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baffle box white goose down comforter on bed in modern bedroom

Down Bedding Guide

single white feather & cluster of down

The image above shows a single feather on the left and a down cluster on the right. Comforters, pillows, toppers are usually down. Feather and down blend is usually for a featherbed.

Confused About Choosing The Right Down Comforter?


There are 4 important things to remember:

 

1.  All down is not created equal. Down from mature geese that live in cold climates produce large down clusters that trap more body heat keeping you toasty warm as well as lofting up to produce a comforter that is puffy without weight. Fill-power is the measurement of a down cluster's ability to loft up after compression. The higher the number, the more body heat is trapped. 650 fill-power and up is considered luxury quality. There is also cluster count to consider. This is the percentage of whole down clusters as opposed to pieces of broken down known as "fly". We use only the highest lofting, top quality goose down like European and Canadian White Goose Down, ( considered to be the finest in the world), in fill powers 650 - 800+,  plus we offer the very rare Eiderdown, the ultimate in warmth without weight and the best down in the world. 
 

2. Down will eventually "leak" out of anything other than a cotton cambric downproof fabric. What makes the long staple Egyptian cotton fabric downproof is not just a high threadcount and special weave, but callendering. This is a natural process of compressing the fabric between giant steel rollers to fill in spaces invisible to the eye. The best cambric cotton downproof fabric comes from Germany or Switzerland. Many of the cambrics are made with a sateen finish. They are very soft,durable and breathable. Threadcounts over 300 are best and will remain downproof for 10-15 years. We carry downproof tickings in threadcounts 270 to 500. For Eiderdown the best ticking is Swiss Batiste the lightest of all downproof cambric cottons with the highest threadcount 500 threads, sateen finish and a silky soft touch, woven specifically for Eiderdown the softest down in the world. Many of our customers choose this exquisite downproof ticking for their white goose down comforters too.

 

 

 

3. Comforters come in  closed stitch (sew-thru box stitch, fixing the filling into place so there is no migration) , modified baffle box (the filling will move over time) and the Baffle Channel  construction, a channel stitch with a baffle wall to minimize shifting, but allow for individual comfort by adjusting the filling up or down. We call this the "couple friendly" comforter. It is also especially appreciated in the warmer climates, or just in summertime or if one person is a very warm sleeper. We also carry the European Pillow style that has no stitching and just covers the bed.  This would mostly be a winter comforter due to the volume of fill required.  Baffles prevent cold spots and allow premium downs to loft up to their full potential. Less filling is required in a sew- thru stitch, making these comforters better for summer.

4. The temperature of your bedroom will determine the best comforter for you. Our  Signature Line Snowgoose comforters  come in 2 weights for either warmer or cooler bedrooms.  We are very custom so we can make any weight in a comforter. 

Eiderdown comforters come in 3 temperature ranges summer, 4 season and extra warm.

Choosing the Right Down Pillow

Your pillow is very personal, it has to match how you sleep. It needs to cradle your neck and keep your body in alignment. Choosing a pillow with high lofting down ensures better support. Our Signature line of Snowgoose pillows offer a wide selection of high lofting downs. Always protect your pillows with pillow protectors and clean your pillows every 3- 5 years. We recommend the following pillow densities:

A Soft Pillow is for a stomach sleeper.

A Medium Pillow is for a back sleeper, or a side sleeper with smaller shoulders.

A Firm Pillow is for a side sleeper.

 

Choosing the Right Mattress Topper

If adding a touch of luxury to your mattress we recommend a down topper, a sew thru box stitch. The average weight in a queen size would be about 40 ozs giving a thickness of about 1.5". An overstuffed version would be about 4 lbs in a queen size giving a 2" thickness. 


For a really luxurious sleep experience with added support choose a BodyCloud 50/50 down/feather featherbed. A gusseted style requires more filling delivering more cushioning support, yet still enough softness to sink into.

For the ultimate in luxury (and definitely the answer to a too firm mattress) a BodyCloud all down bed topper is the way to go. This would be the puffiest topper and the softest, an exquisite sleep experience.  The most popular BodyCloud down bed is with a 4" or 6" gusset, but we can make any depth.  The deeper the gusset the loftier the down bed and so much more luxurious.  The baffle channel style is far superior to baffle box as it is easier to reposition the fill when fluffing up.

There are 2 ways to use the BodyCloud either under the fitted sheet for a neat look or the recommended way on top of the fitted sheet in another fitted sheet.  It is easier to fluff up and it feels so much better. 

 

Always protect your topper, featherbed or down bed with a protective cover, fluff up regularly and turn over each time you wash your bedding.

For expert advice please email Lisa, customerservice@thedownstore.com
or call 800 USA DOWN or

212 840 2550

 

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