Quilt, comforter or the whole bag

A quilt is the thin one

A quilt is three layers stitched through: a printed top, a light filling and a backing. The stitching runs across the whole piece rather than around the edge, which is why a quilt lies flat and follows the shape of the bed instead of standing up off it. We cut 255 sets this way.

A quilt does two jobs across the year. Through warm months it is the only cover on the bed. When the room turns cold it goes over a comforter, where it adds a little warmth and keeps the thicker layer from sliding off in the night.

A comforter is the thick one

A comforter carries its filling in sewn channels or boxes so the filling stays where it was put. It stands up off the mattress and holds the loft most people picture when they think of a made bed. 27 sets are built around one on its own.

A comforter is not a duvet cover, and the two get sold under similar photographs. A duvet cover is an empty shell that needs an insert bought separately. A comforter arrives finished, so what is in the picture is what goes on the bed.

Bed in a bag is the comforter plus what goes under it

Bed in a bag adds the sheets to the comforter, so one order finishes a bed down to the mattress. We cut 106 sets this way, and it is the honest answer for a guest room or a first apartment where the linen closet is still empty.

One word is worth knowing before you count anything. A sham is the cover, not the pillow inside it. A set listed with two shams gives you two pillow covers that match the top layer, and the pillows themselves stay yours.

Which one to take

• The room runs warm, or there is bedding you already like: a quilt.
• The room runs cold and the sheets are sorted: a comforter set.
• The bed is empty and you want it finished in one go: bed in a bag.
• Warm days and cold nights in the same week: a quilt over a comforter covers both, and it is why we cut them in matching patterns.