A warm-weather comforter that's heavy and cool

September 3, 2009 2:37 PM

My spouse is desperately looking for a "summer comforter", that is at the same time heavy and not-too-hot!

We've tried a normal polyester comforter (heavy enough, a little too hot) and a duvet-style comforter from Target that was labeled "Warm" (certainly heavy enough, also a little too hot). On the other end, the single-layer woven blanket that I use isn't heavy enough. He hates having multiple layers of sheets/blankets, which is why I think a duvet is the way to go.

Now, I'm looking for the softest, thinnest duvet insert to see if that will satisfy him. But it seems like "heavy" and "breathable enough to be cool" are mutually exclusive. Does anyone have experience finding a good summer comforter? Is there a particular insert material we should be looking for? Is there a good way of evaluating the warmth of a duvet insert before we buy it?

posted by muddgirl to shopping (25 answers total)

Have you checked out The Company Store? A lightweight down (or synthentic) blanket works nicely.
posted by mandymanwasregistered at 2:42 PM on September 3, 2009

I think it's the "heavy" requirement that's going to make this hard, since heavy pretty much automatically translates to "trapping more heat". Maybe look into a silk comforter? They're very cool, but not heavy, although they have a certain, er, "fluffiness" that might appeal to your spouse more than a blanket would.
posted by Diagonalize at 2:43 PM on September 3, 2009

I think the "heavy" part is a little Freudian - like he wants a womb experience without all the trapped body heat. But what can I do? :)
posted by muddgirl at 2:45 PM on September 3, 2009

Do you have an Ikea nearby? I use their lightweight down comforter in summer and switch to a heavyweight one in winter. Mine is certainly warm and has heft but I don't get too hot at night.
posted by sugarfish at 2:45 PM on September 3, 2009

I've found great summer weight comforters at both Ikea and Overstock.com, with the Overstock comforter preferred. $35 for the King Size - I know!!

I like comforters with feathers inside of them, and I think this is why those comforters were so great. They felt big w/out the over-heating issue.

I would try Macy's, too.

People argue about differences in feather quality - duck, goose, whatever. Can't say I've ever noticed a difference there. What does make a difference is the quality of the cotton (softer is better) and the type/amount of stitching throughout. You want the feathers or stuffing to stay in their assigned "zones" for the life of the comforter. Inexpensive doesn't have to be cheap.

When it is really hot, I've also used the duvet cover without the comforter inside. I think that solution might speak to the ideal sensation your husband wants to create.
posted by jbenben at 2:49 PM on September 3, 2009

I also use a duvet cover (just the cover ... no blanket inside) to solve this problem.
posted by shownomercy at 2:52 PM on September 3, 2009

I like comforters in summer, too. The one I'm currently using is a wool duvet from New Zealand - I use this one year-round, it's warm in winter and not to hot in summer. Prior to receiving this duvet as a present, I had a quilted silk summer duvet (Koreans use comforters or duvets all year round, with different materials and fillings for winter and summer ones). The silk duvet isn't hot, but didn't have that "heavy" feeling your spouse wants.

This looks like the wool duvet I have.
posted by needled at 2:58 PM on September 3, 2009 [2 favorites]

What sugarfish said. Ikea has a thin summer quilt I use most of the year in Austin except when the weather gets really cold for those two or three days in a row when I need the thicker comforter. Ikea has a scale of heat values that helps you pick the right one other than the "thin one" or the "thick one".
posted by birdherder at 3:00 PM on September 3, 2009

They make everything better in New Zealand.

Thanks for link needled, I couldn't picture what you meant by "wool duvet" until I clicked over:)
posted by jbenben at 3:06 PM on September 3, 2009

I also have a very nice summer-weight comforter from Ikea! You might check out their different weights in the store showroom.
posted by Greg Nog at 3:09 PM on September 3, 2009

I picked up a microfiber blanket/comforter from Target last year. It's sort of a shaggier velour. It is NOT fleece. And it is not that spongy hotel blanket stuff. Just flowy and velvety. And it doesn't trap too much heat. I use it year 'round, with extra layers in the winter.
posted by gjc at 3:30 PM on September 3, 2009

I use an afghan (similar) that my mom crocheted for me. It has holes in it which allows the heat to escape, but is heavy enough that I feel secure at night.
posted by idiotfactory at 3:39 PM on September 3, 2009

I've seriously considered that a light chainmail 'blanket', laid over a light sheet, would be just about perfect in summer - lots of weight, little heat retention.

I'll let you know if I ever find a cheap way to make this happen. ;P
posted by Elysum at 4:09 PM on September 3, 2009 [2 favorites]

I've seriously considered that a light chainmail 'blanket', laid over a light sheet, would be just about perfect in summer - lots of weight, little heat retention.

I'll let you know if I ever find a cheap way to make this happen. ;P

ACTUALLY, my mother-in-law solved this problem! I, too, seek "heaviness" in my blankets, and one of my favorite blankets of all time is a knit/crocheted blanket that she made us of very soft and heavy acrylic yarn. It has a lot of open space in the weave, so it's not too hot, but all of the yarn needed to make that weave has made for a blanket that feels very heavy, and really drapes on you. Highly recommended for the all-purpose throw.

As for the heavy summer comforter, I am watching this thread closely, as I crave the same. I do fear that, as someone has already noted, heavy is the enemy of cool in the land of comforters.
posted by tigerbelly at 4:24 PM on September 3, 2009

I have actually had the same dream as Elysum for a few years now. Chain mail blanket seems like the awesomest way to solve this problem, if a bit . . . inconvenient.

Cotton can be relatively cool while being relatively heavy, and crochet is actually a great way of using up a lot of yarn while managing something that is substantial and yet holey.
posted by that girl at 5:09 PM on September 3, 2009

Seconding a wool duvet. I am in the US and got one online for a very reasonable price from Amazon. It seems a miracle, but it is heavy, cool in summer and warm in winter. Also, no shifting or feather escaping--the wool batting it's stuffed with also seems to resist losing loft and always seems 'fresher' smell-wise than any down duvet I've ever had (including pricey ones). This is the one we have (225.00) though we snagged it on sale for 160.00 (and the bedding sales seem to happen fairly often).
posted by rumposinc at 5:17 PM on September 3, 2009

garnethill.com has what your'e looking for
posted by Zambrano at 5:39 PM on September 3, 2009

we use an old-school quilt in the summer. if you look for a really old one, they are made of feedsack material, and they are physically heavy, but made of breathable cotton.
posted by Medieval Maven at 6:09 PM on September 3, 2009

i'd second the company store's summer-weight comforters.
posted by brainmouse at 6:38 PM on September 3, 2009

I, too, use a cotton quilt or coverlet in the summer. It feels heavy but doesn't trap warm air like a comforter does. I got mine at Target, and have also seen good prices on them at Marshall's or places like that.
posted by apricot at 6:41 PM on September 3, 2009

I use a heavy knit cotton blanket in the summer for exactly this reason. It has enough weight to be comfortable, but it's not really warm. My SO hates that blanket, so I wrap myself in it like a cocoon.
posted by OLechat at 7:15 PM on September 3, 2009

Nthing the cotton quilt. Look for one with cotton batting and a dense quilting lines. It will be plenty heavy and not at all fluffy and insulating.
posted by rebeccabeagle at 7:42 PM on September 3, 2009

What I use is a duvet cover with different insides for the season. Winter gets a heavy feather comforter, summer I run a light sleeping bag (one of the square kind, unfolded) inside. What's nice is you can have something that looks good and is adjustable for any temperature.
posted by 6550 at 8:01 PM on September 3, 2009

I know the exactly dilemma - you want to feel cocooned but not hot! I prefer a quilt in the summer...it's 'heavy' but not hot. I have one from Target.
posted by radioamy at 8:55 PM on September 3, 2009

I've heard of people making quilts with marbles sewn in for weight. Don't know if you can buy them anywhere.

You could buy two single-layer woven blankets and have a seamstress sew the edges together, forming a double thickness of blanket without the sliding about of multiple layers.
posted by yohko at 9:30 PM on September 3, 2009