Best Down Alternative Comforter for Hot Sleepers - Sleeping Cool Without the Feathers

If you're a hot sleeper, now may be the time to consider adding a down alternative comforter to your nighttime routine.

While real down comforters can be luxurious and soft, they also retain a huge amount of heat and can feel stifling to people who tend to get hot in bed.

The purpose of down feathers is to insulate a duck or goose in the wintertime, and it serves the same purpose in our blankets. Not to mention the fact that some people have allergies to bird down or find the feathers too noisy or poky in their blanket.

Other Factors to Consider for a Cooling Comforter

Down alternative comforters are usually less expensive than their true down counterparts and can make an excellent option for hot sleepers. Alternative down-mimicking fill materials tend to have less loft than real down and therefore less insulation and heat-retention.

Shell Material

Of course, fill material isn't the only factor that makes a comforter suitable for hot sleepers; the shell material can make an enormous difference too. Cotton is soft and durable, but not very breathable and tends to retain moisture. Polyester or rayon blended fabrics often have better moisture wicking potential if you frequently experience night sweats.

Stitching Pattern

Stitching pattern can have an impact too. Baffle box stitching allows the fill material to shift and expand more within the blanket, which means more loft, insulation, and heat retention. Tighter stitching patterns like sewn-through or diamond stitching keep the fill material from moving around to reduce the loft and insulating power.

In this article, we will review ten of the best down alternative comforters for hot sleepers so that you can make a good choice for a great, cool night's sleep.

Best Lightweight Down Alternative Comforters for Summer and Hot sleepers

Brooklinen Down Alternative Comforter

Brooklinen provides both an all season and lightweight option for their alternative down comforter. The lightweight option would definitely be superior for hot sleepers, as it's made from lightweight materials and has a lower amount of fill. The fill itself is award-winning next-generation shaved polyfill.

Unlike many of the other comforters, this blanket has a cotton shell, which is extra soft and durable but may retain moisture.

If you have pets, small children, or tend to get your bedding dirty this may not be the right choice for you, as the company strongly recommends only dry cleaning this comforter for best results. The comforter is quite expensive, but it also comes with a lifetime warranty.

ClimaBalance Goose Down Alternative Comforter

The ClimaBalance Goose Down Alternative Comforter has the exciting distinction of being the comforter of choice for the German National Soccer Team. That's because the ClimaBalance Comforter was designed by sleep scientists to increase deep phase sleep by up to 50%.

This remarkable feat is achieved by reducing uncomfortable heat under the blanket, which if unaddressed, can cause unconscious movement and disturb deep sleep. High tech mesh baffles allow greater ventilation and heat transfer within the blanket to keep you cool and breathing easy all night.

For all its merits, this blanket isn't perfect. Several Amazon reviews complained that it was significantly smaller than advertised and advised customers to buy a size up from what they need. It also doesn't come with loops to make it easier to use with a duvet cover.

Egyptian Bedding Goose Down Alternative Comforter

When I saw that this comforter had a 100% Egyptian cotton shell I assumed it would be far more expensive: Only $74.95 for a queen-sized blanket is a steal compared to the other cotton-shelled alternatives on this list.

This comforter has a 600 thread count, by far the highest of any cotton-shelled blanket on this list. If you want a cotton comforter and have sensitive skin, this would be an excellent option. Reviewers have all found this comforter to be insanely soft.

One major downside to this otherwise excellent comforter is that it's dry clean only, so it will be more of a hassle to keep clean than machine-washable blankets.

Zen Bamboo Luxury Goose Down Alternative Comforter

Here is a truly unique comforter. Rather than cotton or entirely polyester shell, this comforter has a shell composed of 60% polyester microfiber and 40% bamboo-based rayon.

The bamboo material is entirely renewable, making this the most eco-friendly comforter of the bunch.

The bamboo-polyester blend supposedly creates a cooling effect, making this an excellent offering for hot sleepers. The unique material is also stain and wrinkle resistant, as well as being exceptionally smooth. It comes in 6 colors and is hypoallergenic.

This product seems to have a lot of potential, but unfortunately suffered a high proportion of negative reviews on Amazon. The most common complaints were that the material wasn't durable and leaked stuffing or that the shell was exceptionally slippery.

Product Definining Words:

Utopia Bedding Down Alternative Comforter Duvet Insert

The Utopia Bedding Duvet Insert is by far the most budget friendly option on our list. In addition to being less expensive than many other comforters, it's also lightweight and has piping on the seams to add durability. The stitching pattern is box stitching, which means a loftier, more insulating product.

Unfortunately, a few of reviewers have reported difficulties when washing this product even when carefully following the directions: In some cases, the comforter has only been damaged or lost its fluffiness, while in others it has been completely destroyed. Just to be safe, it's probably better to avoid machine-washing this comforter altogether.

EvenTemp Temperature Balancing Comforter

Like the previous comforter, the EvenTemp Temperature Balancing Comforter also comes with extra technology. Its patented EvenTemp technology claims to balance temperature within the blanket, so you're "never too hot or too cold."

The EvenTemp Comforter comes with a cotton shell, which is usually soft at the expense of breathability and less moisture retention. However, the EvenTemp technology sidesteps this problem by increasing the moisture wicking power of the shell. If you suffer from night sweats but really want a cotton-shelled comforter, this may be the perfect product for you, as it purports to have all the benefits of cotton without the negatives.

This comforter has a box quilt design, which means more loft and insulation. Indeed, several reviewers have noted that this comforter sleeps on the hotter side. It also has a relatively high cost compared to many of the other comforters we will be reviewing.

TEKAMON Summer Cooling Soft Quilted Down Alternative

The TEKAMON Summer Cooling Comforter is specifically designed with a diamond stitching pattern and one whole piece of polyester fill, so it keeps a low loft, low insulation profile and won't shift inside the blanket.

Alternative down comforters are prone to lumping or losing shape over prolonged use, but the TEKAMON comforter avoids this with both the stitching pattern and the elastic, double-brushed microfiber shell. This also helps to give the blanket more moisture-wicking power and durability.

The comforter comes in three colors so that you can match the comforter with your bedroom décor without a duvet cover. If you do choose to use a duvet cover, this comforter has side loops to make it easier to attach.

This comforter possesses many of the same shortcomings as other blankets on this list: It runs smaller than expected, is machine washable only in cold water, and some Amazon reviewers found it warmer than they would have liked.

Beckham Luxury Goose Down Alternative Comforter

The Beckham Luxury Alternative Comforter blows previous options out of the water with a whopping 10 color options, each of which is reversible for two possible colors. That's 20 options total, which makes this an excellent choice for hot sleepers who also want to pick a comforter that goes with this bedroom color scheme.

Instead of the usual plain polyfill, this comforter has synthetic goose feathers that allow it to mimic a real down experience more realistically. The stitching pattern is a diamond baffle, which works together with the synthetic goose feathers to deliver a very fluffy, luxurious blanket.

Although it's technically machine washable in cold water, multiple Amazon reviewers have found that this comforter holds up very poorly in the wash. A couple of reviewers have also mentioned that it sleeps warm, but this comforter does come with a 30-day guarantee so you could always send it back if it's too hot for your needs.

Linenspa All-Season Reversible Down Alternative Quilted Comforter

Right out of the gate, this comforter came with lots of Amazon reviews claiming that it sleeps very cool. This is excellent news for anyone who often gets too hot under standard blankets.

The comforter has loops to make it more compatible with a duvet cover, but you may not need one with seven color combination options and a reversible color pattern. While most of these comforters come with at least a 30-day satisfaction guarantee, this one features a lengthy 3-year warranty.

Hanna Kay Luxurious Down Alternative Comforter

The Hanna Kay Comforter is truly machine washable and not limited to only cold water. There have been no reports of this durable blanket coming apart in the wash.

The comforter has a baffle box stitching pattern, hypoallergenic polyester fill, and a moisture-wicking microfiber shell. It's relatively low cost, but also doesn't come with any type of guarantee or warranty like many other comforters.

If using a duvet cover is a priority for you, this may not be the best choice, because it lacks the corner loops needed to securely attach a cover.

Compare and Contrast

Comparison of Down Alternative Comforters For Summer
	Shell Material	Fill Material	Warranty/ Guarantee	Cost (queen size)
Brooklinen Down Alternative Comforter	400 thread count sateen cotton	Shaved polyfill microfiber	Lifetime warranty	Check Price
ClimaBalance Goose Down Alternative Comforter	Virgin Polyester Mesh	Sensofill Virgin Polyester Fiber	30-day satisfaction guarantee	Check Price
Egyptian Bedding Goose Down Alternative Comforter	600 thread count 100% Egyptian cotton	Polyester fiber	-	Check Price
Zen Bamboo Luxury Goose Down Alternative Comforter	40% Bamboo Rayon, 60% polyester microfiber	Polyfill	30-day satisfaction guarantee	Check Price
Utopia Bedding Down Alternative Comforter Duvet Insert	Polyester super microfiber fabric	Hollow siliconized fiber	-	Check Price
EvenTemp Temperature Balancing Comforter	300 thread count sateen cotton	Hypoallergenic Fiber Fill	Lifetime warranty	Check Price
TEKAMON Summer Cooling Soft Quilted Down Alternative	Double brushed polyester microfiber fabric	Polyfill	30-day satisfaction guarantee	Check Price
Beckham Luxury Goose Down Alternative Comforter	Polyester microfiber fabric	Synthetic goose feathers	30-day satisfaction guarantee	Check Price
Linenspa All-Season Reversible Down Alternative Quilted Comforter	Woven polyester	Microfiber	3-year warranty	Check Price
Hanna Kay Luxurious Down Alternative Comforter	Polyester microfiber	Polyfill	-	Check Price

When a Cool Blanket Isn't Enough

Sometimes even the best down alternative comforter isn't enough to keep hot sleepers cool in bed. If you're using a cool-sleeping comforter and still uncomfortably hot or suffering from night sweats, it may be time to call in the big guns.

Luckily, there are tons of bed cooling gadgets for hot sleepers on the market. From under-the-cover fan systems like BedJet AirComforter and bFan bed cooling fan, to cooling mattress pads or pillows like Ooler bed heater and cooler, CUBE water-cooled system, or Moona Pillow, you're sure to find a perfect system for your needs and preferences.

The Verdict

So which down alternative comforter is the right fit for you?

If you want the soft experience of a cotton-shell comforter without shelling out the big bucks, the Egyptian Bedding Comforter would be a perfect choice. With its 600 thread count Egyptian cotton shell it's sure to be soft, luxurious, and gentle on sensitive skin.

On the other hand, if you're suffering from night sweats or excess humidity under the covers, the ClimaBalance Comforter might be a better choice. The mesh baffles and climate zone pockets help keep air circulating through and under the blanket, for a cooler, dryer night's sleep.

Ultimately the best choice for you will depend on your unique situation and preferences. All the comforters on this list should be above-average options for hot sleepers, and I hope this review helped you narrow down your choices and make a good pick!