A Guide to Comforter Fillings: Find Your Perfect Match

Choosing the proper filling for a new comforter might be difficult. Numerous choices are available, each with its own advantages and disadvantages. In this article, we'll walk you through the world of comforter fillings to help you choose the one that best suits your requirements.

What is the best comforter filling material?

Think about the required amount of warmth, allergies, and personal preferences when selecting comforter fillings. Excellent insulation can be found in natural materials like down or feathers, while synthetic fabrics like polyester are hypoallergenic and simpler to maintain. Before deciding, take into account aspects like weight, breathability, and price.

Silk

A natural material called silk is produced by the mulberry silkworm in its cocoon. It contains 25% of the protein sericin and 75% of the protein fibroin. The silk thread from a single cocoon can be as long as 800-1200 m.

Silk is extraordinarily plush. Even most people with sensitive skin are not irritated by silk thread because of its extremely smooth surface. Silk is hygroscopic and efficiently absorbs moisture. The weight of silk is absorbed up to 30%. Silk naturally regulates temperature and helps you maintain a comfortable and cooler body temperature.

Due to the protein sericin, silk is the material that is the most hypoallergenic. The human body responds well to silk. Sericin stimulates the production of collagen and preserves the flexibility of connective tissue fibers, which benefits the skin.

Mulberry Silk

The best natural silk is called mulberry silk, and it is made by silkworms that are raised on particular farms.

• It is the finest silk available and cannot be duplicated or replaced.
• The entire silk production process is carried out by hand, and all of the natural characteristics and attributes of silk are preserved by not treating the silk with chemical substances.
• Mulberry long-fiber silk, with a fiber length of at least 1200 cm, is the best and most expensive type. It results from complete mulberry silkworm cocoons being unwound.

A caterpillar-damaged cocoon must be unraveled in order to create mulberry silk. The fiber is between 500 and 800 cm long. In terms of quality, it is inferior to long-fiber silk and has average levels of silkiness, hygroscopicity, and climate control.

Tussah Silk

A kind of wild silkworm known as the tussah lives in the wild and eats the leaves of various trees.

• Tussah fiber comes in a range of hues, from milky to yellow. The fiber is between 600 and 900 cm long.
• It is less expensive than mulberry silk since the cocoons are gathered in the wild.
• Tussah is a common filler for pillows and blankets that are also used to make beautiful fabrics at a modest cost.
• It possesses a medium amount of hygroscopicity, silkiness, and climate control.
• Togas products contain milk-colored tussah silk, which has not been further bleached.

Production of silk comforters

High quality silk comforters are traditionally made only by hand.

Several people stretch small pieces of silk to the desired size and lay them across the fabric in layers. And so on, layer after layer, until the amount of silk reaches the desired weight. For example, a summer blanket of 220x240 cm. weighing 1200 gr. requires 48 layers.

High quality, long-fiber, evenly laid crosswise silk forms a homogeneous, strong mass that is then hand-stitched around the perimeter of the blanket cover.

Wool

Wool is a natural material made from animal hair that is combed or sheared from a variety of species, including sheep, goats, camels, and others.

Hair that is pin-shaped, transitional, or downy makes up wool. Transitional hairs are a little softer and thinner than pin hairs, whereas down hairs are the finest twisted fibers. Pin hairs are thick and coarse. Products found in the Togas company store do not contain padded hair.

• Wool's limited heat conductivity and the hollow structure of the hair give it a good warming effect.
• Wool breathes well and is very hygroscopic (absorbs up to 33% of its own weight). Wool thus produces a "dry heat" effect by evaporating some of the incoming moisture while remaining dry to the touch.
• Because wool is a great thermal insulator, a blanket will keep you warm at night without being stuffy. This enables the year round use of wool products.
• Wool offers healing properties in addition to keeping you ultra warm especially on your king size bed.

Cashmere Wool

When compared to other types of wool, cashmere is a very fine and higher quality fiber that is regarded as the most exclusive and costly raw material. It is the down (undercoat) of goats that endure harsh temperatures (+40 C in the summer and -50 C in the winter) in high mountainous regions of Mongolia, India, and China.

Once a year, in the spring, when the animals are shedding, goats are combed out using specialized combs. Each cashmere fiber weighs between 100 and 200 grams after being combed out. The highly limited supply of much better quality cashmere on the global market is reflected in the high cost of cashmere duvet cover, it results in some low quality supply in the market.

Wool naturally comes in three colors: white, brown, and gray. The most expensive down is white. White Kashmiri down is used in Togas blankets and pillows. Other details include:

• Extremely warm: Cashmere retains heat exceptionally well, because it is found in regions with wide temperature changes.
• Lightweight: Cashmere is the thinnest material at 14-19 microns, making pure cashmere blankets the lightest among all types of natural wool.
• Soft: The incredible softness of cashmere is a result of the fiber's delicate structure. Cashmere has a surprisingly pleasing feel to the touch.

Camel Wool

In Tibet and Mongolia, two-humped Bactrian camels that are not in use produce camel hair from their downy undercoat, which is combed out once a year in the spring.

Yearlings, or taylaks, who have not yet been put to work, produce the thinnest wool with the highest down comforter. The down fineness of these animals ranges from 14.5 to 17 microns. With age, down becomes 19 m thinner.

• Lightweight: Sheep wool is twice as heavy as camel wool. 85% of it is made of down. The items are lighter and warmer when the down is finer.
• Warm: Contains 15% hollow hair, which improves its ability to act as a heat insulator. Although, this can be a safe haven for dust mites.
• Hygroscopic: Provides a completely dry heat impression by absorbing moisture and evaporating it while remaining dry to the touch.
• Therapeutic: A component of camel hair called lanolin is good for the body.

Merino Wool

The largest numbers of the fine-wool sheep known as Merinos are located in Australia and New Zealand. Wool output records are broken by merinos. A single animal can produce up to 15 kg of wool.

• Hygroscopic: Provides "dry heat" by absorbing moisture and evaporating it while staying dry to the touch.
• Breathable: Because the fibers are so springy, there is active air circulation.
• Therapeutic: The fiber's lanolin has a positive impact on the muscles and skin.
• Heat adjustable: Merino wool can keep your body temperature steady without overheating. Wool bedding is light and thin because it traps a significant amount of air inside a thick layer of fibers and with piped edges.

Wool quality criteria

The main indicators of wool quality are its fineness, curvature, length and color.

Fineness is the thickness or cross-sectional diameter of wool hair (from 14 to 45 microns). The thickness of the hair determines the softness and smoothness of the wool. The thinner the hair, the softer and thinner the product. Thickness is measured in microns (micron - µm). 1 micron = 0.001 mm.

Twist is a linear irregularity in the hair. The thinner a wool fiber, the more twisted it is. Down fibers have the most twist (4 to 12 twists per 1 cm of length). Thin wool with high tortuosity is characterized by good elasticity, strength and resilience, greater ability to retain heat.

The natural length of wool is the distance in a straight line between the ends of the fiber (from 5 to 45 cm). Longer fibers produce the smoothest and strongest yarn. The longer the fiber, the higher the price and the quality of the product made from it. It is measured in millimeters (mm).

The color of the fur depends on the presence of the smallest pigment granules of melanin in the cells of the cortical layer. The main colors of wool are: white, black, red, gray. White wool does not have pigmented fibers.

Why can wool of the same species vary greatly in value?

• The cost depends on the homogeneity of the fibers: wool, consisting mainly of down fibers, is a higher quality and more expensive material (e.g., cashmere consists of 100% down).
• The value of the wool depends on the age and living conditions of the animal: the wool of young animals is valued higher, because it consists mainly of down.
• The cost also depends on the type of wool: long thin fibers of equal length go to the production of expensive fabrics, in fillings for pillows and blankets of premium class. Thicker and less twisted fibers are cheaper raw materials that are not used in Togas products.

Care of wool products

• The best care for wool-filled products is professional dry cleaning
• If you want to clean the product at home, just hold it in a humid room, dry it and shake it
• You can ventilate outdoors once a month for 4-6 hours
• Products are sold in easy-to-store fabric covers that do not prevent air infiltration and will help extend product life
• Do not compress the product during storage
• Do not wash
• Do not use bleach
• No ironing

Fiber Fill Comforters

Climafiber

Climafiber is a viscose fiber with synthetic materials (Zawax particles) made from natural wax.

• Climate control: One of the characteristics of wax is ability of its molecular structure to quickly alter its aggregate state.

The Zawax particles begin in a solid state, and, after absorbing extra heat, start to soften and harden as necessary to release heat. The most comfortable sleeping conditions are created by the Climafiber filler, which "adapts" to body temperature even for hot sleepers.

• Environmentally friendly and safe: Climafiber is created from organic cellulose fibers. On the Greek island of Zakynthos, a partner apiary sells the wax for purchase. The low amount of wax used in the manufacture of Climafiber fibers prevents allergic responses.
• Easy care: It is simple to clean and dries quickly.

Milk Fiber

Milk fiber is a fiber that is made in a factory from milk protein that has been processed using cutting-edge European machinery. The milk protein casein serves as the foundation for the spinning solution and they are ethically sourced.

Only 3% of the ideal comforter weight of the original raw material is recovered as fiber. The manufacturing process is green in and of itself, and just like Down, it has a high fill power.

• High levels of amino acids, vitamins, and trace elements found in dairy fiber are similar to the equilibrium found in human skin.
• Fiber is very breathable and hygroscopic, allowing for adequate airflow while you sleep.
• Natural climate control: Fiber has certain qualities that boost comfort and contribute to better sleep both in the summer and during the cozy months.
• Fiber is hypoallergenic and safe: No synthetic materials.

Microfiber

Modern synthetic microfiber has threads that are no thicker than one micron. Microfiners are ten times as thin as natural silk, thirty times as thin as cotton, forty times as thin as wool, and one hundred times as thin as human hair. It is also a down alternative.

• High thermal insulation properties: Microfiber effectively retains heat because it contains numerous air cavities.
• Good moisture absorption capacity: Because the fibers are so extra thin, there is very little room between them, giving the fabric a sponge-like quality. These tiny pores between the threads allow moisture to quickly seep in and remain there. They are ideal for humid environments.
• Lightweight: Products are light because microfiber is so thin.
• Doesn’t take up space: Can be compressed into a tiny size.
• Easy care: The products are simple to clean and dry rapidly.

Microfiber with nano PCM capsules

A form of fabric known as microfiber with nano PCM capsules comprises microscopic capsules packed with phase change materials (PCM) that have been shrunk down to an extremely small size at the nanoscale. During phase changes, such as from solid to liquid or vice versa, PCM is a material that can absorb, store, and release thermal energy.

The nano PCM capsules can regulate temperature and raise the fabric's all-around comfort level when inserted into microfiber fabrics. When it comes to maintaining a certain temperature, such as in clothing, bedding, and car interiors, this technology can be quite helpful.

Generally, microfiber with nano PCM capsules is a novel material that provides enhanced temperature regulation and comfort, making it a popular option in a range of industries.

Siliconized 3D Fiber

Siliconized fiber is made from hollow polyester fibers that have been spirally twisted and silicone-treated. A sturdy, springy structure is produced by the filaments working together.

• High thermal properties: Air within the fibers helps retain heat because of their hollow structure.
• Longevity and durability: The unique hollow fiber architecture inside gives the product a volume and airiness that lasts the duration of its life.
• Easy care: Products dry rapidly and are simple to wash.

Elastic Foam with Memory Effect

The newest advanced material is viscoelastic foam made of water. The substance was created for the space sector. The aim of the technicians was to develop a substance that would ensure an astronaut's weight distribution was correct, especially when they were in a stationary posture.

• The unique cellular structure of the foam contributes to its excellent breathability and favorable air microcirculation.
• LIt’s safe and hypoallergenic, effectively absorbs moisture, and is an antibacterial substance.
• Under pressure from the human body, it does not distort, uniformly dispersing weight.
• The material promises a high degree of comfort and ideal cervical spine support.

Graphene Nanofibers

A layer of carbon atoms one atom thick is what creates graphene, a type of carbon nanomaterial. Stronger than steel by a factor of 200, graphene possesses a high mechanical stiffness. It is incredibly flexible, light, has high conductivity, and can store heat.

Even a small amount of graphene added to the fiber can change the properties of the material:

• Antistasis
• Hypercopicity
• Permeability to air
• Strong tensile capacity
• The greatest heat retention and distribution

Sensotex Eucalyptus Fiber

The Australian eucalyptus tree's wood is used to make the fiber, which is of vegetable origin. Eucalyptus fibers from specialized Australian farms are used to make textiles.

These eucalypts, which are only produced for commercial purposes, grow swiftly, reaching 1.5–2 meters in height after one year, 10 meters at three years, and 20–25 meters at ten years with a trunk diameter of 25–30 cm.

• Kefalis impregnation: Additionally, to strengthen the fiber, eucalyptus fibers are impregnated with a special Kefalis solution made from an Ionian Sea seaweed extract.
• High hygienic characteristics: In addition to having high thermal conductivity, dimensional stability, and hypoallergenic, breathable, and hygroscopic properties, fiber does not build up a static charge.
• Natural climate control: Fiber has certain qualities that promote comfort and contribute to better sleep both in the summer and during the colder months.
• Environmentally friendly: There are no chemicals utilized during manufacturing that contain chlorine.

Bamboo fiber

Bamboo wood is used to manufacture plant-based fiber. Untreated bamboo that is 3-4 years old is used to make bamboo fiber.

Chemical and mechanical processes are employed to create bamboo fiber, as well as enzymatic solvents. Environmentally speaking, the mechanical approach is better. The only way of producing the bamboo fiber used in Togas goods is mechanical.

• Bamboo fiber has high hygienic characteristics: Quickly absorbs extra moisture and quickly dissipates it because of its great breathability.
• Due to the lack of excess moisture on the skin, which promotes the growth and reproduction of germs, it has significant antibacterial and hypoallergenic qualities.
• Easy care: Washing these products are simple and they dry quickly.

To sum up

When choosing a comforter filling, consider factors such as warmth preferences, seasonality, personal preferences, weight, breathability and price. You should also consider any allergies or sensitivities you may have, as some materials are more hypoallergenic than others. It's also important to follow the care instructions for each specific material to ensure the longevity and performance of your duvet.

We hope this article helps you navigate the various comforter filling options available to find the one that suits your needs and preferences.