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Comforters/Duvets- Natural Materials (Not down)?

sas95
9 years ago

Sort of off topic but sort of not...

I am looking to get a new comforter. We live in the Northeast, so it should be warm enough to provide comfort in the winter, but I tend to sleep hot so I don't want a stiflingly warm one.

I am allergic to down, so that's out. I'd like to do a natural material, and not polyester fill. Does anyone have a comforter filled with wool, alpaca or silk? If so, what do you think of it and how has it worn over the years?

Comments (15)

  • tibbrix
    9 years ago

    Wool filled comforter with 100% cotton outer.

    Period.

    I LOVE mine. And when it gets frigid in winter, I put a flannel duvet cover on it and sleep directly underneath it, no sheets.

    Luscious.

    And wool really IS a temperature regulator.

    Btw, I got mine at Costco a couple of years ago. I also slee hot.

    This post was edited by Tibbrix on Mon, Oct 20, 14 at 12:02

  • Bunny
    9 years ago

    Is a wool-filled comforter heavy? I tend to run cold, plus just me under the sheets although a bit of help from two cats on top. Still, I use an electric blanket in the winter, at least to preheat the bed. I'm fairly small and just can't stand weighty bed stuff on top of me.

  • sas95
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    That's great to know, Tibbrix. I have been eyeing some wool ones but knowing nothing much about them and seeing few reviews online, I have been hesitant to pull the trigger. But now I just might.

    Linelle, I'm not sure how much our two cats in the bed affect me on the heat front, but they do help explain the aches I feel in my legs sometimes when I get up in the morning.

  • sjhockeyfan325
    9 years ago

    Is wool in a comforter like a wool blanket, or is it "shredded" (not sure what word to use)? I have a too-heavy down comforter and need something that feels weighty (for example, I don't like sleeping with just a sheet, even when it's hot out), but isn't really so heavy (I sleep very hot)

  • homepro01
    9 years ago

    I am allergic to Wool so I have not attempted Wool comforters. I have no issue with down but my down is scent free. I have tried a silk comforter and if not for the price I would own one. They are weightless and keep you warm without being hot. I sleep hot too and have the fan running in my room all year round. Dewoolfson is where I purchased my down comforter but they also have silk comforters. I think the Company store or Cuddle down has Kapok filled comforters.

    Good luck!

    Here is a link that might be useful: Dewoolfson Silk

  • yayagal
    9 years ago

    try a plush electric blanket, turn it on 15 minutes and the bed issooooo cozy.

  • tibbrix
    9 years ago

    Linelle, a wool-filled comforter is going to be heavier than a down comforter. I don't know how to describe the weight of a comforter, though, so when you ask if it's heavy, I really don't know how to answer that.

    If you sleep cold my advice is thus:

    Get wool socks and sleep in them. If your feet are warm, your body will be a lot warmer;

    Get a white goose down winter-weight comforter, a good one, and a flannel duvet cover for it from either LL Bean or Garnet Hill and sleep under ONLY that, no sheets. Kick it up so that the bottom of the comforter is under your feet, i.e.: like a sleeping bag, and the sides are pulled in right next to your body.

    You will be toasty warm. And putting duvet comers on comforters is NOT hard at all.

  • sas95
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    I just went ahead and ordered a wool comforter. We have a wool-filled mattress protector and I love it, so odds are pretty good I'll like this, too.

  • tibbrix
    9 years ago

    Sas, I have a Natura wool-filled mattress pad as well. Love it.

    I noticed a huge difference as soon as I started using wool in bedding (along with 100% cotton) and was really amazed by just how much a temp regulator wool really is.

    I hope you love your comforter.

  • sas95
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Thanks, Tibbrix. These things really do make a difference. We switched over to a Talalay latex mattress a few months ago and it has made a world of difference. So much so, that I want all my bedding to be as nice as the mattress. It's a slippery slope, but definitely worth it.

  • Lars
    9 years ago

    Why not adjust your thermostat to a temperature that you like? How cold does it get in your house? In the winter, I keep the house at 71 degrees during the day and 68 at night, but right now we are still using cooling.

    I have a heavy (35 pounds total weight) rayon chenille bedspread that I made with fabric from the company I work for, which has a textiles department. I use a different bedspread in the summer. I cannot imagine sleeping in a cold room.

  • tibbrix
    9 years ago

    Publickman, I sleep with the windows open year round. My tolerance is to about 15 - 20 degrees outside. I NEVER, though, have the heat on in my bedroom. I close the vents so that the heat doesn't go into the bedroom. It's painful getting up in the morning, or at night to powder my nose if it's shiny, but I don't see how anyone can sleep in a warm room, esp. one with no fresh air.

    Bodies adapt, I guess. But at the risk of sounding preachy, we have GOT to start conserving energy in this country. It is amazing the waste combined with the utter intolerance for ANY discomfort, even for a few minutes, we've evolved to. My heat goes on when sweaters and blankets no longer do the job.

    And cold air is great for skin and lungs!

  • kimberlyrkb
    9 years ago

    I also have the wool comforter from costco. I do find it a bit heavy and very warm. I am always cold, and typically wear three layers around the house in the winter, but find the wool comforter is a bit too warm, even if I sleep in just a tshirt. I can't use it with a duvet cover or flannel sheets. I guess I must sleep warm. I was at costco today and there was a guy selling silk comforters. They seemed nice and quite light, but at $250 for a queen it was out of my price range right now. By the way, I think my wool comforter can only be spot cleaned.

  • sas95
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Just a check-in on the comforter. We ended up getting a Nature's Comfort wool comforter, and so far I love it. It is much less bulky and heavy than other comforters I've had, and plenty warm but not too warm. I don't wake up with night sweats like I did with the down-substitute comforter I previously had. And this one is made in the U.S., which is also important to me.

    Thanks, Tibbrix, for the recommendation of wool. Between this and the mattress pad I have become a big fan of wool bedding.

    Now I just need to find the right pillow, which has been a challenge!

    This post was edited by sas95 on Wed, Nov 26, 14 at 7:47

  • tibbrix
    9 years ago

    So glad you like it, Sas! The reason it's "warm but not too warm" and that you're not sweating is precisely because wool (and cotton) breath and are temperature regulators.

    Pillows are so tough to recommend because everyone has such different, and specific, taste w/r/t them. Was it you who asked about the Natura Ultimate above?

    Ah, no, it was my3dogs. Maybe read through that thread? I love, love, love my Natura Ultimate pillows.

    This post was edited by Tibbrix on Wed, Nov 26, 14 at 9:35