The best quilts for cozy, heirloom-worthy bedding

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A quilt isn't just a blanket or a comforter — technically speaking, it's two pieces of fabric surrounding a sheet of batting. On a deeper level, quilts are an art form and a labor of love, especially when they're handmade. There's nothing like snuggling up to a handmade quilt, but sometimes, you need something a little more accessible. Using my deep respect and love for quilting, I tasked myself to find the best quilts that you can buy with the same heirloom quality and gorgeous designs as something made by hand.

After testing various quilts and talking to Tami Jones, a sewing educator and owner of Hometown Quilt Company, and Barbara Black, quiltmaker and quilting educator, the Garnet Hill Agnes Linen Quilt is our best overall pick. The cotton-linen blend is substantial, breathable, and perfect for all seasons. For hot sleepers, I recommend the Quince Bamboo Dream Quilt, a unique blanket that's simultaneously lightweight and ridiculously soft.

Our top picks for the best quilts

Best overall: Garnet Hill Agnes Linen Quilt - See at Garnet Hill

Best cooling: Quince Bamboo Dream Quilt - See at Quince

Best cotton: The Company Store Air Layer Jersey Quilt - See at The Company Store

Best print: Anthropologie Printed Voile Quilt - See at Anthropologie

Best linen: Parachute Linen Box Quilt - See at Parachute

Best velvet: West Elm Classic Cotton Velvet Tack Stitch Quilt - See at West Elm

Best overall

This quilt looks (and feels) like an heirloom. I fell in love with the Garnet Hill Agnes Linen Quilt the second I unboxed it. The front of the quilt is made of linen with a solid white cotton back.. Linen has a reputation for being scratchy, but that's not the case here. Both materials are smooth and soft, with a premium, heavyweight feel that immediately impressed me.

I love the gorgeous design. The design is simple yet beautiful, featuring a hand-quilted, antique-inspired patchwork pattern. The patchwork squares are accentuated with a diamond-stitch pattern and a color-coordinating border. It comes in six colors: dark blue, beige, red, green, light blue, and yellow. I tried the yellow and loved how it stood out against the cream of the quilt. There are matching shams, which look lovely, but there's a good amount of friction on my skin and hair, so I opted to sleep on my silk pillowcase instead.

It's perfect for every season. This is a hefty quilt, with a substantial weight that feels comfortable to lie under. Despite the heft, it's truly an all-season quilt. I've used it during an awkward 80-degree September and during chilly 40-degree nights. I never overheated, but I also felt warm on cool nights.

Large sizes need to be cleaned in a front-loading washer. The one downside of this quilt is its care instructions. It's technically machine washable, but the large sizes should be washed in a front-loading machine — sad for me and my teeny top-load washer. I've had no problems spot-cleaning it and plan to visit a commercial laundromat for a thorough clean.

Best cooling

This bamboo quilt is unlike anything else we've tested. We love bamboo bedding — bamboo sheets especially — for its softness and natural cooling properties. Quince's Bamboo Dream Quilt is a unique product that's light, airy, and cool-to-the-touch, making it a top pick for hot sleepers.

It has a noticeably cooling effect. "It is very comfortable, and the material is soft and smooth. Its light weight is ideal for someone who doesn't like heavy, bulky bedding. It moved easily with me as I shifted in bed," our tester and senior pets editor Lisa Sabatini said. "Both my partner and I sleep hot, even with just woven cotton blankets, but the quilt proved breathable and temperature-regulating. It does feel a bit cool to the touch, too."

It's delicate but durable. The quilt also washed well and passed our durability test with no loose threads or pilling — Sabatini was impressed, given the quilt's delicate texture. It features simple, T-shaped stitching across the surface and is available in eleven colors, ranging from ivory to dark green.

It's the best quilt for hot sleepers. Because this quilt is so lightweight and breathable, it's not the best pick if you're a cold sleeper or are looking for thick, substantial winter bedding. For hot sleepers, though, it's a truly comfortable blanket that will last.

Best cotton

This cotton quilt is soft, lightweight, and airy. The Company Store Air Jersey Quilt is made from cozy cotton jersey. It's like snuggling up at night with your favorite sweatshirt, while still being lightweight and breathable.

It's incredibly comfortable. Former Reviews fellow Jenn Gonick tried The Company Store quilt and was impressed with its balance of softness and airiness. "For me, this quilt was the perfect combination of cozy and breathable," Gonick said. "It was soft and plush enough to have some heft, but still felt light and airy. I tend to sleep hot and didn't overheat or feel weighed down by the quilt or shams despite sleeping with them during some warm nights in less-than-ideal air conditioning."

Our tested noticed mild durability issues. Gonick found loose threads after unboxing and observed light pilling after our durability test, which includes running a fork over one spot on the quilt 50 times to mimic pet claws. That said, it looks as good as new after washing, though it took a few cycles to dry.

It's perfect for layering. The quilt comes in seven colors: white, cream, gray, navy, blue, green, and brown. The Company Store also sells matching shams for a fully cohesive look. It works as a stand-alone blanket or as a layering piece, since its simple design and lightweight feel make it a great match with other pieces of bedding.

Best printed

This is the quilt of my maximalist dreams. Although neutral bedding is a universal crowd-pleaser, I personally prefer sheets and blankets with a little more pizzazz. Anthropologie is one of my go-tos when I'm on the hunt for a good print, and the brand didn't disappoint with its Printed Cotton Voile Quilt.

It comes in ten different patterns. I tried the Gemma print, a gorgeous, bright, floral design featuring orange and purple flowers that reverses to a white and blue pattern. I also love the Parcie print, with leopards on a cream and pink background.

I love the stitching and the fluffy feel. Besides the prints themselves, the quilts feature kantha-inspired stitching that accentuates the blanket's fluffiness and adds a little extra detail. I did notice that many of the threads in the stitching were loose, but there has been no impact on the integrity of the quilt. The material itself isn't the softest, and can feel a little scratchy when pressed against the skin. Even so, this quilt is fluffy and light, while still providing enough warmth for cool nights. I always slept comfortably with this quilt, never overheating or waking up shivering.

Best linen

This quilt is a long-time Business Insider Reviews favorite. Many members of our team have enjoyed the Parachute Linen Box Quilt for its lightweight feel and breathability, making it well-suited for hot sleepers or for use as a layering piece on the bed. The quilt features a garment-dyed linen front for a soft, gently-worn-in feel and a crisp percale cotton back. It has a simple, baffle-box design, filled with fluffy polyester filling. The color range is limited to neutral, earthy tones, such as gray and navy.

Its airy feel is perfect for hot sleepers. Former deputy executive editor Lauren Savoie slept with the Parachute Linen Box Quilt for six years. "As a hot sleeper, I loved the barely-there, breezy feel of this quilt, which is made from breathable, cooling linen," Savoie said. "It's great for people like me who boil at night, but still want something cozy wrapped around them."

But our long-term tester experiences significant durability issues. Though after half a decade of regular use, Savoie has observed durability issues. "Pretty much every one of its baffle boxes has a hole that is leaking stuffing at this point," she said. "I haven't yet found a blanket that mimics that same breezy, drapey feel, but at this price point I'd expect higher quality and more longevity." Despite the durability concerns, we still preferred this quilt over other linen quilts we tested. That said, proceed with caution if you're expecting to use it around pets or wash it frequently.

Best velvet

West Elm's velvet quilt is soft and cozy. Velvet quilts are a great choice for winter bedding, offering a silky-soft feel and a heavier hand that adds a little extra warmth. West Elm's Classic Cotton Velvet Tack Stitch Quilt features a cotton velvet front and a 100% cotton backing, making it pleasantly warm without being stifling. The quilt is thick and puffy, with an interior polyfill and notable tack stitching. The tack stitches help the puffy fabric stand out for an ultra-inviting look on the bed. The quilt comes in six earthy tones.

It's warm yet breathable. "It's soft and smooth on the velvet side and breathable from the cotton underside," said Gabrielle Chase, senior associate style editor. "I felt perfectly comfortable sleeping with this quilt on nights that were 80 degrees and 50 degrees. I never felt too cold or too hot."

It holds up to wear. Despite her cat's best efforts, Chase noted that the quilt withstood both pet claws and our scratching tests. She only observed a slight discoloration from lint pulling up. She didn't overheat on the shams, but like the Garnet Hill shams, the cotton texture is rough on skin and hair.

What else we tested

• Anthropologie Lustered Velvet Alastair Quilt: The velvet on this quilt felt plasticky, and the cotton backing was scratchy. It's not breathable and too warm for hot sleepers.
• Coyuchi Handstitched Organic Quilt: Coyuchi's quilt has beautiful pebbled stitching and was comfortable to sleep with. However, the weight and fabric quality did not live up to the price.
• Quince European Linen Box Quilt: Quince's linen quilt comes in a range of colors, but its thick feel felt inflexible for sleeping and could be too heavy for hot sleepers.

What to look for

Type: There are many kinds of quilts, each with its own history and typical design. According to Jones and Black, the most common are:

• Patchwork: Patchwork quilts are sewn together with small pieces of fabric, often including multiple types of material.
• Appliqué: Usually featuring floral or botanical designs, these quilts are made by "applying" fabrics or stitching on a background.
• Kantha: Originating in Bangladesh and India, kantha quilts are traditionally crafted by stacking saris and include visual stitching on the surface.
• Whole cloth: Whole cloth quilts are made from a single piece of fabric, usually accentuated by stitching or embroidery.
• Art: Unlike bed quilts, which are certainly still an art form, art quilts are meant to tell a story or convey a political message.

Design: Jones and Black agree that quilts are more than just a piece of bedding — they're an art form. Even if a quilt isn't handmade, you should search for a design that brings you joy. "Look for designs that make your heart smile," Jones said. Black recommends considering if the design feels true to you, whether that's in the message or the way it makes you feel.

Construction: "Technically speaking, a quilt has three layers: a top (often pieced from different fabrics), a middle layer of batting, and a backing," Jones said. In addition to the basic construction, look for consistent stitching and neat backing.

Materials: Both Jones and Black emphasized the importance of durable, high-quality fabrics, such as cotton and linen. Especially if you're hunting for an heirloom piece, the fabric should be strong enough to last generations.

Weight: Heavy quilts, made from materials like velvet, are best suited for winter or cold sleepers. Lightweight quilts, such as those made from cotton or linen, are ideal for all-season or summer use. Lightweight quilts also make excellent layering pieces.

Care: Most quilts are machine washable; however, always check the care instructions before purchasing.

How we test the best quilts

Our testing procedures

For each quilt, we:

• Carefully inspect the quilt, searching for any loose threads or construction issues. We ensure that the quilt is made of two pieces of fabric surrounding a sheet of batting.
• Sleep with the quilt for a week, making note of weight, comfort, breathability, and fabric quality.
• Run a fork over one spot on the quilt 50 times to replicate pet claws and test durability.
• If applicable, wash the quilt at home and check for damage, loose threads, pilling, or fading colors.

Meet the expert behind this guide

Kinsley Searles, associate home editor: I'm the sleep expert at Business Insider Reviews with a speciality in bedding. I developed the testing procedures for this guide, tested quilts in my own home, and made the top picks. In addition to our objective tests, I remake my bed every week with our old favorites and newcomers for long-term testing. I have a deep respect for the art and history of quilting.

Quilt FAQs

What type of quilt material should I look for?

Jones says that high-quality cotton is the best kind of quilt material. It's also the traditional fabric used to make quilts.

What's the history of quilting?

Quilting has a long and storied history, with different quilting techniques common in many cultures. "Quilting has always been about connection," Jones said. "Women gathering around a frame to tell stories, share scraps, and pass down skills from one generation to the next. Quilts have recorded family history, celebrated births and marriages, and even carried hidden messages during times of unrest."

Black also emphasized the importance of quilts as a political object and art form. "There were quilt patterns made in support of women's right to vote, or for the Temperance movement, or anti-slavery," she said. "Quilts are like any other art form, a chance to express our feelings and beliefs by making a tangible object. Some are meant for display on the wall, many are made as "comforts"—bedding to cover someone you love."

Why are quilts so expensive?

Quilts are expensive because of the amount of fabric and labor they require. Handmade quilts, in particular, are quite pricey. Heirloom-worthy quilts are crafted with high-quality fabrics, and stitching is a meticulous, labor-intensive process. As Black says, "You get what you pay for!"

How do I wash a quilt?

Most manufactured quilts are machine washable in cold water on the gentle cycle. To dry a quilt, you can either tumble dry it on low or hang it up to dry.