Best warm comforter 2025 – ultra-weight options to keep cozy in cold weather

The weather may be warming up, but for some of us, sleeping cold is a year-round struggle. When you sleep with the best warm comforter, you can cuddle up without worrying about lumps, bumps, or cold patches.

As the resident Sleep Editor at Homes & Gardens, I lead a team of expert testers in search of the world's best duvet inserts. Together, we represent a wide range of ages, sleep styles, and body types, and we live right across the country, from hot and humid cities in the South to snow-capped corners of the Pacific Northwest. We've already crowned the best cooling comforter for hot sleepers, so now it's time to find an ultra-warm insert for colder weather.

We assess each comforter against the same criteria: thermoregulation; ease of care; look and feel. Where we haven't been able to get our hands on a comforter, we've scoured the specifications and read countless customer reviews to make sure we're recommending quality. Thick and fluffy, the Boll & Branch Ultraweight Down Duvet Insert ticks all our boxes, but you might find that another warm comforter better meets your needs. That's why I've ranked and reviewed six of the best warm comforters to suit every style of sleeper and size of budget.

Best warm comforter 2025 − 6 tested options, at a glance

Below, you'll find a bite-size summary of each comforter, outlining what it costs, who it suits, and a few key pros and cons. To learn more about a particular product, keep scrolling, or press 'read more below' to jump to that section. There, I've listed the need-to-know specs before diving into the details.

The best warm comforter overall

The Boll & Branch Down Duvet Insert is our reigning champion for the title of 'best comforter', so it should come as no surprise that the Ultraweight option is the best warm comforter for cold sleepers and winter weather. If you're looking for one comforter to see you through the year, I suggest you opt for the Midweight Insert, instead.

This comforter is filled with real duck and goose feathers, ethically sourced from American farms to meet the Responsible Down Standard. That means every stage of production, from farm to factory, is investigated by an independent organization to uphold the highest standards of animal welfare.

The down is held inside the comforter using a baffle-box construction. That's not the same as box-stitching, which are the little lines you see on cheap quilts. Baffle-boxes are fabric walls inside a comforter which help to keep the fill in place. That means no lumps, no bumps, and no cold patches if you're sharing a bed.

I couldn't review the Boll & Branch Down Duvet Insert without mentioning the price. At full price, a Queen-sized comforter retails for $519. You might be able to save a few dollars when you shop the bedding sales, but that's still a lot of money to spend on a comforter. To get a similar look and feel for a less, I recommend the Brooklinen Down Comforter.

Ultraweight Down Duvet Insert | Was $559, now $519 at Boll & Branch

Whether you're sleeping in a colder climate, or you run cold all year round, you can keep cozy with the world's best warm comforter.

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The best warm down comforter

A lot of down duvets are filled with individual feathers. These feathers hold heat and keep you cozy, but their stalks can break through the cover of your comforter to scrape and scratch your skin. That's why Brooklinen fill their duvets with down clusters, the fluffy bits of feathers, which deliver the same warmth and a softer feel.

The Brooklinen Down Comforter comes in three weights: lightweight, all-season, and ultra-warm. I tested the All-Season option, which I found a little thin for early spring and late fall, though it really came into its own over summer. If you live in a cooler climate, or you like to cuddle up in the colder months, you might appreciate the Ultra-Warm option.

Unusually for a down duvet, this comforter is hypoallergenic and suitable for sensitive sleepers. It's treated with ultra-fresh antimicrobials, which work to kill the bacteria that breed in hot, damp environments, such as bedrooms. The down itself is ethically sourced from Canada and certified by DOWNMARK for sustainable practice from farm to factory.

Perhaps it goes without saying, but if you prefer to purchase vegan products, then you'll need to consider down alternatives. The Woolroom Organic Washable Wool Comforter is a good organic option.

Brooklinen Ultra-Warm Down Comforter | Was $499, now $424.15 at Brooklinen

Create a beautiful bedspread with this real down comforter, with plenty of air pockets for natural puff.

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The best warm down alternative comforter

Many of the best warm comforters are filled with real down, which holds heat and air to create natural loft and cozy comfort. However, there's one big downside to down duvets. Since they're stuffed with duck and goose feathers, down comforters cannot be classed as vegan. If you're keen to avoid animal products, you might sleep more comfortably with a down alternative duvet.

The Quince Ultra-Warm Premium Down Alternative Comforter boasts a 4.9 average star rating from 2,130 verified reviews. 'My husband made fun of me for talking about this purchase so much,' reads one recent review. 'We've always used standard bed-in-a-bag bedding. Since sleeping with our new comforter last night, he conceded that we now have the most comfortable bed known to man.' High praise, bolstered by hundreds more five-star ratings.

Down alternative duvets tend to be easier to wash and dry, and this one is no exception. All you need to do is throw it in the washing machine on a cold cycle and tumble dry on low. Give it a good shake as you take it out of the dryer and it should look as good as new.

As a general rule, down alternative is far more affordable than down, and that's true in this case. A Queen-sized Quince Ultra-Warm Premium Down Alternative Comforter retails for $119.90, which is just a quarter of the price of the Boll & Branch Ultraweight Insert. Still, you get what you do (or don't) pay for – a lack of natural loft, which makes for a slightly flatter and less impressive bedspread.

Ultra-Warm Premium Down Alternative Comforter | Was $299, now $149 at Quince

The comforter of choice for vegans, sensitive sleepers, and buyers on a budget.

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The best value warm comforter

This might not be the best warm comforter, but it's far and away the most affordable. Retailing for less than $50 for a Queen, the COHOME Winter Comforter is 10 times cheaper than the Boll & Branch Down Duvet Insert. Granted, you won't get the same plush comfort, but you'll save hundreds of dollars.

The COHOME Winter Comforter comes in every size from Twin to California King, with the addition of Oversized Queen and Oversized King for a dramatic drape. The comforter comes in a range of cool neutral shades to complement any bedroom color palette, from a classic light gray to a chic navy blue.

The COHOME Winter Comforter boasts a 4.5 average star rating from more than 18,000 verified reviews on Amazon. 'I wanted a nice comforter that would keep me warm but not too warm to the point where I would overheat,' reads one recent review. 'It's hard to tell how a comforter will feel online, but I've had this COHOME insert for a week now and I love it. Very soft and neither too hot nor too cold.'

Rather than down or down alternative, this duvet is made from and filled with polyester. While it lacks the loft of real feathers or the breathability of lyocell, this polyester piece should keep you warm through the winter.

COHOME Winter Comforter | Was $45.90, now $39.90 at Amazon

If you're buying on a budget, and you're keen to keep warm this winter, this COHOME Comforter is your best option.

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The best organic warm comforter

When you're shopping for the best warm comforter, don't limit yourself to down and microfiber. 'Down alternative' is a broad term that embraces breathable bamboo, smooth silk, and even sheepskin. Organic wool is a natural thermoregulator, and this Organic Washable Wool Comforter is a great option for cold sleepers and eco-conscious shoppers.

According to the Woolroom Clean Sleep Report, wool is exceptionally adept at moisture-wicking, able to hold up to a third of its weight in water before it evaporates first thing in the morning. It's just the thing to combat night sweats and hot flashes, which can strike in the depths of winter just as often as the height of summer.

When I went on the Woolroom Sleep Retreat back in Spring 2024, I got to sleep under the Organic Washable Wool Comforter. I had my doubts: it was a cold night in February, and this light layer didn't look thick enough to keep me warm. The next morning, I had to eat my words. I didn't wake up once in the night and I stayed just the right side of warm and dry.

Compared to the COHOME Winter Comforter or the Quince Ultra-Warm Premium Down Alternative Comforter, this insert is on the more expensive side, but it's still more than $100 cheaper than the Boll & Branch Duvet Insert. I say it's worth saving for.

Woolroom Organic Washable Wool Comforter | Was $625, now $406.25 at Woolroom

Sleep like a sheep in this organic wool comforter. The wool is totally traceable, so you can identify the exact farm and flock that helped to make your comforter. Talk about transparency.

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The best luxury warm comforter

'The Sferra Somerset Duvet was just the glow up my bedspread needed,' says expert tester Alex Frost. 'I have five children, so my bedroom often feels more like a group hangout than a luxurious hotel-like getaway. Sferra products help to transport me to another place where sleep is not only possible, but enjoyable.'

The Sferra Somerset Duvet is available in three weights: light, medium, and heavy. Alex started testing the Medium density in the depths of winter in Cincinnati, where night-time temperatures often dip below zero, and she found that the Sferra Somerset Duvet kept her toasty warm. If you're a very cold sleeper, you could always upgrade to the heavier density.

Filled with white goose down and wrapped in a cotton sateen shell, the Sferra Somerset Duvet feels light and fluffy. The comforter is finished with cotton ticking to keep each down cluster in place, so there are no lumps, bumps, or cold patches.

It's impossible to review the Sferra Somerset Duvet without mentioning the price: $1,672 for a Queen. That's four times more expensive than the Brooklinen Down Comforter, and it doesn't perform four times as well. Also, the corner loop and tie system is pretty fiddly: it took Alex a full 15 minutes to secure her comforter inside her duvet cover.

Sferra Somerset Duvet | $1,672 at Sferra

It's rare to see Sferra products listed for less in the monthly bedding sales, but no matter: Alex says the Sferra Somerset Duvet is worth saving for.

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Best warm comforter − Honorable mentions

Together, our expert team has tested a total of 12 comforters. Our top six represents the best of the best for breathability and value for money, but I wanted to shout out two more of my favorite comforters that might meet your needs.

• Saatva Heavyweight Comforter: Our former Sleep Editor, Jaclyn Turner, sampled this ultra-weight insert out as the Atlanta weather turned from winter to spring. 'I'm a hot sleeper, but I still like to sleep with a layer,' says Jaclyn. 'I like cuddling up in cozy season, but I don't want to overheat. I was pleasantly surprised to find I could still sleep comfortably in milder temperatures, though I wouldn't want to sleep under the Heavyweight Comforter in summer. Still, as a down alternative option, the Saatva Heavyweight Comforter lacks a little loft.'
• Avocado Alpaca Duvet Insert: much like the sheep wool inside the Woolroom Organic Wool Washable Comforter, alpaca wool makes a natural moisture-wicker, while the organic cotton shell feels cool to the touch. The only reason the Avocado Alpaca Duvet Insert didn't make the main buying guide is because the Woolroom comforter is that much more affordable.

How we test comforters

I lead a team of expert testers in the search to find the world's best warm comforter. First, I scour the sites of the best places to buy bedding to create my testing shortlist. Then, I match each comforter to a tester. For a warm comforter, I'm looking for testers in colder climes. We test each comforter for a minimum of 30 nights before we write our initial review to get an indication of long-term performance.

We assess each comforter against the same criteria: look and feel; thermoregulation; and ease of care. To describe look and feel, we consider the fill inside the comforter as well as its fabric shell. The best warm comforter should feel fluffy, comfortably weighty without feeling oppressive. To assess thermoregulation, we switch off our HVAC systems to sleep through heat waves and cold snaps, making note of any nights we wake up in a sweat. The best warm comforter should still be breathable: you need natural fibers to enhance airflow and wick away moisture. To assess ease of care, we wash the comforter midway through testing, considering whether lumps and bumps emerge after washing.

We also consider the construction of the comforter, paying close attention to the fill distribution, overall fluffiness, and any unpleasant odors. Where possible, we like to compare our findings against verified customer reviews to get a better picture of long-term performance. Finally, we bring it all back to the price of the comforter to help you determine value for money.

How to choose a warm comforter

Our former Sleep Editor, Louise, has a whole feature on how to choose a duvet for winter. Here are the three key considerations to keep in mind.

Choose the right warmth level

Many of the best places to buy comforters offer multiple densities to suit different styles of sleepers and kinds of climates. You'll see some variation on Lightweight, All-Season, and Heavyweight comforters in most specialist sleep stores.

If you're shopping for a warm comforter, then you might be tempted to spring straight for the Heavyweight option, but I'd urge you not to rule out an All-Season comforter. It depends how warm you want your comforter to be: whether you want something versatile for year-round use that keeps you warm in winter, or whether you live in a cooler climate and you need a cozy comforter to keep warm at night.

Factor in fill power

If you're shopping for a down comforter, then you'll read references to fill power, which measures how much space down clusters occupy inside a comforter in cubic inches per ounce. A comforter with a higher fill power should trap more air, which helps to keep you warm without adding weight. A fill power of 600 or 700 should be sufficient to keep you warm in cold weather.

Consider sizing up

Sizing up your comforter is one of the easiest ways to make a bed look more expensive. Some brands, including COHOME at Amazon, stock sizes such as Oversized Queen and Oversized King. If you're shopping elsewhere, you'll just need to go up one size: a Queen comforter for a Full bed, a King comforter for a Queen bed, and so on. That way, you get a dramatic drape and more material to keep you warmer.

FAQs

How can you measure the warmth of a comforter?

There is no universal standard for warmth: measurements may vary between brands. Some stores keep it simple with words like 'lightweight, 'mid-weight' or 'all-season', 'heavy-weight' or 'ultraweight'.

Other brands talk in terms of 'tog', which stands for 'thermal overall grade' and indicates the heat retention capacity of a comforter. In other words, the higher the tog, the warmer the comforter should feel. Tog is rated on a scale of 1 to 15, so the best warm comforter should come in somewhere around 10 and 15 tog. It's worth working out what duvet tog you need before you start shopping.

Is a comforter warmer than a quilt?

Yes, a comforter is almost always warmer than a quilt. A quilt provides a single layer of insulation stitched into a fabric cover, while comforters come stuffed with fluffy down or other thick fibers. Quilts are great for layering as we transition between seasons, but if you tend to run cold or you live in a cooler climate, you'll be better served by a warm comforter.

If you're wondering when to switch to a winter comforter, then you're in luck: our expert panel of bedding designers and product testers can tell you everything you need to know about switching up your bedspread with the seasons.