The Company Store (formerly the LaCrosse Garment Company, founded in 1911) has specialized in down pillows and comforters since the early 1980s. Some online reviewers claim product quality took a nosedive when Home Depot acquired the brand in 2017, but we didn’t find that to be the case with the brand’s velvet flannel sheets we tried, and I didn’t find fault with the Company Store’s Serene Foam mattress topper, either. With everything I’ve seen from the brand, the Company Store still does old-school luxury right.

The RDS-certified, hypoallergenic Legends Hotel Premium Alberta still sports the crisp, fluffy, high-end-hotel feel I remember being wowed by 40 years ago. Like most down comforters, it takes a day or so to fully fluff up, but once it does, it stays that way. I tested the Medium Warmth version for over a month, and felt it was just as warm as the Extra Warm down alternative comforter I usually sleep with. There were no poky feathers or noticeable shifting contents, and I was also a fan of the loops inside each corner, for duvets that come with ties. I also appreciated the oversized 15-inch drop length, so couples sleeping with a queen or king won’t feel like they’re at war. —Kat Merck

Feathered Friends specializes in down goods, making everything from expedition-ready sleeping bags that will handle -60 degree Fahrenheit temps (you could sleep at the top of Everest in January) to a travel pillow. The Bavarian 700 down comforter is one of the company’s best-loved and best-reviewed products, and it was easy to see why during my month of testing. Every detail of this piece is well-crafted, and the comforter delivers a rare and precious brand of functional luxury—I’d compare it to a Range Rover, except a Range Rover isn’t as reliable.

The base of the duvet is European white goose down with 700-plus fill power, and the package comes with a code to track the source. (My comforter came from Eastern Europe, possibly Moldova or Romania.) The stitching is excellent from edge to edge, little details like the corner ties add comfort, and the lower-profile Bavarian baffles avoid clumpiness. If you’re spending $500 for a queen-size comforter, don’t skimp on the 400-thread-count organic cotton cover, which is perfectly matched to the duvet. —Martin Cizmar

Not only is this down comforter supremely affordable, but it’s also available in a frankly staggering array of 13 different colors. No duvet cover necessary! It looks great on a bed and feels great too, with a silky percale outer shell that crinkles in the best way. It’s well constructed and durable, and while it traps heat in, it’s not too warm. It might not be the best pick if you want a very fluffy or heavy blanket, but I think it’s perfect for the summer months or hot sleepers and that it’d be great in the winter with one more blanket layered on top. You’re getting a lot of bang for your buck with this pick.

This goose down comforter from Canadian Down & Feather Company feels super expensive without the price to match. It’s a heavier-style comforter, with a down-proof, silky, breathable, 233-thread-count, cotton cover and a satisfying crinkle. It has sewn-through box-stitch construction to ensure the 600-fill-power filling stays uniform and doesn’t shift, and it feels warm but is breathable enough that it doesn’t feel too stifling. The comforter came in a plastic zippered cover for easy storage and transport, and it has a warranty against manufacturing defects. This budget option has an expensive feel and strikes a nice all-weather balance by being heavy and puffy enough to provide warmth, while the light cotton cover provides breathability. —Molly Higgins

This Brooklinen comforter has a hotel-like feel that’s soft, crinkly, and starchy. The cotton sateen shell strikes a good balance between silky-feeling and durable, and the internal down is composed of Hutterite clusters (see our advice section, below, for information on the difference between Hutterite and Hungarian down). That basically means the down comes from mature geese, which results in a densely packed composition with even distribution. Basically, no matter how much you shift around, the down will adjust to your body. That prevents the shifting and “pockets” you can get with lower-quality down blankets. You’ll always have a layer of goosey goodness between your body and the surrounding air.

If you prefer a lot of warmth, opt for the Brooklinen Ultra-Warm Down Comforter. I tested it during a cold snap in northern Illinois, while sleeping in a drafty room next to a window. It was so warm. It was borderline too warm! I’m always piling on extra blankets, and I slept just fine with this as my sole comforter. It has 750 fill power for extra cozy sleep, and the down distribution is fantastic. It’s pricey, but it’ll keep you warm all winter long. (Note that it’s currently sold out, but will be back in stock soon.)

This goose down comforter is thick and sturdy, but the fill is still light, making this a great all-season choice. It has a baffle-box construction, creating pockets of fill so the separation of the feathers are inside the comforter rather than stitched through the layers. This basically ensures that there’s even distribution of the 600-fill-power filling, which also helps with the annoying shifting or bunching that can happen sometimes with down comforters. It’s made from 90 percent goose feathers and 10 percent goose down and feels super fluffy and full—just like what you’d expect from a nice hotel comforter.

There are four corner tabs and a loop on each side to help easily secure a cover to the comforter insert. The blanket has a subtle stripe pattern, gold satin edges, and a breathable, moisture-wicking cotton cover. It feels thick to the touch and makes a satisfying crinkle noise. The 500-thread-count cotton cover isn’t as soft as I would’ve liked, but overall it strikes a good balance between thickness and breathability. It’s a little warm and may be a better choice for colder weather. Either way, it’s cozy, and I’m excited to keep using it throughout the seasons. —Molly Higgins

This L.L.Bean costs as much as (if not more than) the Feathered Friends above and has far-less-impressive specs: It’s 600-fill down inside a 280 thread count cotton shell instead of 400. But I still like this blanket because of how sturdy it felt in my testing. The shell isn’t quite so soft but remains down-proof (meaning no feather tips poking through at you), and each baffled section is just a foot wide, meaning it doesn’t get lumpy. With its light cream color and hefty batch of stuffing, this is a comforter I’d use in an outdoorsy setting like a cabin in the woods. —Martin Cizmar

Saatva makes some of our favorite mattresses, and its down comforter is fantastic, too. Despite being filled with duck down, it didn’t have any smell nor cause any allergy symptoms. The outer shell is made of down-proof cotton sateen, and it feels really well ventilated. I never woke up sweaty or sticky while testing it, and it stays lofty throughout the night with even down distribution throughout. The outer shell is among the noisiest I’ve tested, but it wasn’t so loud as to be obnoxious. I also appreciated the durable stitching along the sides and throughout the baffle boxes. This comforter is very light and fluffy, so if you want something that feels a little more substantial, it might not be ideal. But if you want a really airy comforter, this is an option worth considering.

This affordable comforter from Serta arrives vacuum-packed into a dense little package. Upon unsealing it from its plastic cocoon, it does expand, though I wish it were fluffier. It’s important to note that this is made with fiber rather than pure down. Fiber is a less-insulating material made up of broken down and feathers—which is probably why this blanket is so affordable, and not as fluffy as traditional down comforters.

Still, for the price, what you’re getting is a lightweight down comforter that’ll keep you warm every night—I slept just fine with it alone, and had a quilt around for the coldest nights of my testing period. The sewn-through construction keeps the down evenly distributed. My only real complaint is that the outer shell could be softer and quieter. This was by far the loudest comforter I’ve tried out. The outer shell is on the stiff side, and it makes quite a bit of rustling noise when you’re moving yourself or the blanket around. Rather than being soft and pliable, it’s got more of a rigid structure that sounds like you’re rubbing freshly starched sheets together. Despite the noise level, and even though the outer shell could be softer, I think this is a really good option for someone who wants the warmth of down without the heavy feeling that can sometimes be associated with it.