How to Create the Perfect Cozy Bed for Winter

Keep yourself + your loved ones warm and cozy all winter long. When the nights grow longer and colder, your bed becomes even more inviting. Our in-house Design Director, Whitney Thornburg, shares her top four tips for a winter-worthy bed, with natural textures, colors, and patterns that invite warmth into your cold weather sanctuary.

Start with an organic foundation

Before you start piling on the layers, don’t forget to begin below the sheets. The right mattress topper can help to protect your base, while locking in warmth from the bottom up. We like wool for the wintertime, since it helps to naturally regulate temperature. Our Wool Mattress Topper is made using Climate Beneficial Wool.

Cotton is also an ideal ingredient for winter coziness, thanks to its breathability. The 100% GOTS-certified organic cotton shell on our Climate Beneficial Wool Mattress Topper helps to keep you warm without overheating. If you're already a warmer sleeper, we recommend the Organic Mattress Pad as a slightly cooler option. Made with GOTS + Made Safe Certified cotton, inside and out, this breathable base layer will help you maintain a comfortable temperature year-round.

Switch to warmer layers 

When layering on the warmth, the importance of your sheets cannot be overstated. For winter, the answer is flannel. Our velvety soft Cloud Brushed™ Organic Flannel is specially brushed to reduce pilling and thick enough to lock in heat. Take it from Whitney: “In addition to being exceptionally soft and cozy, the weight of our flannel creates a substantial layer that is durable and will stand the test of time.” 

Looking for a slightly cooler option?

“If flannel is too warm for your bed, try our Relaxed Linen, which is naturally temperature regulating.” Like wool, linen keeps you naturally warm in the winter without overheating. It also helps to support the small farms who work linen into their organic crop rotations.

Add a layer of extra warmth

Now for the fun part. You can easily add depth and warmth to your bed with textured blankets in rich earth tones. Cotton and wool continue to play a big part in layering on the warmth. “This winter I love our new Cozy Cotton Organic Blanket paired over one of our sheeting duvets. The pattern and texture of this blanket is a nice layer to warm up a simple bed. I also love the new Sandalwood color in the Sequoia Blanket which can create a warm layer between a top sheet and a duvet, or looks beautiful yet simple layered on top of the bed.” 

Whitney suggests her favorite blankets as either a top or middle layer. Sandwiching a blanket between your flat sheet and duvet or comforter locks in heat, while a top layer makes it easy to mix up your look, as well as your comfort. The latter option is great for couples who want a little more flexibility—pull it up or down as needed, then stack it at the foot of the bed in the morning.

Finish with a heavier-weight duvet 

Switching out your duvet inserts between seasons will have a huge effect on your cold weather comfort. Choosing the right weight and fill depends on your personal preferences: “For cool sleepers I would recommend shifting to the Winter Weight Down Duvet Insert. For warm sleepers who might not use a duvet insert, now is a great time to warm up the bed with our Three Season Down or Climate Beneficial Wool Duvet Insert.”

Once you decide which insert is right for your sleeping style, it’s important to remember where your heat is coming from. Warmth is created by trapping air between layers—the more layers you add, the more air you capture, and the warmer you’ll be. This is why down or blankets with lots of texture work best, since the extra space between the fibers invites all that warm air to come in and stay a while.

The perfect temperature is personal, so use these tools to build your version of the coziest bed ever. Don’t be afraid to experiment with the textures, materials, and weights you love until you find that just-right blend. You can’t go wrong with organic, responsibly crafted layers from Coyuchi.