Luxury Essentials: Breakdown of a Luxury Bedding Set - Comforter

Luxury Bedding

Source: By LuxurySleep (c)2005

In continuation of this series we will be discussing properties that makeup luxury comforters. The comforter or "duvet" (Canadian or European countries) is the piece of your bedding that is used to cover you while you sleep. It contains natural duck or goose down or various other "down-like" fillings. We will assume we are dealing with down comforters today. Today, "alternative-down" products manufactures usually put approximant specs too help you compare the product to it's naturally filled counterparts. Down is very light but has some of the best warmth properties in the world. When looking for a comforter there are a few terms you need too pay attention too.



Fill Power: The ability of down to regain its shape when pressure is released. The higher the fill power number, the greater the insulating value of the down. You want too look for at least 525-600 fill power. Remember that the higher you go the warmer and usually more expensive the comforter gets. If you get anything over 700 fill power will be very warm and is recommended for colder climates.

Thread Count: This number is talking about the shell that the down is contained in and is what either touches your skin or is put into a duvet cover. Thread Count is measured by adding the number of warp ends per inch and filling picks per inch in the woven fabric. The higher the number, the denser the yarns are packed together, but unfortunately thread count has come to be the major determinant of quality in the US customer's eyes. The quality of the cotton and the finishing process after weaving can often be more important to the soft hand and durability of a fabric than a high thread count.

Construction: There are 3 major types:

Baffle Box: Baffle-box is the recommended type of comforter construction because it is good about keeping the down from shifting and creating "cold spots".
Sewn Thru: This is a process instead of create chambers where the down can shift a little; you sew though the comforter too keep the down in place. It is standard on most mid-range priced comforters.
Open Construction: For most entry level comforters or people who prefer to have the down be able too move freely this is the comforter construction you

Weight: This pertains too the amount of Duck or Goose Down placed inside the comforter. This value is usually displayed in ounces. It will range anywhere from 18-60+oz. depending on the comforter. 18-30oz. is what I call a light or spring/summer weight comforter. 30-45oz. is standard weight for temperate climate winters and temperatures. 45-60+oz. are for people who really like a warm sleep or live in extremely cold climates all the way too sub-arctic temperatures.

Extra Features: After you have covered your basics then you can start looking for features that make this comforter more unique for your style. There are different things like: Fabric (Silk, Egyptian Cotton, Embroidery, Over-Sized, etc...) The higher in price point you go, the more of the features are included. This concluded this portion of the article. Thank you for joining us and come back soon for the next piece.

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