Tips for Choosing a Comforter for Every Room
The best comforter for every room comes down to style, comfort, intended use, and personal preference, as every sleeper is unique. In some rooms, luxury and lasting quality may be key, while durability and ease of care take precedence in others. Affordability and versatility are top priorities when choosing a comforter for college dorms or short-term rentals. Regardless of the setting, selecting the right comforter is essential for transforming a room into a comfortable, inviting space for rest. From the primary suite to a first apartment to your Airbnb, we’ve rounded up all the places you may want to use a comforter and offered recommendations for the best options for each.
Choosing Comforters for Each Bedroom
Strategically selecting a comforter and other bedding for each room in your house will ensure comfort for each person who sleeps there. When choosing the best comforter for any given space, consider style, comfort, materials, and intended use. Here, we take you through the house room by room, offering our expert recommendations for comforters for the primary suite, guest bed, and kids’ rooms.
Best Comforters for the Primary Suite
For the primary suite, indulge in a long-lasting, high-quality down comforter. If you live or sleep alone, the choice here is simple: Choose the comforter that best suits your comfort level or sleep style. An all-season comforter layers well with other bedding items for versatility as the weather changes. Or, invest in more than one top layer, choosing a lightweight comforter for summer nights and an ultra-warm option for winter’s cooler temperatures.
The decision becomes more complicated if you and your partner have different sleep temperature preferences: You can always add layers but can only take so many away. We recommend choosing a dual-weight comforter, which includes two separate warmth levels, so both can get their best rest. Alternatively, you can choose a comforter weight that works for the partner who sleeps warmest, then top the other half of the bed with additional warm layers to give the cooler sleeper more warmth.
The Best Comforters for the Guest Room
Choosing a comforter is just one step in setting up a welcoming guest room, but it’s an important one. This central bedding piece will influence how comfortable guests are during their stay. The secret to making a bed when you don’t know the sleeper’s preferences is to focus on layers. Choose a lightweight or all-season comforter you can layer with other appropriate bedding pieces. For extra festive fun, add a seasonal duvet cover to welcome holiday guests. Or, brighten a comforter by adding a duvet cover in a colorful print perfect for summer’s warmer days. Bonus: Because our premium down alternative and RDS-certified down fills are hypoallergenic, you don’t have to worry about potential sniffles when choosing a comforter for the guest room.
The Best Comforters for the Kids' Rooms
When choosing a comforter for your kid’s room, prioritize breathability, comfort, and durability. It must be able to stand up to busy, bouncy kids and their inevitable messes. The best kids’ comforters feature cotton percale or jersey knit shells, with low-maintenance down alternative or polyfill. We recommend machine-washable bedding for kids’ bedding layers, including the comforter, so it’s easy to clean after accidents or spills. For the holidays, you can always mix things up in the kid’s room with a festive flannel comforter or duvet cover sporting a charming seasonal print.
Quick Tips for Choosing Comforters for Other Locations
Whether it’s a short-term rental or a college dorm, the bedding in a home-away-from-home should be just as comfortable as what you’re accustomed to in your own room. Here are our recommendations for the best comforters for these semi-permanent spaces:
- College Dorm: Choose a Twin XL comforter for the college dorm, in a design your student loves and a material durable enough to stand up to heavy-duty daily use. (Our College Bedding Buying Guide offers more insight into choosing the best bedding for a dorm-bound student.)
- First Apartment: Young adults outfitting their first apartment may prefer a down alternative comforter, which comes at a lower price point but offers similar loft, warmth, and comfort as a premium down-filled comforter. They come in the same range of stunning solid colors and beautiful prints, but are a budget-friendly, easy-care option perfect for a first apartment.
- Short-Term Rentals: Smart short-term rental owners know that they must balance the comfort of their guests, the ease of cleaning, and the overall cost when choosing bedding. If you’re furnishing an Airbnb or VRBO, pair a solid-color comforter or duvet insert with a cover that fits the space’s aesthetic. A duvet cover is easier than a comforter or insert for cleaning crews to launder between stays, but it preserves the lofty, inviting look and feel guests love.
- Campers and RVs: Adventurers who prefer to end their days in a comfortable, well-outfitted bed know the importance of choosing the right layers for their camper or RV. Choose a durable cotton-shell comforter and pair it with a protective cover to keep it safe from stains or spills; base the comforter’s weight and warmth on the climate you’ll most frequently be exploring. (Note that RV mattresses are shorter than regular beds, so you may end up with extra length if you use a standard comforter.)
Whether you’re buying all-new bedding for a new-to-you house, decorating your short-term rental, or turning the nursery into a kids’ room, choose the comforter that makes the most sense for the space at hand with our expert recommendations. Then, layer in other high-quality bedding to create a comfortable, relaxing, and stylish space. For more on choosing bedding and decor to make your home feel like home, explore our Guides.