One thing you want to consider is the type of filling the comforter has. Usually, they are filled with goose down. The most expensive and best quality comforter is created with Siberian goose down. Most believe that down insulation is made of feathers. Actually, down is the fluffy under coating of a bird’s plumage (geese, ducks) and it looks like a dandelion fluff when you blow on them. Most comforters that are made with goose down are white so matching any decor is a snap if you only have to buy a Duvet cover to change the look. A Duvet cover keeps the comforter clean and is much easier to wash yourself.

Many people do not know what would be better for them when purchasing a new comforter. Many think that down is not good for those with allergies, but studies have shown that is not nominally the down that creates the allergy problem. Most downs are washed thoroughly to avoid any allergic reaction to them. Down comforters are designed to last for years. They are machine washable.

The down comforters weight makes a great difference in the amount of warmness it provides. In buying a comforter, here are some important facts that you should be aware of, the fill power and weight factor. The higher the number of fill power, the better the quality of the down fill. One feature of the best down comforter is the warmth and coziness that comes quickly by trapping air that separates the cold side from the warm side with the fill power and sewn patterns that keep them together. Fill power is the measurement of a down clusters ability to loft up under compression. 650-fill power is considered luxury quality. The heavy down comforter offers a great deal of warmness.

Alternative down comforters can provide most of the warmth that down can, however it takes more synthetic down to make a comforter as warm as natural down. Both down and alternative comforters are sold in different weights for the different seasons. Like a goose down comforter the warmth will depend on how much material there is in the comforter.

Alternative down comforters are filled with a synthetic material that can have an insulating structure similar to down. Similar to down comforters, they can have sewn patterns with the most popular being square. This keeps the insulation spread more evenly throughout the comforter, preventing it from clumping from one side to the other.

Synthetics or alternative downs are water resistant and provide insulation when wet. Many actually will shed water rather than absorb it making it much more resistant to moisture. They also dry very quickly because moisture gets trapped in the air pockets between the fibers rather than in the fibers them selves. Alternative comforters or synthetic comforters are generally less expensive then down and are normally machine washable and dryable making then easy to care for. Because they are man made, they are for the most part, hypoallergenic. Alternative or synthetic comforters are less expensive than real goose down.