Sleep is imperative for mental and physical health, and science shows that the temperature of your environment directly impacts your sleep quality. Aside from reaching for the thermostat, bedding is one of the best ways to regulate your body temperature at night. However, finding the right comforter for your needs is easier said than done. According to our experts, comforters have varying materials, weights, and construction techniques that require some research prior to purchasing.
To learn more about comforters, we spoke to the CEO of a bedding company, a textile engineer, a textile professor and an interior designer. Below, you’ll find their comforter recommendations and factors you should keep in mind while shopping for the best bedding.
SKIP AHEAD How we picked the best comforters | The best comforters in 2024 | How to shop for comforters
Best down alternative$122.50$175.00
How we picked the best comforters
We interviewed four experts who specialize in textiles, bedding or interior design. They recommend keeping the following criteria in mind while shopping for comforters:
- Materials: The materials are the most important aspect of your comforter, since they directly impact the texture, warmth levels and breathability, according to our experts. A comforter consists of both the cover and the filling, so you’ll want to consider the materials for each. We go into more detail about the best fabrics and fill options below.
- Weight/temperature: While materials definitely impact overall warmth, comforters also come in various weights (from lightweight to heavy), which dictate the comforter’s suitability for different seasons, according to our experts.
- Durability: The best comforters are easy to maintain and keep their structure long-term, according to our experts. Before choosing a comforter, consider fabric quality, washability and quilting, which we explore further below.
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The best comforters in 2024
Below are some of the most popular comforters on the market, which we chose using our experts’ guidance about materials, maintenance and durability. All of the comforters on this list are either expert recommendations or top sellers that align with our experts’ shopping advice and have at least 4.6 stars from over 450 reviewers.
Brooklinen Down Comforter
I use Brooklinen’s cotton sateen sheets during the summer because they’re temperature-regulating and extremely soft, and Brooklinen’s down comforter — which is wrapped in the same fabric — offers similar benefits. The comforter is stuffed with down clusters and feathers that are held in place with baffle-box construction (which creates separate pockets of fill inside the comforter) to prevent shifting, according to the brand. Most importantly, you can choose between lightweight, all-season and ultra-warm (which have fill powers that span from 650 to 750) depending on your temperature preferences. (Fill power refers to the amount of filling per ounce, which we explain in further detail below.)
Cover material: cotton sateen | Fill material: down clusters and feathers | Available sizes: Twin/twin XL, full/queen, king/California king
Buffy Cloud Comforter
“My go-to comforter is from Buffy,” says Brooke Spreckman, interior designer and the owner of Design Hutch, who regularly selects bedding for residential and commercial furnishing projects. Spreckman uses the Cloud comforter for most interior design clients because it’s soft and breathable, and its sateen-weave eucalyptus cover and all-season recycled plastic fill are suitable for most sleepers. The hypoallergenic fabric is also machine washable.
Cover material: eucalyptus lyocell | Fill material: recycled plastic fiber | Available sizes: Twin/twin XL, full/queen, king/California king
Woolrich Alton Plush to Faux Shearling Down Alternative Comforter Set
Down alternative traps more heat than genuine down, but during the winter months or for people who sleep cold, that could be a benefit, according to our experts. This four-piece bedding set comes with a reversible comforter, two shams and a matching decorative pillow. The fabric has a plush, suede-like material on one side and sherpa-mimicking berber fleece on the other. Its 12-inch box stitching holds the polyester fiber fill in place when you machine wash and tumble-dry it. It’s available in various solid and pattern color options.
Cover material: polyester plush/berber | Fill material: polyester fiber | Available sizes: Twin, full/queen, king
Buffy Breeze Comforter
For especially hot sleepers, Spreckman recommends Buffy’s Breeze comforter, which is made from eucalyptus throughout — it has a lyocell shell and a lightweight lyocell fiber fill. The eucalyptus not only makes it more cooling, breathable and moisture-wicking than the brand’s Cloud comforter included above, but it’s also biodegradable and compostable, according to the brand. Editorial director Lauren Swanson has used the Buffy Breeze for years and loves how it (despite the cliché) feels exactly like sleeping in a cloud. To protect it, Spreckman recommends the brand’s eucalyptus duvet cover.
Cover material: eucalyptus lyocell | Fill material: eucalyptus lyocell fiber | Available sizes: twin/Twin XL, full/queen, king/California king
Threshold Tufted Diamond Crinkle Comforter And Sham Set
NBC Select associate updates editor Zoe Malin loves this diamond-tufted crinkle comforter from Threshold, which she’s had for over a year. “It’s lightweight and doesn’t make me feel hot when I’m sleeping,” says Malin. “It’s also incredibly easy to clean. I stuff it into my washing machine with gentle detergent and it’s never shrunk in the dryer. The threads that make up the diamond pattern on the comforter have not pulled at all.” It’s available in six colors including neutrals.
Cover material: polyester | Fill material: polyester | Available sizes: twin/twin extra long, full/queen, king
The Company Store LaCrosse LoftAire Down Alternative Comforter
This highly rated option is great for those looking for a down-alternative comforter. It’s covered in a cotton twill shell and filled with the brand’s microfiber fill, which is designed to mimic down’s insulating properties without causing sensitivities that some people experience with feathers, according to The Company Store. The brand also has various customization options, including three weights and 18 color options.
Cover material: cotton twill | Fill material: microfiber | Available sizes: Twin, twin XL, full, queen, king/California king
Ikea Småsporre Comforter
In addition to being one of the most affordable comforters on this list, the Ikea Småsporre is also one of the easiest to care for. Because it’s covered in a blend of polyester and cotton, and filled with recycled polyester fill, you can machine wash it at a high temperature to kill dust mites, according to the brand. The light-warm version, which is also quick drying, is a mid-weight comforter that’s best suited for sleepers who run warm. Despite its midweight, reviewers say it still feels fluffy and plush.
Cover material: 65% polyester, 35% cotton | Fill material: recycled polyester fiber | Available sizes: Twin, full/queen, king
Cozy Earth Bamboo Viscose Comforter
This Cozy Earth comforter is made with 100% bamboo viscose — both for the cover and the fill — which is another cooling, sweat-wicking material for hot sleepers, according to our experts. That said, because it helps to regulate body temperature in all environments, you can use it year-round, according to the brand. The standard fill is the brand’s lightest option and has a thinner profile than most down comforters, but you can opt for extra fill if you prefer a blanket with more loft.
Cover material: bamboo viscose | Fill material: bamboo viscose | Available sizes: Twin, queen/full, king
Quince Premium Down Comforter
This down comforter from Quince is made with a cotton sateen shell to help with cooling, and comes with two insert options for a customizable experience. Each insert has a different fill weight — the lightweight insert is best for summertime or warm weather locations, while the all-season insert has a heavier weight and can be used year-round, according to Quince. The comforter also comes with corner loops to secure duvet covers in place, and is highly rated with a 5-star average rating from 506 reviews on Quince.
Cover material: cotton sateen | Fill material: down | Available sizes: Twin, full/queen, king/California king
Janzaa Three-Piece Comforter Set
While comfort should be a high priority, your comforter is also the most visible aspect of your bedding, so it should suit your style preferences, too. Whereas most of the comforters on this list come in one color (white), this three-piece comforter set has a printed floral design in your choice of 13 color options. The set, which has a 4.6-star rating from over 8,000 Amazon reviewers, also comes with two matching pillowcases (pillows not included). The cover is made from brushed microfiber, while the interior has a synthetic down-alternative fill. Plus, you can machine-wash it with cold water and tumble-dry it on low heat.
Cover material: microfiber | Fill material: synthetic fiber | Available sizes: Twin, full, queen, king, California king
Casaluna Chambray Cotton Comforter And Sham Set
Malin also recommends this 100% cotton comforter, which she used during the coldest winter months, “The gauzy textured material gave my bed a relaxed, beachy look, which is what I was going for while living in the arctic tundra of Chicago,” she says. “The comforter was lightweight enough that I didn’t get hot while sleeping, yet it kept me warm during long, chilly winters. It was also easy to get stains out with some Oxiclean.”
Cover material: cotton | Fill material: polyester | Available sizes: full/queen, king/California king
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How to shop for comforters
When shopping for comforters, you’ll want to pay extra attention to the materials of both the cover and internal filling to find a combination that works for your sleep needs. While texture and temperature retention are crucial aspects our experts say to consider, you should also keep in mind durability, ease of maintenance and aesthetics. They recommend using the following criteria to help you when shopping:
Cover material
The cover is the outermost fabric that (if you don’t have a duvet cover) comes into regular contact with your skin. It should be durable, easy to clean and suited to your temperature preferences. These are the best cover materials and their benefits, according to our experts:
- Cotton: Cotton is one of the most versatile materials because it’s inherently temperature-regulating and breathable, so depending on the weave, it’s suitable for both hot and cold sleepers, according to Dr. Kavita Mathur, an associate professor at Wilson College of Textiles at North Carolina State University. For example, cotton sateen is cooling and breathable, while cotton flannel has a thicker, denser weave for a warmer, cozier feel.
- Eucalyptus: Because it’s cooling and moisture-wicking, eucalyptus (sometimes called lyocell) is one of the best bedding materials for hot sleepers, says Leo Wang, co-founder and CEO of the bedding company Buffy. (Any inclusion of Buffy on our list was made independent of Wang. We did not ask him for product recommendations and instead only spoke with him about general shopping advice and tips.) Wang also says that eucalyptus is a sustainable option since the growth process requires one-tenth the amount of water that cotton does.
- Bamboo: Bamboo is another soft, cooling material that works well for hot sleepers, according to Wang. Since bamboo plants quickly regrow after being chopped down (like grass), it’s also an eco-friendly option.
- Polyester: Polyester, often used to make microfiber, is a synthetic material that’s more affordable than the above natural materials, according to our experts. If you opt for polyester to cut costs, be sure that your comforter is machine-washable. “Synthetic fabrics like polyester are more likely to attract and trap bad odors, which will require more washing in the long run,” says Frej Lewenhaupt, a textile engineer and the co-founder and CEO of Steamery, a company that specializes in the care and cleaning of textiles.
Fill material
Fill material and quality are crucial because they directly impact your comforter’s temperature and breathability, says Wang. Our experts recommend choosing one of these three fill materials:
- Down: Made from the under-plumage of geese or ducks, “down provides excellent breathability, warmth and insulative properties while still being lightweight,” says Mathur. However, it’s often more expensive than down alternative and can be a challenge to wash, according to our experts. Some manufacturers blend down with feathers to cut costs, which aren’t as comfortable and may poke through the fabric of the cover, so be sure to read the material details before purchasing, says Wang.
- Down alternative: Because it’s usually made from synthetic polyester, down alternative is more affordable and a better alternative for those with an allergy or a moral objection to down, says Mathur. That said, it’s not as breathable as down or plant-based fills, so hot sleepers should opt for a lighter weight or choose another fill material.
- Plant-based: Plant-based fill materials such as eucalyptus or bamboo won’t be as fluffy as down, but they’re extremely moisture-wicking and breathable, so they’re better at regulating body temperature for hot sleepers, says Wang. They’re also an eco-friendly option since they avoid animal cruelty and require less energy and manufacturing resources than synthetic materials like polyester, says Wang.
Weight
The amount of fill inside your comforter will further impact its temperature and breathability. For example, depending on a comforter’s weight and density, a single fill material may be suitable for both hot and cold sleepers and seasons. Weights “can range from lightweight to extra-warm,” and all-season comforters usually fall somewhere in the middle, says Mathur. For down specifically, fill power measures the amount of filling per ounce, and the higher the number, the warmer the comforter.
Quilting
Manufacturers use quilting (most often sewn-through box construction, which means that the top and bottom layers are stitched together in a box pattern, or baffle-box construction, which creates separate pockets of fill inside) to secure the fill in place. This ensures that the fill stays evenly distributed throughout instead of bunching during washing or sleeping, according to Mathur.
Washability
Since your comforter regularly comes into contact with your skin, “washability is key,” says Wang. However, not all comforters are machine-washable, so our experts recommend investing in a protective duvet cover or following some key tips (described below) for cleaning your comforter.
Meet our experts
At NBC Select, we work with experts who have specialized knowledge and authority based on relevant training and/or experience. We also take steps to ensure all expert advice and recommendations are made independently and without undisclosed financial conflicts of interest.
- Brooke Spreckman, B.S. in interior design, is an interior designer and the owner of Design Hutch, a company that renovates both commercial and residential spaces, including furnishing projects with bedding.
- Dr. Kavita Mathur, Ph.D. in fiber and polymer science, is an associate professor at Wilson College of Textiles at North Carolina State University.
- Leo Wang is a second-generation bedding maker and the co-founder and CEO of bedding company Buffy. (Any inclusion of Buffy on our list was made independent of Wang. We did not ask him for product recommendations, and instead only spoke with him about general shopping advice and tips.)
- Frej Lewenhaupt is a trained textile engineer with a degree from Borås Textile University and the co-founder and CEO of Steamery, a company that specializes in cleaning and caring for textiles.
Why trust NBC Select?
Maria Cassano is an e-commerce writer, editor and consultant who has covered bedding products for nearly a decade. You can find her sleep content in publications such as Bustle, Allure, CNN, Mattress Insider and MyDomaine. Ashley Morris is an assistant SEO reporter for NBC Select, covering skin care, wellness, home and kitchen and more. For this article, Cassano interviewed experts in the textile, bedding and interior design space.
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