People are often at logger heads when it comes to choosing the right down comforter. One has to see about the quality, affordability and choose from the innumerable range of down comforters that are available in the market. Here are some facts that you should know before you purchase a down comforter:
Fill power: Fill power denotes the quality of the down comforter. A good comforter should have at least 550 fill powers. 650 and above is considered as luxurious quality. As the power increases you get better thermal properties and also the puffiness is great at higher fill powers.
Cluster count: This shows the amount of full down clusters and the broken ones. The broken ones are referred to as “fly”.
Goose down: Goose down is considered as a better one than down made from duck. Down that is obtained from mature geese [those that live in cold climates] have more amount of clusters in their body. The more the clusters the better the warming capacity will be.
Down proof fabric: High quality Egyptian cotton should have a high thread count and the callendering should also be optimum to make it a good down proof fabric. Callendering is the compression of cotton between giant steel rollers to fill in the empty spaces that are normally not visible to the eye. Thread count should be higher than 300 to make the fabric down proof for many years [about 10-15]. Other than Egyptian cotton down proof fabric, cambric cotton down proof fabric made in Germany or Switzerland has a satin finish and is durable and feather soft.
Stitch of the comforter: There are open, closed, and channel tri-wall stitches. Open stitch has a movable filling like in the Karo-step and ring stitch. Closed ones have a fixed type of filling in a small box, like a baffle box and sew-thru stitches. Channel tri-wall has a triangular area wherein the filling cannot move. This is the most comfortable of the three types and is the most preferred one also. It is couple friendly as it allows adjusting of the filling to one side which is useful in summer, when one needs more warmth than the other. Cold spots can be avoided while using the baffles comforter. It also enhances the function of the comforter. For warmer climates the sew-thru stitch is best suited as it requires less amount of filling.
Temperature: The optimum temperature range for a year-round use of the comforter is about 60-70 degrees. These will make the comforters cosy and comfortable during any season.
Eiderdown comforters: These are the most luxurious of all comforters and have a softness and warmth that is incomparable. Swiss Batiste is the best suited down proof fabric which has a satin finish and is feather soft and silky done especially for eiderdowns.
Other than Eiderdowns, Canadian, Siberian, Hungarian and Polish white goose downs are of fine premium quality which promises the utmost in style and comfort.
With my allergies I have to be choosy on what type of comforters I buy. I wonder if this brand has any alternatives to down feathers?