Warm Cotton Bedding
October 26, 2021 7:01 PM Subscribe
I need a new comforter. Or some equivalent item(s) to keep me warm in bed. For various reasons, I do not want down or wool. I am also not thrilled about synthetic fillings, so that leaves...basically cotton?
Despite all common advice stating that cotton bedding is "light", or "better for summer", or "good for hot sleepers", it seems like it must be possible to layer a few different cotton quilts/blankets/etc to achieve adequate warmth. I already have cotton flannel sheets, which make such a tremendous difference I cannot imagine winter without them. (I'm surprised nobody apparently makes a blanket that's just like 10 flannel sheets layered together, it seems like that would be warm as the sun.)
Have you achieved cotton blankety bliss? What's your setup? Any drawbacks? Any specific bedding items or features you recommend? Am I wishing for a unicorn here? Or massively overthinking things?
Full Criteria:
Reasonably warm. It gets plenty cold here, but we don't often turn the heat below upper 60s as it is. There is also a very warm cat in the mix.
Reasonably snugly. So many of the cotton bedding products I'm seeing online look flat and stiff like the blankets of my youth. I know I won't get down-style snugliness, but I don't want to feel deprived either.
Machine washable. Due to the warm cat also being rather barfy.
Despite all common advice stating that cotton bedding is "light", or "better for summer", or "good for hot sleepers", it seems like it must be possible to layer a few different cotton quilts/blankets/etc to achieve adequate warmth. I already have cotton flannel sheets, which make such a tremendous difference I cannot imagine winter without them. (I'm surprised nobody apparently makes a blanket that's just like 10 flannel sheets layered together, it seems like that would be warm as the sun.)
Have you achieved cotton blankety bliss? What's your setup? Any drawbacks? Any specific bedding items or features you recommend? Am I wishing for a unicorn here? Or massively overthinking things?
Full Criteria:
Reasonably warm. It gets plenty cold here, but we don't often turn the heat below upper 60s as it is. There is also a very warm cat in the mix.
Reasonably snugly. So many of the cotton bedding products I'm seeing online look flat and stiff like the blankets of my youth. I know I won't get down-style snugliness, but I don't want to feel deprived either.
Machine washable. Due to the warm cat also being rather barfy.
We got these silk filled comforters with a cotton shell from costco. They are great in my opinion, but a little expensive. Made by Smartsilk.
posted by wigner3j at 7:11 PM on October 26, 2021 [1 favorite]
posted by wigner3j at 7:11 PM on October 26, 2021 [1 favorite]
I have a quilt made with flannel, and stuffed with cotton batting and oh my it is the warmest and the best and snuggliest. Unfortunately, (for you) it’s a home made gift, so I can’t share a link.
posted by Grandysaur at 7:17 PM on October 26, 2021
posted by Grandysaur at 7:17 PM on October 26, 2021
Yes! A quilt made with flannel for the quilt top (part with the design on it) and/or the backing (the uh…back) will keep you very warm, even with cotton batting. I’ve also seen a quilter who uses linen backing and says it is so cozy!
Now the thing is, quilts are usually very expensive (because they’re fairly labor and materials expensive) or free (because a quilter loves you and it’s a gift). However, I’m betting if you hop on Etsy you could find someone who would make you a custom whole cloth quilt (that’s a quilt that has one piece of uncut cloth for the top and bottom), made with flannel or linen, for not too much. Especially if you don’t want a fancy quilt design.
posted by itsamermaid at 7:24 PM on October 26, 2021
Now the thing is, quilts are usually very expensive (because they’re fairly labor and materials expensive) or free (because a quilter loves you and it’s a gift). However, I’m betting if you hop on Etsy you could find someone who would make you a custom whole cloth quilt (that’s a quilt that has one piece of uncut cloth for the top and bottom), made with flannel or linen, for not too much. Especially if you don’t want a fancy quilt design.
posted by itsamermaid at 7:24 PM on October 26, 2021
I would say a downside (for me at least) is that cotton quilts and the like are heavier feeling than a typical comforter or duvet. Individual sheets of it don’t really hold the same shape/volume to allow for those air pockets that are the real insulators like down or synthetic fill does.
That being said I do agree that flannel sheets are just lovely in winter.
(I supposed you’ve tried/have reasons to not do an electric blanket or something similar?)
posted by raccoon409 at 7:24 PM on October 26, 2021 [1 favorite]
That being said I do agree that flannel sheets are just lovely in winter.
(I supposed you’ve tried/have reasons to not do an electric blanket or something similar?)
posted by raccoon409 at 7:24 PM on October 26, 2021 [1 favorite]
I sleep under a top sheet and a quilt with cotton filling. Depending on how cold it is, I layer woven cotton blankets between the two--right now I'm at two plus the sheet and quilt. They're pretty cheap, and it's easy to adjust the warmth level if you have a couple ready for the purpose.
posted by goatdog at 7:42 PM on October 26, 2021
posted by goatdog at 7:42 PM on October 26, 2021
There's always kapok:
Individual fibres are 0.8 to 3.2 cm (0.3 to 1.25 inches) long, averaging 1.8 cm (0.7 inch), with diameters of 30 to 36 micrometres (a micrometre is about 0.00004 inch). Kapok is a moisture-resistant, quick-drying, resilient, and buoyant fibre. The fibres contain both lignin, a woody plant substance, and cellulose, a carbohydrate. The inelastic fibre, or floss, is too brittle for spinning, but it weighs only one-eighth as much as cotton. The floss has been used in life preservers and other water-safety equipment, supporting as much as 30 times its own weight in water. Buoyancy is lost slowly, with one test showing only 10 percent loss after 30 days of water immersion. Kapok is also used as stuffing for pillows, mattresses, and upholstery, as insulation material, and as a substitute for absorbent cotton in surgery. Kapok is chiefly cultivated in Asia and Indonesia; the floss is an important product of Java. It is highly flammable, however, and the fibre’s importance has decreased with the development of foam rubber, plastics, and synthetic fibres.posted by jamjam at 7:50 PM on October 26, 2021
Yes, cotton insulated waffle-weave blankets are lovely, especially under another blanket. The weave creates pockets of warm air.
posted by The Underpants Monster at 8:23 PM on October 26, 2021
posted by The Underpants Monster at 8:23 PM on October 26, 2021
This no-sew pattern will create a simple blanket from two pieces of fleece. It's a quick evening project.
Use thin fabrics to achieve maximum snuggle factor, filling in all those cold pockets of air next to your skin.
Fleece doesn't fray when cut, so cotton flannel will need sewing around the perimeter instead of tying for the same effect.
Here is a quillow project which explains layering and sewing the sections together with an opening, turning inside out, then basting the opening shut (Step 4). I put the opening in the middle of a long side, since hand-sewing a corner shut is a tedious mess.
You can stabilize the fabrics in the center of the blanket by tacking (sewing a half-inch area and tying off the threads) with a large-eye darning needle and embroidery thread, approximately every six to eight inches. Some add a button or pom pom at each tack.
Flat sheets can be used, or panels can be sewn together in large squares or blanket-length strips.
Quilter's tips: Wash and dry the fabrics before quilting, since fabrics shrink. Trim off the selvage (bound) edges, since they shrink differently.
I would stick with an all-cotton project or an all-synthetics project. Flannel is cotton or cotton blend, fleece is synthetic. Match your thread to the fabric content.
I use large safety pins to hold my projects together as I sew them.
You can add several layers. Cleaning at home in a washer and dryer is harder with the extra mass.
Quilt batting is available by the roll, and should be quilted or tacked in several places in a blanket or large project. I would just use thin fleece or flannel layers as desired.
Throw a large flat sheet over the whole thing on the bed and you will be amazed at how much body heat is captured in these thin layers.
posted by TrishaU at 9:13 PM on October 26, 2021 [3 favorites]
Use thin fabrics to achieve maximum snuggle factor, filling in all those cold pockets of air next to your skin.
Fleece doesn't fray when cut, so cotton flannel will need sewing around the perimeter instead of tying for the same effect.
Here is a quillow project which explains layering and sewing the sections together with an opening, turning inside out, then basting the opening shut (Step 4). I put the opening in the middle of a long side, since hand-sewing a corner shut is a tedious mess.
You can stabilize the fabrics in the center of the blanket by tacking (sewing a half-inch area and tying off the threads) with a large-eye darning needle and embroidery thread, approximately every six to eight inches. Some add a button or pom pom at each tack.
Flat sheets can be used, or panels can be sewn together in large squares or blanket-length strips.
Quilter's tips: Wash and dry the fabrics before quilting, since fabrics shrink. Trim off the selvage (bound) edges, since they shrink differently.
I would stick with an all-cotton project or an all-synthetics project. Flannel is cotton or cotton blend, fleece is synthetic. Match your thread to the fabric content.
I use large safety pins to hold my projects together as I sew them.
You can add several layers. Cleaning at home in a washer and dryer is harder with the extra mass.
Quilt batting is available by the roll, and should be quilted or tacked in several places in a blanket or large project. I would just use thin fleece or flannel layers as desired.
Throw a large flat sheet over the whole thing on the bed and you will be amazed at how much body heat is captured in these thin layers.
posted by TrishaU at 9:13 PM on October 26, 2021 [3 favorites]
I almost bought this cotton fleece blanket from Garnet Hill. I only didn't because I ended up going with something lighter weight to layer with another bed cover. It looks really cozy though and so many great colors.
posted by brookeb at 10:52 PM on October 26, 2021
posted by brookeb at 10:52 PM on October 26, 2021
Best answer: I just bought the cotton fleece blanket that brookeb linked for my daughter. It seems to be quite warm for a cotton blanket. When it arrived it was gorgeously silky smooth, but it washed up feeling more like extra thick flannel.
posted by another zebra at 4:34 AM on October 27, 2021
posted by another zebra at 4:34 AM on October 27, 2021
We sleep on flannel sheets, topped with a an un-stuffed/empty flannel duvet cover, which functions nicely as a heavy cotton blanket. We add cotton quilts/coverlets as the temperatures drop.
posted by sarajane at 4:36 AM on October 27, 2021
posted by sarajane at 4:36 AM on October 27, 2021
We have a flannel sheet, cotton "thermal"blanket, and light cotton blanket. We fine tune with one or two fleece throws as required. (We keep our bedroom pretty cold.)
posted by SemiSalt at 5:18 AM on October 27, 2021
posted by SemiSalt at 5:18 AM on October 27, 2021
Here to second kapok, often called "vegan down".
posted by SinAesthetic at 5:53 AM on October 27, 2021
posted by SinAesthetic at 5:53 AM on October 27, 2021
I have this cotton fleece blanket. It's reversible, machine washable, and pretty warm. I can imagine that if it were layered with flannel sheets it would be pretty toasty. It was not cheap, but it is super soft and very high-quality.
posted by bedhead at 9:04 AM on October 27, 2021
posted by bedhead at 9:04 AM on October 27, 2021
Best answer: I love this all cotton quilt (also from Garnet Hill). It’s currently layered on top of linen sheets and a light silk duvet and makes a difference in warmth. Very toasty and soft and I like it so much I’ve bought two more throw sizes for sofas and chairs.
posted by girlalex at 9:14 PM on October 27, 2021 [1 favorite]
posted by girlalex at 9:14 PM on October 27, 2021 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Thanks everyone for the input and confidence boost to pursue cottony goodness! I'd already been eyeing that Garnet Hill fleece blanket, but had not seen the Dream Quilt. I bought them both and layered them up on the bed, and it's so nice and cozy in there. It's a different kind of cozy than a traditional comforter, but I'm liking it. A+ result, thanks team!
posted by gueneverey at 6:19 PM on November 14, 2021
posted by gueneverey at 6:19 PM on November 14, 2021
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Alas, they are all homemade, so I can’t recommend brands or anything. There are often old quilts at my local thrift shop, but it’s hard to know the fiber content there. Maybe an Etsy quilter May have something? Is there a quilting club in your area?
posted by The Underpants Monster at 7:10 PM on October 26, 2021