The 24 Very Best Quilts
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In its most basic form, a quilt is two layers of fabric stitched together, often with a layer fof fluffy insulation sandwiched in between. In practice, quilts are a thrillingly diverse category — there are infinite ways of crafting them, and they can pass down communal traditions, tell stories, and allow the makers to experiment aesthetically with limited resources.
Bedding is the original and most obvious use for quilts; they add a warm layer on top of your sheets, and some can be quite heavy, creating a gravity-blanket-like effect. A really beautiful quilt can even be décor in its own right. Draped over the back of my sofa is a black vintage quilt pieced together from what I believe are old coats, and I have seen intricate patchwork quilts hung on walls like paintings. To find the best quilt for your home, my colleague Lauren Ro consulted a dozen interior designers and tasteful folks, and I applied my knowledge as a textile nerd and amateur quilt collector to assemble this list. I also tested several items, including our best-in-class pick — the Simple Linen Quilt by Hawkins New York — in my own home.
Update on January 26, 2026
Added a striped printed quilt and a quilted coverlet; updated prices and checked stock for all other products.
Whatwe’relookingfor
Material
Most quilts are composed of a “quilt top” — the outer fabric layer — and batting, the insulating material inside the quilt that makes it warm and fluffy. A quilt top can be made of almost anything (I have seen patchwork quilts made of silk ties, feed sacks, and old T-shirts), but wovens with a nice handfeel, such as cotton or linen, are among the most popular fabrics. Polyester and cotton (and, less commonly, wool) are most often used for the insulating batting layer. Although I normally avoid synthetics like polyester, since the batting is enclosed in fabric I haven’t favored cotton over polyester on this list. I would recommend wool batting only for those who sleep cold — it’s going to be heavier and warmer.
Stitch style
Quilt stitching can be as simple as a grid of regularly spaced squares (a.k.a. a box stitch) or as complex as a jagged “crazy quilt” patchwork. In general, box-stitched andchannel-stitchedquilts are less expensive since they can be done by machine. A quilt with a more complex pattern that involves more design, labor, and hand-sewing will be more expensive.
When you think of a quilt, you might imagine a patchwork version, a style in which scrap fabric is stitched together to create a patterned quilt top. For an archive of patchwork-quilt styles, check outThe Quilt Index, an “open access digital repository of thousands of images, stories, and information about quilts and their makers” founded in 2003 and maintained by the Center for Digital Humanities & Social Sciences at Michigan State University. Sorting bypatternprovides a useful visual reference for patchwork-quilt typologies. (The names are also amazing: My favorites include “Rob Peter to Pay Paul” and “Delectable Mountain.”)
Size
Quilts vary from child-size “crib quilts” to bedspreads large enough to drape over a California king. There’s some variance, but in general, a throw quilt is around 50 inches by 70 inches, a twin-size quilt is around 70 inches by 90 inches, a queen-size quilt is around 90 inches by 90 inches, and a king-size quilt is around 95 inches by 110 inches. We list the general size of each quilt below and specify when multiple sizes are available.
Best quilt overall
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Materials:European linen, polyester fill |Style:Box stitch |Sizes:Queen, king
The Simple Linen Quilt from Hawkins New York is an incredibly soft, high-quality quilt with an understated design that looks at home anywhere. It was the most mentioned among experts: Although writerAlexis Cheungfirst bristled at the price, she now says it brings her genuine joy with its comfy linen fabric that’s “still weighty enough to induce agravity-blanket-like calming effect.” Jenny Kaplan, founder of the design studioAn Aesthetic Pursuit, also owns this quilt in light gray and agrees that it’s the “perfect weight year-round.” Interior designerLauren Ashley Allanis a third fan, calling it “warm, welcoming, and elevated without being too obvious.” It comes in over a dozen colors, including a trendy terra-cotta shade and neutrals like flax, black, and light gray.
I tested the Hawkins NY quilt, and it quickly became one of my favorites in a large collection of blankets and coverlets. It’s substantial with a smooth, soft handfeel, making it the perfect quilt to snuggle up under at the end of the day. (Or at any time of day — it’s on my lap as I write this.) I tested the sky color, a lovely vintage-y blue like a faded robin’s egg. It’s substantial enough to feel cozy, but it’s still breathable: it never makes me sweaty, even on warm nights.
One note: This quilt starts at queen size and runs big; I have a fairly low queen-size bed, and the queen-size quilt drapes all the way to the floor. If you’re looking for a smaller quilt for a kid’s bedroom or to throw over the back of your couch, the Hawkins quilt may be too large (but we have plenty of smaller options below).
Best (less expensive) overall quilt
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Materials:Linen front, cotton back, polyester fill |Style:Box stitch |Sizes:Twin, queen, and king
Parchute’s box quilt is another great option if you’re looking for a more affordable linen blanket. It’s less expensive in part because only one side is linen; the quilt’s back is cotton percale, unlike the Hawkins NY quilt, which is linen on both sides. It’s recommended bythe SillfounderEliza Blankand Strategist senior editor Simone Kitchens, who both agree that it’s the perfect weight: Kitchens says that “you can get properly bundled up but will never feel too weighed down by it.” She also reports that its handfeel is “incredibly soft, like you’ve had it for years.” It comes in several colors, including mustard, pink, and both cool and warm neutrals.
Best solid-color quilts
Best heirloom linen quilt
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Materials:Linen, cotton or wool batting |Style:Box stitch| Size:Twin XL to king
Linoto is an upstate New York brand that produces high-quality, substantial linen bedding. Its quilted coverlet comes in an array of saturated colors and contains either cotton or wool batting, which is good for those who prefer to avoid synthetic materials altogether. Strategist writer Dominique Pariso owns the quilt in the Malbec color, which she describes as “a really rich, luxurious-looking deep red … like something that would’ve been thrown on a bed in one of the rooms inCall Me by Your Name,very Italian villa.”
After testing the quilt myself, I agree — although it’s expensive, it’s the highest-quality linen bedding I’ve tried, the kind I could imagine handing down after decades of use. Compared to the Hawkins New York quilt, it’s less smooth and broken-in straight out of the packaging — I was lest tempted to snuggle up under it, and the handfeel is rougher (like all linen, it will get smoother and softer over time, which is a nice journey to be on with your bedding). That’s the trade-off for substantial material, cooling but still dense and durable. I also love that it comes in an incredibly wide color range, from trendy shades like terra-cotta or dusty pink, four different types of blue, and two different hues of undyed linen.
Best reversible quilt
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Materials:Linen, polyester batting |Style:Channel stitch, reversible |Size:Multiple
“A lot of amazing linen comes from Eastern Europe,” says Shannon Retseck, founder of textile and home-goods lineCuttalossa. “On Etsy, you can find a ton of woman-owned Eastern European businesses that are making amazing linen quilts,sheet sets, andduvetsfor less than larger brands cost.” She recommends this double-sided linen quiltfrom a maker in Odesa, Ukraine: “I love the subtle hues of this quilt, and you can see it’s made with care.” You can customize the back, front, and edge banding, which come in over 30 different colors and patterns.
Best cotton-velvet quilt
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Material:Cotton velvet |Style:Channel stitch |Sizes:Full/queen and king
Velvet quilts tend to be heavier, and according to Sherica Maynard ofInterior Design by S&S, they “look and feel the most luxurious and expensive.” DecoratorCarrie Carrollorecommends this quilt from Target’s in-house brand Threshold. She likes the clean lines of the channel stitching, which she says is stylish but easy to incorporate into any décor. In addition to the cream color shown, it’s available in more shades, including sage green and clay.
Best pebbled quilt
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Materials:Organic cotton, cotton fill |Style:Seed stitch |Sizes:Full/queen and king
This Coyuchi quilt has a seed-stitched quilt top: Irregularly spaced stitches are sewn by hand to create a bumpy, pebbled surface. “It’s simple and can go with any look, style, and environment,” says Linda Hayslett ofLH.Designs. Both the quilt top and batting are made of organic cotton, and it comes in four neutral colors.
Best Egyptian-cotton quilt
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Material:Egyptian-cotton sateen |Style:Chevron |Sizes:Full/queen and king
This sateen Egyptian-cotton quilt from Matouk comes recommended by Achuziam Maha-Sanchez, a co-owner of the Brooklyn boutiquePeace & Riot, who described it as “sexy,” a word not often associated with quilts. The chevron pattern and sheen make it feel more modern than vintage, and it comes in several colorways, including celadon, Champagne, and coral, in addition to the silver shown. Each has a silky-soft touch, just like the brand’s Egyptian-cotton sheets, whichwe namedour best overall choice.
Best patterned quilts
Best upcycled quilt
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SUAY Sew Shop The Remade Quiltlet
Materials:Deadstock linen, flannel, or cotton |Style:Patchwork |Size:Throw
For a new quilt with the ethos of an antique, check out the Los Angeles company Suay, which makes throw quilts with fabric left over from its production processes. Strategist senior writer Liza Corsillo loves the “Bauhaus-ish patterns,” which are hand-sewn and totally unique. “No two quiltlets are the same, and the colors are pleasingly acidic and faded, like a treasure found in a great aunt’s attic or a church rummage sale,” she says.
Best kantha quilt
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Anchal Kantha Quilt
Material:Cotton |Style:Running stitch |Size:Multiple
Kantha is a traditional Southeast Asian quilt style that recycles fabric scraps to create a multicolor quilt top of large patches that are sewn together with a simple running stitch. Hana Getachew, founder ofBolé Road Textiles, loves thekanthaquiltsat Anchal,a textile store based in Louisville, Kentucky. “The hand-stitching really gives the pieces a cozy, inviting appeal,” Getachew says.
Best matelassé coverlet
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Dusen Dusen Rose Tilt Coverlet Set
Material:Cotton with polyester filling|Style:Matelassé|Size:Twin to king
These padded Dusen Dusen coverlets are technically not quilts — they’re woven using a French technique called matelassé that creates a quilted appearance, with polyester fill added for heft and warmth. Matelassé is an old technique I associate with grandma bedrooms and antique fairs, but the coverlets come in contemporary patterns, like a pixelated irregular grid and a bias stripe. They’re quite beautiful (and soft) in person.
Best modern patchwork quilt
Materials:Cotton and linen quilt top, cotton batting |Style:Patchwork |Size:Multiple
If you love the look of vintage patchwork quilts but prefer buying something new, check out Thompson Street Studios. (I found out about them from podcast host Claire Mazur, one of 130 tasteful people we consulted fora 2019 gift guide.) The quilts are handmade, with modern patterns that recall classic American quilting styles. They’re sewn from fabric remnants, so no two are exactly the same.
Best woven quilt
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Material:Cotton with cotton filling |Style:Woven |Sizes:Multiple
I love textiles that are the exception to a rule, and unlike most quilts, this sujani quilt is woven and quilted entirely on a loom rather than being sewn together from existing textiles. It’s a traditional style still produced in Bharuch, India, in which cotton padding is stuffed into the textile as it’s being created. (Here’s a video.) I use the queen-size version of this black-and-white quilt as a bedspread in the summer — it has the heft of a quilt with the breathability of a percale sheet. I also love the way it’s finished — you can see how the edges are bound to prevent the textile from unraveling, a similar appeal to selvedge denim.
Best striped quilt
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Layla Quilt
Material:Cotton voile with cotton filling |Style:Block-printed stripes, running stitch |Size:Twin
We wrote about this cheerful quilt in anissue of theSecret Strategistnewsletter. It comes fromLayla, a fashion and home-goods store in Brooklyn, and features a block-printed hot-pink stripe pattern and contains 100 percent cotton fill. (You can also buy matchingpillow shams.)
Best printed quilt
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Material:Cotton muslin with kapoc filling |Style:Printed quilt top, running stitch |Size:Queen
Strategist home writer Lauren Ro told me she had long coveted Lisa Corti quilts for their “bright and sophisticated” graphic patterns. “The effect is loud and cheerful but somehow cohesive and very elegant. And the hues are spot-on,” she says. The quilts are double-sided, with complementary patterns and colors on opposite sides. It’s made of “the softest, most beautiful cotton muslin” and filled with kapoc, a plant fiber similar to cotton. Ro reports that the quilt is lighter-weight, better for the summertime, but it could also be used as an extra layer at the end of the bed.
Best vintage quilt
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Vintage Log Cabin Quilt
Materials:Cotton |Style:Patchwork (log-cabinorbarn-raisingpattern) |Size:Twin
In my book, there’s nothing like an antique quilt — it’s a time capsule into textile history, and it’s fascinating to pore over all the different fabric scraps an old patchwork quilt contains. You can find great ones on eBay and Etsy; I recommend looking for a “log cabin” or “barn raising” pattern, which typically features bright-red squares in the center of each block.
Best heirloom patchwork quilt
Materials:Cotton |Style:Patchwork |Size:Multiple
Quilts fromGee’s Bend, Alabama, are artworks in their own right, the product of a deep textile tradition carried on by Black women in this small community. A few years ago,Etsy partnered with the nonprofitNestand the arts foundationSouls Grown Deepto facilitateGee’s Bend quiltersselling their work on the platform. (For a list of quilts currently available on Etsy,click here.) To make sure as much of your money as possible is going to an authentic Gee’s Bend quiltmaker, check outthis list.
Some more bedding essentials we’ve written about
Our experts
•Lauren Ashley Allan, interior designer
•Carrie Carrollo, decorator
•Alexis Cheung, writer
• Liza Corsillo, Strategist senior writer
• Hana Getachew, founder ofBolé Road Textiles
• Linda Hayslett,LH.Designs
• Jenny Kaplan, founder of design studioAn Aesthetic Pursuit
• Simone Kitchens, Strategist senior writer
•Alexandra Lange, architecture critic
• Achuziam Maha-Sanchez,Peace & Riot
• Sherica Maynard,Interior Design by S&S
• Dominique Pariso, Strategist writer
•Rochelle Porter, designer
• Shannon Retseck,Cuttalossa
• Elizabeth Strianese,interior designer
Additional reporting by Lauren Ro
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