Many people enjoy the welcoming softness of a comforter no matter the weather. However, if that comforter causes overheating, it can be nearly impossible to sleep. People who easily overheat may find a standard comforter stuffy and hot any time of the year.
Cooling comforters offer relief and better sleep even when outside temperatures rise. The best cooling comforters are made of breathable shells and fillings, with many having moisture-wicking technologies to help regulate body temperature. There are also cooling mattresses, mattress toppers, mattress pads, and pillows available, which feature similar technologies.
This guide rounds up some of the best cooling comforters to help you find the right option for your budget and lifestyle.
- BEST OVERALL: Buffy Cloud Comforter
- BEST BANG FOR THE BUCK: LUXEAR All Season Double Sided Cooling Comforter
- BEST BUDGET: Linenspa All-Season Down Alternative Comforter
- BEST LUXURY: Buffy Breeze Comforter
- BEST DOWN ALTERNATIVE: SLEEP ZONE All Seasons Comforter
- MOST BREATHABLE: COHOME King 2100 Series Cooling Comforter
- BEST TEMPERATURE CONTROL: Clima Balance – All Season Comforter
Types of Cooling Comforters
Cooling comforters are made from a variety of materials. They range from natural cotton with impressive breathability to synthetics designed to pull heat and moisture away from the body.
Down
Down is the light, fluffy feathers found underneath the outer, quill-like feathers on birds. Down offers excellent insulating properties and is often used to ensure warmth. However, used in the right proportions, down can also be used in cooling comforters.
Down comforters are rated by their fill power. A down with a high fill power (over 600) offers more warmth with less weight in comparison to a down with a low fill power.
A cooling comforter doesn’t need to be made of high fill power down, though it can be. Comforters made of a high fill power down usually contain less down than those filled with a low fill power down. While down is warm, it’s naturally breathable. Cooling down comforters contain less down than a cold-season option. They should also have a breathable shell made of cotton, eucalyptus, or bamboo for better air circulation.
Silk
Silk is naturally breathable and helps regulate body temperature. It also makes smooth, luxurious comforters. However, silk comforters aren’t the easiest to maintain. Silk easily stains and snags and cannot be machine washed. These comforters are also expensive.
Wool
Like silk and cotton, wool is naturally breathable and helps regulate body temperature. However, it’s highly insulating, so it’s not usually used in cooling comforters.
Cotton
Cotton is known for its breathability and softness, making it a popular comforter material. Cotton comforters have different fillings, from down and down alternatives to synthetic fiberfill and cotton. The fillings affect breathability. For example, a down comforter with a cotton shell may breathe well but be warmer than a comforter with a cotton shell filled with fiberfill.
Down Alternative
Down alternatives mimic the characteristics of down but at a more affordable price. Down alternatives range from microfiber fillings (fiberfill) to polyester and even cotton. Some comforters have a mix of down-alternative materials to increase breathability and comfort.
What to Consider When Buying a Cooling Comforter
Comforters aren’t complicated, but there are several features you’ll need to consider as you make your decision. Factors like the shell material and overall comforter weight can affect your comfort and how well the comforter keeps you cool.
Shell Material
Cooling shell materials often include cotton, bamboo, and eucalyptus because these materials are naturally breathable and provide moisture-wicking properties. Synthetic fibers like rayon and polyester are less common in cooling comforters because they don’t have the breathability of natural fibers. Those who struggle with allergies may want a shell material that’s hypoallergenic to reduce the chances of skin irritation.
In many cases, a comforter’s shell material comes into contact with your skin. Not only does the shell need to be breathable, but it should feel good against the skin. Some people choose to treat a comforter like a duvet and use a cover over the shell material. In this case, the feel and texture of the comforter shell have a less direct impact on comfort, and you’ll instead want to select a duvet cover made of a soft, breathable material to keep air and heat flowing away from the body.
Fill Material
Fill materials determine how well the comforter keeps you warm—or in this case, cool. Natural materials like down and cotton offer good breathability; you just need to look for them in weights and fill powers that don’t get too warm or are combined with cooling technology. Synthetic fillings aren’t as naturally breathable as cotton and down, but many still perform well. Many times, a synthetic fiberfill undergoes a treatment to enhance breathability so that it mimics natural fibers that wick away moisture and heat.
Size
Cooling comforters come in all standard bed sizes—twin, XL twin, full, queen, king, and California king. Comforters tend to be slightly larger than duvets, reaching down the sides of the mattress to the frame. However, check the measurements. Some people prefer to buy a comforter a size larger than their mattress, so it completely covers the bed. Also, some manufacturers make oversized queen or king comforters to fit better on tall mattresses.
Weight
More weight generally means more heat trapped against the body, which is exactly what you don’t want when you’re trying to stay cool. Cooling comforters are often lightweight because they contain less filling material.
Design
Comforters can add personality and color to the bedroom. Unlike duvets, most are designed for use without a cover. You’ll find comforters in every color imaginable, from bright to muted, and in a wide variety of designs, including solids, patterns, and graphic designs. Comforter shells are also available in a number of textures, including pleats and tucks. Choose a color or pattern that supports the design aesthetic you want to create in your personal sanctuary.
Temperature Regulation
Temperature regulation involves a balance of breathability and moisture wicking. When the body gets warm, it sweats to cool itself. Removing that sweat through moisture wicking also removes heat, cooling the body. Natural materials like cotton, bamboo, and eucalyptus provide moisture-wicking properties, as do some synthetic materials that undergo treatments to create similar temperature-regulating characteristics.
Thread Count
Thread count refers to the number of threads per square inch a fabric contains. A higher thread count used to generally mean higher quality, because it produces a softer fabric. A thread count between 300 to 600 typically indicates a high-quality fabric, however, thread counts can be misleading. Some fabrics are two-ply, which inflates their thread count without increasing the quality and feel. Because of their tighter weave, higher thread count fabrics can also be helpful in keeping allergens out of the comforter.
Washability
Machine-washable comforters will make your life easier. That is, if you have a washing machine large enough to hold one. Some types of comforters, like down or silk, may be dry clean only. Consider how often you may need to wash the comforter. Families with children may want a comforter they can wash themselves. However, if you don’t mind an occasional trip to the cleaners, a dry clean-only model will do.
Our Top Picks
To be considered some of the best cooling comforters, these recommendations combine high thread counts with natural materials as well as those that offer new cooling technologies.
Eucalyptus creates a soft fabric that, in this comforter, earns it the descriptor “cloud-like.” The light softness also comes with excellent breathability to keep you cooler at night. The eucalyptus used in the Buffy Cloud Comforter is OEKO-TEX certified, meaning it’s been independently tested and found to either contain very low levels or be free of harmful chemicals. The eucalyptus shell also has the benefit of resisting common allergens like dust mites and mold.
The Buffy Cloud gets bonus points for its PET fiber filling that’s derived from plastic bottles. At its most basic, the filling is a highly breathable polyester. The only downside is that this model has to be dry cleaned. The manufacturer also suggests using a duvet cover to prolong the life of the comforter.
Photo: amazon.com
The size, weight, and cooling abilities of the Luxear comforter offer great value to this reasonably priced bedding. It has an unusual double-sided design: one side contains cool, silky fibers designed to absorb and pull away body heat. These fibers can cause the temperature in the blanket to drop by two degrees, making it cool to the touch. The other side of the comforter is made of breathable cotton that’s designed for those nights when you want a little more warmth.
Cooling and insulation are enhanced with Dacron fiberfill, which has a hollow structure that enhances airflow and breathability. Even with that extra cooling technology, the LUXEAR is machine washable and resists fading, pilling, and shrinking. This versatile comforter is packed with technology at a reasonable price.
Photo: amazon.com
The Linenspa contains a microfiber fill that’s hypoallergenic and versatile. First, it’s an all-season model, meaning it’s cool enough for hotter months and warm enough for colder months. The fiberfill’s breathability prevents excessive heat buildup for cozy sleep even when temperatures fluctuate. You can layer or remove a blanket or two as the seasons change.
Second, it’s also versatile in color and function. Each comforter is reversible, offering two colors or patterns. It also has eight loops for use with a duvet cover, increasing the number of ways you can decorate. It may not have fancy cooling technologies, but the all-season design makes it a good choice if you’re on a tight budget.
The Buffy Breeze takes cooling to a new level. Designed specifically for warm sleepers, it has a soft, 100 percent eucalyptus fiber shell filled with 100 percent eucalyptus fiberfill. All eucalyptus fibers used in the comforter are OEKO-TEX certified. Consequently, you’re both cool and safe from harmful chemicals.
The eucalyptus allows heat and moisture to circulate for better temperature regulation. It’s also naturally resistant to allergens like dust mites and mold. You may want to use a duvet cover with this model because it is dry clean only and comes in just one color option, white.
Synthetic materials often get a bad rap when it comes to heat retention. However, the INVISTA cooling fibers used in the SLEEP ZONE comforter shell are treated with a nanotex moisture-wicking technology that pulls moisture and heat away from the body. The comforter is fluffy and overfilled to provide a light, cloud-like experience.
This comforter has special U-shaped stitching that curves around the body for a closer fit as you shift positions. The SLEEP ZONE is reversible, offering different style choices based on the season or simply how you’re feeling. However, it also has loops for use with a duvet cover for even greater versatility.
Photo: amazon.com
This COHOME comforter features a brushed fabric cover supported by a fiberfill (or a bamboo fill) kept in place with a quilt pattern of large squares. Brushed fabrics have had the shortest, least-durable fibers removed, leaving behind a soft, breathable cloth that lets heat move away from the body.
Available in four colors, this comforter may be used as is, but also has corner ties if you want to change it up with a duvet cover. It’s machine washable, so it’s simple to maintain.
Photo: amazon.com
The Clima Balance brings an interesting blend of technology and fabrics to the bedroom. The shell is made of mesh microfiber fabric that wicks heat and moisture while adjusting to your body temperature. It helps maintain a comfortable temperature even if the room temperature rises or fluctuates.
The fabric is only one part of the temperature-regulating design. The other is the construction of the comforter. It’s arranged in mesh panels surrounded by insulating fiberfill. The fiberfill provides warmth while excess heat escapes through the mesh. The design works year-round for those who struggle with nighttime overheating.
FAQs About Cooling Comforters
Cooling comforters can make a big difference in your nighttime comfort. If you still have questions on this type of bedding, keep reading for if you’re still not sure if one of these comforters is right for you.
Q. How do I clean a cooling comforter?
The simple answer is according to the manufacturer’s instructions. In truth, it varies based on the shell and fill materials. Cotton, fiberfill, and some down are all machine washable. However, silk, some synthetics, and other types of down are dry clean only.
Q. How do cooling comforters work?
Cooling comforters work by allowing heat and moisture to move away from the body. Breathable fabrics allow a better exchange of the warm air near the body and the cooler air outside the comforter. Moisture-wicking properties pull moisture (and the accompanying heat) away from the body. It’s like a breeze blowing over the skin. The breeze evaporates the water, releasing the associated heat. The same principle applies to moisture-wicking fabrics.
Q. What makes a comforter hypoallergenic?
Some materials like silk, cotton, and bamboo are less likely to irritate the skin or trigger allergies. Down comforters can be sanitized and treated to reduce the chances of an allergic reaction. Hypoallergenic comforters may also have higher thread counts to keep allergens out of the comforter, making them less likely to trigger allergies.
