It's something he'd appreciate. I think Velcro would trap hair , and buttons or snaps wouldn't hold up in the wash over time. And I don't think
theyd be comfy. My son isn't a teenager who has never liked a top sheet but he loves a fleece blanket or a quilt. If he asks for one, I'll make it simple and durable and plenty big enough to
wrap up in . Wash when smelly-- happens even with daily showers. Ahem. Heck I wash my own quilt about every three weeks for that reason!

This sounds like a perfect solution. Gives you warmth and can be tossed around and washed.

Meant to say he IS a teenager. ...

This is what I did with my grandsons. I bought them fleece fabric with their favorite sport team and movie heros. I doubled the fabric by sewing the full lengths together. The boys love them, as the blankets are soft and wash well.:o)

This reminds me of a private conversation I had with my then 14 year old grandson. His personal hygiene was fine. He was responsible for putting sheets on his bed. He didn't. He just slept on the mattress cover. When I visited, I went into his room and was almost knocked over by the smell.

He, of course, had gone nose blind to it and couldn't smell it. The mattress bad was badly stained from sweat and body oil.

So I asked him how long it had been since it had been washed. He couldn't remember, and wanted to know what difference it made anyway.

I explained that washing the mattress cover and sheets is the preferred method of keeping mattresses clean, and told him that it is much cheaper to replace old sheets than a mattress and box spring.

He truly didn't know why sheets were used. Now that I think of it, no one ever told me why they were used, it's just something we had to do religiously every week or so. So we washed his bedclothes and he put sheets over the mattress pad. And he probably stopped doing it immediately after we left!

On a similar note, my 13 year old nephew was excited because he purchased a pair of shoes that had socks in them, so he never had to wear socks! Similar response to sheets - socks absorb sweat and are easy to wash. The socks in his shoes also absorb sweat and can't be washed easily. That could make his shoes stink and people might start avoiding him - especially girl people! That was an "aha" moment for him!

I never use a top sheet either. I do wash my blankets or quilts frequently and the quilts seem to be surviving thus far. Is it your belief that the quilt shouldn't touch skin that is guiding your need for the removable cover? Is the quilt for you? or for him to enjoy? If he is content touching the blanket or quilt, then let him.

I think Velcro would be worse than buttons. A restless sleeper often covers their head with the blanket also and Velcro is more likely to stick in your hair than buttons. Large snaps would work well. Really a washable duvet cover is the way to go but I believe they also have buttons.

I love your post - my eldest nephew recently turned 15 and I swear he went from being a little boy to being a young man seemingly overnight! And boy did he get stinky! He doesn't like top sheets either (and hasn't for years), which I think is strange, but whatever! (He actually used to hate even sleeping in a bed and for about 2 years would take his quilt and pillow into the dining room to sleep on the tile floor, but he's outgrown that since.)

I made him a quilt a year or two ago that's quilted a little more heavily than my norm and has a smooth backing (rather than flannel like his other quilts) and that's all he uses on his bed for most of the year now. It's been washed countless times and it IS starting to fade a little bit but overall it's holding up fine. I will be more than happy to replace or repair it once it starts looking too shabby but for now he loves it. :)

I wouldn't use Velcro. I can only imagine the cries of pain as he attempts to pull the quilt from his stubble. lol

Not everyone is a quilt person. You can always get a duvet that you can wash regularly. If you want it to be something you made, sew two sheets together, add a zipper to the bottom and put in a cotton or down comforter.