The majority of people realize that to get a hold of a real quality down comforter, one might have to spend hundreds of dollars. Down is not an easily harvested material. It requires raising geese until maturity which can take months or years. If farmed geese are not available, then a lot of labor must go into finding a source of wild geese to supply the down.
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 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.
Not all down alternative comforters will be cheaper than traditional down comforters. There are a number of alternatives which are made of materials just as rare and precious. For example, soft alpaca wool derived from the coat of the South America alpaca can be as expensive in comforters. Nor are expensive alternatives restricted to natural fills, as the patented and trademarked Primaloft is a premier polyester alternative that is thought to be very close in warmth and loft.
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.
Fortunately many manufacturers churn out high quality down alternative comforters and bedding now. Two examples are Stearns and Foster and Beyond Down, both of which make comforters.
Study more about down alternatives by directly consulting our site. Some of this information was graciously granted by a site on down alternative fiberbed.
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