Down Substitute Covers Can Save You Money
Most people understand that a high quality down comforter can run hundreds of dollars. The reason is that down is a precious commodity, due largely to the limited supply or wild or farmed geese, the time required for maturation of geese and the labor needed to collect the undercoat feathers of these waterfowl for stuffing into comforters.
The source of down is in the undercoat of waterfowl, most often geese but also sometimes ducks. The top coat is known as the flight feathers which most people can identify and understand. Flight feathers are oiled, stiff and have the characteristic elongated feather shape. Down is much softer and comes in a little clump known as a plumule. The two may be mixed in products for attaining the right stiffness.
A little family of just four people means that three or more comforters will be required every night. Children also tend to wear down any sort of bedding, whether its the cheap pillows or the pricey comforters. The result is a lot of money goes into bedding. To save money, families might want to consider down alternatives.
The important qualities to capture in a down alternative are two fold. One, an alternative should have the same softness so the feel against a sleeper should be comfortable. Two, a down alternative should be very light and “lofty”. The former term means that it won’t weigh down on the sleeper. The latter term means that there is a lot of volume for a given weight, meaning that it traps air and is a great insulator.
The thing to keep in mind is that not all down alternatives are cheaper than down. For example, alpaca wool is very lofty, warm and soft. But it’s an extremely expensive material as it’s harvested from a rare South American pack animal, the alpaca, much like wool is harvested from sheep. There are even synthetic alternatives that are highly pricey.
Therefore, to save money one should choose a synthetic alternative that has high quality yet at a lower price point than the most premium synthetic brands. Virtually all synthetics are made of polyester. The differences between them depend on the ingenuity of the manufacturer, and whether they have developed a novel method for making a high loft and soft synthetic. A customer should try out the down alternative comforter by considering not only how soft and lofty it is, but also whether it doesn’t weigh down heavily on a sleeper.
There are a number of companies and brands of companies that represent excellent down alternative comforters. For example, The Pottery Barn and Cuddledown both make well-regarded products.
