| I am a warm sleeper and my wife is always cold. I want us both to be happy, I am considering a down comforter, but know little about them. I have looked at several sites and the prices and advise is all over the place- I don't trust them. I thought about an electric blanket, but actually know of 2 different families that have had fires strarted with them-one fatal. I would appreciate any advise that is forthcoming-thank you. |
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tracman wrote: I am a warm sleeper and my wife is always cold. I want us both to be happy, I am considering a down comforter, but know little about them. I have looked at several sites and the prices and advise is all over the place- I don't trust them. I thought about an electric blanket, but actually know of 2 different families that have had fires strarted with them-one fatal. I would appreciate any advise that is forthcoming-thank you. If you have a Bed, Bath and Beyond, they have different weights of down comforters you can test, many according to the seasons of the year. My husband and I prefer a lighter fill because we live in a moderate climate. For someone who lives where it freezes and snows, they might consider one for the winter/fall and one for the summer/spring. |
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Now I remember why I never bought one. I remember I started to one time and ran into the most bewildering variety that I gave up in frustration. Sounds like another research project. :-) One of my most fond memories from my childhood was a high school choir trip to Europe. One stop was high up in the mountains in Germany. Even though it was summer, it got really cold at night. I remember sleeping with the windows open, snug under a feather tick. Just thinking about it makes me feel all warm and cozy. |
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Down comforters: Besides memory foam it's my other favorite ingredient for a cozy bed. I don't know what part of the country you live in or how warm you keep your bedroom at night. I live in Southern California and most of the winter it's only in the 40s or upper 30s here. My down comforter is a medium weight and that's perfect for me. I sleep warm and like a cold bedroom. Besides the way the down settles around you one of its unique properties is that although you warm up very fast, you never really seem too warm under down. I can't really explain this but it's very different from polyfill. It's like it's self adjusting. If you live in a colder climate you might want a heavy weight comforter. My friend who lives in Florida says her light weight comforter is more than enough for her. I would look for a baffle box construction that allows the down to loft. There are two main kinds of baffle boxes, open and closed. The closed locks the down into the little squares and prevents the comforter from developing a lumpy, uneven appearance you can get with the open baffle box construction. On the other hand the advantage of open construction is that you can shift the down around by shaking the comforter. I have an open baffle box comforter and on cold nights I shift more down over my body. On warmer nights I just move it aside so I stay cooler. Another thing I would look for is washable down. I don't know about you, but I really don't like the idea of getting into bed with toxic dry cleaning chemicals. On the other hand I don't like getting into bed with a comforter full of dust mites either, so machine washable down is a must for me. And on a final note, don't forget to keep it inside a duvet cover. It will stay clean longer. Even though it's washable, you don't want to wash it too often, but you can launder a duvet cover as often as you like. |
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Good info Cloud9. Thanks. Any thoughts on the price ranges for good down comforters? Is there a minimum one should expect to spend, and is there a point at which paying more is just throwing money away? Are there different "weights" of down or is it just a matter of how much down is in the comforter? |
| tracman, you really need a nice white goose down comforter to go with your Hastens bed! I agree with everything Cloud9 said regarding down comforters, but I think I prefer the baffle box construction which contains the down better then one which doesn't.. I've had both types, and the first kind doesn't need as much fluffing and fussing. My first down comforter was purchased in Germany, where I went to a store and actually got to pick out the down I wanted them to put into the shell. There were so many types to choose from! They also have a process there where you can take your comforter back in to them, and they take the feathers out and clean them, and then blow them back into a new shell. You can keep your original down indefinitely, adding a little more as needed. I have not found that process here in the US. Since down is a natural product, the idea of dry cleaning it doesn't appeal to me, so finding one which can be laundered in a big washing machine would be important to me. We are in So. California on the coast, so nights are cool, and the down comforter keeps everything very cozy! The idea of an electric blanket, to me, is completely unappealing. |
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Hi, I just recently was on the hunt for a down comforter myself . ScandiaDown (www.scandiadown.com) makes really nice, if expensive, ones, and they can do things like add or remove down for you, and clean/refresh them. They offer a limited warranty for the life of the product. You should check out their website - they use only European white goose down (Polish, Hungarian and Siberian). I bought the Marquessa, but they don't make that one anymore. Because of that, I was able to get it on sale from jreneeonline.com at 35% off - plus no shipping - plus no sales tax because I don't live in Arizona where J Renee Fine Linens is located. They only have a couple left - in King size (light weight and Medium weight). If you're interested , you should check them out quickly. (The close-out Marquessa are Polish Goose down, with a cotton/silk ticking, very nice and I thought a great deal with all the discounts). Good luck !! Linda
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This answers my question about price. Scandia Down comforters start at $375 for a king and run up into rarified if-you-have-ask-you-can't-afford-it territory. It also answers another question about how down is rated - "Fill Power." How standard is this measure from one brand to another? |
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To go with my new Carpe Diem bed I also just researched down comforters and pillows. Some of the newer lines are hypoallergenic and the cleaning really works. My husband is severely allergic and he is fine with the Pacific Coast down pillows; thought I'd mention that for those with asthma/allergies. As for comforters- Ralphlauren.com has a really nice one which I think is being discontinued- Macy's advertises it regularly around $600 on sale for $300. Ralphlauren.com is charging $300 but there is currently a 30% off coupon -FALL2007- making it $210 for either the Queen or King. It is their Avenue comforter and it is REALLY nice. It is a hypoallergenic, oversized (King is 110 x 96), 55 oz. in King, 675-725 loft and I think a 600 thread count exterior, baffle box construction. It is all Siberian goose down, which is the best quality down and the high loft is important. I am just mentioning it because I actually bought one a day before the sale and got a credit, of course, but felt that it was a good value before the 30% off. I had bought an Eddie Bauer one, which I returned, because the loft power in this and the fact that it is Siberian down makes it MUCH nicer. BTW- the sale is good until Oct. 11th and shipping is free. I never shop at Ralph Lauren, but I have to say I am very impressed with this comforter. |
This is why I love this website - so much useful information !!! I have to buy comforters for my kids, but I didn't want to shell out the Scandia Down bucks for them (does that make me a bad parent  ??) These sound great, though. But I like to see things in person before I buy - does Macy's or Bloomingdale's carry them, do you know? 'Cause then I can feel them at the store, but order them online. Thanks.Oh - a couple of other things - Siberian goose down is touted as the best there is (although I believe eiderdown - which is ASTRONOMICALLY priced - is really the best), but Siberian down is a "trade" name and does not necessarily mean the down comes from Siberian geese. Search the internet and you can verify this - you can read this link for more info http://www.plumeriabay.com/Main/Info/Siberian-Goose-Down.aspx And here's another interesting down comforted fact - there are no government regulations that control the marketing of things labelled as 100% down. So comforters can be marketed as containing 100% down, but there are other fill ingredients that qualify to be labelled "down". Here's another link where you can read about that: http://www.plumeriabay.com/Main/Info/Law-Label.aspx (Pulmeria Bay has lots of information on their website) So you should contact the manufacturer to find out how much of their 100% down is actually Siberian (or Polish or Hungarian or whatever) white goose down. |
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My local Macy's had the lighter weight but not the Avenue in stock, although I would assume others might since it is on their website. You're right about the labelling of Siberian down- I had discovered that and was surprised. I did contact the manufacturer and they checked and said it was 100% Siberian white goose down, if that helps. This message was modified Sep 27, 2007 by m61376
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| I'm giving one of these a go. Thanks for the heads up. |
| As someone said there really is a lot of info available on this site and the people are nice, not likes many sites I know of. I went to all the sites that people listed and then went to Linens and thing and Macy's. I went to the Macy's web site as well.I bought a Hotel Collection Medium weight comforter. It is Hungarian Goose down,700 fill power, 450 thread count, and end to end baffled box-weight 52oz. From what I have read that is supposed to be ok, and it was $399 for kingsize on sale, regularly $600, but I think this stuff is always on sale. We like it but by morning I am hot, so it should be good in a month or so, I live in the Pacific NW, it gets down to the 30's but usually nothing colder. |
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this link for their comforters has been mentioned on this site before as having very good quality http://www.dewoolfsondown.com/comforters/cts. We have a very heavy weight down that I got in a little shop near the Eaton Centre in Toronto years ago - love that thing......although it is not used for near as long now that I live in Virginia. Yves Delorme shops carry a nice line of down products as well. Their pillows are very nice. I have tried to use other pillows, blankets etc. but I always come back to the down - just so much more malleable depending on what you are feeling like that night. This message was modified Sep 27, 2007 by confusedbedbug
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| I bought the Queen Ralph Lauren wonderful down comforter directly from Ralph Lauren and I must love it for the winter time. I Love the way it looks with such high loft and it feels wonderful and is washable. A very good buy. |
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I second DeWoolfson, they have some great products and great information. They have a new website at this link. http://www.dewoolfsonlinens.com/linens/categories/subcat.php?class=2&vendor=23 |
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The Dewolfson site makes things really simple. Warmth Level (weights are for king size)
The Ralph Lauren site does not specify the dimensions of the comforter, nor do they say what "weight" it is. Edit: I'm reading impaired. m61376 told me everything I needed to know... m61376 wrote: It is a hypoallergenic, oversized (King is 110 x 96), 55 oz. in King, 675-725 loft and I think a 600 thread count exterior, baffle box construction. This message was modified Sep 29, 2007 by haysdb
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| With down it's just not a matter of weight, it's the fill power that's really important. The higher the fill power the bigger the down clusters and the more loft the down will have. Not only does that give the comforter a big puffy and wonderfully luxurious appearance, it also traps more air inside the comforter for more warmth. This allows you to have a lighter weight comforter--less ounces of down, but actually more warmth. |
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All of their comforters use the same fill power of down, so the amount of down, represented by the weight in ounces, is the only variable that changes between their lightest weight "Florida" comforter to their "Canadian Winter" comforter. This message was modified Sep 28, 2007 by haysdb
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Hey tracman, go check out Cuddledown.com. This is a great company out of Portland, Maine. They have several weights of comforters as well as the option of customizing a two sided comforter with different fill amounts for people who sleep at different temperatures. This particular comforter was featured in Real Simple magazine. There are a couple of charts on the web site helping you decide which warmth of comforter you need: http://www.cuddledown.com/jump.jsp?from=cat&itemType=CATEGORY&itemID=135 We ended up getting a summer weight comforter from them which works great for us all winter long as we are both warm sleepers (we live in Oregon). In the summer we just use a cotton quilt. Hope this helps. |
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I called Ralph Lauren to ask my two questions: Q: What are the dimensions of the King comforter? A: 110" x 96" This is the width of an Eastern King and the length of a California King, so will cover both size mattresses. Q: What is the warmth level or fill weight? A: The CSR did not have this information but claimed to own one of these comforters and said he uses it all year round. I'm guessing this makes the Ralph Lauren similar to a DeWoolfson Southern Light: This comforter is ideal for southern climates or for those who keep their bedrooms moderately warm in winter or air conditioned in summer. Edit: If it's 55 oz (as m61376 says in an earlier post in this threar) of 675 to 725 fill power, it sounds more like the DeWoolfson Piedmont: The Piedmont is our most popular comforter warmth and is ideal for a wide range of climates and for use during many months of the year. It is perfect for moderately heated or cooler bedrooms generally kept at about 58 to 64 degrees F, depending on the individual. This message was modified Sep 29, 2007 by haysdb
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I went in search of a duvet cover for my down comforter. Big Problem! There is no standard size for a duvet (down comforter), and therefore no standard size for duvet covers. Some king size duvet covers are as small as 102x86. Not a very good fit for a 110x96 duvet! In fact, what is needed is a "Super King" duvet cover. These range is size from 108x96 to 112x100 to 114x98 What a mess. Ironically, after looking at hundreds of duvet covers online, the cover I like best is also from Ralph Lauren. As with the down comforter, they queerly don't don't specify the size, but one would hope it's sized appropriately for their down comforters. Or would that be asking too much? |
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haysdb wrote: I called Ralph Lauren to ask my two questions: Q: What are the dimensions of the King comforter? A: 110" x 96" This is the width of an Eastern King and the length of a California King, so will cover both size mattresses. Q: What is the warmth level or fill weight? A: The CSR did not have this information but claimed to own one of these comforters and said he uses it all year round. I'm guessing this makes the Ralph Lauren similar to a DeWoolfson Southern Light: This comforter is ideal for southern climates or for those who keep their bedrooms moderately warm in winter or air conditioned in summer. I guess you missed that info. in my previous post, but the CS rep. I checked with researched it a bit for me and the fill weight is 55 oz. on the King, 675-725 loft, Siberian white goose down, so it is filled more than the DeWoolfson one mentioned. That info. is for their Avenue comforter, btw. |
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haysdb wrote: I went in search of a duvet cover for my down comforter. Big Problem! There is no standard size for a duvet (down comforter), and therefore no standard size for duvet covers. Some king size duvet covers are as small as 102x86. Not a very good fit for a 110x96 duvet! In fact, what is needed is a "Super King" duvet cover. These range is size from 108x96 to 112x100 to 114x98 What a mess. Ironically, after looking at hundreds of duvet covers online, the cover I like best is also from Ralph Lauren. As with the down comforter, they queerly don't don't specify the size, but one would hope it's sized appropriately for their down comforters. Or would that be asking too much?
I bought a Calvin Klein one and it is a couple of inches less in each direction, about 105 by 93. The comforter fits nicely into it and the slight difference doesn't seem to be an issue. Ebay has some good deals in case you're interested. |
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m61376 wrote: I guess you missed that info. in my previous post, but the CS rep. I checked with researched it a bit for me and the fill weight is 55 oz. on the King, 675-725 loft, Siberian white goose down, so it is filled more than the DeWoolfson one mentioned. That info. is for their Avenue comforter, btw. In fact I did miss it. I updated a couple of my earlier posts with updated information, including the DeWoolfson comforter it's probably more equivalent too, the Piedmont. I called RalphLauren and asked the dimensions of the duvet cover I like. The cover is 107x92, 3" narrower and 4" shorter than the comforter/duvet. I guess this is no different from stuffing a pillow inside a pillow case that's actually a bit smaller than the pillow. The pillow simply compresses, as will the duvet. |
| I learned with my duvet covers that they look best if they are a little bit smaller in size than the down comforter in order to fill it out with that puffy look I like. I love my Ralph Lauren Down Comforter. I used to have to sleep with so many covers on in the winter time but now I know I will not need much else other than this very warm comforter with the duvet cover. It is puffy and my allergies do not bother me. I was able to wash it with no problem. I am very happy with my purchase. |
| Coincidentally, the duvet cover I found that I like best was also from Ralph Lauren. I looked everywhere Google took me, but ended up back at Ralph Lauren. That is nice though since one would assume their duvet covers would be a perfect fit for their duvets. |
| I have very specific decorating requirements and couldn't find a duvet cover I liked, so I bought fabric from the home decor section of Joanne's and had a tailor sew it to my specifications for a completely custom look. |
| We had a hard time finding a duvet cover to fit our comforter, I asked salespeople at macy's and linens'n'Thing and they all said most people stuff them in a standard cover, which I find rather unexeptable. We are stll looking, Hotel collection made the thing and they don't have a cover to fit that size-a little fruastrating. To compound matters worse my wife is comfortable and i am dying. We purchased a medium and maybe a light weight would be more appropriate for us-or me. |
| Tracman, perhaps you can take back your comforter and exchange it for a lighter weight version. Or go the European way,and buy two individual comforters of two different weights, light for you and medium for your wife. |
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My Ralph Lauren down comforter arrived yesterday, in a nice big box so it wasn't squished down too much. I am no expert on down comforters, but this one appears to be of good quality, and it hits most of the buzzwords: Siberian White Goose Down, 675-725 Fill Power, 600 thread count Supima cotton, baffle box construction. This later item merits some discussion. I visited some local stores (Macy's, Bed Bath & Beyond) and some of the comforters claiming to have "baffle box construction" appeared to me to be sewn through. If there are no actual baffles, how can they call it baffle box construction? The RL comforter takes the baffle box construction all the way to the edge, i.e. even the perimeter of the comforter has a 1" high wall. I'm going to have to wait till it gets cold to sleep under it. It's a medium weight comforter and the duvet cover I bought for it is surprisingly heavy. |
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Hi tracman Now that you've got the comforter can you please check something for me. Look on the the white tag that says "Do not remove under penalty of law" (or whatever it is that it says and tell me what the MINIMUM white goose down is listed as. Even though comforters are said to be all down, there are other things that are also considerd "down". So manufacturer's are required to list the MINIMUM amount of actual white goose down is in the comforter. I sent an email to Ralph Lauren, but got no response. Thanks!!
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I'm not tracman but I can answer the question for the Ralph Lauren Avenue comforter: 75%. This message was modified Oct 3, 2007 by haysdb
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| It says minimun 75% white goose down, made by the Phoenix Down Corp. in New Jersey. the other tag says made in China. |
| THANKS!! |
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The Ralph Lauren Avenue comforter is definitely not a year-round comforter, especially with a duvet cover over it, unless you keep your house on the cold side when the AC is on. I ordered the step-down version of the Ralph Lauren comforter, the Classic. It's a lighter weight comforter that I think will be more appropriate for those months where the thermostat is set on Cool. It uses lower fill power down and is about 2/3 the volume of the Avenue Comforter, and uses a 350 thread count fabric vs. the 600 TC fabric on the Avenue comforter, but it's still a nice fabric and the construction is the same box construction with gusseted sides. I give it a thumbs up for the price, especially the sale price, which was ~$160 for an oversize king. This message was modified Oct 19, 2007 by haysdb
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