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A Buyer’s Guide to Down and Down-Alternative Comforters

  • by Erika Cellupica
  • 5 min read

At Fine Linen and Bath, we are here to help you design the bed of your dreams. And that means sourcing and offering personalized recommendations for layer upon layer of luxury linen to build your perfect bedding ensemble. We're committed to helping you realize your ideal vision of comfort and style. But there's one key element of your bedding you may not be thinking about: a luxury duvet insert.

Feathery soft, lighter than air, and the ultimate in comfort, a duvet insert -- also called a comforter -- is an essential component of any luxury bedding ensemble. The Fine Linen and Bath design team has expertly curated a collection of the highest quality comforters in the marketplace in both feather/down and hypoallergenic down alternatives. All are crafted from the finest materials and finished with the exquisite detail you expect from Fine Linen and Bath.

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To Help You Find Your Perfect Comforter

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To Help You Find Your Perfect Comforter

More About Duvet Inserts

Duvet, duvet insert, and comforter (either down or alternative fill) are words that describe essentially the same item. Sized to fit inside a duvet cover, luxury duvets come in many options for warmth, weight, fill power, and fill material. Luxury duvet inserts are made with either baffle box or quilted construction for optimal thermal insulation. The individual compartments prevent the down or fill from moving so the duvet maintains warmth while eliminating cold spots.

Down Duvet Inserts

Luxury duvet inserts are most often with down (the fluffy layer underneath the feathers of ducks and geese) and made from high-thread-count cotton. Down is also nearly weightless, which allows it to instantly adjust to your body temperature and provide maximum breathability in any season. “Fill power” is a term commonly used to measure the warmth and loft of down comforters. Down clusters are graded according to their fill power or loft, a measurement of their ability to regain their original volume after being compressed. A higher fill power comforter will be loftier, lighter, and warmer, and an overall superior choice.

Here are several of our favorite down comforters:

Matouk Montreux Comforter

European duck down of the highest quality fills the soft and welcoming Matouk Montreux comforter to a minimum of 80%, with 600 fill power. Baffle box construction keeps the down evenly distributed inside its cotton percale shell; comforters have corner loops. Made in Lichtenstein from a minimum of 80% down fill with 100% cotton percale shell.

Matouk Montreux comforter

The Matouk Montreux comforter is available in Twin, Queen, and King in Summer, All Season, and Winter Weights. All Matouk fabrics are OEKO-TEX® Standard 100 certified. Queen (90” x 96”) All-season $675.

Yves Delorme Paisley Comforter

The elegant design of this cotton sateen jacquard woven Yves Delorme Paisley pattern is matched only by its lasting comfort and extraordinary sleep experience. They uses hand-selected mature white European goose down from free-range geese, gathered during molting season when it has reached its full size and potential to hold air. The loose down is not plucked, but rather collected as the geese are molting. This heavyweight comforter is 850 fill power with double stitch construction and a piped edge to prevent down from exiting the sides.

Yves Delorme Paisley Comforter

The Yves Delorme Paisley comforter is available in Queen, and King. Made in Poland of new European White Goose Down and 384 thread count long-staple combed cotton sateen jacquard woven with sateen piping. Queen (92” x 92”) $1,395.

Downright Logana 920 Fill Power Canadian Comforter

Downright's Logana Comforter pairs the softest Batiste fabric with a choice of Downright very best 920 fill power Canadian white goose down. The Batiste fabric is known for its smoothness, delicacy and especially light weight. This stunning plush comforter will give you the lightness you desire and the warmth you crave. Baffle box construction and finest European shell. Made from 920 Fill Power Canadian White Goose Down and 360 thread count 100% Cotton Batiste.

Downright's Logana Comforter

The Downright Logana 920 Fill Power Canadian Comforter is available in Twin, Queen, and King in Summer, All Year, and Winter weights. Queen (90” x 94”) all-year weight $1,872.00.

The SFERRA Snowdon Duvet

The coziest of nights call for the most premium level of down plumes. The SFERRA Snowden duvet is filled with 900+ fill-power down for unparalleled thermal insulation. This soft and lofty down is encased in a silky jacquard fabric for the ultimate sleeping experience. Fifteen-inch box construction holds the down in place; the comforter has piped edging, corner loops, and corner silk.

SFERRA Snowden duvet

The SFERRA Snowden duvet is available in Twin, Queen, and King Sizes in Light, Medium, and Heavy weights. Made in the USA of imported materials (European white goose down and 434 thread count 100% German-woven silk jacquard). Dry clean only. Queen (90” x 94”) medium weight, $4,846.

Down Alternative Duvet Inserts

If you are sensitive to down or prone to allergies, there's great news: Luxury duvets also come in hypoallergenic down alternative or synthetic fill options. These are wonderful choices for asthma and allergy sufferers, or anyone with sensitive skin or allergy or dust mites. These alternative fill comforters approximate the look, feel, and performance of down without the potential to irritate. Fill power measurements aren't used for synthetic material fills.

Below are two of our favorite down alternative comforters.

Downright Sierra Down Alternative Duvet Insert

Designed to imitate the warmth and feel of natural down, Downright Sierra Duvet Insert uses Comforel fiber to offer down-like warmth, loft and softness. It is finished with a soft 330 thread count 100% cotton sateen fabric. This makes for an easy-care product that closely mimics down while being absolutely hypoallergenic and ideal for allergy-prone sleepers.

Downright Sierra Duvet Insert

The Downright Sierra Duvet Insert is available in summer and year-round weight options; Twin, Full, Queen and King sizes; and a choice of three dimensions (regular, oversized, and supersize) in Queen and King sizes for the ultimate flexibility. The Sierra collection also includes pillows. Made in the USA. Queen oversized (90” x 94”) all-year weight $394.

Matouk Libero Comforter

Matouk believes you should never have to compromise on quality if you require hypoallergenic bedding. The Matouk Libero comforter has a 100% cotton percale shell filled with a strong down-alternative fiber that adapts to body temperature throughout the night. Its warmth and softness, comparable to that of down, ensure a comfortable, allergen-free sleep. Made in Lichtenstein from 100% polyester fill with 100% cotton percale shell. Quilted construction.

Matouk Libero Comforter The Matouk Libero Comforters include corner loops and come in Twin, Queen, King sizes in Summer and All-Season weights. All Matouk fabrics are OEKO-TEX® Standard 100 certified. Queen (90” x 96”) All-Season weight $475.

Caring for Your Down or Down Alternative Comforter

Some down comforters (for example, the SFERRA Snowden) require dry cleaning. Other down and alternative fill comforters may be eligible to machine wash. Be sure to read and follow the care label. In general, you should fluff and air out your comforter on a regular basis; spot clean stains; and launder by itself when needed. For washable comforters, we recommend using a generously sized front-loading machine (to avoid the weight of the comforter throwing the machine off balance) with a mild detergent specially made to clean and care for luxury fabrics. Our favorite is Heritage Park Luxury All-Purpose Detergent, which is made with ten simple ingredients including a proprietary enzyme blend to get your comforter clean while protecting it from damage. Tumble dry your comforter on low heat with a set of wool dryer balls which will fluff your comforter and restore the loft of the down. Learn more about caring for luxury sateen and percale bed linen here.

Choosing Your Perfect Comforter

At Fine Linen and Bath, we are committed to helping you choose the ideal comforter to suit your budget, style, and comfort needs. Please call us to discuss any questions and to obtain personalized recommendations before you buy. We are happy to loan you showroom samples, if available, to review at home and return to us in a postage paid package.

Fine Linen and Bath: An In-Store Shopping Experience Delivered to You Online 

At Fine Linen and Bath, our mission is to deliver a concierge luxury linen shopping experience with online convenience. Browse our website to access an expansive collection of bedding, bath, table linens, and accessories from the world's premier brands.

When you need answers, consultation, or help to narrow your choices, our team of expert design consultants is here to assist you. We offer individualized recommendations, personal consultation, and even complimentary swatch samples for your review. We'll help you make the right buying decisions for your style, budget, and design goals.

Please connect with us online or -- even better -- give us a call at (866) 352-4522. We'd love to get to know you!

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