. But for a range of editors and contributors at AD, there were certain qualities that felt universal. We tested these for about a month or more to get a sense of how they feel to snooze under. From there, testers aimed to get them in the wash for at least one spin cycle to see how they hold up over time. Our list has also gone through several rounds of edits, and successive notes on durability have come in since. We had sleepers of all sorts test these quilts and coverlets for the following metrics:

• Superior hand-feel: This sounds pretty straightforward and it is. How does it feel up against your body, or straight out of the box? Is it soft or coarse to the touch? Hand-feel can indicate craftsmanship, as well. If it pills, you can expect it to pill more—and quickly. It’s important to remember linen can be a bit rougher out of the box, but it will soften with each wash.
• Breathability: How well does the material breathe and does it make you overheat at night? Lighter materials, like gauze, make for particularly cozy layering—suitable in the summer in lieu of a duvet or a heavier blanket and super cozy in winter as an extra layer over top of your duvet.
• Material: We really leaned into cotton and linen options; as we’ve found through our testing, these materials tend to be the most breathable, durable, soft, and comfortable year-round. These also hold up well in the wash, without shrinking, pilling, tearing, or showing too much general wear. We also chose primarily machine-washable quilts, so they felt like true functional additions to your home instead of decorative pieces.
• Ease of cleaning: Especially for something that you sleep under all year long, can you pop it in the washing machine, or is it a spot treat only situation? As mentioned, we’re looking for things that warm your life, not complicate it.
• Longevity : Does it start fraying or stain easily? Does a single spin cycle make it lose its luster? Prewashed and stonewashed options come to you already through the wash a few times so you know that what you’re being delivered will stay more or less the same.
• Warmth: Is it the kind of thing you keep year-round, or do you swap it out for a warmer comforter when the chill sets in? Cotton quilts are particularly good for layering, since their soft, breathable nature allows for added warmth without trapping in heat.

How We Chose

Over the years since we started reviewing quilts, we’ve called in nearly two dozen options from popular bedding retailers like Brooklinen, Parachute, and Buffy, with some smaller retailers in the mix that felt right up our alley.

Since shoppers usually search for quilts according to fabric and warmth, we designated our favorite quilts across categories like price points and material, along with singling out a specific all-season quilt that earned top marks from our testers. From there, we layered in more niche designations like eco-friendly production processes and style chops.

Our top picks and runners-up are all reviewed by AD editors and contributors, and runners-up were pinpointed as options that may have missed the mark if they weren’t easy to clean or seemed to offer less value. Other picks that didn’t make the cut entirely felt less accessible for the average budget or weren’t that breathable or easy to clean. Over the years, we’ve also delisted picks that were out of stock, came from brands that were unreliable with stock, or didn’t hold up well over time after successive washes (and yes, we do keep that in mind as we keep this list updated!).

FAQs

What is the difference between a quilt and coverlet?

A coverlet is often more of an interior design element or decoration than a cuddly piece of bedding. They’re often made from less soft materials, like wool or a harsher variety of linen. A quilt, on the other hand, serves as functional bedding—these are designed to be soft, oftentimes thick, and considerably warmer. Quilts can also create a vintage look. A kantha quilt plays nicely between a quilt and coverlet, as these are designed to be lightweight, functional, as well as serve a bed decoratively.

How should I layer a bed with a quilt or coverlet?

While we actually have written a full guide on how to do this , we’ll make it short: It depends on the material and your interior style preference. For a coverlet, we recommend placing that over a duvet in its duvet cover. These can sit at the bottom of a bed, folded, or like a blanket across the entirety of the bedspread. You can also lay a quilt over a duvet for added warmth during the cold months, or sans-heat spaces, but they serve as great duvet or comforter alternatives in warmer months and can be spread over a bed with just a flat sheet to supply weight and aesthetic without the sweat.

How can you tell if a quilt has a high-quality design?

When working with quilts, thread count counts. A higher thread count (upwards of 200 should do it) means the material is easier to work with and a bit softer, ensuring tighter weaving on the quilt itself. As a result, higher thread counts make for more durable quilts that will last longer (and make for great heirlooms!). Look closely at the weaving of each quilt to ensure even stitching—you want your quilt to be carefully sewn and structured to ensure its longevity.

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