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Jackie Reeve is a writer covering all things bedding. She has also reported on towels, rugs, and chicken coops (with help from her 20 backyard pets). Clothing Laser Engraving Machine
We’ve added three new picks: The Garnet Hill Agnes Linen Quilt, the Anthropologie Dahlia Cotton Jersey Floral Quilt, and the Anthropologie Rosalind Cotton Voile Printed Quilt. We’ve also added a few other quilts worth considering.
Quilts live somewhere between a blanket and a comforter. At a basic level, a quilt is two layers of fabric sandwiched around a thin layer of insulation, then stitched through all over. That surface stitching is what makes a quilt, a quilt.
But when made well, quilts are also a little magical, evoking comfort and cozy nostalgia, in a riot of colors or in quiet tones. We tested 21 quilts and found five marvelous designs that we love.
I’ve been a quilter for nearly 20 years. I’ve designed quilt patterns for magazines and fabric companies. I’ve spent hundreds of hours cutting fabrics, studying them, piecing them back together into colorful patterns, and giving them to people I love.
I’ve also been covering home textiles at Wirecutter for nearly a decade. I’ve used my knowledge of fabrics to test a range of bedding, including sheets, comforters, blankets, and duvet covers.
Made with organic cotton and mostly hand-stitched, this warm, soft quilt is the best we’ve tested. It’s an investment, though, and it comes in only a few colors.
The Coyuchi Pebbled Handstitched Organic Quilt has been a pick in our blankets guide since 2020, and it’s still one of the best quilts you can buy. It comes in a few earth-toned colors that change seasonally; matching shams are available.
It’s a quilt for all seasons. The Coyuchi quilt combines a simple design with high-quality materials and beautiful craftsmanship. It’s an excellent year-round bed topper—cool on the skin in summer, toasty enough on its own for spring and fall, and easy to layer with a comforter during the winter.
Each quilt is unique. That’s because, while the seams around the edges are machine-sewn, the quilting is done by hand in India using embroidery floss, which is thicker than thread but thinner than yarn. The result is a simplified, modern version of the colorful Bangladesh and India kantha quilts that inspired this design—with contrasting stitches that are not all consistently sized or spaced. They give the surface a gently stippled look after it’s been washed.
It’s made with soft, long-staple cotton. Long-staple cotton tends to have a better feel and lasts longer. This is why we look for long-staple or extra-long-staple cottons in our picks. It’s not listed in the specs, but the company’s design director, Whitney Thornburg, told us Coyuchi uses long-staple cotton for this quilt. The cotton for both the outer fabric and the inner batting is organic and GOTS-certified. Note, however, that organic cotton isn’t necessarily softer, more durable, or even better for the environment, than regular cotton.
It’s durable and easy to wash. I tested the king size, and it was easy to launder in my home washer and dryer (although it did take a few hours to fully dry). In testing, the quilt was durable and maintained its good looks through several washings, plus all of my attempts to destroy it, including repeated abrasion tests and a good tug-of-war with my dog.
It has a generous return policy. Coyuchi accepts returns within 30 days for a full refund (even on used items) and within 365 days for store credit. The company also offers a recycling option for your worn-out quilts through its Take Back Program (which we haven’t tested yet).
It’s expensive. Like the Garnet Hill Agnes Linen Quilt, the Coyuchi quilt is almost twice the price of The Company Store’s Company Cotton Voile Quilt, but you’re getting something that will possibly last a lifetime.
There aren’t many colors or sizes to choose from. It comes in only a few subdued colors, and it’s not available in twin or California king sizes.
Sizes: full/queen, king Colors: three; colors vary seasonally Materials: organic cotton fabric and organic cotton batting
Properly constructed, lovely to sleep under, and stylish to boot. No notes.
Garnet Hill generally makes excellent blankets, so it’s not that surprising that its Agnes Linen Quilt was my favorite quilt in our 2025 testing. Everything about its construction was correct to my extra-critical quilter’s eye, and it was comfy to use, too.
It has Scandinavian cottage vibes. The simple white background with brightly colored squares feels modern and minimal, but also homey. I know hygge has become an overused word, but that’s exactly what it evokes. I tested the red-and-white version, which looks like a holiday in the Alps. Matching shams are available.
It’s a classic patchwork quilt. Many quilts I’ve considered for this guide that look like patchwork aren’t technically patchwork—they’re whole pieces of cloth printed to look like classic quilt blocks, or sometimes they’re whole cloth with other pieces of fabric appliquéd on to the top. These are all fine approaches for making a quilt, but the Agnes Linen Quilt is a real patchwork quilt—small pieces of fabric sewn together into blocks, which are then pieced together to make the whole quilt top. (Quilters: Even the seam allowances are 0.25 inch.)
It feels cool, breathable, and light. The top is rugged linen while the underside is a soft cotton that feels pleasant on the skin. The middle layer is cotton batting and the edges are sewn closed with a colorful binding that’s folded and attached securely.
The linen top may not be as durable. Linen just isn’t as sturdy as cotton, so the linen fabric on top of this quilt may develop holes over time. I didn’t see this in testing, but we’ll see how it wears over time.
Sizes: twin, double/queen, king/California king Colors: five colors with white backgrounds Materials: linen front, cotton back, cotton batting
This statement quilt is perfect for burrowing on a cold morning, but it’s also much heavier than our other picks.
When the Anthropologie Dahlia Cotton Jersey Floral Quilt arrived for testing, I was prepared to hate it on principle—it didn’t look like a quilt or feel like a quilt. But when I opened it up, I saw that it was, indeed, built like a quilt. And then I took one of the best naps of my blanket-testing life under it.
Bring on the drama. Everything about the Dahlia quilt is over-the-top: the Renaissance styling, the ornate way those floral patterns are constructed (I could write a thesis about it here), and the fact that it weighs more than most blankets and comforters I’ve tested. The outer layers are made of jersey cotton (like in T-shirts), which is not normally the most durable choice for bedding. But the stretchy fabric makes the floral shapes soft and fluid. If you want to make a statement, this is a statement. Matching shams are available, too.
If you like to burrow, this quilt is for you. This is not a light and airy top layer for summer. This quilt is warmer than many comforters I’ve tested, and the weight (about 14 pounds for the king size) might be too much for some people. But if you love the feel of a weighted blanket, or if you like to sink deep into your covers when the weather turns cold, it is heaven. I can’t believe how deeply I’ve slept under it.
Washing it at home may not be possible. This blanket’s weight and materials can make it hard to rinse all the soap out in a standard washer. It also takes forever to dry (it took about eight hours on my machine for a king size). You may need to use a commercial laundromat for queen and king sizes.
It might be too warm. Even though it’s 100% cotton, the jersey fabric isn’t the most breathable because there’s just so much of it as part of the intricate floral design. And the quilt has two layers of batting inside—a sheet of cotton, and sections of polyester cut and sewn to make the dahlia pattern puffy. It is a lot of material to lie under, particularly for a hot sleeper.
Sizes: twin, full, queen, king, California king Colors: five Materials: cotton fabric, polyester batting, cotton batting
This lightweight yet cozy quilt comes in more than a dozen vibrant colors. It’s an excellent value, but it picks up lint in its crevices.
The Company Store’s Company Cotton Voile Quilt is cheerful, durable, and cozy enough to use all year (with a comforter in winter). Plus it’s nearly half the price of another top pick, the Coyuchi Pebbled Handstitched Organic Quilt.
It’s light yet durable. It’s made with cotton voile, a lightweight fabric with an airy, bouncy feel. The dark-teal quilt I tested kept its rich color in the wash, and, unlike similar quilts, it showed no notable damage after my abrasion tests.
It’s fun for the whole family. My daughter and I made blanket forts with some of the test quilts, and this was her favorite for secret tween hangouts—she spent hours in it with a doll, our dog, and a book. It draped across the couch and two dining room chairs without sliding off or snagging on any furniture corners.
It comes in more than a dozen colors. All are highly saturated—from neutrals to brights to rich, dark hues. Fine monochromatic stitching almost disappears into the quilt, creating a subtle stippled chevron pattern. Like our pick from Coyuchi, this quilt is hand-quilted in India, but with regular thread instead of thicker embroidery floss. It was a mood lifter to see this quilt on the bed as the dreary days of winter set in. Matching shams are sold separately.
The fabric feels soft and cozy. I wish the quilt came in a throw size; it’s the kind of thing I’d wrap myself in to trudge to the kitchen for tea on a chilly night.
It’s a fantastic value. The Company Store quilt is the best style I tested under $200. It also outperformed several quilts that cost much more. It was warmer, softer, and more durable, and the quilting had more personality. Like Coyuchi, The Company Store has a 30-day return policy, which includes items that have been washed and used, but you’d have to pay a $2.95 return shipping fee.
It picks up lint. This quilt picked up a fair amount of lint in its nooks and crannies, but it may have just been more noticeable than other quilts because of the rich color (and because we dragged it around the house more than some of our other test quilts).
Sizes: twin, full/queen, king Colors: 19 Materials: cotton fabric and cotton batting
This cheerful quilt is light as air and cozy to sleep under, but its construction isn’t as sturdy as our other picks.
Anthropologie makes a few printed voile quilts, and though we think they’re all similarly constructed, we tested the Rosalind Cotton Voile Printed Quilt for its colorful, modern cottage feel.
It’s lightweight but still cozy. The line between a quilt and a comforter can be a little blurry, and the Rosalind quilt walks that line. It weighs almost nothing, and it’s constructed like a quilt, but it has a thicker layer of batting inside than some of the other quilts we recommend, which makes it warmer. It could probably stand in for a comforter in spring and fall; it might be too hot for summer.
The prints bring a colorful, countryside feel to the bedroom. Most of our quilt picks feature solid-color fabrics, but the Rosalind quilt has allover prints on the front and back. Both sides are bright and fun, with watercolor-style rolling hills on one side and a simple repeating floral pattern on the other. The quilt can be reversed, depending on your mood, and you can also get matching shams.
The outer fabric is thin and delicate. Voile is a thin fabric, and while this isn’t the only voile quilt we recommend, it is the thinnest I’ve tested on a quilt. It tore easily when I was opening up a few stitches along the seam to look inside, so if you have a pet who likes to use their claws, or if your quilt snags on something, you might see some tearing.
Some of the stitches unravel. Several customer reviews noted that the quilt’s stitches unravel pretty easily (another concern if you have pets). I myself noticed that a few stitches were already coming undone on the quilt that arrived new. This probably isn’t a piece that will last for years and years, but we’ll keep an eye on it during long-term testing and update accordingly.
The colors aren’t as saturated as they appear on the website. The blues and yellows are more muted.
Sizes: twin, full, queen, king, California king Colors: one pattern Materials: cotton fabric, cotton/polyester-blend batting
If you want a patchwork quilt that’s more Coastal Grandma than Modern Cottage: I loved the Lands’ End Barn Star Quilt (barn stars are pure Americana). Like the Garnet Hill Agnes Linen Quilt, this one is a well-constructed patchwork quilt, and it’s 100% cotton inside and out. The pattern and color choices have more of a New England lighthouse feel to them. The two quilts cost about the same, but the Agnes quilt’s stitching was just a little neater and more consistent—if this one has a good sale, though, it’s worth buying.
If you want a light summer coverlet with a mid-century vibe: The Schoolhouse Tulbend Quilt isn’t technically a quilt, it’s a woven coverlet that’s reversible (the front and back are negative images of each other) with no middle layer of insulation. That makes it a great top layer for summer. It’s modern but folksy, with stylized tulips in a checkerboard pattern that our home-decor team loved. It comes in a subdued light blue and sandy brown or a cheery yellow and cream, and you can also get matching shams.
If you want a simple, budget-friendly quilt: The Target Casaluna Heavyweight Linen Blend Quilt has a simple design with thick linen on the front and smooth cotton on the back. It comes in about a dozen colors (depending on the size), and it costs about $100 for a queen.
The one we tested did have a few construction issues, like unclipped threads all around the edges and a few loose quilt stitches along the surface, but it was cozy.
If you prefer a quilt with a sleek hotel style: The Boll & Branch Signature Basketweave Quilt Set is made with a shiny sateen fabric, and it comes with matching shams for a neat, coordinated look. It’s heavy but not too hot to sleep under, and it’s beautifully made, with organic cotton on the outside and cotton batting in the middle. But as of this writing, most sizes are unavailable, and not everyone loves the shiny finish.
I visited stores to examine quilts in person, and I researched what was available online. I used my experience as a quilt maker and my years of testing textiles at Wirecutter to narrow down what was worth considering.
I spoke to Lynne Z. Bassett, a fashion and textile historian with four decades of experience curating quilt exhibitions; and Sarah Walcott, collections manager at the International Quilt Museum. They helped me define what makes a quilt and what to look for in testing.
These are the criteria I used to find and evaluate quilts:
A proper quilt construction: The definition of a quilt has some room for interpretation, but generally it is made with two layers of outer fabric and a layer of batting in the middle, with stitching all over the surface that holds the layers together. I favored quilt construction with thinner, cotton batting, but I also tested several with fluffier polyester batting (which veered into comforter territory), additional layers of cotton fabric in the middle instead of batting, and a couple that were heavier, woven coverlets with quilted stitching but nothing in the middle at all.
Warmth and feel: I wanted fabrics that felt great against the skin and were warm enough to use on their own during most of the year but wouldn’t overheat you when combined with a comforter for winter.
Look and fit on the bed: I looked for quilts that were long enough to tuck in. I also opted for minimal wrinkling after a wash and a quilty drape—with sides that hang straight but don’t look too stiff.
Durability and construction: I prioritized quilts that were easy to wash at home and didn’t shrink too much, fade, or become damaged in my washer and dryer. I looked for neatly finished, tight stitching that wouldn’t easily snag or pull.
Colors and sizes: Quilts are a statement on the bed, so I favored lots of color choices and stitching styles, and I prioritized availability in multiple standard bed sizes.
Weight: A quilt should be light enough to curl up with for a nap, even if it’s the size of your bed, without weighing you down.
During testing, I measure the dimensions of every quilt out of the box. Once I get around to washing and drying them, I measure them again to check for shrinkage. I evaluate the look and feel and check for pilling, pulled threads, and signs of wear and tear. I put every quilt on the bed and evaluate how it drapes, how it fits, and the overall style.
I spend time sleeping under each one and take notes. I open up all the quilts to see what kind of batting or insulation was used. I also weigh each quilt. And, of course, I use the quilts for around-the-house testing with my husband, my dog, and my daughter: snuggles, movie nights, and living room blanket forts.
You don’t need to be a quilt expert to buy a quilt, but understanding a few terms can help you make a better decision.
Quilting: This can be the act of making a quilt, but in this guide it refers to the decorative stitching all over the surface of the quilt, which secures the layers together. It gives a quilt its body, its drape, and its name.
Whole-cloth quilt: This is a quilt made of a single fabric on the front and back. The quilting is meant to stand out.
Patchwork quilt: Unlike whole-cloth quilts, these are made of many fabrics cut and sewn together—or pieced, as quilters say—to make elaborate designs and shapes. They’re what most people think of in the US when they think of quilts. Some of the quilts I considered for this guide looked like patchwork quilts, but up close they were actually whole-cloth quilts, printed to look as if they’d been pieced.
Batting: This is the sheet of insulation in the middle of a quilt. Quilters buy it by the yard, like fabric, and typically use synthetic, cotton, or wool batting.
Binding: These are the strips of fabric sewn around the edges of a quilt to finish it and hide the raw edges of the fabric.
The Brooklinen Lightweight Quilt was fluffy and warm but light as a feather, with thick cotton batting on the inside. Though we love the cross-pattern stitching style, the quilt wrinkled a lot after a wash, which made it look messy on the bed. It’s also only available in one size and pattern at the time of publication.
Brooklinen’s Organic Cotton Quilt was the heaviest quilt we tested in 2023, and one of the hottest to sleep under. It’s really a woven blanket rather than a quilt by our definition.
Cultiver’s Quilted Bedcover was beautiful, lightweight, and cool. But it comes in only one, non-standard size (104 by 104 inches, which is larger than a king) and three colors. It’s also filled with polyester batting, and for the hefty price I would have preferred a non-synthetic fill, like cotton or wool.
Garnet Hill’s Dream Quilt, which we originally tested for the blankets guide in 2020, is very similar to our pick from The Company Store. It comes in the same bed sizes, but it’s also available as a throw. The color (indigo) on our original Garnet Hill test quilt looked faded after a few washes, though, and the Company Store offers more (and better) color choices.
We originally tested a Levtex Home Quilt for our throws guide in 2021, and one of our testers at the time, who is also a longtime quilter (my mother), absolutely hated it. “This has the appeal of a Mylar blanket,” she said. These quilts come in many prints, but they’re 100% polyester and have an unpleasant texture.
Quince’s Cotton Velvet Quilt picked up tons of lint and dust across the plush surface, and by the end of testing it looked dingy. It was also hot to sleep under—it felt more like a comforter.
Quince’s European Linen Cotton Stitch Quilt is linen on the front and cotton on the back. After our wear tests it had a lot of pilling on the linen side, though.
Quince’s European Linen Quilt was one of the heavier quilts I tested in 2023, and it feels more like a comforter. The surface was a little scratchy, and it had a few pulls and pills after a wash. Also, it’s filled with polyester batting.
Quince’s Organic Airy Gauze Box Quilt was made of summery gauze fabric on the outside but stuffed with polyfill, like a down-alternative pillow or comforter. It was hot to sleep under, and the gauze was easily damaged in testing.
Red Land Cotton’s Classic Quilt was delightful to test. As a quilt maker I appreciated the style, the weight, and the way it drapes on a bed. It has perfectly mitered corners and neat, even stitching. These details all felt just right; it’s a quilter’s quilt. There’s a striped version, too. But, it’s been consistently sold out or low in stock since I tested it in 2023. If you see it available and you like the style, it’s worth getting.
Riley’s Mosaic Cotton Quilt was lightweight, stretchy, and surprisingly warm to sleep under. But it pilled and tore easily in testing, and it arrived with several loose threads and wonky stitches. For the price, we wanted stronger construction.
This article was edited by Daniela Gorny and Joanne Chen.
Lynne Z. Bassett, freelance museum curator specializing in historic fashion and textiles, phone interview, December 14, 2023
Sarah Walcott, collections manager at the International Quilt Museum, video interview, December 8, 2023
I’ve been Wirecutter’s bedding reporter for nearly a decade. In addition, I cover other home textiles, including towels and rugs. Sometimes I also write about chickens.
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