Credit:
Reviewed / Camryn Rabideau
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Credit:
Reviewed / Camryn Rabideau
Reviewed's mission is to help you buy the best stuff and get the most out of what you already own. Our team of product experts thoroughly vet every product we recommend to help you cut through the clutter and find what you need.
Learn more about our product testing
The Linenspa blanket has a microfiber exterior, which is incredibly soft and feels great to sleep under even without a duvet cover. Read More
The medium-warmth comforter seems like it would be ideal for all-season use, as it’s not too heavy or too light. Read More
The Tuft & Needle Duvet is lofty and big. Its ample size makes it great for folks sharing with blanket hogs, but it may be too big for some beds. Read More
The Supreme Goose Down Duvet was the perfect weight and temperature, but its fabric wasn’t the softest to touch. Read More
The Brooklinen Duvet Insert is lofty, warm, and plush, but folks who don't use duvet covers may find its fabric rough. Read More
Finding the best comforter for your bed isn’t always easy. It should be a joy to sleep under, warm but not too warm, soft and cozy, while also being well-made, machine washable and wrinkle resistant.
A great comforter can take your sleeping experience to the next level, but a bad one can make for a terrible night’s sleep—even if you have the best mattress money can buy and a great pair of sheets.
Our team of sleep experts has slept under dozens of top-rated comforters and duvets, testing them for quality and how they felt while sleeping. From their warmth, to the fabric shell’s softness, to the overall construction, we thought about everything.
The best comforter we’ve found is the Linenspa All-Season Down Alternative Quilted Comforter (available at Amazon for $22.99) . It’s one of the least expensive we’ve tested, but it’s incredibly warm, velvety soft, and filled with a hypoallergenic down alternative that stays in place, thanks to its baffle-box construction.
The Linenspa is our Best Overall in part because stains come out quite easily, and you can always throw it in the washing machine.
The Company Store comforter is our favorite down comforter and comes in light warmth, medium warmth, and extra warmth options.
Lofty
Warm
Doesn't readily absorb liquid
Expensive
Oversized and may be too big for some beds
Some wrinkling
Good weight
Comfortable temperature
Baffle box stitching
Slightly rough fabric
Minor wrinkling
Expensive
Comfortable temperature
Eco-friendly materials
Lightweight
No baffle box stitching
Prone to staining
Machine washable
Baffle box stitching
Soft
Easily stained
Prone to wrinkling
Expensive
Keeps you warm
Repels liquids
Several color options
Doesn't repel liquids well
Less puffy
Noisy
Our testing team put each of these comforters through the wringer to see how well they performed in a few key areas.
First, and perhaps most importantly, were the sleep tests. Our tester took a one-hour nap on a queen-size bed under each comforter, then slept under them overnight. During each sleep test, we evaluated whether the comforter kept the tester warm, how soft it felt (both in terms of loft and how the outer material felt to touch), and whether it rustled or crinkled (and how loudly) when rolling over.
Next, we evaluated how easy each comforter was to wash. They were stained with fruit juice, food, and Diet Coke, then a spot-clean was attempted with one of our favorite laundry detergents for sensitive skin.
Following the spot-clean, the comforters that were washing-machine-friendly were laundered according to their care instructions. Those that were dry-clean-only were just spot-cleaned.
Finally, we assessed the overall construction of the comforter, determining whether it would stand up to years of use. We also considered how easy or hard it would be to store each one, based on how much space it took up when folded, and even if it withstood wrinkling.
Shopping for a comforter set can be surprisingly complex. With phrases like 750 fill power and 400 thread count, it's easy to get lost in the terminology, but that shouldn’t keep you from getting the best comforter you can for a good night’s sleep.
The first thing you should decide is if you want a “duvet” or a “comforter.” While these terms are sometimes used interchangeably, a duvet is generally used to describe down-filled comforters. Also called “duvet inserts,” duvets are typically white and intended to go inside a protective duvet cover. These covers are easier to wash than traditional comforters since they don’t have any filling.
Comforters, in contrast, are a single unit—the fill and fabric can’t be separated, and they don’t require a cover (though there’s no rule that you can’t do that). Often, comforters are filled with synthetic fill rather than down or feathers, but not always. They tend to be less expensive than duvets, especially when you factor in the cost of the duvet cover.
Baffle box construction helps keep fill well distributed, and is thought to make blankets more uniformly warm.
With baffle-box construction, the puffy integrity of a fluff-filled comforter is preserved with narrow strips of fabric sewn inside the comforter perpendicular to the outer fabric. The fabric creates a grid that separates the fill into three-dimensional square compartments. These "baffle boxes" help keep the fill evenly distributed throughout the comforter so all the filling doesn't migrate to one side or area.
Because the box construction adds more dimension, these comforters are loftier and generally warmer than ones made with sewn-through construction. However, they also tend to be pricier than other comforters because of their complexity.
Sewn-through construction is when stitching is “sewn through” the comforter to create borders that hold the fill into place. Like baffle boxes, sewn-through construction helps keep the contents evenly distributed.
Sewn-through comforters are often less expensive compared to baffle-box comforters, but they are often less warm. The stitching cuts through the fill, pushing it off to either side of the seams. The decreased loft around the seams can create cool areas in those places. This type of construction may be preferable for someone that sleeps hot.
The insulating fill inside comforters is most often natural goose or duck down, a blend of down and feathers, or a down alternative like polyester. Less commonly, fills can be cotton, wool, or silk. If you're allergic to down, you may want to opt for a down-alternative comforter with a hypoallergenic microfiber cover.
Down-alternative fills are made from a synthetic material, usually polyester or rayon, and are designed to mimic the fluffiness of down clusters. Usually, down alternative options do not feel as luxurious as real down. While there are exceptions, they generally don’t capture the cloud-like, super-soft squishiness of down.
Down alternatives are generally cheaper than the natural stuff and most do not require dry cleaning as they’re made of synthetic materials. Because they’re easier to launder, they can be a good option for allergy sufferers.
Fill power is a measure of the down’s loft or fluffiness. It’s assessed by taking one ounce of loft (the down stuffing) and measuring how many cubic inches of space it fills. Higher fill powers generally indicate better quality down. This suggests that the down will be warmer relative to its physical weight and more resilient to the test of time.
A higher fill power will also likely make a comforter feel warmer as it will be fluffier and may trap more body heat. However, it’s not an exact correlation that you can measure. Instead, think of it as a general indicator of the down’s quality and warmth.
Fill power of 600 to 700 is considered middle-of-the-road in terms of warmth and quality. Comforters with more than 700 fill power down are considered warmer, and generally have a price tag that reflects their quality. That said, not all duvet manufacturers label their products’ fill power, and it shouldn’t be a make-or-break factor when choosing your next duvet.
Another thing to consider is comforter or duvet “weight,” which usually refers to the warmth you can expect from it rather than how heavy it will feel on your body. Bedding packaging may use the terms “weight” or “season” to describe how warm the comforter is.
A “lightweight” comforter, sometimes called “summer weight,” is great for those who don’t need much extra insulation, while a “heavyweight” one will be much warmer, for those who run cold or who sleep in chilly rooms. Most people will be happy with a “midweight” option.
Camryn Rabideau is a full-time freelance writer and product tester with eight years of experience. She's been lucky enough to test hundreds of products firsthand, and her specialties include bedding and pet products, which often require help from her two dogs, three cats, and flock of rambunctious chickens.
Lindsey writes about sleep, lifestyle, and more for Reviewed. In her waking hours, she likes to spend time outside, read, cook, and bake. She holds a master’s in journalism from Boston University and bachelors' degrees in English Literature and Anthropology from the University of Utah.
Jamie Ueda
Apparel Staff Writer
Jamie writes about clothing, shoes, and accessories for Reviewed. She loves apparel and doesn't like to sacrifice fashion, comfort, or quality in whatever she wears.
Our team is here for one purpose: to help you buy the best stuff and love what you own. Our writers, editors, and lab technicians obsess over the products we cover to make sure you're confident and satisfied. Have a different opinion about something we recommend? Email us and we'll compare notes.
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