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Think About Comforters

Written By: Administrator on June 17, 2009 No Comment

Think About Comforters

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Knowing what to look for in a quality comforter can save you money in the long run by making your purchase the best quality for the money. If you’re thinking about buying a comforter for your bedroom, don’t shop without this information. By saving yourself from some of the common mistakes made by bedding buyers, you will be much happier with the selection you purchase.

Let’s take a look at some of the factors you need to be aware of before making your purchase. When choosing comforters, it is important to understand the materials used to construct the bedding as well as the construction methods used. There’s a really big difference between the two, however. Comforter Down is the inner plumage of ducks or geese. Feathers or down are commonly used as filling material. It has a great many tiny, very fluffy “miniature feathers” and no long feathers or quills.

Both feathers and down are effective insulators against the cold, but down is the more efficient of the two. Check the product information carefully to be certain of what the contents of the bedding you are considering really is. Comforter down is much softer and warmer than feathers. However, people with allergies can have problems with either filler and may need to resort to allergy-proof bedding.

Quality bedding will be made of down rather than feathers, but is very expensive when used as the only fill. Some down products are created to be hypoallergenic and may be used by any except the most severe allergy sufferers. So comforter manufacturers compromise abit by adding some feathers into the mix as well to add to your comforter’s insulating ability.

Preferred by allergy sufferers, a very good quality selection using polyester fiber fill can make a great bedding choice. Another fill that may be found in bedding is polyester fiber. This filling is not as luxurious feeling as down but can make an effective insulator nonetheless.

The greater the fill weight, the more filling is contained in the bedding and therefore the more body heat will be held in through the insulating factor of the bedding. An important factor to consider when purchasing your bed covering is fill weight. Fill weight is the amount of filling used between the top and bottom covering of your bedding.

If you live in a more temperate climate or want bedding for summer use, you will probably want to choose a lower fill weight or remove the top bedding from the bed at night to sleep in cool comfort. If you live in a cold climate and reduce your home’s thermostat at night, you’ll want to purchase products with a high fill weight.

Once it is freed again, it will expand to cover a specific area. Fill power refers to the amount of space which 1 ounce of down or fill material covers. Because top quality down expands, this number is generated by taking 1 once of fill and compressing it. The fill number 575 fill power means that 1 ounce of the filler covers 575 cubic inches of space. 650 is a very high fill power. The loft of the bedding is directly related to the fill power, as is the insulating properties.

Lower numbers would be best for Southern California and Florida while the cold northern state will enjoy a fill power of 650. If you live in a warm climate, you’ll be happy with a much lower fill power. A fill power of 575 or below would be great for winters in the Mid-South. Thread count is a factor to consider as well. Especially with down bedding, low thread count fabric can result in filling materials working their way through the fabric and escaping.

Higher thread count also provides a silkier, luxurious feel to the bedding. Higher thread counts of 330 or more provide a more dense fabric with a close weave that will prevent filling materials from working their way out of the bedding. Thread count is much more important when buying bedding that contains filling than if you are buying sheets.

Inexpensive bedding that contains filling will be constructed with the “sewn-through” method. The actual construction method of the shell of the bedding is also very important. This means that the bedding is divided into sections by sewing through the top and bottom and coming back through the fabric, much like the way a quilt is constructed.

Fabric is used to create walls inside the bedding in which the fill is placed. Top quality bedding, which is more expensive but will last much longer, uses baffle box construction. This provides the fluffiness of true luxury bedding. The bedding fill product is allowed to expand to the maximum fluffiness and you will find no cold spots when sleeping under this type of bedding.

Closed box construction means the filling can not move from section to section. For the very best bedding, be sure to look for the “closed baffle box” or “true baffle box” construction. An open box construction or partially open box construction means the filling can move and create bunches and lumpiness.

Care of your bedding investment is important too !!!

Even if a luxury bedding item that contains fill material says it may be machine washed, you will not want to wash it in your home laundry equipment. Washing and drying can cause lumping even in good quality products. When large pieces of filled bedding get wet, they are simply too heavy for the home machine. Dry cleaning is the best method to preserve your quality bedding that contains fill.