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- Soft and comfortable
- Natural materials
- 30-day trial period included
- No customisable all-seasons option
- Quite expensive
I was contacted rather out of the blue last year by the founder of Larke, a brand that – at the time of writing – sells only one product: the Nature’s Blend Duvet. The emergence of another new-age online bedding brand rarely surprises me, and Larke isn’t necessarily going against the grain with its focus on natural materials. But that’s no bad thing. There’s been a big shift away from synthetic materials, and for very good reason.
Larke’s weapon of choice is eucalyptus tree fibre, perhaps more recognisable as the lyocell material produced by Tencel. Larke promises comfort, breathability and sustainability in a duvet that’s “made from nature”.
I finally got around to testing the Nature’s Blend Duvet this month and found it to be a very comfortable option.
Larke Nature’s Blend Duvet: What do you get for the money?
The Nature’s Blend Duvet comes in three different tog variants – 4.5, 10.5 and 13.5 tog – with prices starting at £120 for a 4.5 tog single duvet and reaching £265 for a 13.5 tog super king duvet. I was sent a single size 10.5 tog duvet to review, which will set you back £140. In this tog, a double costs £180, a king £205 and a super king £245.
The selling point of the Nature’s Blend Duvet is, of course, its use of natural materials. It’s filled with Tencel-branded lyocell, derived from eucalyptus fibres, which is FSC-approved (Forest Stewardship Council). The cover is made from 100% cotton with a 280 thread count, and its pocketed stitching ensures that the filling is kept in place without clumping.
Provided you have a washing machine that’s big enough (or access to an appropriate laundry service), you can wash the Nature’s Blend Duvet at 40°C and can also tumble dry it at a low heat.
The duvet comes with a five-year warranty to cover manufacturing defaults, but not normal wear. More importantly, you get a 30-night trial period, during which you can return it for free and get a full refund – “no questions asked” – if you decide the Nature’s Blend Duvet is not for you. Larke will provide you with a pre-paid return label, but you must contact the company first via email to request a return first. For more information on this process, see Larke’s website.
What did we like?
I’ve been testing Larke’s Nature’s Blend Duvet for a few weeks now, during a January of rather changeable weather – with nights ranging from cold to almost mild. The duvet is soft, comfortable and the filling feels very well distributed. Larke is keen to remind customers that, even though the duvet is filled with tree fibres, “you won’t find bark, splinters or crunchy wood chips inside” but a soft and cosy filling. I can confidently back up this claim and, although it’s not quite as thick as my regular go-to – the 10.5-tog Panda Cloud Bamboo Duvet – I’ve had some great nights’ sleep under it.
While I wouldn’t necessarily recommend the 10.5 tog variant for winter – it’s too thin for colder nights – I have to confess that Larke did send me the sample last June, so I’ve only got myself to blame for not getting round to reviewing it until now. In any case, the 13.5 tog variant may be a better choice if you’re looking for a winter duvet or you like a bit of extra warmth.
I also didn’t get too warm under the Nature’s Blend Duvet. Again, this might be down to my testing it in January, but even when I had piled on blankets on top and had an electric blanket switched on underneath me, I didn’t feel like I was going to overheat. The duvet’s use of natural materials may be partly to thank here: a cotton cover and Tencel filling is almost certainly a better option for temperature regulation than synthetic materials such as polyester.
And while I’ve never personally struggled with allergies as a result of my bedding, others might appreciate this as a hypoallergenic choice. I’d be keen to re-test the duvet during the hotter months to see how it fares on a muggy London night.
While I’m normally wary of praising a brand’s eco credentials, because this is something that’s difficult for us to evaluate, Larke’s certifications from OEKO-TEX and the FSC are at least reassuring. And compared to some brands, the range of products it manufactures is extremely minimalist – for now at least.
I also appreciate the 30-day free trial that Larke offers. It’s common for bed-in-a-box brands to offer lengthy trial periods with their mattresses, but it’s less of an expectation when it comes to bedding. Given the largely subjective nature of comfort, I find it much easier to recommend bedding to someone when there’s a trial period they can fall back on.
What could be better?
Trial period aside, the Larke Nature’s Blend Duvet is rather expensive. In fact, with the exception of some silk and down options, it’s got one of the highest starting prices we’ve seen for a duvet. Simba’s 10.5 tog Hybrid duvet in a double has an RRP of £199, and while the Nature’s Blend in the same size will cost you £180, a single is ever-so-slightly pricier at £140 compared to Simba’s £139.
Larke’s duvet is also more expensive than some of our favourite alternatives. The Panda Cloud duvet I mentioned above, as well as being a rival in the sustainable production department, is cheaper than the Larke in all sizes. It’s also an illustration of how the Nature’s Blend duvet jumps up in price depending on your chosen size:
| Panda Cloud duvet | Larke Nature’s Blend duvet | |
| Single | £100 | £140 |
| Double | £130 | £180 |
| King | £145 | £205 |
| Super king | £160 | £245 |
Given the investment, it would also be nice if Larke had an all-seasons option in addition to its 4.5, 10.5 and 13.5 tog duvets. Many rivals offer something similar, and achieving this could be as simple as attaching fasteners to the 4.5 and 10.5 tog variants so they can be layered.
Should you buy the Larke Nature’s Blend Duvet?
While I’m not going to be discarding my regular Panda duvet anytime soon – after all, it offers the same benefits, including a 30-night trial, with a cheaper price tag attached – I will say that the Larke Nature’s Blend is still a very good duvet.
Soft, comfortable, easy to care for and with sustainable credentials, there’s not much beyond its high price tag that I can complain about. And even then, it’s far from the most expensive duvet we’ve tested.
If you were to ask me, the next step for Larke would be to introduce a customisable all-seasons option. That would make the Nature’s Blend a much more attractive option where versatility and value for money are concerned – I might even consider bumping this review up to five stars.
