Your perfect luxury bedding is incomplete without the right comforter. This comforter buying guide will break down the essential factors to help you find your ideal comforter.

Understanding Your Sleep Needs: The Foundation of Your Choice

To choose the best comforter, understanding your personal sleep preferences is key.

• Sleep Temperature: Are you a warm sleeper or a hot sleeper? Natural down comforters are good for warm sleepers or people living in warm climates as they have a temperature-regulating design. If you’re a hot sleeper, look for breathable options.
• Allergies & Sensitivities: If you have allergies, prioritize allergen free bedding. This is where options like the best down alternative comforter shine, as they are often more suitable as the best bedding for sensitive skin.
• Desired Look & Feel: Do you want a super soft and lightweight feel, delicate and fluffy, or something with more structure? How do you want your bed to look?

Key Comforter Components: What to Look For Under the Covers

Listed below are three comforter options that we know you are going to love, representing different types of comforters available:

1. Down Comforters

What is a down comforter, if you may ask? A down comforter is essentially a quilt filled with down clusters from birds such as geese or ducks. These down plumes, a natural material, are located on the bird’s underbelly and serve as an inherent insulator. Therefore, down comforters offer the perfect balance of warmth and loft without excessive weight.

• Natural & Eco-Friendly: As Mother Nature’s insulator, natural down provides warmth without weight.
• Temperature Regulation: Compared to synthetic materials, down has an unparalleled advantage when it comes to regulating body temperature. It is highly breathable, able to “wick away” body sweat and moisture while keeping you warm and dry when you need to be. Down comforters are good for warm sleepers or people living in warm climates, as they help to keep you comfortable throughout the night.
• Soft & Fluffy: Known for its cloud-like softness and lightweight nature, the natural fibers offer a delicate and fluffy feel.

Types of Down: Natural down comprises the fluffy layer found beneath the feathers of waterfowl, such as geese and ducks, which provides exceptional insulation and warmth.

• Goose Down Comforters: Goose down is the most commonly used type of down for down comforters. There are two variants, white and gray goose down. White goose down is popularly used because it doesn’t show through white comforter shells. Additionally, since goose clusters are typically larger than duck clusters, goose down tends to have a higher fill power.
• Duck Down Comforters: Duck down is easier to source for manufacturers and therefore provides a more cost-effective price to the consumer.

2. Down Alternative Comforters

These types of bed comforters offer a great solution for those seeking allergy friendly bedding options.

• Synthetic Fill: Down alternative duvet inserts or comforters have a similar smooth, cozy feel to down but use synthetic fiber filling such as rayon or polyester fill.
• More Affordable: As a man-made alternative to down, this is a good option for vegans.
• Allergy Friendly: Since the down alternative tends to be hypoallergenic, people with allergies may benefit from it. This makes them among the best bedding for sensitive skin and ideal allergen free bedding.
• Easy to Maintain: Down alternative comforters are usually more cost-effective, can be machine washed, and are easier to maintain than natural down comforters.

However, down alternative comforters require more filling in order to deliver the same level of warmth, which is why they tend to be heavier. Down alternative comforters are not as effective at regulating temperature as natural down.

3. Ultra Feather or Nano Comforters

These types of bed comforters with corner loops offer a unique natural fill experience.

• Natural & Eco-friendly: Filled with quill-free natural feather and down.
• More Affordable: Offers natural fill types at a more budget-friendly price point than pure down.
• Breathable: Provides comfortable airflow.
• Soft & Fluffy: Designed to be super soft and lightweight.

Ultra feather comforters are different from normal down feather comforters because these are processed with an extra step to remove the solid feather quill, thus giving each feather comforter a down-like feel while preventing quills from poking through. They offer the softness of pure down without the potential discomfort of feathers. If you are on a budget and want a comforter that has natural fill and is comfortable, then an ultra feather comforter may be the right choice for you.

4. Other Natural Fills

Beyond down, other natural fills like Wool (known for temperature regulating properties but can be heavier) and Cotton (breathable and typically flatter) are also available, offering different feels and warmth levels.

Fill Power vs. Fill Weight: Understanding Warmth and Loft

This is crucial for understanding how to choose a comforter based on its warmth.

Fill Power (for Down/Down Alternative): This is the measurement that defines the amount of space a single ounce of down takes up. The fill power of your comforter is usually listed on its packaging. A comforter with a higher fill power indicates a better quality comforter and a greater insulating ability for lighter weight. Comforters with higher fill powers will also loft higher. For good warmth, look for 600+ fill power; for luxurious warmth, 700-800+ is excellent.

BONUS Tip! When you bring your new comforter home, it may take up to 72 hours after unpacking for it to expand and achieve maximum loft and fluff.

Fill Weight (Total Weight of Fill): This refers to the actual weight of the insulation inside the comforter. It’s important for synthetic fills where fill power isn’t a factor, or as an additional gauge of overall warmth for down comforters.

Warmth Levels: Matching Your Climate and Preferences

Comforters come in various warmth levels to suit different needs:

1. Summer/Lightweight Comforter: Minimal fill, ideal for warm weather or very hot sleepers.
2. Medium Weight/All-Season Comforter: Offers versatile warmth suitable for most climates and year-round use.
3. Heavyweight/Winter Comforter: Contains maximum fill for cold climates or cold sleepers, providing superior insulation.

Shell Fabric (Cover Material): The Outer Layer

The outer fabric of your comforter, the breathable shell, is important as it’s what touches your skin.

1. Material

Common materials include Cotton, Organic Cotton, Tencel™ Lyocell, Silk, Linen, and Polyester blends. The choice of material significantly affects softness, breathability, durability, and the drape of the comforter.

• Cotton is a soft, breathable, and lightweight natural fiber known for its durability and comfort, making it a classic choice for everyday bedding.
• Organic Cotton is grown without harmful pesticides or synthetic fertilizers. It is a purer, more sustainable version of traditional cotton that is exceptionally soft and gentle on sensitive skin.
• Tencel™ Lyocell is derived from sustainably sourced wood pulp, and is an incredibly smooth and luxurious fiber with a silky drape and exceptional moisture-wicking properties, perfect for hot sleepers.
• Silk is a natural protein fiber prized for its smoothness and elegant sheen. It is a naturally hypoallergenic and temperature-regulating fabric that feels cool on the skin.
• Linen, made from the fibers of the flax plant, is a highly breathable and durable fabric known for its natural texture, relaxed look, and ability to keep you cool and comfortable in any season.
• Polyester blend is a durable and affordable synthetic fiber, often blended with natural materials to create fabrics that are resistant to wrinkles, easy to care for, and retain their shape well.

2. Thread Count (for Cotton):

For cotton covers, thread count indicates the density of woven threads. Generally, a thread count of 200-400 is considered good quality, offering both softness and breathability.

Construction Type: How the Fill Stays Put

The way a comforter is constructed ensures its fill stays evenly distributed and prevents cold spots.

1. Baffle Box Construction: This superior construction creates internal fabric walls that form individual pockets, preventing the fill from shifting and eliminating cold spots. It’s ideal for maintaining loft and warmth, especially in down comforters.
2. Quilted/Sewn-Through Construction: Stitches go through all layers of the comforter, creating distinct squares or patterns. This method holds the fill in place but can slightly compress the fill along the stitch lines. It’s generally more economical.
3. Channel Stitch: Features long, parallel channels that allow some fill movement. This can offer a degree of adjustable warmth by allowing you to shift the fill within the channels.

Sizing Your Comforter: Getting the Perfect Fit

Choosing the right size is essential for both comfort and aesthetics. To get an in-depth know-how on comforter sizes and how to find your ideal size, read this blog.

Certifications & Ethical Considerations

When choosing your comforter, look for these important certifications:

• Responsible Down Standard (RDS) / DOWNPASS: These certifications ensure ethical sourcing and humane treatment of waterfowl, providing peace of mind.
• OEKO-TEX Standard 100: This guarantees that the product has been tested and is free from harmful substances, ensuring it’s safe for human health and best bedding for sensitive skin.
• NOMITE: This indicates suitability for house dust mite allergy sufferers, as the fabric weave is tight enough to act as a barrier.
• Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS): It is the world’s leading standard for textiles made from organic fibers, guaranteeing that the product is made with environmentally and socially responsible methods throughout the entire supply chain.
• BLUESIGN: It is a holistic system that ensures textile production is sustainable by eliminating harmful substances from the very beginning of the manufacturing process and setting strict environmental and safety criteria.
• Global Recycled Standard (GRS): It is a product standard that verifies the content of recycled materials in a final product and tracks them throughout the supply chain, while also addressing environmental and social criteria.
• REPREVE: It is a brand of recycled performance fiber made from 100% recycled materials, primarily plastic bottles, and is used to create durable, high-quality, and sustainable products.

Final Thoughts

While buying a new comforter, we know there are a lot of things to consider. There are several types of bed comforters available depending on your requirements, warmer or colder regions, and budget. We hope this detailed guide on how to choose the right comforter will be fruitful in finalizing your type of comforter.