The different choices when picking out a bed covering can seem endless, but they all boil down to four simple options: comforters, duvets, quilts and bedspreads. A comforter is typically a large, thick blanket that is used on a bed in tandem with sheets. The materials used to make comforters typically consist of silk, cotton or a polyester blend for the outer covering; and down feathers, wool or polyester batting for the interior stuffing. Comforters come in the same standard sizes as beds, although they are usually oversized to allow the comforter to be draped and hang over the mattress on either side of the bed, about halfway to the floor.
Another bedcovering choice is a duvet. A duvet is similar to a comforter in size, form and material, except that it is designed to be used without a top sheet. The word “duvet” literally means “down” in French. Duvets are traditionally stuffed with down feathers as the filler, although they can also be stuffed with the same types of materials used to make comforters.
Yet another option when searching for the perfect bedcovering is a quilt. Quilts differ from the previous two options in that they are typically much thinner than either a duvet or a comforter, thus rendering them more suitable as a decorative covering than as a primary source of warmth. Quilts are filled with a thin layer of cotton or polyester batting. They come in many colors, shapes and sizes, including standard bed sizes.
The last main type of bed covering is a bedspread. Bedspreads are decorative coverings that are thin like quilts, but made out of different materials and much, much longer, usually reaching to the floor. Bedspreads come in silk, cotton or synthetic fibers. The color choices and styles of bedspreads are almost endless, and their defining quality is the fact that they cover the entire bed, from pillows at the top, to the floor all the way around the bed.
Aside from the types of bedding one uses to cover him or herself, one must also determine whether or not to use a mattress pad. A mattress pad is a soft pad that a person lays over his or her mattress, but under the bedclothes. Mattress pads come in standard bed sizes, and can range in thickness from under an inch to over four inches thick. These pads are primarily made of latex or polyurethane foam. There are many different varieties of foam mattress pads, but one popular type of pad is the memory foam mattress pad. Memory foam is made from very dense, polyurethane foam that cushions and molds itself to the body as it heats up. No matter the type, all mattress pads provide a dual purpose – to protect the mattress, and to provide added comfort to the sleeper.