Down comforters are widely considered to be the height of luxurious bedding. If you’re looking into how to buy a good down comforter online, then you might want to use this handy little guide to give you some pointers.
These comforters are made from the insulating tufts of feathers from the undercoats of various waterfowl, like geese and ducks.
The little insulating tufts trap warm air next to the bird’s skin. And this is why we love down for our comforters. It keeps warm air in, and the keeps colder air out, and makes sleeping so comfortable that we might not even want to get out of bed!
What makes these down comforters so special, and sometimes expensive, is the down itself.
•The more pure down in the comforter the more costly it will be. For the ultimate in luxury, some folks out there might be tempted by the pure eider down comforters made from (what else) eider duck down. But for the rest of us who want great quality without the incredible multi-thousand dollar price tag, there are lots of wonderful choices out there.
Most of us will be choosing from comforters that combine the somewhat larger feathers of the same waterfowl with the more expensive down tufts for a satisfactory combination of warmth at less cost.
Look for these features in your down comforter and you won’t go wrong: The fill power number means how many cubic inches of space that down will take up. The more fill and loft, the more air it will trap, and the warmer it will be.
up at about 600 is good quality
up at about 700 is better
700 and up is the best,
with 800 or more being very rare and expensive.
•Look for ‘baffle box construction’ or words with ‘baffle’ in the description when buying your comforter.
This means that it will have an internal layer of fabric that holds the down in place inside the box design for maximum loft. It also keeps the down from shifting around and forming lumps.
If the comforter description doesn’t say ‘baffle box’ or ‘baffle’, then chances are that it’s what’s called ‘sewn through’, which is less expensive, but also not as well made. The down may shift, creating pockets of down and feather lumps, usually in the corners.
Your comforter may lose loft, meaning the down will, over time, not stand up like it did at first, meaning the comforter will lose insulation and not be as warm. These comforters aren’t really made with the best stitching either, so you’ll soon find that the down will start peeking through the typically lower thread count outer shell of the fabric.
The thrill of your comforter soon goes away as your plucking down tufts out of your teeth in the morning!
•You’ll also want to consider the climate you need your comforter for. If you live in California you won’t need to waste your money getting a heavy duty comforter- you’ll be miserably hot under there!
You’ll be able to pick from lightweight, medium and heavy weights to better accommodate your needs. What about the thread count?
•Look for numbers from 230 to 380 or so for the best in softness and durability. A higher thread count will mean a tighter weave that keeps the down from coming out of your comforter over the years. Look for your better comforter fabric to be made from either 100% cotton or silk.
And don’t forget a duvet cover, or a comforter cover to protect that investment. It’s a good idea to have a few on hand so a fresh one will always be on the comforter to keep dirt away from it.
The neat thing is that you can find incredibly gorgeous covers these days- not just white and ivory like in the past. You can really go crazy with deep purples, navy blues, stripes, floral patterns- and about any type of design you can imagine for those covers so your bedroom always stays fresh and stylish.