Down Comforters

A fill power rating indicates the warmth of the comforter. A higher fill power indicates a warmer comforter. For example, a 650 fill power down comforter is warmer than one with a fill power of 500. If your house has central heat and you stay comfortable during the winter at 70 degrees Fahrenheit, a fill power of 650 or higher might make you too warm at night. Comforters with higher fill powers, in general, have higher prices. Fill powers typically max out at 1,000, and higher fill powers point to thicker and heavier down comforters.

Manufacturers rely on a few kinds of down to fill comforters. Hungarian goose down goes in warmer down comforters because of the thick feathers that come from the cold-weather birds. Hungarian goose down is the most luxurious down on the market. Grey and white goose down feathers are the most common types used in comforters. Grey down is darker than white, so you may see some color variations with grey down comforters. These feathers come from European or Chinese geese, and they're used in comforters with fill powers of 600 or higher. Some of the cooler down comforters have goose feathers mixed with milkweed to maintain natural fibers.

Thread counts of outer covers in down comforters are important because of the nature of the feathers. Each feather has a point at the end that might poke through the cover. A higher thread count means a thicker outer cover, and the outer cover can protect against losing feathers due to holes or shifting. Higher thread counts also produce a thicker, smoother, and gentler feel against your skin while protecting you from feather pokes.

Typical down comforters are white to let you mix and match bedding sets. However, manufacturers often create matching sets in the same colors or patterns. Stitching leads to diamond patterns, squares, or stripes in terms of the design of lines on the outside of a comforter for an added touch. The stitching also keeps the down intact. Baffle boxing is a special type of stitching that makes a square shape across the entirety of a comforter.

Down comforters are warmer than down alternatives of the same size and weight. Down alternatives are more expensive due to the fact that geese used for down are farmed and easy to access versus the manufacturing processes that go into synthetic materials. Natural down comforters have better insulating properties compared to down alternative.

Down comforters come in all-season, extra-warm, and medium-warm varieties. All-season comforters provide insulating properties for any time of year and have a fill power of 200 to 600 that prevents you from overheating in the spring and summer. When you want all-season comforters to be warmer in winter, you might need to add a thin layer to your bedding ensemble. Medium-warm comforters with a fill power between 200 to 700 are better for warm months and indoor temperatures of 65 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Extra-warm comforters are heavy-duty varieties that do well in the winter but may be too warm for the summer. These down comforters work for temperatures below 62 degrees Fahrenheit and have a fill power of 700 to 1,000. Keep in mind that heavier fill powers indicate heavier weights and thicker pieces.

Most down comforters are machine-washable, although their care tags might have special care instructions. Because these items are large and bulky, consider putting a down comforter in a load by itself. Comforters soak up a lot of soap, so you should run the rinse cycle twice to make sure all of the soap gets out. Use the gentle cycle on the washer followed by a low heat cycle on the dryer. Throw a couple of tennis balls into the dryer to help fluff up the comforter and to prevent it from entangling itself during the dry cycle. It might take a few days for the comforter to return to its normal fluffy state. For spot stains, use a spot treatment and soak it for a few hours with stain remover or a mild soap.

Comforter bags offer protection and proper storage when a down comforter is not in use, such as when you don't need extra-warm comforters in summer or lightweight comforters in the winter. These bags are specially designed to keep down comforters aerated, free of mildew, and fresh. Always store down comforters in breathable material, making sure to avoid plastic and synthetic materials that do not breathe.