May 09 2010
There is Really Nothing That Compares to a Down Comforter For a Good Night’s Sleep
Choosing the right comforter for you can sometimes be hard. Here is some information that will help you:
Natural down is made of clusters of filaments from a waterfowl bird, such as a duck or goose. Because of the structure of the feathers the ability to loft each down cluster traps more air for its weight than any synthetic. It forms a layer of air that keeps the warmth in and the cold out.
Down comforters are made from a mixture of down material and feathers. As long as the down is made up of 75% down material it is labeled as “all down”. It is important to know the difference between synthetic comforters or natural ones.
Synthetic down provide cost savings over the natural duck or goose down, but they lack the warmth and durability as the natural down.
An interesting thing about down comforters is that the best downs come from mature birds. Goose down is usually better than duct downs. Young birds have poor filling and the down usually collapse in a short time.
Thread count is also important to know when choosing a down. The higher the number of threads that are in the one square inch of fabric, the lighter and smoother the down feels. The highest thread count is 360. A 360 thread count is the best, which is usually higher in cost, but not as durable as a 230-260.
You usually get what you pay for. The goal is to get the warmth factor and the lightest weight.
Claire Leith is the owner of http://www.designbycomfort.com and knows the importance of picking the right down comforter.