The right down comforter can add a truly special touch to your bedroom. Soft, luxurious, and fluffy, premium-quality comforter sets are frequently stuffed with a sumptuous feather and down combination, making them a treat to cuddle up in. Pick all-season down bedding if you plan to use one comforter all year round, or select a set of seasonal options and swap your down blanket for a snuggly featherbed when the snow flies.
Choose an Appropriate Size and Design
Before you start viewing comforters, figure out what size bedding you need. If you sleep in a queen-sized bed, you might choose a queen-sized comforter; you could, however, treat yourself to a king-sized comforter instead. If you go with a larger comforter, you get a little extra length and width to wrap yourself in during cooler months. As well as size, down comforters come in a variety of designs. Some comforters are made with box-stitch pockets to hold feather and down fillings firmly in place. Others are colorful and reversible, making them interesting bedroom accent pieces.
Pick Your Ideal Comforter Weight
The best down comforter for you might be an all-season type with a mid-level tog rating or a medium-weight quilt you can augment with additional blankets. Alternatively, you may prefer a lightweight down blanket for late spring through early fall, and a winter-weight quilt for colder weather. Summer-weight comforters tend to be thinner and often have smaller box-stitch designs to distribute filling materials evenly. Many premium down blankets come in a selection of attractive colors and have chic satin-trim edges. For a really luxurious sleeping experience, consider adding a featherbed to your bedding in the winter.
Select a Sumptuous Filling
Lightweight down comforter styles often contain a mixture of feather and duck down, juxtaposing cost-effective construction and warmth. You also find down fiber, feather fiber, and down-alternative fillings in some comforters. Down alternatives such as foam work well with feather fillings, creating a loftier and lighter blanket. If you suffer from allergies, consider purchasing a hypoallergenic blanket; a special down-resistant shell fabric keeps feathers firmly inside the quilt, reducing your overall sneeze potential.
Luxury Options for Quilt Connoisseurs
If you're in the market for sheer extravagance, consider going for a comforter filled with European white goose down or pure eiderdown. Particularly luxurious comforters frequently omit feathers entirely and use only soft down, sometimes augmenting the mix with wool. Wool-filled comforters are cleverly made for year-round use because they keep you cool and comfortable in the summer and warm in the winter. Wool also maintains its shape over time. Luxury comforters feature various outer-shell fabrics, including sateen and batiste cottons, all of which feel silky to the touch.
Add a Couple of Cozy Pillows
No bed is complete without at least one pair of high-quality pillows. Down quilts keep your body snug, but the right pillows prevent neck strain, relieve snoring, and help you attain a good night's sleep. Some comforter sets come with pillows included, offering a cost-effective way to have it all immediately. Pillows with a high-thread-count cotton cover prevent feather poke and feel luxurious against your skin. For a really opulent treat, try a goose down pillow with an additional quilted cover. Make sure to check the pillow sizes in your comforter set before you add a sheet set to your cart; some pillows are larger than others.
Ultra-Light Down Alternative Comforters
Some down alternative blankets are made to feel like down, so you can still have a cushy experience if you can't tolerate the real thing. Fluffy polyester batting or plush polyester fiberfill pieces take the place of feathers and goose down for a light, warm result. Naturally resistant to dust and dander, down alternative blankets are conveniently hypoallergenic, washable, and dryable.
