Shared from GQ
A few notes on this comforter: It’s noisy. Right out of the box, the crisp shell fabric makes a swishy sound akin to windbreaker pants every time you move. Our tester also found that it looked a bit deflated when slipped inside his duvet cover. All qualms aside, this comforter is still a great option for those who don’t run too hot (or live in warmer climates) and don’t want to break the bank.
The Best Down-Like Wool Option
This Coyuchi duvet insert is unique among all the ones we’ve tested. Instead of goose down clusters, duck down, or some sort of hypoallergenic alternative, it’s filled with wool. Wool! While this might seem like the makings of a “winter-only” comforter, wool turns out to be a surprisingly breathable fabric. The duvet is warm, but pleasantly light, and doesn’t really cling to the body like some heavier inserts. Those prone to overheating will appreciate this. Among the several comforters and duvet inserts Coyuchi makes, this is our clear favorite. It’s a great option for anyone looking for a reasonable price point and eco-friendly sourcing.
The Best Down-Like Weighted Comforter
Sure, any downy topper will immediately upgrade the coziness factor of your sleeping arrangements. But if you truly want to max them out, you could also get a weighted comforter instead. It’s basically exactly what it sounds like: A duvet insert with a heavy fill material in lieu of more typical lightweight down fill. The result is something that isn’t at all cloudlike—it feels more like your favorite person in the world giving you a gentle hug. This Brooklinen one comes in a bunch of different fill weights and sizes (up to California King), and checks all the right boxes. Despite being much heavier than most other down-alternative quilted comforters, our testers never overheated or sweated through their sheets while sleeping underneath it. It is kind of an advanced bedding move, so maybe try a cheaper weighted throw blanket first before really dropping the dough on this one.
11 More Down and Down-Alternative Comforters We Like
Target’s Casaluna comforter is a dorm room classic—there’s a reason the twin-sized option is sold out online—but unlike your pal Greg, it was always destined for post-grad excellence. At less than 200 bucks it’s one of the least expensive options on this list, but it includes a whole lot of the same characteristics you’d expect to see in its pricier counterparts. A lightweight down comforter (with 600-fill power) that’s decidedly lump-free? Check. Hypoallergenic, cozy, and soft-to-the-touch in an Oeko-tex certified cotton cover? You bet.
The Feathered Friends comforter in the medium weight has a luxurious hand feel. One of our testers described it as “extremely fluffy, like a gigantic pillow.” (His pup likes it too.) We think the Riley comforter offers a slightly better value, but if you’re looking for something with a bit more squish, this is a great alternative.
West Elm’s line of comforters includes four different options, which each offer a different combination of warmth and loft. This down alternative version is great for hot sleepers—it’s packed with just enough moisture-wicking, temperature-regulating fill to be cozy, but not suffocating. And thanks to its baffle box construction, that fill stays distributed evenly throughout the entire lightweight comforter. The best cooling comforter is still likely one from Snowe, but this one is an excellent alternative.
…and this West Elm duvet includes a unique fill made from a combination of down and a soft Tencel fabric, which gets inserted into an organic cotton sateen shell. The result is a fluffy yet breathable comforter with a buttery smooth exterior. Even if you don’t want to use a duvet cover, you’ll get excellent sleep under this one.
With a slightly lower fill power of 650, but a high 400 thread count, the tightly packed down of this Crane & Canopy comforter maxes out on warmth and weight. It’s a good option if you want a comforter with more of a coze factor in winter.
Snowe’s conventional down comforter is a relatively lofty cloud comforter. Its down alternative offers the same level of high-end durability as our top pick, but without nearly as much loft. It’s got an ultra-soft cotton shell and a microfiber fill, but not so much that you’ll feel smothered. The result is a super breathable comforter for hot sleepers who struggle to find that Goldilocks body temperature at night.
Like the Riley extra warmth duvet, Parachute’s all-season duvet clocks in at 750 fill power, a plushy pouf! We prefer sleeping under the thicker Riley, but if you want something lighter, the Parachute is the way to go.
If you want a fluffy comforter on your bed, but have a tighter budget to stick to (like, say, if you’re a college student who just needs something to hold them over during those twin XL bed days) don’t just buy the first thing you see on Amazon. The Slumbercloud Cumulus Comforter is thinner than the ones we like from Snowe and Riley, but it’s still a bit thicker than your average blanket. According to the brand, it’s also designed with NASA-approved temperature regulating technology. In practice, that means it has enough down to keep you warm, but you might want to add some fuzzy pajamas to the mix if you’re a particularly cold sleeper.
Boasting slightly oversized dimensions to keep the shape inside your duvet cover (and to prevent any fighting over the covers), this Tuft & Needle down duvet insert is a solidly lightweight option for hot sleepers who still want something on the fluffier side.
We appreciate that the original Buffy Cloud comforter is made with a special fill crafted from recycled bottles, but find that it runs too hot and has a scratchy handfeel. Its followup, the Breeze comforter is somewhere closer to the middle—with a more lightweight feel, a delightfully soft lyocell fabric, a plant-based filler, and a surprising warmth and coziness. Despite its airy branding, we wouldn’t consider it cooling enough to use in the summer, but our tester found it perfectly warm and cozy for New York City winters. Another plus is that it’s one of the rare comforters you’ll find that’s stylish enough to leave out of the duvet cover thanks to the modern wavy stitching.
For those slightly-less-welcome guests (like your significant other’s random cousin who somehow visits four times a year), don’t empty your wallet. The Linenspa all-season comforter is a truly inexpensive comforter that’s worthy of consideration. It feels a lot cheaper than the high-quality ones from Snowe and Riley we recommend immediately out of the box. But it does offer an impressive amount of loft for the price.
More GQ Best Stuff
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Images and Article from GQ
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