Updated November 2026. Written by the Tontine team. Brand details come from Tontine's About page, and quilt details from Tontine's own guides.
If you grew up in Australia, you probably call the thing you sleep under a doona. Visitors from the UK say duvet, Americans say comforter, and the label on the bag often says quilt. This guide explains what a doona is, how the four names compare and how to choose the right one for your bed.
What is a doona?
A doona is a soft, flat bed cover filled with wool, feather and down, cotton or polyester fibre, which you sleep under for warmth. It usually sits inside a removable doona cover (also called a quilt cover) that you wash far more often than the doona itself. In Australia, doona and quilt mean the same thing, and both are everyday words for what much of the world calls a duvet.
The cover gives you the colour and pattern, while the fill does the work: it traps still air, which is why a thicker, loftier doona feels warmer than a thin one.
Is a doona the same as a quilt, duvet or comforter?
Yes, in everyday Australian use a doona, a quilt and a duvet are the same item: a filled insert that lives inside a cover. A comforter is close but not identical, because in the United States it usually means a finished bed cover used on its own, without a separate cover. Mostly, the word changes with where you are.
| Word | Where you will hear it | What it usually means | Goes inside a cover? |
|---|---|---|---|
| doona | Australia | A filled bed cover of wool, feather and down, cotton or polyester | Yes, a doona cover or quilt cover |
| quilt | Australia | The same as a doona. In the US, a quilt is usually a thin, stitched bedspread instead | Yes in Australia, usually not in the US |
| duvet | UK, Europe and the US | The same filled insert as a doona, often called a duvet insert in the US | Yes, a duvet cover |
| comforter | United States | A filled bed cover, often sold already finished in a colour or pattern | Usually not |
If you shop from a US site, a duvet insert is the closest match to an Australian doona. Check the size in centimetres first, because overseas bed sizes differ from Australian ones.
Where does the word doona come from?
The word is closely tied to a brand. As Tontine's About page puts it, Tontine is the maker of the original Aussie Doona®, a favourite of Australian families since 1972, when the Doona brand was first trademarked.
Today, doona is also the everyday Australian word for any quilt. On this page we write doona in lowercase when we mean the bedding item in general, and Doona with a capital D when we mean Tontine's brand. You can see the full range in Tontine's quilts and doonas collection.
How do you choose a doona?
Choose a doona by three things, in this order: the warmth that suits your climate and how hot you sleep, the fill whose feel and care suit you, and the size that matches your bed.
Warmth. Every Tontine quilt carries a warmth rating and a description of the season it suits, from summer through all seasons to super warm and extra warm. A medium weight all seasons doona suits most Australian bedrooms in most seasons. Choose a lighter summer quilt for hot, humid nights, or step up to a winter quilt for cold southern and inland winters. If you sleep hot, look at cooling quilts with covers designed to move heat and moisture.
Fill. The fill decides how the doona feels, how much it weighs and how you look after it:
- Wool: dense, drapes close to the body and breathes, so it suits sleepers whose temperature changes through the night.
- Feather and down: lofty and light, with the most warmth for its weight. The more down in the blend, the lighter the doona feels.
- Cotton: light and crisp, a good match for summer and hot climates.
- Polyester, including Tontine's Ultrafibre®: soft, light and easy to care for, which makes it a practical choice for kids' beds and busy households.
If you are shopping for an allergy-conscious bedroom, the anti allergy quilts have fills treated to inhibit dust mites, mould and bacteria. For more on weight, loft and budget, read the doona and quilt buying guide, or see quick picks by season and fill in the best quilts and doonas in Australia.
What size doona do you need?
Buy the doona size that matches your bed: Single, King Single, Double, Queen, King or Super King. If you share the bed, have a deep pillow-top mattress or use a mattress topper, going one size up gives you more overhang, so neither of you loses the covers overnight. Tontine's quilt and doona size guide lists every size in centimetres next to the mattress it fits.
Do you need a doona cover?
Yes, most people use one. A doona cover, also called a quilt cover or duvet cover, is a washable fabric case that closes around the doona with buttons, press studs or a zip. It keeps the doona clean and lets you change the look of your bed without buying a new doona. Choose a cover in the same size as your doona; the quilt cover size guide shows the Australian sizes.
How do you care for a doona?
Wash the cover regularly and the doona itself only occasionally, always following the care label supplied with it. Care depends on the fill: many polyester doonas can go in the washing machine, while wool and feather and down doonas have their own requirements, so check the care label before you wash or dry them. The doona and quilt care guide covers the details.
Frequently asked questions
Is a duvet the same as a doona?
Yes. Duvet is the word used in the UK and Europe, and doona is the Australian word for the same thing: a filled bed cover that goes inside a removable cover. A duvet cover and a doona cover are the same too, as long as the size matches your doona.
What do Americans call a doona?
Most Americans would call it a comforter or a duvet insert. A comforter is often sold as a finished piece in a colour or pattern and used without a cover, while a duvet insert goes inside a duvet cover, just like an Australian doona. In the US, a quilt usually means a thinner stitched bedspread.
Why do Australians call a quilt a doona?
It is simply the everyday Australian word for a quilt, and Australians use both words for the same item. The name also belongs to a brand: Tontine is the maker of the original Aussie Doona, and the Doona brand was first trademarked in 1972.
What are the different types of doonas?
Doonas differ mainly by fill and warmth. The main fills are wool, feather and down, cotton and polyester, and Tontine rates each quilt from summer weight through all seasons to super warm. Some doonas also have cooling covers for hot sleepers or treated fills for allergy-conscious households. Pick the warmth for your climate first, then the fill.
What is a doona made of?
A doona has a fabric shell, often cotton or polyester, filled with wool, feather and down, cotton or polyester fibre. The shell is stitched in channels, boxes or patterns that keep the fill evenly spread, so the warmth does not bunch up at one end. The fill decides the warmth, the weight and how you care for it.
Can I use a duvet cover on a quilt?
Yes. In Australia a quilt, a doona and a duvet are the same insert, so a cover sold as a duvet cover, doona cover or quilt cover will fit, provided the size matches. Covers bought overseas may follow different bed sizes, so compare the measurements in centimetres with your quilt before you buy.
Shop: All quilts and doonas | All seasons quilts | Wool quilts | Feather and down quilts | Summer quilts | Kids quilts
