If you want the ultimate in bedding luxury then down filled silk bedding is a great option. Silk down bedding is generally higher maintenance and requires dry cleaning for the silk. Most silk bedding products are not made with machine washable grade silk fabric. Due to the fine nature of silk yarn most silk down bedding comes in higher thread count ranges from 400 and up. Most silk bed pillows feature a removable silk protector – so to wash the pillow you would remove the outer protector. You could then machine wash your pillow and send the protector to a dry cleaner. This is a much cheaper option then sending the whole pillow to the dry cleaner.
To see all of DOWNLITE’s Silk bedding options try doing a search on our website for the phrase Silk.
Do you have allergies to down bedding or think you are? We get a lot of folks who call and write to us about allergy concerns from down to dust mites. There are several important factors to consider when evaluating bedding allergies. Aside from down allergies some consumers want the luxury of down but a lower price point and for those consumers we have a collection of luxury down alternatives to choose from.
If you think you have allergy issues or are buying bedding for your family or house guests we recommend PrimaLoft – which is a luxury Down Alternative filling material. Not only does PrimaLoft mimic the hand and feel of down filling but it keeps a warmth level equivalent to a 550-600 fill power white goose down. PrimaLoft also has a permanent antimicrobial treatment in the fibers that will not wash out. PrimaLoft is used in bed pillows, comforters, mattress pads, pillow forms and on occasion fiber beds (soft beds).
To see all of DOWNLITE’s PrimaLoft bedding options try doing a search on our website for the phrase PrimaLoft.
Comforter or Duvet?
Most American consumers call down filled top of bed products a comforter. When abroad or even in the hospitality industry a comforter is called a duvet. So when searching for a comforter you will likely see it on our web site referenced as a comforter. To most American consumers a Duvet is the decorative protector used in combination with a comforter. A duvet is a comforter protector that covers a comforter and is closed via buttons or a zipper. When it comes time to launder the bedding – the duvet can be removed for easy cleaning and the comforter has to be washed less.
To see all of DOWNLITE’s comforter options try clicking on the comforter navigation button on the left hand side of the page or try doing a search on our website for the phrase Comforter.
Feathers or Down?
Down is the light fluffy coating beneath the feathers of ducks and geese. Each down cluster is made from thousands of tiny fibers, like little cotton balls between the bird's skin and feathers. Mother Nature created down to keep water fowl dry and warm when they swim around in the water. One down comforter provides the warmth and temperature control of 14 wool blankets, but because of down's natural ability to pull moisture away from the skin you never wake up hot and clammy in the middle of the night.
High quality down comes only from ducks and geese. Chickens and other birds do not produce down because they do not spend a significant portion of their lives in the water. 85% of the world's production of down and feathers comes from Asia; the remaining 15% is generally produced in Eastern Europe. Farmers who raise ducks and geese for their meat sell the unprocessed feathers and down to processing companies around the world, so no usable part of the bird is wasted.
Down clusters are naturally very durable, it is not uncommon for people to use a down bedding product for a dozen years or more before replacing it. Down is also naturally flame retardant, making it an excellent choice for safe sleeping.
Down and feathers come in various shades ranging from pure white to black speckled gray. There is a premium on pure white down and feathers because of their ability to visually blend better when filled into white bedding products, but the color does not affect the down's loft or warmth. As consumer taste for lighter bird meat increases, white down and feathers are becoming more abundant.
Blanket or Comforter?
DOWNLITE primarily makes filled bedding so on our site we have two top of bed options – comforters and blankets.
A comforter is usually filled with down or down alternative and has stitched boxes ranging in size from 10 inches to 16 inches. The larger the box size the higher the fill power or more filling is needed to keep the square fluffy. Comforters are generally best suited for fall/winter usage as they tend to be better in heat retention when compared to a blanket.
A blanket is usually filled with down or down alternative and features smaller stitched boxes ranging in size from 4 to 6 inches. Blankets typically are larger than comforters as they are meant to be tucked under the mattress for a hotel look. Blankets frequently have a decorative element such as satin binding or a self flange. Blankets are a great summer weight bedding option. They can be paired with a comforter in winter for extra warmth. Most blankets are machine washable in a home washing machine set up.
Feather Bed or Mattress Pad?
A feather bed is a bedding item used on top of your mattress and is filled with a blend of down and feathers. Some feather beds feature a top layer whether it be down topped or polyester pillow topped. Feather beds generally are 3 to 5 inches in height and feature baffle box chambers to keep the fill separated and easier to fluff and maintain.
A mattress pad is generally used over your mattress and features a stretchable skirt or sometimes anchor bands to keep it in place. Typically mattress pads are no thicker than one inch. Mattress pads also can feature special treatments such as a water resistant layer.
Mattress pads protect your mattress while feather beds or fiber beds add fluffy comfort.
A feather bed and a mattress pad can be used together based on the size of the mattress pad skirt or anchor bands. The average consumer mattress is appx 12 inches in height. So if you have a feather bed on top of your mattress your mattress pad can be applied on top of the feather bed if it has a skirt that is appx 16 inches or more in height. If your mattress pad has a smaller skirt you can place it over your mattress and below your feather bed. As another option if you have a down topped feather bed you might not want to interfere with the softness of the down material and keep your mattress pad below your feather bed. If you have a dog, baby or generally spill items in your bed frequently you might want to opt to keep a water resistant mattress pad on top of your feather bed. Generally feather beds are not machine washable due to their size and should be spot cleaned. We do recommend adding a feather bed protector when buying a feather bed or even to cover an older feather bed and extend its life.
Tommy Bahama Bedding?
DOWNLITE is an officially approved manufacturer and retailer of Tommy Bahama Bedding. In some test markets you will find Tommy Bahama bedding in stores based on seasonality. On our website you may preview and purchase limited edition versions of the items including Tommy Bahama Pillows, Tommy Bahama Blankets and matching accessories. Please note we currently do not sell Tommy Bahama fashion bedding - we only manufacturer the bedding basics goods such as outlined above. |
