Down Comforters - Buying Tips
Read these 13 Down Comforters - Buying Tips tips to make your life smarter, better, faster and wiser. Each tip is approved by our Editors and created by expert writers so great we call them Gurus. LifeTips is the place to go when you need to know about Bedding tips and hundreds of other topics.
Bedding and Down Comforter Sets
Down comforter sets usually feature four to six pieces. A six-piece comforter set would include the down comforter, a duvet cover (most come with button closure), two pillows, and two pillow shams. Down Comforter pillows that come with a down comforter set might be 95% white feathers and 5% down. The pillow will be firm, which is O.K., because you want your pillow firmer than your down comforter.
Types of Bedding Return Policies
U.S. states and Canadian provinces have strict regulations for the return of bedding items, including goose down comforters. Bedding can only be returned if it is brand new and unused. If the luxury down comforter has been sitting around gathering household dust, the comforter can't be returned. Some vendors stipulate a 30-day time limit on returns. Read the return policy.
Read the Label on Your Goose Down Comforters
rDifferent climates require different amounts of fill in a down comforter. You'll want to avoid buying more warmth than you need for your region or not enough warmth for the community you're moving to. Quality goose down comforters in summer, winter or year round weights can be found online at discount bedding prices.
Types of Bedding
Not all goose down comforters are created equal. Some may contain residue, but not all "impure" content material is bad. Plant fibers such as milkweed are sometimes used to enhance goose down's properties. Sometimes feathers or duck down is put in down comforters. The content of down comforters determines odor, price, individual comfort, ease of care, and lifespan.
Bedding Labeling Laws
Because tiny feathers get caught in down, down comforters are rarely 100% down. Sometimes, down content is 85% or less, with the remainder being feathers, yet the label states 100% down. Check the down content of your luxury discount down comforter before purchase. Some countries are changing their labeling requirements for down comforters.
Goose Down Comforters Squeeze Test
Feathers are flat, appear two-dimensional, and have a pointy central shaft. You can easily tell the quality of your comforter by grasping a handful of the down comforter and squeezing. The more genuine down and the less feathers your down comforter has, the more comfortable your down comforter will be. If you feel sharp feather quill shafts and points poking out, you have lesser quality down for filling (or a comforter cover of low thread count).
Bed Skirts and Down Comforter Sets
You've never approved of miniskirts that show your rose tattoo, but you think it's the height of prissiness to have a long bedskirt with a down comforter set. If you have a twin extra long bed with a down comforter, you may need that 18" or 21" drop bedskirt--drop refers to how tall a bedskirt is, like the drop off the mountain you won't climb in a micro-mini. The drop is the distance from the floor to the top of the box spring. A longer drop bedskirt in the same maroon as your down comforter cover may make the whole bed and especially the comforter down look top-heavy, depending on the height of your mattress.
One solution is to use bed lifters with lesser-height beds that have down comforter sets. That way, your black down comforter looks loftier and taller rather than drowning your bed in fabric. Remember that you can take your bedskirt home and try it with your bed and down comforter set.
Most down comforter sets include a bedskirt that's coordinated with the comforter, so beware when buying a separate bed skirt. If your down comforter is a stand-alone, take a sample of the down comforter cover, measure your bed, and judge how your down comforter hangs over the sides of the bed. Then take the fabric swatch to a seamstress and have a custom bed skirt made. Now you have a bed skirt and down comforter that are the right height. But you still won't wear a micro-mini.
Quality Down Comforters
There's nothing wrong with a down comforter that has some feathers in it. Well-constructed goose down comforters are lightweight and warm, with only the occasional feather poking through the shell. Reputable manufacturers are upfront about the quality of their discount luxury down comforters.
Research the Bed Sets and Comforters Manufacturer
When purchasing luxury bedding—such as a quality goose down comforter—do some research. Does a product manufactured in Canada contain premium Canadian white goose down or goose down imported from Asia? You can get luxury bedding at a discount, if you shop wisely. Also, find out if the down comforter's manufacturer belongs to a recognized industry association with standards its members are required to meet.
95% Goose Down
Goose down comforters are lightweight yet provide toasty warmth for cold-climate sleepers. Some manufacturers claim 100% goose down, but this is unlikely, since the tiniest feathers can't be removed from down. At best the down comforter will be 95% down. Only the coldest climates require down comforters with the greater insulating qualities. Some U.S. state laws may even allow 75% down to be labeled 100%.
Luxury Discount Down Comforters
If you can't afford a highly priced Eider down comforter, you can still enjoy a luxury down comforter at a cheaper price. Some down comforters may have a higher percentage of feathers for filler, making them both firmer and more affordable. Discount luxury down comforters come in a variety of weights, fill power and thread counts, offering you the quality you can afford.
Black Down Comforters
Black is so slimming. Little black dresses, black workout wear...and black down comforter sets? You might think that a black down comforter, unlike a blue down comforter, is a risky investment. The white comforter down might make the black lining look like a blizzard. Not to worry. Your high-quality goose down will have enough loft and fluff up enough that it won't stick to the lining.
If you're worried about a salt-and-pepper effect should feathers poke through the down comforter cover, black microsuede down comforter sets reduce the chances to slim or none. A black down comforter cover makes the down comforter, no matter how thick, look streamlined and elegant, like your favorite little black dress...which you toss at the foot of the bed after an energetic evening and can't find after it gets tangled up with your black down comforter. The price you pay to look svelte!
Down Blankets Are The Stuff!
During the winter and fall months cold bitter winds combined with cold wet snow can make for a cold miserable day. Coming home after being out in the cold, most people reach for one of three things, a hot drink, dry clothes, and a warm blanket.
To stay warm and cozy during these frigid times make sure you have a quality down blanket. These blankets are filled with small, lightweight, virtually waterproof feathers and can keep a person very warm. Once you are under the covers the feathers begin to warm you up by conducting heat. As your body heat warms the feathers, they in turn warm each other, and as a result, you. This is much the same way birds keep warm.
Down blankets come in all shapes, sizes, and colors so it should be relatively easy to find one that fits your needs and expectations.
Whatever type of down blanket you buy, make sure that the material it is made of is tightly woven enough so that the down inside does not leak out. Anyone who has ever owned one of these blankets can tell you, down is a sneaky thing and even though you may not see any holes, it will still get out.
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| Candi Wingate |
