The best comforters in 2024: Cozy picks for all seasons

The best comforters are essential to keeping you cozy at night, but with so many types available, it can be tricky to know which one is right for your sleep. When choosing a comforter, consider the size first. Experts recommend that a comforter should be no larger than the thickness of the mattress and no shorter than your bed skirt. Next, think about the material the comforter is made from. Do you want a traditional fill such as down? Do you have any allergies? 

Fill power (how warm the comforter is) is also important, and if you want to use just the one comforter year-round then the best option for you is an all-season comforter. Warm sleepers should pick a lightweight comforter as opposed to a winter comforter that has a higher fill power. Comforters range from luxury to organic, to anti-allergen and cooling, so you're bound to find a comforter to suit your needs.

Most comforters come on a trial period, so you can exchange the product or get a refund if it isn't right for you. Here we've rounded up the very best comforters available to buy now, with options to suit every sleeper, budget and bed size.

The quick list

The best comforters to buy now

Best overall

If you’re looking for a comforter that can be used year-round, the Brooklinen All-Season Down Comforter is the best choice for you. Come fall, winter, spring or summer, you can keep this snuggly down-filled comforter on your bed to boost your sleep comfort.

The Brooklinen All-Season Down Comforter comes in six different sizes, from twin to Cal king, and is packed with a down cluster fill for cozy warmth. A 400-thread count with 100% cotton sateen sheen means you can enjoy a super-soft and silky feel against your skin while you get some shut-eye. 

Brooklinen's luxury comforter is also hypoallergenic so it shouldn't aggravate your allergies. The only downside is that it can't be machine washed (it's spot clean or dry clean only), but otherwise we think it's worth the money. There's a 30-day trial on it too so you can give it a few weeks before making up your mind.

Best budget

The Linenspa All-Season Down Alternative Comforter is an Amazon best-seller made from 100% polyester fiber and filled with 300gsm of microfiber fill. It starts at an affordable $30 for the smallest size, with plenty of standard and oversized options available.

The Linenspa All-Season Down Alternative Comforter also comes in a wide choice of colors (21, in fact) with both reversible solid and striped designs to choose from. Plus it's easy to care for – you can simply throw it in the washing machine on a cold wash to give it a freshen-up. Because it has a hypoallergenic fill, this Linenspa comforter is also the best choice sleepers who have allergies.

Duvet loops are already sewn in at the corners and sides, so if you fancy a change of look you can slip the comforter inside your duvet cover where it will stay in place.

Best cooling

The Layla Down Alternative Comforter is a cooling and calming comforter for hot sleepers looking for the coziness of down without overheating. It comes with a 10oz fill weight and has a 100% cotton shell that remains cool against the skin. This makes it snug and fluffy enough to burrow beneath, yet lightweight to not bake you during the night.

But perhaps what makes the Layla Down Alternative Comforter stand out from the crowd is the fact it’s designed to work as a duvet and a comforter. So if you want to make use of your fancy duvet covers, you have the best of both worlds right here. 

Layla Sleep's machine-washable comforter also comes on a risk-free 120-night trial, so you'll have a few months to make sure it's the best comforter for your sleep. It's also covered with a 5-year warranty. 

Best fluffy

With winter pretty much here, staying warm and comfy in bed is at the top of our list, and if you love to feel as cozy as we do, then take a closer look at the Buffy Cloud Comforter. The cover is made from breathable eucalyptus fabric, while the inside is stuffed with recycled ‘floof’ crafted from the ultra-fluffy rPET fiberfill. 

This eco-friendly material stops 50 plastic bottles from going into landfill, so not only can you enjoy a comfier night’s sleep with the Buffy Cloud Comforter, you'll be doing your bit for the planet too.

Like many of the other comforters in this guide, the Buffy Cloud uses a quilted stitching pattern to keep the fill in place. That means the fill won't bunch up in one spot over time, though you should still shake it out and fluff it regularly to keep the comforter at its best.

Best anti-allergy

The Saatva All-Year Down Alternative Comforter promises you a luxurious night’s sleep – and it delivers too. It's warm and cozy, yet airy and breathable. This powerful mix makes it one of the best comforters for all types of sleeper. 

Saatva's down alternative comforter is crafted from organic Fair Trade Certified cotton, including 200-thread count percale weave for an opulent feel. It's hypoallergenic and includes the brand’s unique blend of temperature regulating 3D down alternative fibers, including sustainable and moisture-wicking lyocell. A box quilting design ensures the fill is remains evenly distributed within the comforter.

All these luxuries do come at a price, with the Saatva All-Year Down Alternative Comforter being one of the most expensive options in our guide, so we'd recommend keeping an eye out for savings in the Saatva mattress sale. 

That said, you can't really put a price on a great night's sleep and luxury mattress maker Saatva knows what it's doing when it comes to sleep products. You'll get a 45-night trial on this one and a year's warranty. 

Best down alternative

If you’re searching for a plush down-like comforter without the actual feathers, you’ll want to add the Utopia Bedding Comforter Duvet Insert to your sleep arsenal. The siliconized fiber fill down alternative provides you with a snug sleep experience minus the heavy feeling some feather-filled comforters can create.

Plus, this comforter can be slotted inside a duvet cover if you want to switch up your bed's decor. The Utopia Bedding Comforter Duvet Insert is also designed with a high box-stitch quilting effect for added layers of comfort and to prevent it from bunching up in any one spot during the night. 

The Utopia Bedding Comforter Duvet Insert has a fill weight of 350gsm and is available in a range of colors including white, navy and plum, so there’s plenty of choice and at a great price too, with a queen size costing just $31.99.

Best eco-friendly

If you’re after one of the best comforters with a small environmental footprint, then the Avocado Green Alpaca Duvet Insert ticks all the eco-credential boxes, with an outer cover crafted from a 100% GOTS organic certified cotton percale case. 

Inside the comforter you’ll find naturally-sourced alpaca fiber, grown without pesticides, herbicides, or fertilizer and sourced from the Peruvian Andes. It's also available in two different weights: all season or the lightweight version. The former has 2,100 grams per square meter of place fiber while the all-season version has 2,800 and naturally costs more. 

The Avocado Green Alpaca Duvet Insert also has a 100-night trial, so you'll have a few months to make sure it's the best comforter for you. For the latest savings on this comforter, see our guide to the best Avocado mattress sales.

How we picked

How we picked the best comforter

Our guide for the best comforters were based on extensive, consumer report research and online reviews. We rated things like material type, size and comfort for various sleeping positions. In addition, we looked at how practical it was to use and its durability.

How to choose

How to choose the best comforter for you

Not all comforters are made equal. When it comes to choosing one, consider whether you are looking for a comforter you can use all year-round, or one you can throw onto your bed during the chillier seasons. The biggest decision you'll need to make is whether you want a down or down alternative comforter - down comforters are harder to care for, which is something to keep in mind.

Material
Down comforters are made from duck or goose feathers and are known for their warmth and coziness. Goose down is fluffier than duck down, but both are good choices for providing warmth and sleep comfort. To ensure the down comforter you are buying uses ethically sourced materials, look for Responsible Down Standard certification.

Down alternative comforters are usually made from polyester-cotton blends and are much more affordable. Luxury down alternative materials include gel-fiber and the patented and breathable material PrimaLoft.

Fill power
Hot sleepers, when choosing the best comforter for you keep an eye on the fill power as the higher the number, the warmer your comforter will be. We'd recommend a light or all-season comforter. As a general rule, a fill power of 600 or higher is the best choice for winter use (and room temperatures below 60℉). Interestingly, a higher fill power doesn't mean a heavier comforter. You can also make a comforter feel warmer by adding a flannel cover.

Machine washability
For an easier laundry day, we’d suggest looking out for comforters that are machine washable. Some comforters are dry clean only though, and these are usually the more expensive down comforters. If you do score a machine washable comforter, keep in mind that it will take up a lot of space in your washer and dryer. We shake out and fluff our comforters mid-drying cycle to prevent clumping.

Should you use a cover with a comforter?

The terms comforter and duvet have become more interchangeable over the years, but generally speaking a comforter is a bed covering that doesn't require a cover. A duvet (made from down or a down alternative) is designed to be inserted into a duvet cover.

So should you use a duvet cover on your comforter? Some manufacturers state that you must use one in order to protect your comforter from body oils, sweat and stains, and that if you don't use a cover you will void the warranty.

We also recommend using a flat sheet to separate your body from the comforter, as this will protect your bed covering from a build-up of allergens. If in doubt, read the care instructions from the manufacturer.

How often should you wash your comforter?

As with pillows, washing your comforter is important to protect it against dust mites, stains, body oils and odors. According to dry cleaning experts, you should wash your comforter two to three times a year. However that depends on what it's made of, how often it's used, whether you use a flat sheet between your body and the comforter (you really should), and whether you have used a duvet cover or not. 

Covers should be washed weekly, along with your other bedding (bed sheets and pillow cases) to banish allergens and boost the overall hygiene of your bed.

Always read the manufacturer's instructions before cleaning your comforter, especially if it's made of down and other delicate materials. Here are some other factors that influence how often you should wash your comforter:

Whether you sleep alone or with a partner or pets - if you share your bed with another person or a pet, you'll need to wash your comforter weekly if you aren't using it with a cover (we recommend using a cover). This factor alone means you'll need to choose a machine washable comforter that can withstand rigorous cleaning and drying.

If you have allergies - dust mites and dead skin cells are just some of the allergens that build up in your comforter over time, so to quell allergy flare-ups, wash your comforter more frequently.

If you experience night sweats - this can cause staining and a build-up of odors, so use a flat sheet and a duvet cover, and wash your comforter regularly. You may also want to invest in one of the best mattress protectors with a sweat-wicking and waterproof design to safeguard your bed (including your mattress topper) from sweat stains.

Not all washing machines have the capacity to handle large comforters, so you may need to take yours to a laundromat or a specialist dry cleaner if you have a queen size comforter or bigger.

What is the best comforter for summer?

For the hotter summer months, choose a lightweight and breathable comforter with a low fill power (the lower the fill power, the cooler the comforter). A lightweight comforter allows you to get cozy without weighing you down or causing you to overheat. Some comforters can be used year-round, but if you find yourself regularly waking up sweaty, it's best to switch to a summer comforter.

In addition, the best comforters for summer are easy to wash. We're more likely to suffer from the night sweats during warmer months, which can damage your bedding. As well as staining the sheets, excess moisture from sweating can seep into the comforter, creating the perfect breeding ground for mold, bed bugs, and other nasty things. After a particularly sweaty night being able to machine wash your comforter keeps your bedding fresh.

Finally, if you've been using a cozy flannel cover on your comforter over the winter, pop this off when the weather starts to heat up. Some comforters can be used without a cover, but if yours can't, switch for a breathable, lightweight fabric.

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