This Is How Often You Should Replace Your Doona, According to an Expert

Your doona can make or break a good night’s sleep. Alright, sure, your mattress is pretty important too, if you don’t want to wake up with any stiffness or back pain. But, you know who’s always got you covered? Your doona (pun intended).

Quilts, or as we Aussies affectionately call them “doonas“, are the staple of any bedroom aesthetic. Not only can they add a pop of colour to any room, but a doona is what will keep you nice and toasty at night, or comfort you during a scary movie.

While we know that mattresses can be kept for up to 10 years, how long can we stretch the lifetime of our beloved doonas for? With some love and care, your doona could last for a number of years before you need to replace it.

But to know for certain, we spoke to the lovely people at Bed Threads to find out.

How often should you buy a new doona?

Speaking to Genevieve Rosen-Biller, the CEO of Bed Threads, she dove right in, “Your doona has the longest lifespan of all your bedding and only needs to be replaced about every five years.”

There you have it, folks. Five years. While you should definitely take five years as a rule of thumb, sometimes poor quality doonas deteriorate faster than expected and you’ll find yourself in need of a new one sooner, rather than later.

So what are the signs that our doona is headed towards an early grave (or, rather, binning)? “If it’s starting to look a little lumpy, it smells, or the filling is starting to fall out, these are the signs that it’s time to get a new one,” she said.

If your current doona seems to match any of the criteria Genevieve mentioned above, then it’s about time you started shopping for your next bed buddy, who will serve you in the years to come.

Lucky for you, we’ve rounded up the best places you can find a good quality doona below.

Where to buy the best doonas in Australia

Bonny

There are dozens of people that will push you in the direction of one doona or another, each promising that this one feels like sleeping in a cloud. But none do the job quite as well as a Bonny doona.

Bonny’s doonas are the real deal and everything you’d look for in a quilt – plushy, warm, breathable and heavenly lightweight. From the moment you take Bonny out of its box, it begins to expand into fluffy perfection and looks just as inviting on your bed as it does to curl up in one.

Each doona is made from 90 per cent duck down that comes with a unique tracking number, so you can trace where your down has come from to ensure it has been ethically sourced. And if you somehow don’t like it, Bonny will let you return your used doona and donate it, so that nothing ever goes to waste.

• All-Rounder Quilt – from $349
• Summer Quilt – from $299
• Winter Quilt – from $399

Emma Sleep

Emma Sleep, the rulers of the mattress game, aren’t just a one-trick pony. In addition to mattresses and bed frames, the bedding specialists have also branched out into doonas.

Emma Sleep’s All Seasons Duvet is a mid-priced, breathable option that’s made from 100 per cent cotton and a 250GSM polyester blend fill. This is a great pick for those who tend to overheat easily, but still want a little bit of manageable warmth.

• Emma All Seasons Duvet – from $239

Amazon Australia

If you’re looking for a new doona on a budget, then it’s best to turn to Amazon Australia. Each of the following options are ultra-warming, with a minimum GSM of 500.

For those unaware, GSM refers to a quilt’s weight and means “grams per square metre”. GSM can range from 150 up to 800, with the higher the number, the warmer and heavier the quilt.

For those of you who struggle with winter’s cooler temperatures, the below quilts should do nicely:

• WoolComfort Australian Made 700GSM Merino Wool Quilt (Queen) — from $68
• 800GSM Ultra Warm Winter Microfibre Quilt (Queen) — $72.90
• WoolComfort Australian Made 500GSM Merino Wool Quilt (Queen) — $85

Bed Bath N’ Table

You can currently save on over 500 items at Bed Bath N’ Table. We’ve broken down the best deals for you below:

• All Cotton Quilt — now $83.95 to $161.95, down from $139.95 to $269.95
• Microfibre Quilt — now $101.95 to $197.95, down from $169.95 to 329.95
• Bamboo Quilt — now $119.95 to $209.95, down from $199.95 to $349.95
• Luxury Goose Feather Quilt — now $257.95 to $527.95, down from $429.95 to $879.95

Harris Scarfe

Harris Scarf is always known for slinging plenty of deals. You can catch big savings on top doona brands below:

• Elysian High Loft Cotton Quilt (King) — now $119.99, down from $204.99
• Gainsborough Allergy-Free All Seasons Washable Quilt (King) — from $49.99
• Bas Phillips 500gsm Washable Wool Quilt (King) — from $149, down from $269.99

Myer

Myer has a great selection of quality doonas and quilts, from highly-rated brands such as MiniJumbak, Heritage and Sheridan. In particular, those MiniJumbak doonas are heaven-sent – they feel like you’re being wrapped in a warm hug.

• MiniJumbak Thermal Australian Wool Quilt — from $250
• MiniJumbuk Cool Australian Wool Cotton Quilt — from $150
• MiniJumbak Everyday Australian Wool Quilt — from $369.99
• Heritage 50/50 Duck Down & Feather Quilt White — from $229.95
• Sheridan Deluxe Feather & Down Quilt — from $599

If you want to cop further savings on these quilts, it’s worth stopping by our Myer coupon page for big ticket discounts across all departments. 

Where to buy the best doona covers

Bed Threads

Thankfully, our friends at Bed Threads have a rainbow of doona and quilt covers you can use to match your bedspread to your aesthetic.

Their 100 per cent flax linen doona covers are hot at the moment, which is a great option if you suffer from sensitive skin or prone to allergies.

According to Bed Threads, flax linen is both hypoallergenic and antibacterial, so it’s great for preventing germs and repelling dirt.

You can shop Bed Threads 100 per cent French flax linen doona covers here, starting from $170.

Adairs

Your next best bet is over at Adairs, where you can update your bedroom with a beautiful range of doublet and quilt covers.

Our favourites include this cappucino check doona cover (from $169.99), this sweet rose-coloured boucle quilt cover (from $229.99) and lastly, this vintage washed linen quilt cover (from $319.99).

You can shop the sale here.

Sheet Society

Sheet Society is doing The Lord’s work when it comes to tasteful and in-season looks.

As we fully transition into winter, Sheet Society makes it impossible to resist its luxurious corduroy quilt cover, available in six different colours, from midnight (pictured above) to foresty moss and an earthy terracotta. Right now, you can grab a quilt cover for $140 and add on a matching pillowcase from $50.

Another great option, especially if you’re planning on adding some much-needed texture to your bed, is this captivating Tully waffle quilt, featuring the Blair Gingham. If the pink and blue isn’t quite your style, you can shoot for the Percy Gingham pattern instead, which offers plenty of calming greens and greys. This set is available from $180, with pillowcases for an additional $60.

Check out Sheet Society’s full range of doona covers here.

Sheridan Outlet

Right now, Sheridan is having a mega EOFY sale. You can explore a wide range of stunning doona covers in a variety of fabrics, fibres and materials – with everything on sale for 50 per cent off.

We’re a big fan of this bougie Akina quilt cover set, now down to $125 (RRP $279.99). We also love this pale green delphine quilt cover set, featuring a textured pattern of soft fringe detailing. It’s now on sale from $152, down from $429.

Pssst, Sheridan also has a range of other sheets and bedding available that will suit a bunch of bedroom aesthetics. You can save big bucks with one of our Sheridan promo codes, including exclusive discounts on clothes, homewares, shipping and more. 

You can explore the full range here.

How to wash a doona

To keep your doona pristine and white, it’s recommended that you machine wash it at least once every couple of months. Of course, not all of us own or have access to a washing machine that’s big enough to thoroughly wash your doona, so you can always take it to a dry cleaner to have it done professionally. Keep in mind that it’s best to check its care label to be safe.

However, if you prefer to sleep naked or without a top sheet, then you’ll need to wash your doona more often. That top sheet doesn’t seem so useless now, does it?

If you do choose to do it yourself, set your washing machine to its gentlest setting and use cold water (unless its tags say otherwise). Then add a small scoop of delicate laundry liquid to your washing cycle.

To ensure your load is balanced properly, try adding two (clean) tennis balls. While this might seem like a silly idea, this is especially important if you own any of the goose feather variety, otherwise, you’ll find your stuffing unevenly distributed after washing.

Otherwise, you can try to hand wash your doona in your bathtub (if you have one). Soak it in warm, soapy water for a few hours before giving it a good wring and hanging it outside to dry.