How to Put a Duvet Cover On: The Easy Way, Step by Step

By Snoozyn · Updated October 2026

Changing a duvet cover is the one part of making a bed that most people put off. The usual method, climbing inside the cover and hunting for the corners, is slow on a single and close to impossible alone on a king or super king. There are two better ways, and both work for every bed size. This guide walks through each step, explains what the ties inside a cover are for, and covers the small things that stop a duvet bunching up once it is on.

Before you start

• Check the sizes match. A duvet cover should be the same size as the duvet. A cover that is too big lets the duvet slide about inside it; one that is too small squashes the filling. Our UK bed sizes guide lists every size in centimetres.
• Find the opening. Every cover has one open end that closes with buttons, poppers or a zip. That end goes at the foot of the bed.
• Look for ties. Many covers have fabric ties sewn inside at the corners. If yours does, and your duvet has loops around its edge, you will use them in step 3.
• Clear the bed. Take the pillows off so you have the whole mattress to work on.

Method 1: the roll method (easiest, works alone)

Sometimes called the burrito method, this is the quickest way to put on a duvet cover by yourself, and the only one that is easy on a king or super king without a second pair of hands.

Step 1: Turn the cover inside out

Reach into the cover, take hold of the two far corners from the inside, and pull the cover back over your arms so it ends up inside out.

Step 2: Lay the cover flat, opening at the foot

Spread the inside-out cover over the bed so it lies flat and square, with the opening at the foot end. Whatever side you want facing up once the bed is made should be facing down at this point.

Step 3: Lay the duvet on top and tie the corners

Lay the duvet over the cover so the edges line up. If the cover has ties and the duvet has loops, tie each corner now, plus any along the sides. This is the step that keeps the duvet square later.

Step 4: Roll from the head end

Starting at the head of the bed, roll the duvet and cover together, tightly and evenly, down towards the foot until you have one long roll sitting at the opening.

Step 5: Turn the opening over the roll

Put your hand into the opening and fold it back over one end of the roll, like pulling a sock over a foot. Work across to the other end until the whole roll is tucked inside the opening.

Step 6: Close it and unroll

Fasten the buttons, poppers or zip, then unroll back up the bed towards the pillows. The cover turns the right way out as it unrolls. Hold the two foot corners and give the duvet one firm shake to settle it.

Method 2: the inside-out shake (quick on a single or double)

This one is faster than rolling on smaller beds, and easier with a second person on a large one.

1. Turn the cover inside out and put your hands into its two far corners from the inside.
2. Using the cover like gloves, pinch the two top corners of the duvet through the fabric.
3. Lift and shake, so the cover falls down over the duvet the right way out.
4. Tie the inside corners if your cover has ties, lay the duvet on the bed, close the opening, and shake once more from the foot.

With two people, each person takes one side and the duvet goes in in a few seconds. On your own, it works well up to a double; for a king or super king the roll method is easier.

Why does a duvet bunch up inside its cover?

A duvet usually slides about for one of three reasons:

• The corners are not tied. Ties are there to stop the duvet travelling to one end. If yours has them, use all of them.
• The sizes don't match. A double duvet in a king cover will always move around. Check both labels.
• It wasn't settled after going in. One firm shake from the foot end, holding both corners, lines the filling up with the cover.

A duvet with stitched chambers also helps, because the filling can't drift to one side inside the duvet itself. Our all-season duvet is quilted into chambers for that reason, and has eight loops around its edge to tie into the cover.

What our duvet covers have inside

All four of our duvet covers have ties sewn inside to hold the duvet in place, and a closure at the open end. Here is how they differ.

Covers come in single (135 × 200 cm), double (200 × 200 cm), king (230 × 220 cm) and super king (260 × 220 cm). If you are still choosing a fabric, our bedding fabric guide compares all four, and the bedding builder lets you pick the colour of the duvet cover, fitted sheet and pillowcases separately.

A few habits that make it easier next time

• Fold the spare cover inside out. Store your second cover inside out, and step 1 is already done on changeover day.
• Keep sets together. Fold the duvet cover and fitted sheet, then tuck them inside one of the matching pillowcases, so the whole set comes out of the cupboard at once.
• Wash it inside out and close the opening first. Buttoning or zipping the cover before it goes in the machine stops smaller things ending up inside it. Our bedding washing guide and care guide cover temperatures and drying for each fabric.
• Change it on the same day each week. See how often to change your bed sheets for a schedule for every piece on the bed.

Questions people ask about duvet covers

What is the easiest way to put on a duvet cover?

The roll method. Lay the cover inside out on the bed with the opening at the foot, lay the duvet on top, roll both up from the head end, turn the opening over the roll, close it and unroll. The cover turns the right way out as it unrolls.

How do you put a duvet cover on by yourself?

Use the roll method, because you never have to lift the duvet. It works on any size of bed, including a king or super king, which are hard to manage alone with the shake method.

Which way round does a duvet cover go?

The opening goes at the foot of the bed, so the buttons or zip sit away from your face. The two closed corners go at the head end, by the pillows.

What are the ties inside a duvet cover for?

They hold the duvet in place. Tie them to the loops on the corners of your duvet and it stays square inside the cover instead of sliding to one end or bunching up overnight.

Why does my duvet keep bunching up inside the cover?

Usually because the corners are not tied, the duvet and cover are different sizes, or the duvet was not shaken out after going in. Tie every corner, check both labels say the same size, and give it one firm shake from the foot end.

Should a duvet cover be the same size as the duvet?

Yes. A double duvet needs a double cover, and a king duvet a king cover. A cover that is too big lets the duvet move around, and one that is too small squashes the filling.