Some comforting thoughts for bedtime

One of Susan Fowler's key memories of a trip to Europe 25 years ago was the down comforter she slept under at a house in Switzerland. Unlike the quilts in America, which tended to be flat, this one was light and airy and puffed up around her.

Today, Fowler is the owner of Down to Basics, which sells an array of down products and bed linens. The business, which sells wholesale, opened its second retail location on Newbury Street last fall.

There are several factors to consider when shopping for a down comforter, Fowler says. The first is simply whether you share her preference for a puffy quilt or want something a bit heavier.

"It's how a person sleeps, if they like weight on them," she says.

That will help you determine the type of "fill power" you need. Down comes from the soft under plumage of ducks or geese. Larger clusters of down will hold more air and will help the comforter loft more. A higher fill power means higher quality --and more warmth. Down to Basics sells comforters that range from 550 fill power to 800 fill power, Fowler's personal choice for a cloudlike quilt.

Fowler identifies her down by origin -- for example, Siberia or Hungary -- noting that the colder the region, the warmer the down is likely to be. But because origin is not a guarantee of fill power, she recommends paying attention to the actual number.

Weight can be considered alongside fill. A quilt with a higher fill power can sometimes weigh less and still be warm, simply because you need less down to insulate it .

"What people love about down is it's a great insulator without a lot of weight," says Sharon Silver, a customer service project manager with Bed Bath and Beyond.

Many companies sell down comforters for different times of year. For those who want a denser quilt, Silver recommends choosing one specifically designed for colder seasons. At her home in New Jersey, for instance, Fowler likes to use a winter quilt with a fill power of 800 throughout the year. At her home in Florida, she uses a lighter down-filled blanket, which she estimates has a fill power of around 550.

The comforter's construction will also play a role in how warm it keeps you. Many comforters are sewn in ways that keep the down from shifting and creating cold spots. Down to Basics uses a patented diamond design for its winter quilts that is meant to allow the down to reach its maximum fill power.

Fowler also recommends paying attention to the comforter's threadcount. A lighter, finer fabric will increase loft .

According to the NPD Group, a marketing research firm based in Port Washington, N.Y., down comforters represented 9 percent of the 24.1 million comforters sold in the United States last year, or about $130 million in sales.

A down comforter is an investment, but one that can easily last more than 20 years, Fowler says. Her comforters, for example, range from about $238 for a lightweight, queen-size quilt with 550 fill power to more than $2,000 for a winter queen-size quilt with 800 fill power. Bed Bath and Beyond offers queen-sized comforters ranging from about $75 with 550 fill power to about $1,000 with 750 fill power.

Fowler believes it is worth it to be comfortable while you sleep. "You're in bed so many hours," she says.