Shopping for a comforter - reccomendations? - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

passthru · 10-03-2009, 12:55 PM

I know little about comforters and related bedding accessories, but the weather in Portland has shifted a bit (heh) this week so I need to find one.

I know I want a down comforter with a reasonably high thread count, because that's related to keeping the fluff in, and I'll get a cover for it too. I found an old thread in the Ladies Lounge about covers, but it didn't cover the comforter itself. Has anybody had a comforter they disliked? Anything you can point out, please do.
Oh.. and is Bed Bath and Beyond a bad place to go comforter shopping? They're handing out 20% off coupons so this may be a good use of said coupon.

wooÐs · 10-03-2009, 01:18 PM

BB&B is a nice place for comforter shopping. But make sure you get to feel the comforter before taking it home. A good one will have, like you mentioned, a high thread count. A better one will have some weight to it.

My bed is done in microfiber (i.e. fake suede,) and I adore it. It's soft, expensive looking and machine washable. ALWAYS make sure the comforter is machine washable unless you have no problem dropping the $ to have it dry cleaned.

I got my set from Women's Clothing including Swimwear, Shoes and Accessories at Spiegel.com. I've had it for maybe 9 years and it's still in fantastic shape. Looks brand new really.

Other places you can hit are department stores - I don't know what you have in your area - and discount linen stores. But imho, plan on spending some cash. You usually get what you pay for.

Good luck.

Halanna · 10-03-2009, 01:50 PM

Regardless of where you purchase the comforter, (for synthetic) make sure the stitching goes all the way through the pattern, much like a quilt. Some stitching is only on the top layer and this leads to bunching and lumpy comforters after repeated washings.

Also check the outside edges for the stitching. You want something akin to a whip stitch to prevent "blow outs" from repeated washings.

Lastly, you should remember that down comforters are not meant to home wash/dry. They are dry clean only. True down comforters are made from the interior feathers of the bird.

You can put it into a home washing machine, but realize that in doing so you will probably only get the outer layers wet and clean, not the interior. Given the weight and heft of a true down comforter, you won't home wash it.

The thread count is not related to keeping the feathers in, the stitching is. The thread count relates to the quill randomly sticking out or not.

The BBB is not a good or bad place to shop but to me it's a trap for those who believe they are getting high quality and they are getting mass produced garbage.

redsneaker · 10-03-2009, 09:18 PM

I have had my Ralph Lauren comforter since '01 and I love it. Granted, I am from GA, but I lived in KY for a couple of years and it was warm and toasty there. It was kinda pricey, but it's lasted so long, I think it's been worth it.

Sue · 10-04-2009, 12:48 PM

Bed Bath & Beyond has great deals and some nice comforters. Some other places to check out are Macy's (online or in person), Kohl's, or Target.

High thread count is great. Two hundred is about average, and anything 300 or above is getting real nice (although the prices will go up as the number goes up). Don't go for the 50/50 blend of cotton & polyester. For me they always made my skin itch and they weren't comfortable at all. Egyptian cotton is a great one to look for.

Redsneaker brings up a good point. Ralph Lauren has always been great with bedding. I have a duvet that I've had since I was in high school, and it's still in great shape. Extremely soft after all the washings it's been through.

If you get any down/synthetic comforters (the plain white ones you see), those generally have a different fill/thickness/weight, and should be something along the lines of lightweight, medium, and heavy.

My first job in high school was at a department store in the luxury bedding section, so I'm a bit biased.

My bed's always been super soft and nice.

sapiens · 10-04-2009, 03:09 PM

We have a down comforter from LL Bean. It doesn't get much use where we live now, but we appreciated in when we lived in colder climes.

cyklone · 10-05-2009, 05:21 PM

I've tried down comforters, wool comforters, cotton and synthetic, expensive and cheap. I'd suggest that you don't get caught up in price, but be guided by warmth. The worst thing you can do is buy a comforter which is too hot as it makes for very uncomfortable sleep. If you buy cheap to start off with you can get to see what warmth suits you and then up the quality later if you want.

Redlemon · 10-06-2009, 05:44 AM

We got what was conceptually a very neat down comforter from Ikea. It consists of a thin comforter and a thick comforter, combine them together for super-thick. However, I can only handle the thin one even in the dead of winter. So, at least that is good. It's sewn into squares, so the feathers remain distributed well.

wooÐs · 10-06-2009, 06:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Redlemon

It's sewn into squares, so the feathers remain distributed well.

Oh how I wish mine was that way! It's such a pain in the ass having to fluff it every night.

10-03-2009, 12:55 PM	#1 (permalink)
passthru Addict Location: Portland, OR	Shopping for a comforter - reccomendations? I know little about comforters and related bedding accessories, but the weather in Portland has shifted a bit (heh) this week so I need to find one. I know I want a down comforter with a reasonably high thread count, because that's related to keeping the fluff in, and I'll get a cover for it too. I found an old thread in the Ladies Lounge about covers, but it didn't cover the comforter itself. Has anybody had a comforter they disliked? Anything you can point out, please do. Oh.. and is Bed Bath and Beyond a bad place to go comforter shopping? They're handing out 20% off coupons so this may be a good use of said coupon.

10-04-2009, 12:48 PM	#5 (permalink)
Sue Teufel Hunden's Freundin Location: Westminster, CO	Bed Bath & Beyond has great deals and some nice comforters. Some other places to check out are Macy's (online or in person), Kohl's, or Target. High thread count is great. Two hundred is about average, and anything 300 or above is getting real nice (although the prices will go up as the number goes up). Don't go for the 50/50 blend of cotton & polyester. For me they always made my skin itch and they weren't comfortable at all. Egyptian cotton is a great one to look for. Redsneaker brings up a good point. Ralph Lauren has always been great with bedding. I have a duvet that I've had since I was in high school, and it's still in great shape. Extremely soft after all the washings it's been through. If you get any down/synthetic comforters (the plain white ones you see), those generally have a different fill/thickness/weight, and should be something along the lines of lightweight, medium, and heavy. My first job in high school was at a department store in the luxury bedding section, so I'm a bit biased. My bed's always been super soft and nice. __________________ Teg yw edrych tuag adref.

10-06-2009, 05:44 AM	#8 (permalink)
Redlemon Devoted Donor Location: New England	We got what was conceptually a very neat down comforter from Ikea. It consists of a thin comforter and a thick comforter, combine them together for super-thick. However, I can only handle the thin one even in the dead of winter. So, at least that is good. It's sewn into squares, so the feathers remain distributed well. __________________ I can't read your signature. Sorry.

10-03-2009, 01:18 PM	#2 (permalink)
wooÐs Sitting in a tree Location: Atlanta	BB&B is a nice place for comforter shopping. But make sure you get to feel the comforter before taking it home. A good one will have, like you mentioned, a high thread count. A better one will have some weight to it. My bed is done in microfiber (i.e. fake suede,) and I adore it. It's soft, expensive looking and machine washable. ALWAYS make sure the comforter is machine washable unless you have no problem dropping the $ to have it dry cleaned. I got my set from Women's Clothing including Swimwear, Shoes and Accessories at Spiegel.com. I've had it for maybe 9 years and it's still in fantastic shape. Looks brand new really. Other places you can hit are department stores - I don't know what you have in your area - and discount linen stores. But imho, plan on spending some cash. You usually get what you pay for. Good luck.

10-03-2009, 01:50 PM	#3 (permalink)
Halanna Insane Location: Over the rainbow . .	Regardless of where you purchase the comforter, (for synthetic) make sure the stitching goes all the way through the pattern, much like a quilt. Some stitching is only on the top layer and this leads to bunching and lumpy comforters after repeated washings. Also check the outside edges for the stitching. You want something akin to a whip stitch to prevent "blow outs" from repeated washings. Lastly, you should remember that down comforters are not meant to home wash/dry. They are dry clean only. True down comforters are made from the interior feathers of the bird. You can put it into a home washing machine, but realize that in doing so you will probably only get the outer layers wet and clean, not the interior. Given the weight and heft of a true down comforter, you won't home wash it. The thread count is not related to keeping the feathers in, the stitching is. The thread count relates to the quill randomly sticking out or not. The BBB is not a good or bad place to shop but to me it's a trap for those who believe they are getting high quality and they are getting mass produced garbage.

10-03-2009, 09:18 PM	#4 (permalink)
redsneaker Tilted Location: Atlanta	I have had my Ralph Lauren comforter since '01 and I love it. Granted, I am from GA, but I lived in KY for a couple of years and it was warm and toasty there. It was kinda pricey, but it's lasted so long, I think it's been worth it.

10-04-2009, 03:09 PM	#6 (permalink)
sapiens Junkie Location: Some place windy	We have a down comforter from LL Bean. It doesn't get much use where we live now, but we appreciated in when we lived in colder climes.

10-05-2009, 05:21 PM	#7 (permalink)
cyklone Crazy Location: Adelaide, South Australia	I've tried down comforters, wool comforters, cotton and synthetic, expensive and cheap. I'd suggest that you don't get caught up in price, but be guided by warmth. The worst thing you can do is buy a comforter which is too hot as it makes for very uncomfortable sleep. If you buy cheap to start off with you can get to see what warmth suits you and then up the quality later if you want.