Quality Comforter
10/3/2003

Question:

My mother’s birthday is coming up at the end of the month and I want to give her a nice down comforter. What things should I look for to ensure I am getting a nice quality comforter?

Answer:

Most problems that arise with down come in the cleaning process. Although cleaning down items is not usually a problem, a garment with poor construction and insufficient quilting can cause the down to shift, lose shape or become matted. Inspect the comforter for these things before purchasing:

• Make sure the garment is well quilted. Preferably, quilting stitches should run both vertical and horizontally with quilting lines about 8 to 10 inches apart.
• Check the strength of the garment’s stitching. Poorly constructed garments with loose stitching can allow the down to shift.
• Check for fullness of the quilted areas. Thicker filling will provide more insulation.