What
to look for when shopping, and how to care for your down comforters
and pillows.
Proper
care for your down bedding helps protect
your investment for years to come. Should
you dry clean your down comforter or can you wash it? Can
you wash down pillows? More
Getting
ready to
purchase a down comforter or pillows? Following are some things you
should consider when comparing and pricing down comforters and pillows,
whether you plan to buy in a department store or shop
for down comforters on-line.
Read
all the
information on web sites very carefully. Sometimes you have
to read between the lines. For instance, when reading the guaranty:
Is it 1 year, 5 years, 10 years or longer? What is the return policy,
if any? Is the guaranty and return policy representative of the quality
you expect? Ask your sales person detailed questions.
It's
true, you get what you
pay for. Quality properly cleaned goose down
is more costly. Quality lightweight down proof fabrics are
more costly. Quality durable baffled
box construction
is more costly. True quality is just plain more costly. The trick
is to not pay too much!
Perhaps
the most
important advise we can give is to Know Your Retailer. In the end,
you are trusting that their representations are truthful and that
you are, in fact, getting what you paid for.
The
quality of goose down
is measured by a term called Fill
Power. A fill power rating of 650 or higher is desirable
for warmer, lighter and fluffier down comforters and pillows. The
origin of your down is also important. Asian down, prevalent in less
expensive down comforters and pillows, is often inconsistent in quality
and cleanliness. More
The
Fabric
(ticking) for a down comforter or down pillow needs to be strong,
down proof and lightweight. Thread count is just part of the story.
The weave and finish is of the fabric is perhaps even more important.
More
Baffled
by Baffled Box?
Down comforters are made in a variety of styles such as Quilted,
Baffled Box and others. Learn which style is best for you. More