Choosing the best quilt material for your requirements is difficult if you don’t know the features of each material. BetterBed brings you 5 types of quilt materials in this guide – feather and down, cotton, wool, bamboo, and synthetic, so you can choose the one that best suits your preferences and requirements. Let’s get started!
1. Feather and Down Quilts:
Feather and down quilts have duck or goose feathers and down as the quilt filling. Down refers to the down clusters that grow under the feather layers; they don’t have a quill and are very resilient.
Down has a super fine and soft texture and its interlocking structure traps multiple tiny pockets of air between the down filaments. This provides increased loft to feather and down quilts and makes this material one of the lightest and best natural insulators, even though down by itself does not have any heat.
To compare the warmth provided by different feather and down quilts, you need to look at the fill weight. As a rule, the higher the amount of down content in a feather and down quilt, the loftier, and warmer it will be. This means that a 1250g 90/10 percent feather and down quilt will be warmer than an 850g 90/10 percent feather and down quilt.
Also, goose feather and down is considered superior to duck feather and down as geese are more adapted to colder climates and so their feather and down is more suitable to combat colder weather.
Benefits of a feather and down quilt are:
- Natural fill type
- Lightweight
- High loft
- Breathable
- Durable
- Regulates Temperature
2. Cotton Quilts:
Cotton is a natural fibre that offers high breathability and is lightweight. Cotton is cooler than synthetic quilt fills and is considered a good quilt material for a summer quilt. A cotton quilt is also ideal for hot sleepers as it regulates body temperature and has moisture-wicking properties.
Cotton quilts also come in different weights denoted by their gsm (grams per square metre) numbers. For the warmer months of summer and late spring, a 280 gsm cotton quilt is ideal, while for the cooler months of autumn and winter a 350 gsm cotton quilt will work best.
Benefits of a cotton quilt are:
- Natural fibre
- High breathability
- Moisture-wicking properties
- Lightweight
- Hypoallergenic
3. Wool Quilts:
Wool is a natural fibre and a renewable resource. Wool has been used to provide warmth for centuries now and there are many reasons for its continued popularity. Wool has the ability to create a microclimate and regulates temperature in a way that keeps hot sleepers cool and cold sleepers warm. This makes wool quilts an ideal choice if you are sharing a quilt with a partner who has different warmth needs.
Wool also repels moisture, which prevents the growth of dust mites and bacteria that tend to thrive in humid spaces. Wool quilts are available in different weights – a thick wool quilt sits flatter compared to a microfibre or down quilt as it does not have as much loft; it also feels heavier.
If you want a warm winter quilt, choose a winter quilt between 400 to 500 gsm, and if you want a wool quilt that you can use throughout the year, pick a quilt between 250 to 350 gsm.
Benefits of a wool quilt are:
- Natural fibre
- Breathable
- Regulates temperature
- Repels water
- Durable
- Fire-resistant
- Renewable resource
4. Bamboo Quilts:
Bamboo is another natural and environmentally-friendly fibre that makes lightweight and comfortable quilts. Bamboo has natural temperature regulating properties, which help keep you cool during summer and warm during winter. This property makes bamboo quilts ideal for use throughout the year.
The biggest advantage of using bamboo quilts is bamboo’s natural resistance to bacteria, mould, odour, and fungus. This improves sleep health and also makes bamboo blankets more durable.
Bamboo also actively takes away moisture from your body, helping you sleep more comfortably and without sweating.
Benefits of a bamboo quilt are:
- Natural fibre
- Breathable
- Regulates temperature
- Absorbs moisture
- Durable
- Eco-friendly
- Hypoallergenic
5. Synthetic Quilts:
Synthetic quilts refer to quilts that have made-made or artificially manufactured fill. The most common types of synthetic fills are – standard polyester and microfibre.
Microfibre quilt fills are made of extremely thin polyester fibre (about 0.7 denier). Due to its fine texture, microfibre makes the quilt lightweight and warm and resembles a down quilt in the comfort it offers. If you are allergic, then microfibre quilts are an ideal alternative to traditional down quilts as these synthetic fibres are hypoallergenic.
Standard polyester quilt fills are also made of synthetic fibres but these are two times thicker than microfibres. Producing standard polyester fibres requires less time than creating microfibres and so, standard polyester quilts are cheaper than microfibre quilts. However, like microfibre quilts, standard polyester quilts are also hypoallergenic.
Benefits of a synthetic quilt are:
- Easy to care
- Affordable
- Lightweight
- Hypoallergenic
Conclusion
So, here you have the five types of quilt materials – wool, cotton, feather and down, bamboo, and synthetic fibre, with all their benefits, Whether you are looking for material with high loft, a cool, lightweight feel, or an affordable hypoallergenic option, there is something for everyone here. To browse through the best quilts and make the right choice for yourself read BetterBed’s article – The Best Quilts, Duvets and Doonas in Australia.
