How to tell when it is time to replace your Down Comforter

When is it time to replace your Down Comforter?

Updated 9/2023

The video and article below show you how to tell if yours needs replacing.

Regardless of the quality of a down comforter, they wear out and, at some point, they may need to be replaced.

Depending on the climate, down comforters are likely the most popular top of the bed cover.

The reasons are:

  • They are cozy.
  • They are unconstrained in that they are not tucked in as a blanket might be.
  • They are lightweight.
    • Most people do not care for much weight on top of them.
  • Making the bed is easy with a down comforter–duvet cover arrangement.

A down comforter should last between 10 to 15 years. However, some factors can influence their life.

The top 3 influential factors in a comforter life are:

  • The quality of the down comforter. Comforters with lower thread count shells or ticking will wear out faster, as the fabric is not woven as tight so that the down can leak through the shell.
  • How restless the sleeper is:
    • When one tosses and turns in bed, the delicate down clusters abrade against each other, breaking and eventually turning into dust.
  • The frequency of someone or something, like a dog, lying on top of it.

So how do you tell if your down comforter needs replacing?

This is a straightforward way to see if your comforter has met the end of its life.

The area that typically wears out first is the shoulder area. The area directly over one’s shoulders sees the most amount of friction, causing the fibers in the down clusters to break.

  • Take your comforter out of the duvet cover and hold it up to a room light or window.
  • Look specifically at the compartments over the sleeper's shoulders.

If the comforter is worn out, you will see that the compartment (compared to compartments at the outer edges of the comforter) will have less and sometimes no down left in the compartments.
If the compartment is less than 50% full, it is time to consider replacing it.

Replace your worn out down comforter 

At Vero Linens, we offer three different levels of warmth in our down comforters with our regular-sized bedding (King, Queen, Twin). We also offer a synthetic comforter. So, there is one that will meet your specific sleeping needs. Our down comforters are made with a baffle box, a premium construction style.

All of our down comforters are made in the USA.

Shop for our luxurious down comforters here.
We also offer down comforters in the new Alaskan King, Vermont King, Wyoming King, and Texas King, as well as custom-size down comforters.
If you have determined it is time to replace your down comforter – click here to understand the various construction styles available in the market.
In addition, we have provided some links to articles that you may find helpful as well. 

The below video identifies some of the various styles available in the market and what to look for when purchasing your next one.

Baffle Box Down ComfortersDown Comforter FAQ
 

How to clean a down comforter?

  • Some manufacturers recommend dry cleaning a comforter, while others recommend laundering them.
  • We recommend laundering them at least once a year.
  • Read our article on “why we recommend cleaning them at a laundromat here” vs. trying to clean them at home.

What is the best type of down comforter?

What is the difference between down and feather?

  • There is much more feather on any bird than down.
  • Feather is the visible outer layer while down is typically found under the larger more structured feather.
  • Down has an almost undetectable quill. 
  • Down has little structure but traps more air which provides insulation to the bird as well as a comforter or garment.
  • Down is more prevalent in the breast area of a bird. There is significantly more feather on a bird than down, making feather less costly. 
  • Read our article to learn more about “the difference between down and feather here.”

Does you comforter slip inside your duvet cover? Here is how to fix this problem.

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