9 Best Down Comforters (2024), Tested and Reviewed | WIRED

Nov 06, 2024

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Regulating your temperature while sleeping can be tricky. Personally, I have some sort of curse that makes me unable to fall asleep unless I feel the weight of a blanket. That means I usually wake up sweaty and overly hot. A good down comforter feels luxurious, and they come in different weights, which allows you to pick one that can prevent you from getting too hot in the middle of the night. Once you find your ideal comforter, it'll last for years, and it'll help you get the best night's sleep you can.

We've spent months testing down comforters—and a couple of down alternatives—in multiple weights and budget points. Below, you'll find our favorites, with prices referencing the queen size where possible. Check out our other buying guides for tips and recommendations on the Best Sheets, Best Mattresses, and Best Pillows, and a final answer on whether you actually need a duvet cover.

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Is Down Worth It?

Down is the layer of fluffy feathers between a bird's outer feathers and its skin. It's a great insulating material—just think of all those birds that manage to stay warm and dry all year long. Down is efficient, it's more eco-friendly than some alternative materials, and it's breathable despite keeping things so warm. Down holds up well over time with proper care, so your initial investment will last for years. A down comforter is especially worthwhile if you live in a cold climate. Blankets made with down alternatives or other types of materials can be fine, but if you're looking for a warm blanket that'll last decades, down is probably what you want.

More Down Comforter Advice

Look for a cover thread count between 230 and 500. Fabrics with these thread counts are “down-proof” and minimize the chances of feathers poking through.

Fill power vs. fill weight: Fill power is a measurement of how much space, in cubic inches, an ounce of down takes up—for instance, a fill power of 600 means one ounce of down will take up 600 cubic inches. A higher fill power means fluffier, more efficient down. Fill power doesn't necessarily translate to warmth, but it's an indication of the quality of the down and how much the down compresses. Fill weight, on the other hand, is the amount of down inside the product. If something has high fill power but low fill weight, it won't necessarily be warmer than if something has low fill power and high fill weight. It's a little confusing. The most important factor is how the down is distributed. Look for baffle-box or sewn-through construction in your comforters for an indication that down will be distributed evenly and keep you warm throughout the night. Baffle boxes keep down lofty but need to be shaken sometimes to reallocate the down inside, whereas sewn-through keeps things in place but often results in a slightly less fluffy comforter.

Goose vs. duck down: Goose down has a higher fill power than duck down, so it's fluffier and loftier. It's also less smelly and generally more hypoallergenic. On the other hand, duck down is usually more affordable. We think goose down is best unless you're on a very tight budget. Two common types of goose down are Hungarian and Hutterite. Both are considered to be top-notch based on the large down clusters typical of birds that come from the cold regions of Hungary and Canada. Hutterite tends to be more affordable. You likely wouldn't be able to tell the difference between the two. Hungarian down can be a bit loftier, and Hutterite down can be a bit softer, but ultimately neither of these factors should make or break your decision to purchase a comforter. When it comes to the types of birds the down comes from, however, you should look for all goose down or at least a blend of goose and duck. That will cut back on odors and allergens and offer a fluffier, more high-quality blanket.

Down comforter care tips: If you're investing in a comforter, you might want to consider getting a duvet cover, which can help protect the comforter and also usually improves the look (unless you're into plain white). When it comes to washing the comforter itself, you want to follow the instructions on the care tag, and wash it as infrequently as you can. You can do it at home if your washer is big enough; otherwise, head to local laundromat to use their bigger machines. Use a delicate wash cycle with high spin speed to get as much moisture out as possible, and avoid using fabric softener, which can degrade the down's fluffy texture. You should also use a small amount of detergent—err on the side of less, not more—and consider an extra rinse cycle to ensure that all the soap is rinsed out. Make sure that your comforter is fully dry using a low-heat setting. It might take a few cycles. Fluff the comforter between rounds to ensure efficient drying and maximum loft.

How We Tested

For each comforter we tested, our testers slept with our respective picks for at least three nights in autumn in northern Illinois and Kansas City, Missouri. We looked for comforters that struck a balance between price, efficiency, and quality, and sought out different fill weights, fill powers, and materials to ensure our recommendations met a variety of reader needs.

The Quince All-Season has that classic crinkly feeling you associate with a cozy down comforter. It's a little noisy if you shift around in your sleep a lot, but it wasn't loud enough to disturb my partner. It's quite fluffy, with large baffle boxes that stay pretty poofed up if you don't top the comforter with a duvet or another blanket. It has a fill power of 650 and a cotton sateen shell. That makes it feel a bit silkier to the touch than all-cotton comforters might. It's warm but not heavy. After all my testing, this comforter is the one I can't bring myself to take off my bed.

Feathered Friends specializes in down goods, making everything from expedition-ready sleeping bags that will handle -60 degree Fahrenheit temps (you could sleep at the top of Everest in January) to a travel pillow. The Bavarian 700 down comforter is one of the company’s best-loved and best-reviewed products, and it was easy to see why during my month of testing. Every detail of this piece is well-crafted, and the comforter delivers a rare and precious brand of functional luxury—I’d compare it to a Range Rover, except a Range Rover isn’t as reliable.

The base of the duvet is European white goose down with 700-plus fill power, and the package comes with a code to track the source. (My comforter came from Eastern Europe, possibly Moldova or Romania.) The stitching is excellent from edge to edge, little details like the corner ties add comfort, and the lower-profile Bavarian baffles avoid clumpiness. If you’re spending $500 for a queen-size comforter, don’t skimp on the 400-thread-count organic cotton cover, which is perfectly matched to the duvet. —Martin Cizmar

This Brooklinen comforter has a hotel-like feel that's soft, crinkly, and starchy. The cotton sateen shell strikes a good balance between silky-feeling and durable, and the internal down is composed of Hutterite clusters (see More Down Comforter Advice, above, for information on the difference between Hutterite and Hungarian down). That basically means the down comes from mature gooses, which results in a densely packed composition with even distribution. Basically no matter how much you shift around, the down will adjust to your body. That prevents the shifting and “pockets” you can get with lower-quality down blankets. You'll always have a layer of goosey goodness between your body and the surrounding air.

This goose down comforter is thick and sturdy, but the fill is still light, making this a great all-season choice. It has a baffle-box design, creating pockets of fill so the separation of the feathers are inside the comforter rather than stitched through the layers. This basically ensures that there’s even distribution of the 600-fill-power filling, which also helps with the annoying shifting or bunching that can happen sometimes with down comforters. It's made from 90 percent goose feathers and 10 percent goose down and feels super fluffy and full—just like what you’d expect from a nice hotel comforter.

There are four corner tabs and a loop on each side to help easily secure a cover to the comforter insert. The blanket has a subtle stripe pattern, gold satin edges, and a breathable, moisture-wicking cotton cover. It feels thick to the touch and makes a satisfying crinkle noise. The 500-thread-count cotton cover isn’t as soft as I would’ve liked, but overall it strikes a good balance between thickness and breathability. It’s a little warm and may be a better choice for colder weather. Either way, it’s cozy, and I’m excited to keep using it throughout the seasons. —Molly Higgins

This L.L.Bean costs almost as much as the Feathered Friends above and has far-less-impressive specs: It’s 600-fill down inside a 280 thread count cotton instead of 400. But I still like this blanket because of how sturdy it felt in my testing. The shell isn't quite so soft but remains down-proof (meaning no feather tips poking through at you), and each baffled section is just a foot wide, meaning it doesn’t get lumpy. With its light cream color and hefty batch of stuffing, this is a comforter I’d use in an outdoorsy setting like a cabin in the woods. —Martin Cizmar

This goose down comforter from Canadian Down & Feather Company feels super expensive without the price to match. It’s a heavier-style comforter, with a down-proof, silky, breathable, 233-thread-count, cotton cover and a satisfying crinkle. It has sewn-through box-stitch construction to ensure the 600-fill-power filling stays uniform and doesn’t shift, and it’s a heavier style that feels warm but is breathable enough that it doesn’t feel too stifling. The comforter came in a plastic zippered cover for easy storage and transport, and it has a warranty against manufacturing defects. This budget option has an expensive feel and strikes a nice all-weather balance by being heavy and puffy enough to provide warmth, while the light cotton cover provides breathability. —Molly Higgins

I used this Ikea comforter for several years. It’s not even 100 percent down (they cut it with duck feathers), it tends to get a little lumpy, and it’s not especially lofty, but it does have a 252-thread-count shell that prevents feather leakage. The biggest downside is that the added duck feathers give this comforter a little more of a “poultry smell” than white goose down feathers would. However, this comforter is also machine washable and sturdier than a lot of quilts I’ve used at this price point. —Martin Cizmar

Though it's not down, this Buffy Breeze Comforter has been on my bed for years. It's made with a eucalyptus fiber fill and has a eucalyptus fiber cover, which lends it a silky feeling and excellent temperature regulation. It keeps me warm in the winter, but in the summer it doesn't get too hot or feel too stifling. There are cute duvet covers available that I don't entirely love—the comforter shifts around inside quite a bit—but if you want a duvet cover, this one is decent and made out of similar materials so it won't detract from the comforter's cooling features. The best part is that the Buffy Breeze is pretty affordable, and it goes on sale during basically every shopping holiday.

The Wayfair Sleep All-Season with polyester fill is super affordable, and it holds up nearly as well as the middle-of-the-road options you might find in your research. Down alternative might be a better option if you're sensitive to allergens, since it won't trap as much dust and dander as traditional down. It's a bit too lightweight for my tastes, but those in warmer climates may appreciate the cozy feeling without all the weight that some other blankets have.

White Noise Goose Down and Feather All Season Comforter for $80: This all-season medium-weight comforter is breathable, balanced, and suitable for all seasons, with between 2 and 3 inches of 600-fill power thickness. The outside material is soft but feels sort of weird to the touch because it's made of polyester and nylon—although this helps with noise reduction and is quieter than the others I’ve tested. It’s machine washable and struck a great balance between being thin and light enough for warmer weather while having enough thickness to still feel cozy. However, the comforter came with a really weird, pungent odor that smelled like grass and sweat. I washed and dried it two times to make the stench bearable to sleep with, but every once in awhile during testing I could still smell the odor faintly. This is a solid all-season down comforter that strikes a good balance and has a great price point. I just wish it hadn’t smelled so gross. —Molly Higgins

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