Down Comforters

emmaaa · July 2015

I think I am going to break down soon and buy a down comforter and a duvet cover. I like the "fluffy" look that down comforters provide and the interchangeablility of the duvet covers.

Do y'all have down comforters? If so, what kind? I need recommendations.

BTW, I'm wanting an all season type one.

lyndausvi · July 2015

I have an all-season one. I bought it at BB&B, I think. Can't remember the brand.

Basically i'm no help other than saying "I have one".

WinstonsGirl · July 2015

We have one, though I'm not sure what it's made of. But it's a comforter. We have a winter one and a summer one, and even the summer one comes out in the hot summer, cos it's too hot. We just use a sheet and the cover.

Personally, I really hate that they get all bunched up in a corner and we have to take it apart to rearrange it. It's a PIMA

cupcait927 · July 2015

Same as @lyndausvi We bought a basic one from BB&B like 6 months ago. It's been fine - kept me warm in the winter but it doesn't get too hot in the summer. Then again, I'm not super picky when it comes to comforters/duvet covers except for the pattern. As long as it's soft, looks nice and keeps me warm, I'm happy.

vikinganna87 · July 2015

Getting into bed with a down comforter is so poofily cozy and amazing; it's tough to sleep on other sheets once you've experienced it.

The down comforter I have now is from The Company Store and has lasted 14 years. I would look for a comforter that has seams to create small boxes, which is essentially rip-stop. (Not sure what this is called). If there's a tear in your comforter you'll only lose the feathers in that particular box. Be prepared to spend a few hundred dollars for a quality comforter, but it should last you a very long time. Mine is awesome and has no rips.

Ideally a down comforter keeps you warm in the winter and cools you off in the summer, but if you have a really big one, the cooling off part might not be as effective as you'd like.

I would recommend buying one that's at least one size larger than your bed. Our bed is full and our down comforter is king.

It's tough to find a king size duvet for under $100 so you might want to start off with jus 2 and rotate.

You shouldn't wash your comforter unless absolutely necessary, but hang it outside on a clothesline or find a way to air it out every 6 months or so.

I hope that helps!

[Deleted User] · July 2015

ZOMG. I love down comforters. Unfortunately, FI does not, so I get mine in the cooler months and gets his thin/awful sheet-thing in the warmer months. Our comforter is down-alternative, and is from Target. I think it was the "Threshold" brand that Target carries. It was about $90. Ideally I would have an amazing, fancy one, but since I can't have everything my way (damn it), this works fine.

Definitely make sure to get a comforter with the little boxes stitched in! IMO it helps keep everything where it belongs rather than loosing all the down at the bottom. And like PPs have said, try not to wash it. I overwashed our last one because I'm neurotic and it totally ruined it!

labro · July 2015

I think we have a warmth level 2 and a level 3. The level 2 is pretty good for year round, especially where I live....it's almost TOO warm in summer, but I just keep the ceiling fan on high to make up for it.

I think the biggest thing aside from deciding if you want down vs. down alternative and the weight is whether or not the manufacturer bothered to put those stupid freaking loops at each of the corners. If they didn't put the stupid loops then you have to make them and sew them on yourself in order to properly attach your duvet cover to the comforter. Yeah, you can tie the corners of the cover to the corners of the comforter, but it looks a little off (I did this/do this with my heavier weight comforter).

My level 2 comforter is a Charter Club from Macy's. I got it for a pretty decent price on one of their many 50% off sales. Most importantly, it has all four tabs!!! So my duvet cover ties to it properly. This was such a ridiculous obsession of mine, but it's made me so much happier.

banana468 · July 2015

We have a heavy down comforter, a lighter weight comforter and a down blanket. I find that the heavy comforter (from Macy's Charter Club) is best for the supremely cold nights (like I can't feed the baby because I'll cut him cold).

Then lighter weight Company Store down comforter is ideal for spring and fall. We still have that on the bed now and I think that's part of why DH and I wake up sweaty and uncomfortable.

So then it'll be onto the down blanket which is lightweight and actually designed to be a blanket layer but I use it as a summer weight comforter.

We don't use a top sheet (DH pulls out the top sheet and hates them and I hate all the wrinkles in the bed). So instead I put the comforter in a high thread count duvet cover and wash it (the cover) weekly.

cupcait927 · July 2015

labro said:

I think we have a warmth level 2 and a level 3. The level 2 is pretty good for year round, especially where I live....it's almost TOO warm in summer, but I just keep the ceiling fan on high to make up for it.

I think the biggest thing aside from deciding if you want down vs. down alternative and the weight is whether or not the manufacturer bothered to put those stupid freaking loops at each of the corners. If they didn't put the stupid loops then you have to make them and sew them on yourself in order to properly attach your duvet cover to the comforter. Yeah, you can tie the corners of the cover to the corners of the comforter, but it looks a little off (I did this/do this with my heavier weight comforter).

My level 2 comforter is a Charter Club from Macy's. I got it for a pretty decent price on one of their many 50% off sales. Most importantly, it has all four tabs!!! So my duvet cover ties to it properly. This was such a ridiculous obsession of mine, but it's made me so much happier.

What are these loops you speak of?! I swear, I spend more time every night trying to shift the comforter back into place in the duvet because it slips down all the time. I never knew there was a way to keep this from happening.

labro · July 2015

@cupcait927 Omg you NEED the loops. It's just a simple strip of fabric attached to each corner of the comforter. Your duvet has ties on the inside right? All of mine do (I'm a super freak who switches out her stuff seasonally). Anyway, those goddamn loops and the ties are what keeps the duvet on straight!

BouxRadley · July 2015

I don't remember what kind it was but I had one in high school that was the shit. It had a summer side and a winter side and it was as easy as flipping it over to change. You wouldn't think it would work but the sides were two different materials so one would pull more cold air and the other repelled it better. I still miss it to this day. FI brought home this quilt like blanket from Target a few months ago and it's actually surprisingly comfortable as well.

relliotts · July 2015

labro said:

I think we have a warmth level 2 and a level 3. The level 2 is pretty good for year round, especially where I live....it's almost TOO warm in summer, but I just keep the ceiling fan on high to make up for it.

I think the biggest thing aside from deciding if you want down vs. down alternative and the weight is whether or not the manufacturer bothered to put those stupid freaking loops at each of the corners. If they didn't put the stupid loops then you have to make them and sew them on yourself in order to properly attach your duvet cover to the comforter. Yeah, you can tie the corners of the cover to the corners of the comforter, but it looks a little off (I did this/do this with my heavier weight comforter).

My level 2 comforter is a Charter Club from Macy's. I got it for a pretty decent price on one of their many 50% off sales. Most importantly, it has all four tabs!!! So my duvet cover ties to it properly. This was such a ridiculous obsession of mine, but it's made me so much happier.

For your heavier comforter without the loops, do you have a sewing machine? You can make 4 loops out of ribbon, and sew them in at the seamline at each corner. Reinforce by backstitching over the original stitching line, then stitch forward again. That should be strong enough to keep the duvet in place.

[Deleted User] · July 2015

We have a winter comforter but it's not down because of my fiance's allergies. We don't put a cover on it, just lay our quilt on top.

I've heard putting a king comforter in a queen cover gives that extra plush feeling. A friend does it and I love sleeping at her house with that thing.

cupcait927 · July 2015

labro said:

@cupcait927 Omg you NEED the loops. It's just a simple strip of fabric attached to each corner of the comforter. Your duvet has ties on the inside right? All of mine do (I'm a super freak who switches out her stuff seasonally). Anyway, those goddamn loops and the ties are what keeps the duvet on straight!

I'm going to go home and check tonight - it's from Target and I never thought to check for loops! This will be a game changer. And if it doesn't have loops, all the more reason for me to go out and buy a new duvet (even though I just bought the one we have 5 months ago...)

emmaaa · July 2015

Thanks everyone! This is a good start.

TLDR; we all need the loops.

redheadbride15 · July 2015

I love, love, love our down comforter/duvet combo! We have an "all-season" one but personally I still find it way too warm for summer (and even the transition zones in spring & fall when we don't yet have the A/C on). So really we only use it about 6 months of the year, and we have a lighter-weight quilt for the warmer months. And we live in Massachusetts, where it's cold.

sarahufl · July 2015

Mine is all-season, I think from Macy's. It also has the box stitching, like vikinganna87 mentioned. Which I think also helps keep it from getting all lumpy.

My cover is from West Elm.

OllisaurusRex · July 2015

We have a wild down comforter. It's soooo nice, never too cold or hot.

I really want the pillows, but can't wash them.....

labro · July 2015

@relliotts I don't have a sewing machine but I've considered hand stitching some tough fabric ribbon to the corners already. I just never considered it seriously until I finally got around to buying the second lightweight comforter. I'll probably end up doing it around the time I'm ready to switch out the comforters for the winter....but it's definitely nice if they already come with the loops attached!

redheadbride15 · July 2015

labro said:

@relliotts I don't have a sewing machine but I've considered hand stitching some tough fabric ribbon to the corners already. I just never considered it seriously until I finally got around to buying the second lightweight comforter. I'll probably end up doing it around the time I'm ready to switch out the comforters for the winter....but it's definitely nice if they already come with the loops attached!

I was going to suggest that you don't need a sewing machine for this task. Just a few quick stitches with some heavy-duty thread is all it takes. IMO it takes longer to get out and set up the sewing machine than it would take to just do it by hand.

OllisaurusRex · July 2015

I just stuff queen sized comforters into full duvet covers, then toss a blanket over top if I care to make it look nice. Two gives us enough coverage on a king sized bed for both of us being blanket hogs. With the infill bigger than the cover, I've not needed to tie the corners, give everything a nice snap when making the bed and it resettles nicely.

cgss11 · July 2015

For those that don't have the loops, this is what I have (and prefer it to the loops anyways).

https://m.bedbathandbeyond.com/m/product/comforter-clips-set-of-4/1010313465

I would think Target or any other home type store would sell them as well. Mine were from Linens n Things when they were still around.

Down Comforters

Re: Down Comforters

Choose Another Board

Search Boards