Best warm comforter 2024 − ultra-weight options for cold sleepers and winter weather

There's nothing like a duvet day in the depths of winter. When you sleep with the best warm comforter, you can cuddle up without worrying about lumps, bumps, or cold patches. A quality comforter will be breathable, too, wicking away moisture to keep you just the right side of warm and dry.

There are down duvets, filled with real duck and goose feathers, as well as down alternative comforters to suit sensitive sleepers and vegan shoppers. 'Down alternative' is a catch-all term that encompasses wool, silk, bamboo, and thermoregulating fibers. In short, there are so many kinds of comforters that it can be difficult to know where to start.

That's where I come in. As H&G's resident sleep writer, I lead a team of expert testers. Together, we've slept under some of the best comforters money can buy. We've already crowned the best cooling comforter for hot sleepers, and now it's time to find an ultra-warm insert for winter weather.

Best warm comforter 2024 − ranked and reviewed

Our experts test comforters for thermoregulation, fill distribution, noise levels, and – you've guessed it − comfort. 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 every size of budget.

Best warm comforters 2024 – at a glance

Below, you'll find a bite-size summary of each comforter, outlining the key pros and cons. To learn more about a particular comforter, keep scrolling, or hit 'read more below' to shortcut 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.

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. If you live in a cooler climate, or you like to cuddle up in the colder months, you might appreciate the ultra-warm option. This comforter comes in every size from Twin to California King. Perhaps it goes without saying, but it bears repeating that the larger and thicker the comforter, the more expensive it is.

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 Ultra-Warm Comforter should keep you just the right side of warm and dry, while combatting microbes, mold, and mites. The whole thing is wrapped in a sateen shell that feels soft against your skin.

However, like a lot of down products, this duvet insert doesn't wash well. Brooklinen recommends spot cleaning smaller spills and stains and dry cleaning when necessary: you shouldn't run this comforter through the washing machine. Since you only need to wash your duvet insert once a season, this isn't a dealbreaker, but it is irritating.

You can find more detail in our Brooklinen Down Comforter review.

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 of all kinds, 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.

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.

Rather than down or down alternative, this duvet is made from and filled with premium 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 is neither a major home retailer nor a specialist sleep store, but their Winter Comforter boasts 14,000 five-star reviews on Amazon. Happy customers rave about the versatility of this all-season comforter, though a few complain that it takes a long time to wash and dry.

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 $100 cheaper than the Boll & Branch Duvet Insert. I say it's worth saving for.

The best luxury warm comforter

The Cozy Earth Silk Comforter boasts a 4.9 average star rating from 1,026 verified reviews. 'This comforter offers more than just comfort,' enthuses one recent customer. 'The bamboo shell is incredibly soft to the touch, wrapping you in a cloud of warmth without ever feeling heavy. It's the softest and coziest comforter I've ever slept with.'

Silk is so much more than a status symbol. It's naturally breathable, capable of keeping you cool in the summer and warm in the winter. It's seriously sumptuous and makes for a beautiful bedspread: the same sort of loft as natural down, without any of the animal products.

Silk is naturally antimicrobial, built to bust the bacteria that breeds in warm, damp environments, such as beds. It's a great option for anyone who suffers from night sweats. Plus, it's hypoallergenic, so it's soft against the skin of sensitive sleepers.

Unsurprisingly, the Cozy Earth Silk Comforter is on the more expensive side: prices fluctuate, but it tends to sit somewhere between the $400 and $500 mark. For a more affordable down alternative option with a similarly luxe finish, I suggest you shop at Quince.

How we test comforters

I lead a team of expert testers across America in the search to find the world's best comforter. Together, we represent a wide range of sleep styles, body types, and ages: comb through our back catalog of reviews and you should be able to find someone who sleeps like you. Our team spans the breadth of the country. Some of us are sleeping in sunny Texas, while others are weathering winter in Washington. To find the best warm comforter, I appoint the testers who sleep in cooler climates and tend to run cold.

Our testers sleep with comforters for at least 30 days before they report their findings to give the most accurate indication of long-term performance. While they sleep, they're considering comfort, thermoregulation, noise level, and fill shifting. The best warm comforter should keep you cozy without overheating, so thermoregulation is key.

We also consider the construction of the comforter, playing close attention to fill distribution, fluffiness, and any unpleasant odors. Finally, we bring it all back to the price of the comforter to help you determine value for money. To learn more about how we test at Homes & Gardens, consult our expert guide.

How to choose a warm comforter

Our former sleep writer, Louise, wrote a whole feature on how to choose a duvet for winter. If you don't have time to read the whole thing, don't worry: here are the three key considerations to keep in mind.

• Warmth levels: you might find that one comforter comes in several warmth levels, ranging from lightweight to heavyweight. You want the latter for the best warm comforter. Some bedding brands talk in terms of 'tog', so it's worth working out what duvet tog you need before you buy.
• High fill power: if you're shopping for a down comforter, then you'll read references to fill power, which measures how much space the down clusters take up in cubic inches. The higher the fill power, the more space the clusters take up, which traps air to keep you warm without adding weight. A fill power of 600 or higher should keep you warm in winter weather.
• Baffle-box construction: you might not recognize this term, but you'll know it when you see it – the vertical walls of fabric inside the comforter which help to keep the fill in place. When fill is evenly distributed, there shouldn't be any lumps, bumps, or cold patches.

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'. If you're shopping for the best warm comforter, you should narrow your search to all-season or heavyweight options.

Some 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.

You might also read references to fill power in down duvets. Fill power measures the space that 1 oz of down would take up in cubic inches. A higher fill power indicates fluffier down and, often, a warmer comforter, since the extra air pockets can hold more heat.

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. If you tend to run cold or you live in a cooler climate, you'll be better served by a warm comforter.

Final thoughts

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 sleep with the seasons.