Five Nifty Tips For Buying Queen Comforters

Owners of queen sized beds naturally need queen comforters as part of their bedding collection.

However, you shouldn't just choose any comforter, nor should you necessarily choose based only on the price of the bedding.

So how do you really get the best comforter ?

Below, you will find the top five tips to keep in mind when shopping for and buying queen comforters from online sources:

1. Size: Before you decide to purchase a queen comforter, determine if you wish to use a bed skirt with the comforter or if you want the comforter to come all the way down to the floor. If you have a regular bed frame and you prefer your comforter to touch the floor, you may want to choose a king sized comforter instead of a queen.

If you have a lower, platform-style bed and you do not want the comforter to touch the floor, you may want to choose a full sized comforter instead. Use a tape measure to measure the area you wish to have covered by the comforter or duvet before buying. Online sites offering comforters should include the measurements of each comforter so you can be sure which item is best for your needs.

2. Care Instructions: Many queen comforters have care instructions indicating they are machine washable and can be dried in an automatic dryer. However, what isn't noted is the fact that many models of home laundry equipment can not withstand the heavy load of a large comforter after it becomes wet.

Many comforters weight several pounds dry, and when water is soaked into the comforter and filling, they can weight 40 pound, 50 pounds, or even more. After all, one pint of water weights about a pound. It is quite easy to ruin home laundry equipment by laundering your large comforter.

Instead, consider going to the local laundry and washing in a large, commercial machine. The larger machines which open on the front can wash the comforter better and ensures that your home laundry equipment does not experience any abuse. If you wish, you can have the comforter washed for you at a laundry or dry cleaner service.

Some queen comforters require dry cleaning due to the fabrics used to construct the bedding. Do not assume that you can get away with washing the comforter instead of dry cleaning. Comforters are too expensive to take a chance on ruining your bedding to save a few dollars.

3. Filling: Comforters are filled with fibers which are often polyester. Some are filled with down, feathers, or cotton. This filling provides the loft, or full, fluffy feeling desired in a comforter. Online, filling content should be clearly listed. If you have allergies, you may wish to choose a filling recommended by your doctor or one that is filled with a registered trade mark filling called Allergy Control.

4. Construction: A comforter can include anything from a low-quality fabric bag filled with fibers to a well-constructed, long-lasting construction such as baffle box which keeps the filling in place and prevents bunching.

Choosing a queen comforter or duvet that will last means that you select one of the basic comforter construction techniques that ensure quality is used in manufacturing the bedding.

Channel construction means that columns, either horizontal or vertical, are sewn through the fabric, both top and reverse, of the comforter, and each channel is then filled.

Karo-step construction refers to sewn crosses which help keep the filling in place. Ring stitch means that small dots are sewn through the top and reverse fabric.

Sewn box construction refers to sewn horizontal and vertical lines which create boxes of four to eighteen inches which are then filled.

Baffle box construction refers to a thin fabric which connects the top and bottom fabrics of the shell and provides extra loft or fluffiness.

Framed baffle box adds frame stitching along the four comforter sides. Perhaps the most effective, but also the most expensive construction choices are the baffle or framed baffle.

Avoid the comforters which are simply bags filled with fibers because they will bunch and be ugly after only one or two launderings.

5. Personal Preferences: It doesn't matter how expensive or how affordable a queen comforter may be when purchased; if you do not love the comforter, you will not enjoy using it.

Choose colors you love which also fit into your bedroom color pallet. Choose tailored styling if you like the structured look, but if you are a more casual person, choose rounded corners for draping. If you like to change looks, select a comforter which is reversible, providing two looks for the price of one.

If you like to mix and match, you'll want to buy your comforter as a single item and choose linens and accessories to blend. If you like simple, fast and easy shopping or do not like to experiment with color mixtures, then a comforter bedding ensemble, bed-in-a-bag, or even a room-in-a-bag may be better for your needs.

Always remember, price does not always reflect quality. When shopping online, look for sources which provide complete details on the queen comforters, not just a picture. The facts contained in the product detail area on the merchant site offers you crucial information about the product quality you will receive when your bedding selection arrives.