While we love the luxury and longevity of a natural down comforter, we understand they’re not for everyone. Whether you’re working with a budget, living a vegan lifestyle or suffering from allergies, during your search for a comforter that meets your needs, you’ve likely stumbled across the term “down alternative” and wondered what exactly it means.

Simply, the “alternative” refers to hypoallergenic synthetic microfibers that replicate the richness and insulating power of natural down. Just as with down, down alternative comforters use “fill power” as a measure of the loftiness of the comforter. The higher the number, the better the insulation quality.

While natural down comforters make a great investment since they tend to last longer, down alternative comforters have their own benefits. They’re less expensive, easier to clean (they can often be machine washed) and better for people with allergies.

Plus, when you invest in high-quality down alternative comforters, like our All Season and Lightweight options, you’ll experience a similar sleep-on-a-cloud effect as you’ll find with down. Our microfibers are produced to exacting standards to ensure they feel as close to the real thing as you can possibly get.

So, if you’re not down with real down for whatever reason, there’s no need to sacrifice that sleep-on-a-cloud feel. Give down alternative a try—we have a feeling you’ll be pleasantly surprised.