Can we talk comforters?

[Valerie226]

DH and I bought a new truck camper combo. We are SO pleased with it!. We have a light weight blanket and a insulated blanket but the season is changing and we want a down or down alternative comforter. I am only finding white, and I don't want white... or to mess with clipping a duvet cover over the comforter.

Where's a good place to find reasonable quality but not $$$$ expensive ( it IS a camper) comforters? I've tried Target , Macy's, and costco without luck.

[Robyn1007]

Why don't you want a cover? I would think that in a camper it would be even better as comforters are hard to wash but duvets are incredibly easy.

[mkc]

Down comforters aren't supposed to be washed very often. I don't recall the exact reason, but I think because it can cause the fill to break down and also to shift. That's why they make the covers. Cuddledown makes some nice ones (and they have a fantastic outlet in Maine if you ever travel there).

Michelle

[wallycat]

Have you tried overstock.com or linen's and things (if yours aren't closed yet) or bed bath and beyond?

You may also want to check out Land's End outlets and what about sierratradingpost.com (search for comforters) ...they have great deals.

[Shugness]

I just looked at comforters on line - try overstock.com and JC Penny's outlet - if you go to their website at jcpenny.com the outlook tab is over to the right of the screen.

[Valerie226]

In my experience, the clips to hold duvet covers to the corners of the comforter don't work well. the ones at home fall off regularly but the camper has no room to wrestle the cover off, turn inside out, reclip, etc. If there's something better than padded clips, I want to know about it! Costco has some nice down comforters but white so they need a cover.

It wouldn't need washing often...we'd only use it a few weeks a year. most of the year down is too warm. down compresses better than synthetic and space is more of an issue here. we don't travel with pets or kids.

washing a queen down comforter would need a commercial machine. It's easy to tear out the stitching that separates the down sections because it gets so heavy when wet. I'd prefer a synthetic but DH is fixated on down so it depends on what shows up.

I'll look online at all those places. I forget which of the linen places still exist here, the close by ones closed.

[suebear37]

There's a Camping World in Burlington (also one in Tacoma) which doesn't look like it's too far from you. They might have something that would work for you, especially if it's an odd dimension like so many camper beds are. Check online first before you make the trek!

[Gumbeaux]

Originally Posted by Valerie226

washing a queen down comforter would need a commercial machine. It's easy to tear out the stitching that separates the down sections because it gets so heavy when wet. I'd prefer a synthetic but DH is fixated on down so it depends on what shows up.

I agree with your thinking. Personally, in a camper situation, I would rather have an easy care down substitute like PrimaLoft and I would get the comforter in brown or any color other than white.

[BucknellAlum]

LandsEnd has comforters in colors other than white (and possibly LL Bean, although I didn't check there). Also, Linens N Things is no longer open in brick and mortar stores, but they have launched an online store, so check that out.

[Valerie226]

I've been looking... it's a camper... there's no room it to extend much past the sides of the bed... bed is over the truck cab. storage cabinets on all sides. So although it's a queen size bed I don't think I need a queen size comforter.
It's also clear... down comforters pretty much come in white. If I want a color.. it's a cover or down alternative.

the main reason for down is it's warmer than synthetics. we do winter camping. it's really hard to sleep with a heater going on and off so we usually turn it off and rely on bedding to stay warm.

[applecrisp]

Is the Company Store website/company still around? I know in the past they sold down comforters in different colors. A few years back, a neighbor ordered a comforter etc from their sale section.

If you haven't checked already, Amazon might be an option.

[Valerie226]

Yes company store is still around & they do have colors but they're pretty potent colors. there were two things they had in pastel that are possibilities.
I'm trying to avoid specific 'camper" stores since they are usually way over the top on pricing for things available everywhere else.

the camper interior is off white, tan, brown and a sage greenish gray print. So no strong patterns. it came with an avocado green bed spread which I cancelled since I have never recovered from avocado overload from the 70's.

I didn't look at amazon yet but will.

[BucknellAlum]

Here is a reversible tan down comforter. Is this kind of what you were looking for?

http://www.landsend.com/pp/Reversibl...1&origin=index

[Gilgamesh37]

Originally Posted by Valerie226

If there's something better than padded clips, I want to know about it!

2 yrs ago I bought us a new down comforter from the Company Store; it was on sale and pretty reasonable, although I don't recall the exact price. It's sort of a brownish, so it wouldn't show dirt too much. But I'd never use it without a cover. I bought one from Company Store and it doesn't use clips--in fact, the fit is so snug that I have to lay it out on the floor and physically crawl inside to fit the corners, then slide back out and really kind of shove the bottom part into the pocket before doing the buttons. I didn't explain that well, but anyway, it doesn't use clips and it doesn't shift around.

For upstairs, where the duvet cover for the small comforter is way too big (a sheet sewn together), I get the duvet in properly and then just get some thread and do a big tacking stitch (essentially a big X, looped over maybe 6-8 times) in each corner. Holds it in place through the winter and when I want to wash the cover (no pets, so usually only 1 a season and then when we put them up for summer) I just snip the stitch and pull the threads.

[Valerie226]

I saw the tan one ( thank you for the link) at Lands End. I'm trying for sage green in a heavier comforter.

I called The Company Store. they send material swatches! when I print their web page the sage green turns to avocado. Hopefully IRL it's more sage color. If the color is good I'll probably get that one. will take a comple weeks to get it. Thanks everyone for your input.

[Beth]

We ordered some things from Company Store when we moved my mom -- it was a bad time of year to find Twin XL anything. Some of the colors were hard to tell about and some were more what I expected than others. If you are trying to get a certain color, I think getting swatches is a good idea. They are very nice to work with. I think I am going to get their microfleece sheets for my mom for Christmas or her birthday. They are one of the few things in the catalog I just got in Twin XL.

You might be able to get a full, especially if it is super-size -- but remember that it has to go up and over you and back down again, so it isn't just the sides of the mattress you need to cover.

[Robyncz]

I have down comforters on every bed in my house and have for years. I wouldn't use any of them without covers. The covers are easily washable; the comforters are not.

That being said, I've NEVER owned a duvet cover with any kind of "clips." I've had a couple that had ties on the inside corners, but I never use them. If the cover if the right size for the duvet, everything pretty much stays where it's supposed to. And in the unusual case that it doesn't, just grabbing two corners of the duvet and cover and giving the whole thing a good shake pretty much solves the problem.

[Beth]

I tried the clips once -- they didn't work any better than an occasional shake down.

[Valerie226]

we have a down 'alternative" comforter in a duvet in our bedroom. it's much heavier than down and slips around inside. It migrates to the side or to the bottom and without clips it would not work at all. It's warm and functional except for slipping around all the time if not attached. At one time I sewed velcro on to attach it to an old duvet. then switched to clips.

DH drips coffee on the top so I wanted something easier to wash than down. the coffee goes right thru the duvet and stains whatever is inside. actually can't really see it on the duvet but the white comforter sure gets stained. DH won't give up his "coffee in bed" so we settled on the down alternative.

[blazedog]

I hate comforter covers -- I have never found one that didn't shift. I hate putting them into the **** covers and I also don't like the way the cover changes the way the down comforter falls around me.

Down can be put in a washing machine as long as it's big enough. Fake down or polyester is even easier to wash.

[Valerie226]

I've spent time on macy's web site looking at duvet covers ...they cost as much as an entire down comforter, even on sale! I, of course, only like the expensive ones, though I'm fairly limited by colors/ patterns already in the vehicle.
I'm waiting for the fabric swatches ... that would be the simplest if the color is OK. .