TOG ratings of bed quilts. What are they and are they useful?

What is a TOG? How you can use it to select the right bed quilt

If you are looking to buy a new quilt, the warmth of a particular bed quilt, duvet, doona or comforter compared to another quilt is often a fairly vague and personal subjective assessment.

In fact, a bed quilt can be accurately measured for its relative warmth and assigned with a Tog rating which is a European industry standard, however, it is almost unknown in Australia/New Zealand or Asia.

Exactly what are the Tog ratings of bed quilts? 

• A Tog is a measure of the thermal resistance (warmth) of a quilt as measured under the UK Standard 5335:1991
• The Tog rating is an expression of the relative warmth of a quilt to its weight which can be measured under controlled laboratory conditions by an approved authority.
• In technical terms, a Tog it is 0.1 m²K/W or in other words, the thermal resistance in togs is equal to ten times the temperature difference (in Celsius degrees) between the two surfaces of a material, when the flow of heat is equal to one watt per square metre. I hope that answers the question.  
• The name is thought to come from the informal word 'tog" for clothing which itself was probably derived from the Roman word, toga.
• A low Tog quilt rating of three to four means that the quilt is suitable for hot and tropical climates, for summer use or by consumers who do not require much warmth.
• A high Tog quilt rating indicates that the quilt is warmer and therefore more suited to colder climates, or for those consumers who need more warmth. The actual Tog range is between 2 (super cool) and 13 (super warm).

In broad terms a quilt's Tog rating will fall under four general groupings-

Lightweight for Summer and warm climates

• Tog rating of 2 to 3. 

The Kelly & Windsor alpaca quilts in this range -

• Alpaca Bamboo 200
• Alpaca Gold 200

Medium weight for Spring & Autumn

• Tog rating of 4 to 6

The Kelly & Windsor alpaca quilts in this range -

• Alpaca Bamboo 300
• Alpaca Gold 300
• Alpaca Classic 300

Heavier weight for Winter

• Tog rating of 7 to 9

The Kelly & Windsor alpaca quilts in this range -

• Alpaca Bamboo 400
• Alpaca Gold 400 & 500
• Alpaca Classic 450

Extra weight for Super cold winters

• Tog rating of 10 to 13

The Kelly & Windsor alpaca quilts in this range -

• Alpaca Bamboo 600
• Alpaca Gold 600

While the use of Tog ratings is relevant in selecting a quilt, there are several other important factors to consider such as climate, sleeping environment and most importantly the relative warmth requirements of each person.

The best guide to selecting a quilt is our BMI Matrix Quilt Selector which is an easy way to know what weight and warmth quilt that really suits you. Please click here to read more.

If you are still not sure which style and weight of quilt you need, no problem, just call us and we will be happy to advise you.