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9 best bedspreads to give your room the luxury finishing touch

Give your bed the five-star treatment with a cosy quilt

Ali Howard
Friday 03 December 2021 09:43 GMT
<p>From pinks to blues, we’ve found one for every room colour  </p>

From pinks to blues, we’ve found one for every room colour

To the converted, a bed simply isn’t made without a top layer to finish the look. A bedspread can offer a smart, clean-lined finish that you just don’t get with a floppy duvet set.

If you’re after that crisp, hotel bedding vibe, choose a quilt that will cover the entire bed and drape beautifully. And don’t forget a neat pillow tuck for that five-star bedroom look.

Some double-sized quilts are a perfectly square 200cm x 200cm, meaning they’ll stop short of the pillows if you allow for a 40cm drop along the sides and the foot of the bed. This is ideal if layering’s your thing and you like to pile your pillows high with additional scatter cushions to cosy up on.

In fact, layering is key to getting a good night’s kip, especially as the seasons change and we experience inconsistent temperatures. Having the option of a bedspread to pull over you when the summer duvet’s still on is a great way to transition comfortably into the colder months.

In choosing your perfect bedspread, consider the weight and thickness of the fabric. It’s down to personal taste whether you want a heavyweight cover that’s positively fidget-proof or one that’s light enough to keep you toasty but doesn’t pen you in. Either way, making the bed each morning is a doddle with the addition of a bedspread. Simply throw it over, smooth it down and it’ll give you instant structure.

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How we tested

We put a range of quilts to the test on our bed, from the plush and heavy velvet to the summery lightweight and cotton, looking for quality of make and materials, great design, breathability versus warmth and that all-important cosy factor. Where appropriate we washed and dried our bedspreads according to instructions to ensure they kept both shape and shade.

The best bedspreads for 2021 are:

  • Best overall – Morris & Co Seasons by May quilted throw in saffron yellow: £275, Therugseller.co.uk
  • Best for affordable luxury – Dorma genevieve green bedspread, large: £170, Dunelm.com
  • Best flat bedspread – Soak & Sleep palm leaf Matelasse bedspread: From £60, Soakandsleep.com
  • Best for softness – Dusk Vienna bedspread: £69.60, Dusk.com
  • Best for a layered look – The French Bedroom Company wildflower quilted bedspread: £155, Frenchbedroomcompany.co.uk
  • Best for two-in-one value – Oliver Bonas moe printed quilted blue velvet bedspread: £155, Oliverbonas.com
  • Best for a structured look – Housing Units velvet dot blush bedspread: £119, Housingunits.co.uk
  • Best for dark glamour – Cotswold Company cotton velvet charcoal bedspread: £185, Cotswoldco.com
  • Best for sustainability – Ikea varled bedspread, dark blue: £50, Ikea.com

Morris & Co Seasons by May quilted throw in saffron yellow

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Best: Overall

Rating: 10/10

  • Size: 265cm x 260cm

Who doesn’t love a classic William Morris print to bring quintessentially English charm to the bedroom? Made from 100 per cent organic cotton with a 220 thread count, this luxurious bedspread is both soft to the touch and toasty warm. The iconic Seasons by May design features exotic birds and botanicals intertwined with Morris’s classic swirling filigree.

We loved the way the intricate stitching follows the pattern of the curves – as opposed to strict squares. We also loved the ditsy florals on the underside. In saffron, this one’s not as vibrant as some yellow-toned soft furnishings but rather has a muted, mustard-like background. Scoring big on practicality, the quilt is machine washable too and we found, comes up as good as new, keeping its important structure.

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Dorma genevieve green bedspread, large

Dorma genevieve green bedspread, large.png

Best: For affordable luxury

Rating: 9/10

  • Size: 265cm x 265cm

We were seriously impressed with Dunelm’s offering – a product that looks much more expensive than its relatively affordable price tag. This is a single sided bedspread but thanks to its plush cotton velvet makeup and its dense quilting, it offers great depth and structure.

Look closely and you’ll see dainty cross stitches all over the quilt, giving it a wonderful bumpy texture. Its mossy green hue keeps it tasteful and elegant, as opposed to a flashy emerald, while delicate piping on the edges awards it a smart finish. You wouldn’t think it possible but this is another luxurious bedspread you can throw in the machine at 30 degrees, making it both kid and dog resistant.

  1. £170 from Dunelm.com
Prices may vary
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Soak & Sleep palm leaf matelasse bedspread

Soak & Sleep palm leaf Matelasse bedspread.png

Best: Flat bedspread

Rating: 9/10

  • Size: double 215cm x 250cm; king/superking 260cm x 255cm

Recalling the kind of textiles you’d find in a stone-floored Mediterranean villa, this is one for those that prefer to layer up without feeling penned in. The flat, lightweight bedspread is made from pure cotton, which awards it natural breathability as well as moisture-wicking properties. It boasts an attractive textural palm leaf motif, crafted using the traditional matelassé technique, while in pure white it brings instant calm to the bedroom.

This one’s been stonewashed to give it extra softness and it proves warmer than you’d think. We found it washes well at 30 degrees and needs to be dried flat if possible – but if that’s not practical it will withstand a tumble dry on a low heat.

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Dusk Vienna bedspread

Dusk Vienna bedspread.png

Best: For softness

Rating: 8/10

Size: 250cm x 260cm

Another product that belies its purse-friendly price is this luxurious quilted bedspread from Dusk. It’s made from faux silk – in fact 100 per cent polyester with a microfibre fill – and makes an impressive imposter thanks to its super soft feel and matte finish.

Just like the natural material, the bedspread, sized for a king or superking bed, boasts a subtle sheen but is not overtly shiny. It’s also subtle in shade, which we loved. Its delicate champagne hue brings a hint of glamour to the neutral colourway. With its dynamic quilting, this one may look plush but it is relatively lightweight.

The Vienna bedspread can be machine washed at up to 40 degrees, which is handy given its light colour and those inevitable coffee spills.

  1. £69 from Dusk.com
Prices may vary
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The French Bedroom Company wildflower quilted bedspread

The French Bedroom Company wildflower quilted bedspread.png

Best: For a layered look

Rating: 8/10

  • Size: 140cm x 210cm

Arriving beautifully packaged with a linen bow, we knew we were in for a treat with this floral bedspread before we’d even opened it. One for spring/summer, this is a lovely lightweight affair yet it does offer a cosy bumpy texture despite its slim profile. The quilt is made from pure cotton, awarding it breathability, and it feels wonderfully soft and warm to the touch.

We loved its small-scale floral design with its riot of wild colourful primroses, tulips and lily of the valley on a warm, cream background. A bedspread of smaller dimensions, this is certainly one for a layered look, either lying at the foot of a king, or placed on the top of a double, sitting shy of the pillows. When we teamed ours with pure white sheets it offered a burst of spring/summer freshness that we couldn’t wait to dive into. This one will take a gentle machine wash at 30 degrees.

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Oliver Bonas moe printed quilted blue velvet bedspread

Oliver Bonas moe printed quilted blue velvet bedspread.png

Best: For two-in-one value

Rating: 9/10

  • Size: 220cm x 220cm

There’s nothing like a heavy velvet bedspread in the colder months to keep you both toasty warm and feeling like royalty. Double sided, Oliver Bonas’s offering is as opulent as it is vintage-inspired, with its rich navy cotton velvet top and pale pink floral underside. The quilt features pillowed French style stitching – in other words, a looser quilting technique, which awards the bedspread a more relaxed look.

We loved the way we could flip the quilt to suit our mood with an entirely different look. Reliably well-crafted and wonderfully weighty, this one’s suitable for machine washing at 30 degrees followed by a low heat tumble dry.

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Housing Units velvet dot blush bedspread

Housing Units velvet dot blush bedspread.png

Best: For a structured look

Rating: 8/10

  • Size: 140cm x 200cm

Fashioned from 100 per cent polyester velvet, this bedspread feels as luxuriously plush as it looks. We loved the way it holds its shape over the bed, without an obvious drape, resulting in the bed looking bigger and more inviting. This is another quilt that ends below the pillow line, allowing us to layer up with suitably plump pillows and scatter cushions up top.

In a mid-toned blush pink it offers a gentle colour pop without overwhelming the bedroom, while its subtle dotted quilting awards it a relaxed look. This one may be cosy and textured but it offers a glamorous sheen, too. The bedspread washes well at 40 degrees and dries quickly, scoring points on practicality.

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Cotswold Company cotton velvet charcoal bedspread

Cotswold Company cotton velvet charcoal bedspread.png

Best: For dark glamour

Rating: 8/10

  • Size: 250cm x 260cm

What we loved most about this dark grey velvet quilt was its rich texture. The material boasts a sumptuous sheen and when this is combined with strict lined quilting, it catches the light beautifully. Further adding to the bedspread’s dynamic quality is its cotton satin backing – a luxurious touch.

This one’s large enough to be draped over a king sized bed and feels extra cosy on a double. If you’re going for a layered look and you like your soft furnishings to coordinate, the bedspread can be combined with matching square cushions. Beautifully crafted and wonderfully weighty.

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Ikea varled bedspread, dark blue

Ikea varled bedspread, dark blue.png

Best: For sustainability

Rating: 9/10

  • Size: 230cm x 250cm

Our most affordable pick is in no way lacking on the design front. Made from 100 per cent cotton, this bedspread offers an attractive waffle texture while it proves naturally cosy and warm without the need for any filling. This one gets our top marks for sustainability with its claims to use less water, chemical fertilizers or pesticides while increasing profit margins for farmers. The bedspread washes well at 40 degrees and importantly, keeps its rich pigment. Both a purse and environmentally-friendly option.

  1. £50 from Ikea.com
Prices may vary
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The verdict: Bedspreads

Morris & Co’s Seasons by May quilted throw from The Rug Seller got our top marks for being a great all-round product. It isn’t cheap but this one’s as durable as it is pretty, and with good care will last forever. While it offers a timeless English country design it will equally appeal to maximalists.

We also loved Dorma’s genevieve green bedspread via Dunelm for its luxurious look and feel. While Soak & Sleep’s palm leaf Matelasse bedspread proved a wonderfully homely – and wholesome – addition to the bedroom.

Voucher codes

For the latest discounts on pillows, duvets and other homeware offers, try the links below:

You’ve got the best pick of bedspreads, now you need the mattress – read our mattress buying guide to find the best one for you

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