COMFORTER SIZING

With all the new mattresses that are available now one must be careful when purchasing a comforter for your bed. If you own a thick pillow top mattress we highly recommend an oversized comforter to allow for the perfect drapping of your bed. Standard mattresses, usually 13 inches in depth, can use the regular sized bedding.

CHOOSING YOUR THREAD COUNT

Choosing your bedding Thread Count is very important. There are several types that should be considered before buying sheets. The main ingredient is the Thread Count. The second is the type of Material Used.

Thread Count is simply the number of both vertical and horizontal threads per square inch. When you hold the sheet up to the light, see if you can see through the fabric and make out the actual weave. If you can, you’ve got a low thread count sheet. The higher the weave, the less chance the sheet does not “ball up”, that’s those rough knots that show up on lower count sheets after they are washed and dried. The two major components of sheets are 100% cotton and 50% cotton/50% polyester. Cotton is a natural fiber that breathes better and is more comfortable to sleep on during warmer weather. Blended cotton sheets give sheets a better strength and durability and are less prone to wrinkles. 

Sheets are made with several different threads: 

Percale is a smooth flat closely woven and combed fabric that comes in 100% cotton or 50/50 cotton/polyester blends. Being finer than muslin, you can expect thread counts to range from 180 to 250.

Supima or Pima is high quality cotton whose long fiber staple is somewhat equivalent to Egyptian Cotton. Egyptian Cotton is grown along the Nile River whereas Pima is grown in the southwestern part of the United States. Supima is made from extra-long staple Pima. The soft hand feel of Supima and Pima make them very desirable choice for bedding. Expect to find thread counts to range from 200 to 1000.

Egyptian Cotton is the luxurious cotton queen of the Nile. Grown alongside the river, this exemplary cotton owes its superior durability, luster, and silky feel to its extra long fiber staple. This fibers long length makes it possible to make the finest of yarns without sacrificing the strength of the yarn. The strength of the fiber creates fabrics that are more solid and more stress resistant. This fiber has the ability to absorb liquids which gives fabrics made of Egyptian Cotton deeper, brighter and more resistant colors. Its softness increases with each washing. Egyptian Cotton is by far the best cotton in the world. Fabrics made of Egyptian Cotton are softer, finer and last longer than any other cotton in the world. Luxurious Egyptian cotton is stronger and more durable, therefore commanding a higher premium. Thread counts range from 200 to 1300.   

Sateen is a weave construction that has more yarn surface on the face of the cloth than other basic weaves giving the sheet a softer feel to the hand and a more lustrous look.

CHOOSING A DOWN COMFORTER

Matching your comfort needs is the most important way to choose a down comforter. A down comforter is an investment that last at least fifteen years.

The value of a down comforter is affected by several factors. The thread count (the shell covering), the type of fill, the fill power or loft (the size of the individual clusters), the fill weight (amount of down used) and the shell construction (how the shell is sewn).  

There are many grades of down. A down comforter may be filled with white goose down, European goose down, hutterite goose down, silver goose down, grey goose down, white duck down, silver duck down and grey duck down. White goose which is perceived to be better than duck down, however both tend to be the most prized down, as it looks cleaner in its shell. The quality of down is also determined by how well it is processed and cleaned. If not cleaned properly, the weight of the down has a dirt element in it. 

The fill power and the fill weight help determine the quality of a down comforter. A down comforter with a higher fill power will be lighter and fluffier making the comforter cloud-like. The greater the fill (loft) power, the better the down is able to regulate temperature. Higher fill powered down has larger clusters. The larger clusters has a greater insulation value, trapping more air as well as being able to dissipate excess heat more easier because of the open cluster composition. 

In order for a shell to be down proof it is recommended that the thread count be no less than 230 threads per inch, otherwise the down filling may come out of the shell. A higher thread count enables the weave to be tighter, therefore not allowing the down to come out. 

We often hear about baffling or baffled box. A baffled box construction will help prevent movement throughout the comforter which helps the down to loft up better. The better the lofting the better the insulating and temperature regulation.

Down and feather filled products are packaged tightly during shipping. Once the package is opened, fluff gently and allow several hours for the down to recover its full loft. Additionally, being sealed in plastic packaging sometimes causes the scent of these natural products to concentrate to a disagreeable level. A few hours of airing usually removes the odor. 

CLEANING:  Dry clean for goose down and machine wash for down alternative products, unless otherwise noted.