Duvets Buying Guide

Buying a new duvet is an investment; with so many different brands and styles out there, learning a little bit about duvets and down bedding can help you find duvets that are perfect for your circumstances. "Duvet" is simply another word for "down comforter." Keep reading to find out what you need to know about down bedding fabrics, down fill and down comforter construction.

What You Need to Know:

1. Duvet fabric: The shells of most duvets are made from cotton fabric that has a high thread count. While occasionally you will find a duvet made from silk or a cotton and silk blend, cotton is by far the most popular material because it is both comfortable and relatively low-cost. Down comforter fabrics always feature a high thread count because ultra-fine down filaments quickly leak through fabrics with low thread counts. However, when you're shopping for a new down comforter or down blanket or any kind of down bedding, don't assume that an ultra-high thread count means ultra-high quality. Some fabrics with high thread counts use extra-fine cotton threads, resulting in a fabric that may be less durable than one with a lower thread count but sturdier threads. Reading over customer reviews is a great way to find out information on the quality of a duvet's shell.

2. Down fill: Down quality, expressed in terms of fill power, which is the volume of one ounce of down, varies between different down comforters. Down comforters containing high fill-power down aren't necessarily warmer than other duvets, but they are often lighter and fluffier because high fill-power down expands more than low fill-power down. An average duvet uses 600 to 700 fill-power down, with luxury duvets featuring fill powers up to 900 and low-end duvets using fills that are below 600. While high fill-power means high price, 800 fill-power down isn't necessarily better than 550 fill-power down. If you like duvets that feel dense, then you'll probably enjoy a duvet filled with low fill-power down.

3. Duvet construction: Duvet construction makes a difference in the comfort, price and warmth of a duvet. While there isn't a "best" kind of construction, knowing a little bit about each kind can help you find a duvet that's right for your needs.

4. Sewn-through and baffle construction: Duvets that use sewn-through construction have seams that go all the way through the duvet, pinching both sides of the shell together. Sewn-through construction is durable and keeps the down in place; it's great for warmer weather and usually costs less than the more complicated baffle construction. Duvets that feature baffle construction have strips of fabric inside the duvet that form internal walls that keep the down in place. While duvets with baffles cost more than the alternative, they eliminate the cold spots that can occur with sewn-through duvets, making duvets with baffles the warmest bedding you can find.

5. Box and channel construction: Down comforters with box construction have seams that run perpendicular to each other all across the down comforter, making your down comforter a checkerboard of down-filled pockets. Box construction is the most common construction because it keeps the fill firmly in place. However, some people like the versatility offered by channel construction. Duvets with channel construction have seams that run parallel to each other the length of the duvet, allowing the down to shift to different parts of the comforter. If your feet get extra cold or if you and a partner prefer different amounts of fill, channel construction lets you shift more down to the bottom of the comforter or to one side or the other.

Duvet Buying Tips:

1. Hypoallergenic down bedding: If you want down bedding but you know you have a down allergy, you have a few options. Some hypoallergenic down bedding features down that has been specially cleaned to eliminate allergy causing agents, while some other hypoallergenic down bedding contains down-alternative fills, which can range from normal synthetic fills to natural filaments taken from milkweed plants. If those options don't appeal to you, then consider buying a special hypoallergenic duvet cover for you down bedding.

2. Duvet covers: The main reason for buying a duvet cover, also known as a comforter cover, is that it protects your comforter. Down bedding is an investment; a high-quality comforter or duvet can last for more than a decade. However, down bedding doesn't wash easily. A duvet cover will protect your bedding from spills, stains and general wear and tear, and if you want to change the look of your bedding, it's far less expensive to buy a new comforter cover than it is to buy a new duvet.