Down Comforter - is it time to replace yours?

Down Comforters do wear out. Is your down comforter ready for another season?

As the cooler months approach, it is an excellent time to inspect the condition of your down comforter. The easiest way to accomplish this is to simply remove the comforter from the duvet cover, then hold it up to a room light or window.

• If the comforter has reached the end of its life, you will notice that some of the compartments in the center of the comforter are void of down.
• These worn-out compartments are typically in the area where your shoulders would come in contact with the comforter.
• This is a result of the friction that the down clusters encounter as you toss and turn at night. The down clusters abrade against themselves and it breaks down and turns into dust that finds its way out of the ticking.

So, if you find your comforter is worn out and needs to be replaced, we have identified some of the different styles available on the market along with the features, benefits, and drawbacks with some these styles.

Baffle Box:

A baffle-box down comforter is the best construction style. Each compartment of the comforter has a sidewall. This 3-dimensional construction style eliminates any possible cold spots. The down will not shift from compartment to compartment. This style also allows the down to loft to its fullest. As a side, note down doesn’t generate heat, it only holds in your body heat. Just as the insulation in your house, air is trapped by the down clusters creating a blanket of insulation with very little weight.

This is a premium style construction and it does cost a little more than other types of down comforters, but we think it is worth the small additional expense. All of our down comforters are made with a baffle-box construction and they are available in three different warmth levels; so, there is one that is perfect for your warmth level. Whether you sleep hot, cold or in the middle we have you covered.

 Ring Stitch:

A ring-stitched design has distinct circle quilt patterns throughout the comforter. With the one shown above, you will notice different size quilted rings. While the down will not shift outside of these rings or circles, you will notice there are some larger areas outside of the rings in which the down can have the ability to shift around. The down may eventually find its way to the foot or the sides of the comforter.

The comforter can be shaken from side to side and then head to toe, in an effort to redistribute it and even out its placement, but why go through this effort every month or so?

Channel Quilt:

With the channel quilt the same problem exists. The down will remain in the channel and not migrate from channel to channel, but it can and likely will, migrate to the foot of the comforter. Once again the down can be reoriented by vigorously shaking it from the foot.

Sewn-Through or Box-Stitch Comforter:

A box-stitched down comforter is also known as a sewn-through construction style. While this is likely the most popular type of comforter. It has one drawback. The down will not shift or migrate from one compartment to another, which is great, so no maintenance is required with this type of construction style.

The drawback as shown below (in a cross-section view), is at the quilting seam, the fabric or shell is collapsed. What this means is there is no down at the quilt seam. This can result in cold spots.

Shop for our Luxury Down Comforters below.