Duvet-to-bed ratio

July 2, 2007 2:57 PM

Two single duvets on double beds in Copenhagen. Why? Is this a local thing?

My boyfriend travels to Copenhagen (from UK) about once a month, and about 80% of the time the hotel room has a double bed with two single duvets (these are different hotels). He has asked me to ask the hive about this bed setup.

- Is this local to Copenhagen/Denmark or are there other countries that make their beds this way?
- Is this just for hotels? Do domestic homes in Denmark make their beds this way?
- WHY?

Anecdotally, he would be quite happy if it were a single duvet on a single bed, but when he finds two singles on a double there's no doubt I'll hear about it when he comes home. :)

posted by like_neon to society & culture (17 comments total)

This is not only common in Denmark, it's a great idea that should be practiced everywhere.

I've used duvets (dune) since I was a baby living in Denmark, but couples often get too warm sleeping together. Pesonally, I always have to stick an arm or leg out to keep from over heating. Sharing a duvet with my boyfriend just wouldn't work.
posted by gesamtkunstwerk at 3:03 PM on July 2, 2007

To each his or her own.

I have seen this in hotels on occasion, but then I travel too much.
posted by caddis at 3:08 PM on July 2, 2007

Here's a thread with basically the same question.
posted by sugarfish at 3:09 PM on July 2, 2007

The personal duvet thing is something I've seen in Germany and I do remember it in Denmark too. My understanding is that it's for individual comfort, as was said above.
posted by miss lynnster at 3:13 PM on July 2, 2007

I've seen this in Germany, also. In fact, most of the beds I've seen in Germany are actually two separate mattresses, one for each person.
posted by backseatpilot at 3:20 PM on July 2, 2007

It's common in Norway too. Domestic homes and hotels alike. I'm surprised it's not common in the UK!
posted by cheerleaders_to_your_funeral at 3:21 PM on July 2, 2007

It's not common in the UK, but I have seen it done once or twice.
posted by Solomon at 3:25 PM on July 2, 2007

It's fairly common across Europe, in hotels at least. There have been a number of excellent questions on the difference between European and American bedclothes on AskMe...worth seeking out.
posted by fire&wings at 3:26 PM on July 2, 2007

Heck, when I was married -- separate bedding. Different body temperatures, different hormones. The real question is, why DON'T U.S. hotels do that?
posted by The Deej at 3:27 PM on July 2, 2007

We had the same thing in Prague, it was strange. The bed was really big, it felt like it was for married couples who had been together for 30 years and didnt like each other any more.
It was quite lonely :(
posted by missmagenta at 3:41 PM on July 2, 2007 [1 favorite]

Mrs. Scheptech and I have separate bedding, thought it was our own weird habit. Hmmph, apparently we've been all euro-sophisticated all along.
posted by scheptech at 4:33 PM on July 2, 2007

Mr. wuzandfuzz and I also have separate bedding, although mostly because he's a no good blanket stealer, who knew that we were so euro?
posted by wuzandfuzz at 9:07 PM on July 2, 2007 [1 favorite]

It's quite common in the germanic parts of Europe, although not in the Netherlands as far as I can tell. It is quite unusual in most latin countries.
posted by stereo at 11:02 PM on July 2, 2007

Mr. wuzandfuzz and I also have separate bedding, although mostly because he's a no good blanket stealer, who knew that we were so euro?

I'm the no good blanket stealer. I can't imagine not having seperate bedding, unless both people sleep very still.
posted by SuzySmith at 12:16 AM on July 3, 2007

Thank you all for the very interesting feedback!
I figured it must be something about reducing sheet hogging between couples, but as rational as it sounds, I agree with missmagenta that it sounds quite lonely. Oh well, he can suffer for a few days if it makes him happier to return to sharing the duvet with me! :)
posted by like_neon at 1:07 AM on July 3, 2007

I'm in the UK and we have separate duvets - my boyfriend is an OMG HEAT GENERATOR at night, so I'd never get any sleep if we shared a duvet. He, however, shares missmagenta's view that it's lonely, but has come to accept that an insomniac alto is *not* someone he likes living with.
posted by altolinguistic at 5:29 AM on July 3, 2007

Seen it in Norway and Sweden too. I thought it was quite a good idea (especially in summer) but my husband hated it. He's the duvet stealer, but after six years of duvet tug-of-war we've somehow developed a verbal cue that will make him let go of the duvet even when he's sound asleep. It's pretty neat, actually.
posted by corvine at 10:12 AM on July 4, 2007 [1 favorite]