Home Down Comforter

Welllllll……. sorry, I don’t have a comforter to recommend.

BUT! I do have a recommendation if you’re open to it. My absolutely favorite ‘blanket’ is a custom RBH creature comfort blanket. I had them make me one to cover a queen-sized bed. A tad expensive but totally worth it. Since it’s a VBL blanket, it’s light but oh-so-warm. I keep my heat turned way down at night, and have just the RBH blanket, a cotton throw, and a duvet cover over me, and I’m toasty warm.

Important to note, though, that it’s a VBL blanket. If you have cats or kids, keep them from climbing completely underneath the covers, as these covers don’t breathe.

I have a cheapish ($150) one from Quilts Etc. that I love. Plain white cotton, and hook loops in the corners to keep the duvet cover tied in position / not sliding around.
It's got plenty of fill but only around 600-650fp apparently (had to ask when I was shopping, heh). This really makes no difference to me at home where weight is not a concern. Actually, I prefer it to be a bit heavier so it drapes over me instead of 'floating.' Feels more comforting and also makes it warmer as there are less air pockets between me and the duvet. I'm not sure what the reason for wanting a really light one would be, but to each his own. Unless you just mean that you don't need a very warm one (they have plenty of fill options.)
No feathers poking me from inside, unlike my last duvet. Super lofty and pillow-ey when clean (I notice it gets less so from body oils after a couple months, so I put it through the wash every 3 months.)

I've had a feathered friends comforter for about 3 years now. Its awesome. The cover sucks cause it doesn't have any loops to keep it in place. I just use it w/o the cover. Its white, soft and warm.
I also bought a feather bed from them and with the 2 combined it is the best bed ever. I am always dissappointed when I sleep somewhere else.

I got a two-layer down comforter long ago, from Ikea. Essentially, it is two different comforters, one lighter, one heavier, that you can layer on top of each other (and even velcro to each other).

What I love about this versatile setup is that I have an option for all seasons:

Summer – the very light comforter only
Spring/fall – the heavier comforter only
Winter – both, one on top of the other.

– Elizabeth

is there any real advantage to paying the extra money for 800+ fill vs. 600 fill

its not like you need to worry about weight …

I recently got one at Eddie Bauer that I'm happy with. I got it at their outlet store for $80. It has 550 fill down, but the thing I like about it is it's a few inches bigger than the feathered friends one. It might not be possible to get that good of price, but they normally have 20-25% off sales online and am sure they will again before Christmas.

Our favorite is a "summer" weight one that we use year-round. I don't worry about the fill count but better down (eider down, gray goose down, etc.) will cost more and, like most things, you generally get what you pay for. I would use the actual fill amounts for comparison instead of the winter/summer labels put on by manufacturers.

Construction difference are mostly in the baffles. As you might expect, sewn thru baffles are usually cheaper. I personally like the boxed baffles. My mother (who grew up in the most northern part of Japan) prefers baffled karo steps but I think they work better for high loft winter-weight duvets.

I use the european method of just a bottom sheet and a covered duvet. No top sheet. My covers are made from the same material as sheets and I change it every time I change my sheets. Keeps the duvet clean which, like sleeping bags, is important.

You might look at the ones at LL Bean– I don't have one, but my parents do, and really like it.

We have purchased 2 down comforters from Feathered Friends over the past 8 years. We are pleased with both of them. Not only are they made well, they are made in Washington, thereby providing jobs and supporting the local economy, rather than adding to our national trade deficit with Asia. Building sustainable, local economies, driven mainly by small businesses, is key to our economic future and common good and welfare.

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Thanks for the info all. I've purchased the Seasons lightweight down comforter from BB&B for $160 ($200 queen – 20% coupon). It was one of the cheapest, but I also liked the feel of it the best. I'm a tad bit concerned about cold spots because when I look at it through light there are definite thick patches (dark) and thin patches (light). I wanted to go with the feathered friends one, but double the price for something I couldn't touch and feel didn't sound as appealing. I guess we'll see if that was a mistake or not in a few years, but for now I really like it.

Thanks all for your info & suggestions.