A Luxury Goose Down Comforter Vs Alternative Down

There are lots of choices for down comforters, luxury down comforters and even more alternative down comforters. It can be confusing and there is certainly a difference in the pricing and for good reason.

You may be wondering, is it worth the splurge to get a luxury down comforter.

After reading this post I think you will find the answer to justify the splurge or should I say investment in your comfort and maybe better sleep for years to come.

We have certainly seen the affects of climate change on our winters. They are more severe, more storms, and that means higher energy costs. In addition our present global situation has caused energy costs to soar. This is where a luxury down comforter shines.

Nature is the best insulator with the unique properties of goose down trapping your body heat to keep you warm. Goose down is naturally moisture wicking and breathable so it actually can keep you toasty warm in winter and cool in summer.

How you sleep, a cool bedroom or a warm bedroom, will determine the fill power of the down (how lofty the down cluster is) and the weight needed to provide the ideal comfort range.

Equally important to energy savings is how comfy and cozy a luxury down comforter will be and even better with proper care will last for decades. This is not the case with polyester.

Geese are never raised for their down. Down has always been the bi-product of the meat industry. That is why most downs are from countries that eat a lot of goose or duck. Most processors of down are certified in Responsible Down Sourcing so you know it is ethically sourced.

Down has a fraction of environmental impact compared with polyester as polyester is from petroleum (fossil fuels) and it uses lots of energy in the manufacturing process.

We have a selection of luxury comforters and we also make custom sizes for RV's, tv throws, travel and for kids. In addition we offer the expertise of 50 years of cleaning and renovation so you will have your precious downs for decades.

Protect Against Soaring Energy Bills With A High Quality Goose Down Comforter.

For months we have been reading about and experiencing the rising price of oil. Now winter is almost here I am sure you are all looking for ways to mitigate the cost of keeping warm this winter.

Of course checking the insulation in your home, those drafty windows, checking the furnace are very good ideas. Equally important is how far down can you lower the thermostat?

During the day you could dress a little warmer, add a sweater to that t-shirt. But at night there is no need to have your heat pumping more than it should. Yes you can add more blankets, but do you really want to feel that weighted down and will it still be warm enough, especially if you like to sleep with the windows open? Yes even in winter it is healthier to sleep with windows open even a little.

Many people are still not aware of the unique thermal properties of down, and especially the very high qualities. White goose down and especially the very rare Eiderdown, truly are amazing when it comes to total warmth without weight. Down is very different from feathers. Feathers have the hard quill and are flat and do not have the thermal properties that down has. Feathers do not loft up to trap body heat.

The unique thermal properties are amplified in Eiderdown or a very high lofting European white goose down. The higher the fill power (how lofty the down cluster is) the more body heat it traps. The fact a high quality down comforter is so light allows it to contour to your body so no heat escapes, unlike with blankets or poly comforters which form a tent over you allowing heat to escape. In addition the higher quality down comforters do not need as much fill to keep you toasty warm compared to lower qualities, so they are extra light. This also allows them to be used year round.

Since 1973 The Down Store has specialized in top of the line down bedding and the expertise in cleaning and renovation to ensure you have your precious downs for life. We believe buy quality once, take good care of it (see our recommendations) and you will have it for decades. You can see our full line of comforters here. We are also very custom and will make any size in our baffled box or "puff" pillow styles.

When choosing a down comforter keep in mind how low you would like to turn down the thermostat, are you a warm or cool sleeper, do you like the windows open. For the coolest of bedrooms we recommend The Elite or the Opulence. The Elite is super lightweight with the highest fill power European white goose down. The Luxor would only be for winter if your thermostat was turned high.

If you have put away your down comforter or possibly inherited one, send it in for our expertise in cleaning and protecting your down and renovate into a new cover that will last for many years and experience the luxury of sleeping under down while turning down your thermostat and saving on this winter's higher bills.

Any questions please email customerservice@thedownstore.com or call 800 872 3696.

To order your protection against high energy bills email sales@thedownstore.com or call.

The Best Style For A Featherbed Or Down Bed Topper

Finally you are treating yourself to some serious luxury and comfort for your bed. In these challenging times, spending so much time at home, we need to take care of ourselves. What better way than creating an oasis of sheer comfort and luxury for your bed. You may also need a new mattress, but the addition of a featherbed or down topper can defer this purchase for a while.

You have settled on a featherbed or a down bed (down topper ), but you are not sure which is better, more comfortable, more luxurious and of course which style. It is important to remember that there is a huge difference in a featherbed and a down topper. Both may weigh the same but the down is the light fluffy cluster that lofts up to make a puffy topper, soft and delicious to sink into. The feather is flat with quill so delivers a less lofty and firmer experience. Down is more costly than feathers but it  will last for decades.

Regardless of which one you choose the style is important. A hundred years ago it was just a bag, no stitching. Also back then likely all feathers or a blend of feather and down.

This style requires much more fill to eliminate unwanted shifting. If under filled you would find yourself sleeping on fabric as the filling would have shifted to the sides. If filled adequately this super pillow topper will be very puffy and feel wonderful.

The baffle box. Baffle means there is a wall of fabric between the top layer and the bottom fabric layer. This allows for the filling (especially down) to loft up. Sew thru featherbeds and down toppers are available, but sewn thru basically means you do not need nearly as much filling. It is also important to remember the more filling you have, the more cushioning the featherbed or down topper will deliver and thereby more comfort and super luxury. The baffle box has an opening in each box so over time the filling can migrate, however this does take some time, maybe years. It is not easy to massage the filling back to its individual box once it has moved out. After a few years the filling will end up at the sides, top and bottom. Renovation can resolve this issue.

The 3 part baffle horizontal style is another choice. Like the bag style it takes more filling but not as much as it has some stitching.

The most efficient style is the baffle channel. There is enough stitching to limit movement and the channels are wide so with the baffle you can have plenty of filling. The filling can only move in 2 directions up and down and for this reason it is easy to re-position the fill when fluffing up. When you change the bedding just shake from the  bottom 2 corners, then take the heel of your hand and move the fill up the channels. Rotate foot to top and shake those 2 corners and use the heel of your hand to reposition the fill. Voila, like new.

Another tip for using your featherbed or down bed is instead of putting it under your fitted sheet which gives a neat look, a better experience is to put it in its cover on top of your fitted sheet in another fitted or flat sheet. It may not be as neat, but the level of luxury and comfort is incomparable.

For care of your featherbed or down bed it is recommended renovation (clean the filling and new cover) every 7 to 10 years. In between try and get it outside on a table on a warm, dry sunny day. If this is not possible  open all the windows on warm, sunny, breezy day.