Selecting the Best Down Comforter

Down consists of fine, soft, fluffy feathers from the first plumage of young birds and the plumage under the contour feathers of certain adult birds.

The “cluster” of a down unit gives it loft and traps the air, keeping you warm. Down clusters can be flat with quills, two dimensional and rounded, or three dimensional in the shape of a dandelion pod. Duck and goose down are equally insulating, but duck down clusters take up less room. To make a full comforter, manufacturers compensate with higher fill ounces for duck down.

In the U.S., down is measured using a method called “fill power,” which refers to the amount of fluff the down has. The higher the fill power number, the higher the quality of the down fill. A fill power of 600 is good quality, 700 to 800 is excellent quality, and anything over 800 is superior quality. The weight of the down comforter also makes a big difference in the warmth it provides. When shopping for a down comforter, you should know the weight and fill power that you want. A heavy comforter will provide much warmth. If you live in a warm climate, or prefer less warmth, a lighter comforter might be a better choice. If you like to bundle up and soak in the warmth, you’ll want to choose a comforter with a high fill power and heavy weight. Even so, you might want to have a lightweight comforter on hand for the summer.

Regular goose and duck feathers are also used as filling for pillows, feather-top mattresses, and less expensive comforters. The ratio of feathers to down determines quality and price. The more down, the higher the quality and consequently the price.

Nothing beats the inviting softness and warmth of down comforter sets in quality bedding. For their weight, down clusters trap more air than synthetic fibers. A light, fluffy down comforter will keep you warmer than a synthetic-fiber blanket of the same weight. Ounce for ounce, down provides three times the warmth of synthetics. Millions of interlocking filaments in a down comforter trap in warm air and keep out the cold. Synthetic fibers clump, creating cold spots. Down distributes itself evenly throughout the entire blanket.

The design of the comforter also affects its final quality. Thread count and proper stitching can make a big difference in performance. Look for a down comforter set with a quilted stitch pattern and baffle wall to keep the feathers in their clusters and ensure even distribution.

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