Goose down comforter ?'s

[homebody]

Can anyone tell me what I should look for to make sure I get quality? Should I just get down or a mix of down and feathers? Any info from someone who has one and knows will be appreciated. I will be making a cover for it from quality fabric when I buy the comforter. Thanks.

[Laura]

Get all goose down.

Feathers are stiff and pokey and pack, making it hard to fluff up.

[pcdreams]

I Agree with Laura.. We had one and it kept us toasty..
Bit pricy (think ours was 300) but well worth it..
Too bad our dog (who was a puppy at the time) chewed it up.. Absolutely want another before we move to the north county

[MorrisonCorner]

Practical advice: Costco.

For the past two years, around the early fall months (September, October) we've found "down blankets" at Costco for around $45-50 a pop. I bought one a couple of years ago when the husband started complaining during that between season part of the year that the wool blankets weren't quite warm enough, but the down comforter was too warm. I've since bought another.. these things are much more flexible than one down comforter. Singly they make nice light "tween" covers. Add a second and they're toastier than one comforter.

They do not, however, "cover" well... as in putting a duvet cover over one sort of flattens it out into the not very useful. So you're putting it on your bed unprotected. If cats and the dogs sleep on your bed, this thing won't last forever. But it is machine washable and I ran mine through our front loader several times to no ill effect.

Quite a reasonable alternative to the more expensive and heavier comforters. But Costco also sells down comforters if you decide to go in that direction. No covers for them though.

[CraftyDiva]

Whatever you do, don't get the channel cover, get the one with the squares quilted. The down will lump up in the channels but not the squares. If you get the feather/down mix, make sure the cover has a high thread count, so the feathers don't poke through.

[shepmom]

Growing up I/we(Army brat) always had down and feather mix with covers to protect the comforter. These were German comforters with beautiful exterior fabric and well sewn/stitched seams. Those little feathers still manage to come out mainly in the corners. The Germans would shake them everyday and hang by the window or outdoors to air. :-)
Several years back I did buy an all down with large squares from a company in the US. The down comes out eventually,too and they don't put enough in it to be plump and it gets flatter and flatter. Shake all u want. :/

[homebody]

No Costco around here, may be one in St. Louis but I don't go there if I can avoid it. Have been looking at the white ones on ebay; have been outbid once. I'm not in a hurry but will need by November. Thanks again; will look for all goose down now.

[CraftyDiva]

Check out "Overstock" they have some pretty good sales, you have to watch for the sales.................... http://www.overstock.com/cgi-bin/d2....000029741&fp=f

[bgak47]

I use sleeping bags for comforters. Unzipped, they work very well.They can be used as sleeping bags if needed.Not real stylish though!

[CraftyDiva]

Originally Posted by bgak47

I use sleeping bags for comforters. Unzipped, they work very well.They can be used as sleeping bags if needed.Not real stylish though!

You want to talk "stylish"? In the past I've used those quilted mover's pads (what they wrap furniture in to protect it when moving) for a comforter, trust me those babies are warm.

[suburbanite]

Down parameters:
fill
thread count
size
construction

Down comes in various 'fills' with a rating system. The higher the number, the more heat trapping in the comforter.

Here in California the highest 'weight' you can easily find are 700-750 'fill'. Stores like Linens and Things, and Bed Bath and Beyond carry them. Costs range from about $200 to...$400? depending on the size of the bed, the fill rating, and the thread count of the fabric.

Feather's poke through the fabric more easily than down, but I think these chains only carry 'all down'. I think thread counts >300 are enough to contain the down; I didn't see any point putting a lot of weight on thread count beyond that concern, as I bought mine with the intent of keeping a duvet cover on it so I won't be feeling the thread quality other than if the down starts to leak out, which it hasn't. I think mine has 400 thread count.

Size. I think the 'standard' size fits neatly on the top of the bed, which probably looks nice. But when you're under it, then it doesn't cover the whole bed + person situation. Most of the big chains now carry 'oversized' down comforters as their standard offering. You'll need to choose one for the size bed that you have. Or you can choose--queen, I think, that if folded in half will fit a twin bed. This can give you some flexibility in bed size and also might be an answer for sleepers who are 'never warm enough' and want the effect of 'doubling' the fill-rating.

The 'oversize' in comforters hasn't translated to an 'oversize' in duvet covers. You'll need to read the measurements when buying the duvet cover, unless you make your own. I have a king duvet cover on my oversize queen comforter--it is a little large in one dimension but fits in the other and it means the edges and corners of the comforter are not all bunched up.

The last thing to consider on a comforter is the construction. Some comforters are simply two layers of fabric stitched together with down between them. The problem with this construction is that where the stitches are, there's no downy insulation between the top and bottom of the blanket, and you get cold spots. For this reason most people will be happier with a 'baffle box' construction. Imagine the top and bottom layers of the comforter suspended tight about 1 inch from each other. Now imagine that to make the boxes that contain the down, you put a 1 inch ribbon of fabric between those two layers, so that the layers stayed an inch apart but there were fabric walls between the layers to make boxes to contain the down so it wouldn't shift around. This is the preferred kind of construction for all but the most lightweight of comforters, since it means there is an equal layer of down all over the comforter with no cold spots at the seams.

In the store when buying your comforter, open the zipper of the storage bag it comes in slightly and sniff. They pick up tobacco smoke scent really easily and so occasionally you'll get one that is contaminated from careless people in the warehouse. Obviously smokers need not do this, but folk with asthma or who hate cigarette smoke should check this about the individual comforter they are buying before purchase.

[homebody]

I will be getting a king size and will sew a duvet cover. Will make curtains to match comforter. Thanks ya'll,

[WildernesFamily]

I bought this one:

http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/produ...seBVCookie=Yes

when they went on sale in February for $99. Very luxurious, fluffy and SO warm! You may want to keep checking the site between now and November, they may have another sale just before the cold weather hits.

Definitely look for the "box" design so the down cannot slip to the sides. I agree on checking Overstock as well, it's always good when you can read other reviews. There's a 700 count on there that I would definitely have considered had it been available when I bought mine.

If this is your first down comforter it will take some getting used to - they are so light, yet so warm. My hubby was very doubtful that it would keep us warm enough, but after the first night he was sold on down comforters!

[Corgitails]

I *really* like "The Company Store" brand- they're expensive, but they last well- I've been using the same on my bed (at my parents, so admittedly it's not seen a lot of use the last 3-4 years) since I was 9. They *do* have good sales, too.

Walmart makes a series of 'down alternative' bedding that's very inexpensive and similar in weight to down, although not as insulating. Box is the only way to go!