Comforters are a great luxury for those who grew up with just sheets and a blanket, and maybe a thin bedspread, to cover an ancient mattress. In fact, all of the luxury bedding now available for purchase is an almost mind-boggling treat. What our great-grandparents might have given for such indulgence and contented sleep!

However, comforters have been known and sewn from the early days in the United States, as well as in parts of Europe and the United Kingdom. In some English-speaking countries, this bedding item is called a duvet. The word is of French origin, so pronunciation is whatever your community decides on, generally being "dove-ay" (as in bay). However, in the U.S., the two terms may or may not be interchangeable, depending somewhat on the region of the country.

Historically, comforters used to be, and probably still are, made from whatever fabric was available, sometimes with an old blanket or a worn comforter pressed into service as the filler, and fastened to whatever kind of cotton fabric that could be obtained for the top and backing. Wealthier families may have used silk for the top but it did not wear well then and remains less-durable today.

Choose from Many Different Kinds of Comforters

A family searching for a comforter for each bed today has many choices, not the least of them being the right size, of course. No longer does a comforter have to drag on the floor around a twin bed or look stranded in the middle of a king size bed. However, it should be ample enough and pliant enough to drape well, so it stays on the bed if the backing fabric tends to be slick. In addition to cotton and silk, fabrics used in construction may include polyester, wool from various animals (not just sheep), goose down, feathers, or a combination.