The Best Comforters for All Sleepers

Besides a few decorative pillows, your comforter is the final piece needed to tie your entire bedroom together. But looks aren’t the only thing to look for in your bedspread. You also need it to be comfy.

Maybe you are a hot sleeper that regularly finds yourself throwing off your comforter in the middle of the night because you wake up sweating. Check out the best cooling comforters here. Perhaps, you sleep cold and can never find enough blankets to pile on. Check out the best down comforters here.

For everyone that’s left, we’ve put together a guide that educates you on comforter design, material, and the best sought-out products on the current market so you can make the best bedding choice for you.

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Our Picks for the Best Comforters

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What Types of Comforters are Out There?

Comforter types are based on the material used in the fill. The most common comforter fillings are cotton, down, polyester, wool, and silk. Each of these fillings offer a different loft (plushness) and warmth level.

Cotton

The most common material used in comforters is cotton. Taken from the cotton plant seed, cotton fibers are proven to provide softness and plushness for all sorts of bedding. Cotton also happens to be extremely lightweight and breathable, making it a great choice of material for hot sleepers or individuals that live in warm climates.

Cotton comforters can be materialized into two different ways: sanforized or mercerized. Sanforized cotton is a certain fabrication method that stretches and shrinks the cotton so that it does not shrink within the first wash. Mercerized cotton is formulated through a soaking process that uses a lye solution that’s absorbed into the cotton, making it durable and colorfast. Most cotton comforters are affordable and typically, machine-washable.

Down

Down comforters are filled with fine feathers found on the underside of a goose or duck. Down material is best for insulation and plush comfort. It’s a great choice for experiencing warmth without feeling bogged down. Depending on the type of feathers your down comforter is filled with, all-natural or synthetic, will affect the price. Pure white goose down is the most expensive, whereas duck down is more affordable. Down comforters are weighted by filling power so the higher the number, the more heavyweight and warm your comforter will be. A fill power of 600 is average.

Polyester

If you’re purchasing a comforter on a budget, polyester is a great choice. This material is a synthetic filling, so it’s not going to be as breathable as a natural fiber like cotton or down, but it remains warm and plush. Comforters made with a polyester fill are said to be great for individuals with allergies because it’s made of non-allergenic fibers.

Wool

Another popular type of comforter is wool. When you think of wool, you may imagine an itchy, hot sweater. But contrary to popular belief, wool is a phenomenal material for temperature regulation. Wool is excellent for all-season because the fibers tend to release a cooler feel during the summer months, and warm during winter. Wool fibers are spun from the fleece of certain animals, most commonly sheep. Keep in mind that most wool comforters cannot be machine-washed.

Silk

Silk is a natural fiber that’s collected from the cocoons of silkworm caterpillars. Silk is a very delicate and plush that is known for its breathability. Naturally hypoallergenic, extremely light weight, and temperature regulating, silk comforters have grown in popularity in recent years. Silk comforters often come in the form of a duvet, but not always. Due to its delicacy, silk must be dry-cleaned, which some consider an inconvenience.

What to Look for in a Comforter

Now that you know the primary materials used as filling for a comforter, what other qualities should you look for to ensure you find the right comforter? Here’s just a few to keep in mind:

Thread Count: the number of vertical and horizontal threads in one square inch of fabric which typically determines the quality of the comforter. The higher the thread count, the better the quality. For instance, a thread count of less than 200 is considered a cheaper quality. However, thread count is not always indicative of quality.

Construction: or how a comforter is sewn together. Comforters are typically constructed one of two ways: sewn-through construction or baffle-box construction are the most popular forms of stitching. We recommend finding a comforter constructed using the baffle box method, which is known for prolonging the lifespan of your comforter, as well as insulating warmth better.

Care and Maintenance: Make sure you read the cleaning instructions before purchasing a comforter because it only takes one wash to mess up the entire feel and look. Most comforters are machine-washable, but some require dry cleaning or spot-cleaning only. Having to dry clean your comforter may be an inconvenience for your lifestyle, so take care and maintenance into account when picking your bedding.

How to Clean and Care for a Comforter

After making your comforter purchase, here’s how to take proper care of your bedding. Take note that these are recommendations for a generic, standard cleaning process and you should always check the cleaning instructions on your comforter to see the proper way to maintain your specific product.

For machine-washable comforters, your washing machine needs to be front-loading rather than a top-load. Once you have your comforter in the wash, make sure it’s running on a gentle cycle. Adding an extra rinse cycle will ensure that you’ve removed all buildup of detergent and moisture before the drying process.

Once your comforter is ready to dry, it’s recommended to use dryer balls to help fluff and dust your comforter. It’s common for your dryer to seem too small for your plush comforter. That’s why you should always run comforters on a gentle drying cycle with medium-warm heat. Most likely, your comforter is not going to dry fully in one cycle. For best results, remove the comforter from dryer, shake it out, and rerun it. Repeat this process until it’s fully dry.

You can also run the drying cycle once and remove the comforter from the dryer still damp and lay it out to air dry. This will take longer but it will prevent wrinkles save energy.