Economizing With Down Substitute Comforters

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.

Unlike what many people think, feathers that are visible on the outside of a goose are not the same material as down. Rather, the goose has a soft “plumule” material beneath the feathers which provides insulating warmth. The plumules are the main components of down. Some top feather is added for stiffening certain products such as cushions, hard pillows or feather-beds.

For a small family of four, three or more such comforters may be needed. Add in the fact that children outgrow or wear out their possessions quickly, the costs can really add up and get out of control. A family thinking economically should consider down alternatives to substitute for traditional down.

The key properties that need to be replicated in the alternative are the loft and softness of down. The loft or fill-power is essentially a measure of how much volume a certain weight of material takes up. A high loft material, pound for pound, is much more voluminous than a low loft material. Down is high loft because just an ounce of it can fill 400 to 1000 cubic inches (uncompressed).

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.

For a family to save money on down alternatives, it becomes quite important to understand that it will most certainly have to be a man-made synthetic. In addition, the family should test out the material of several companies to get an understanding of variations in each companies’ polyester synthetic. This will involve trying to ascertain its softness, picking it up to test how heavy it is, and checking to see if its got the right insulating power or not.

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.

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