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Goose down comforters are already a luxury, but for true connoisseurs nothing will ever beat an eiderdown comforter. The ultimate in lightness and luxury, eiderdown is so rare that a king sized comforter can cost over $10000. Do not expect to find a quality eiderdown down comforter for less than $2000 for a twin comforter.
If you want to know just how warm and light eiderdown feels, the closest approximation I can give you is to imagine the warmth and lightness of the very best quality white goose down with 800+ fill power. It's like sleeping in a weightless cloud of spun silk in front of a cozy fireplace during the winter. I did have a chance to sleep under an eiderdown comforter once when I stayed in Japan, and texture and feel of the comforter was unimaginable. The price of eiderdown seems exorbitant, but it is worth it.
Today we will look at two eiderdown comforters available in the US for under $10000. Daniadown's eiderdown comforter and Bedding by Eve's eiderdown European batiste down comforter are both made by companies specializing in eiderdown bedding with over 40 years of experience. Unlike regular goose down which comes from geese farmed for meat, eiderdown is harvested by hand from abandoned Eider duck nests in the wild. As eiderdown is never plucked from live birds it is truly cruelty free. If you care about animal welfare but love the feeling of down, an eiderdown comforter will be worth the high price.
What is eiderdown and why is it so expensive?
The most expensive down in the world, eiderdown is gossamer light. So airy and soft that you will only feel weightless warmth when you're surrounded by eiderdown. Unlike regular down, eiderdown sticks together like velcro. These interlocking feathers create a filling that is lighter than goose down while trapping more heat.
Compared to domesticated geese, eider ducks only exist in the wild. Eiderdown is harvested and sorted by hand from the abandoned nests of the eider duck. It takes over 9 hours of labor and processing for each piece of eiderdown to get from a wild nest to your comforter.
Each year there's only enough eiderdown harvested to fill a thousand or so comforters. It takes more than 60 abandoned nests to fill just one queen sized comforter. Currently only Iceland, a handful of Northern Scandinavian countries, Germany, and Canada produce eiderdown for export. There is some eiderdown from Russia, but most of that is kept for the domestic Russian market.
While there are millions of goose down comforters made every year, each eiderdown comforter is truly rare and a luxurious indulgence. There are only a handful of small family owned bedding companies that make eiderdown bedding.
These factors together with the increasing demand for eiderdown is the cause for the extremely high price of eiderdown.
Caring for your eiderdown and comforter repairs.
Always use a cover - no exceptions! Spot clean to blot out stains and never wash your eiderdown comforter in your washer. Washing an eiderdown comforter at home or at an inexperienced dry cleaner can damage the eiderdown. Soaps and hot water can dry out the eiderdown and make it brittle. Your once airy eiderdown comforter would become flat and heavy.
A properly covered eiderdown comforter should last a lifetime.
- You should never have to clean your comforter more than once every five years.
- I like to air my comforters out annually by hanging it out in the sun once every summer.
- You should fluff your comforter and rotate it every couple of days to redistribute the down.
If you must have your comforter laundered or have any loose stitching or tears, take your comforter to a French laundry that specializes in down bedding. They will know how to mend any tears. Some will even replace the thinning fabric completely and create a new comforter for you using your original eiderdown stuffing.
I know several French laundries in California, Kansas, New York, and the UK that have an excellent reputation with down comforter repairs. You may need to ship your comforter to them by mail if you don't live nearby. Send me an email if you would like their contact information.
Buying Guide
A good eiderdown comforter should last a lifetime so make sure you know what you want and what to look for before you buy.
- Because eiderdown locks together differently, fill power is not an adequate way to rate eiderdown warmth. Make sure the filling is "pure Icelandic eiderdown" and not a mix of other types of down.
- Your eiderdown comforter should absolutely have baffle box construction. At this price point and given the high-loft nature of eiderdown, there is no excuse for cheaper quilt stitching.
- The fabric of your eiderdown comforter should be Swiss or German cotton batiste with a 300+ thread count. This is a specially woven type of cotton fabric that's well suited to eiderdown. It allows maximum airflow and is lighter than comparable cottons with the same thread count.
Daniadown Duvet Collection Eiderdown Comforter
Daniadown's comforter is filled with 100% Icelandic eiderdown. Get it for less than $5000.
The best eiderdown comforter I found for less than $10000 is the Daniadown Eiderdown Comforter.
Made by Daniadown Quilts, a family run bedding company, their eiderdown comforter is made in Canada with 100% pure Icelandic eiderdown and Swiss cotton.
Daniadown's eiderdown comforter has true baffle boxes which allow the eiderdown inside to expand to 2+" of height. The edge area is double stitched on all four sides of the comforter. This way the down will stay in the center of the comforter and won't shift and clump together at the edges and corners.
The company offers a 30 day money-back guarantee and a 10 year product warranty.
The Good
- Quality materials. Made with 100% Icelandic eiderdown inside and 300 thread count Swiss cotton fabric for the maximum warmth while remaining light and weightless.
- The eiderdown filling has been cleaned with their "Ultra-Fresh" process to hypoallergenic standards.
- The filling is held in place with real baffle boxes so the eiderdown can fully expand. There's double stitching around the edges so the down won't travel to the edges of the comforter after a couple of years.
- Comes with a 10 year manufacturers warranty (contact 1-800-663-9088 for support) and a 30 day return and exchange policy from the store.
- Made in Canada by a family owned company with experience and skill in creating eiderdown bedding.
- Available in all sizes from twin to queen and king and even an extra large super king (112" x 100").
The Bad
- You can't comparison shop. Amazon is the only online retailer with this eiderdown comforter at this price. I did find another bedding store that carried this eiderdown comforter, but they're located in Canada and I'm not sure if there would be import taxes or customs duties on such a high priced item. Plus buying from across the border always adds complications to customer service and returns/exchanges.
- This comforter is only available online as part of a special orders program. Because eiderdown comforters are not as commonly sold as regular goose down comforters it will take 6-10 days to process your order.
- Only available in medium (all-season) warmth. If you need an extra warm or a lighter eiderdown comforter you'll want to take a look at the [European Batiste Eiderdown Comforter][#also-good] from Bedding by Eve.
What do people have to say about Daniadown?
Excellent Service as a first time user Customer Service agent was so helpful and the item came so fast and it was exactly what I wanted. THANK YOU SO MUCH Christine from Anaheim, CA on wayfair.com
I love visiting Daniadown just so that I can touch the soft bedding. The sales people are very nice about it. They have some gorgeous stuff. If you want 600 thread count sheets come here. They also carry duvets, towels, and other stuff for the home. http://www.yelp.ca/biz/daniadown-home-vancouver
Features
- 300 count Swiss cotton shell keeps the eiderdown from leaking out but is light enough not to weigh down heavily.
- Pure Icelandic eiderdown inside real baffle boxes means this gossamer light comforter expands to over 2" of loft.
- See the full features
Average Price: $2,700-$4,805*
If you are looking for a quality eiderdown comforter that you can use all year round, then you should get Daniadown's eiderdown comforter. At under $5000 for a king size comforter, it is one of the best deals I've found for American customers.
Eiderdown European Batiste Comforter
Need an extra light or extra warm eiderdown comforter? The European Batiste comforter comes in over 4 different levels of warmth so hot and cold sleepers can find their perfect comforter.
While I think the Daniadown comforter is the best overall choice, the lack of choice in warmth levels did drive me to find another choice. Some people want a lighter eiderdown blanket for spring or summer or even an extra warm eiderdown comforter for Arctic winters. If this applies to you then the European Batiste Eiderdown is the comforter that you've been looking for.
While the prices for the warmest king size go over our $10,000 budget, there is a very good reason for this. A standard all-seasons (medium warmth) king size eiderdown comforter will contain around 34 oz. of down filling. The European Batiste comforter stands out as there's over 45 oz. of eiderdown filling for the "level 3" and 60 oz. of filling for the "level 4" models.
This means that the most expensive "level 3" and "level 4" comforters have double the amount of eiderdown filling and are really only appropriate for the coldest Arctic winters.
On the other end of the spectrum, this comforter also comes in lighter warmths for the warmer months. If you need a gossamer light eiderdown throw to keep away the chill of your air conditioner, then the "blanket", "throw", and "level 1" models of the Eiderdown European Batiste Comforter are what you need.
The Good
- Made with pure Scandinavian eiderdown gathered and processed under strict standards for environmental and animal welfare. The lightest and warmest down in the world is an environmentally friendly luxury.
- The shell is 100% German batiste cotton. Tightly woven but light enough not to crush the eiderdown or feel heavy. Certified to be free of toxins and harsh chemicals according Oeko-Tex standards.
- Made in the USA.
The Bad
- Only the level 3 and level 4 comforters have baffle boxes. The lower warmth levels are merely stitched. This is unacceptable for a comforter over $1000.
- Level 3 and 4 king size comforters cost over $10,000. This is over our $10,000 budget, but reasonable for the amount of eiderdown filling. You should get the less expensive "level 2" comforter if you need a medium warmth comforter.
Features
- Made in the USA from European materials and certified to be safe and free of harsh chemicals.
- Comes in very light and very warm models. The warmest "level 4" comforter has 60 oz. of eiderdown filling. This is extremely warm and may be too hot for most people. For comparison, medium-warmth (all-season) king size eiderdown comforters usually have about 34 oz. of filling.
- See the full features
Average Price: $2,399-$13,560*
Bedding by Eve's eiderdown comforter comes in 4 levels of warmth so you can find the perfect comforter to fit your needs. While the lighter warmth comforters do not have real baffle boxes, the choice of eiderdown comforters is limited for American customers. Unless you want to import your comforter from Europe, this is a minor trade-off. The level 3 and 4 comforters do have baffle boxes and the extra warmth is perfect for very cold winter nights.
Conclusion
Daniadown's eiderdown comforter is the best all-around choice. It is the perfect warmth for all but the most extreme winter temperatures and the sub $5000 price point is unheard of especially for a a product that's made in Canadian with all European materials.
The comforter comes with a 10 year warranty from the manufacturer and a 30 day exchange/refund policy from the retailer. Unless you relish the idea of dealing with borders and customs and importing a more expensive eiderdown comforter from Europe, you should get the Daniadown eiderdown comforter.
*at the time of publication
