This Duvet Might Change Your Life—Or At Least Inspire You to Wash It More Often

Washing my duvet cover ranks high on my list of most dreaded household chores, which is why I send it through the laundry far less frequently than I’m willing to admit to y’all. But I’m not alone in this. An initial survey by Pippen House, a new bedding brand that launched May 9, found that a quarter of respondents wash their duvet cover only four times a year—when, really, we should all be washing them about as frequently as we wash our sheets.

It’s not the washing that makes me so averse to laundering my duvet. It’s the wrestling the insert back into the clean duvet cover that I loathe—when you have to practically crawl inside of it to make sure that the insert is properly situated, only for that comforter to slide down to the bottom and bunch up there after the first couple of sleeps. I’d rather put fitted sheets on a dozen beds than wash my duvet cover once. 

Charlotte, North Carolina-born sisters Kate Conroy and Maddy Howey found themselves with the same bedding frustrations. So they brainstormed for 10 years and fashioned more than 30 different prototypes to create a duvet-and-insert duo that doesn’t inspire the same laundry-day headaches. The pair’s new bedding line Pippen House, named for their daughters Piper and Penelope, is their solution. The signature insert and duvet cover are constructed with a hidden zipper system that allows the insert to stay in place, and easy instructions walk you through placing the duvet cover on inside out—no crawling inside required.

Kate and Maddy graciously sent me the system to try ahead of their launch, and admittedly I didn’t think it could be that great—despite the pitch-perfect branding, for which I’m a sucker. But my guest room was outfitted in the same duvet cover I’ve had since college, and I welcomed the opportunity to upgrade it before my mom came for a weekend visit.

BUY IT: The Signature Duvet System, from $450; pippenhouse.com

I loved Pippen House right out of the box. The written instructions for how to use the system were straightforward, though I appreciate that there’s also an option to watch video tutorials online for more visual folks. The zip-on approach was so easy I was practically giddy, and it was satisfying to know that the hypoallergenic, down-alternative insert wouldn’t slide down to the bottom of the cover the second I spread it over the bed. (It also has a baffle-box construction and double-stitched seams that prevent the stuffing from becoming lumpy and uneven.) The cover’s 300-thread-count bamboo-and-cotton blend feels cool to the touch (a true win for hot sleepers, especially during the summer swelter), and it instantly freshened up my guest bedroom. Is there anything better than fresh, bright white bedding? Even after a full weekend of my mom sleeping under it, my Pippen House duvet appeared far less wrinkled than the 100% cotton bedding I have in my own room. 

It’s not cheap, ringing in at $450 for the Signature Duvet System, but it’s a comprehensive, one-stop-shop package that includes an all-season, down-alternative queen-sized insert; their trademark queen-sized duvet cover; and a pair of pillow shams. And while the price tag may cause sticker shock, it’s worth noting that good bedding, like Le Creuset cookware, is an investment piece that will last you for years to come. Even so, you, like me, may wonder, "$450 is a pile of money; is Pippen House really worth it?" But last night, I washed my plain-old, button-on duvet cover—the one not from Pippen House. And as I wrestled my comforter into that cover, hitting my hand on our ceiling fan hard enough to leave a bruise and swearing under my breath when I fastened the last button and realized I was one off, I came to a foregone conclusion: Pippen House is worth every penny. You’ll wash your duvet more... and probably cuss less too.