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Down Comforters: Sewn Through Box Stitch or Baffle Box?

June 2, 2007 on 10:10 pm | In Uncategorized | No Comments

At Supercomfort.com, we’re often asked what the difference is about the stitching, particularly between sewn through box stitching and baffle box construction.

Our clients often are concerned that any comforter they purchase have stitching that keeps the down from shifting away. I’ve heard numerous stories of clients who purchased years ago from other retailers some comforters which were the old fashioned singled chambered down comforters. As those old type comforters consisted of a single area in which down could move, these persons would find that the down would settle to the lowest point while they slept. Typically, this meant that the down would settle to the sides and to their feet, leaving the main parts of their bodies with minimal down coverage! Fortunately, these days, it’s rare to see new down comforters on the market where all the down is in one single chamber. Most comforters manufactured today have more stitching to contain the down.

There’s quite a few different styles, but the most common construction types for down comforters now are sewn through box stitching and baffle box stitching. Both keep the down confined to a smaller area. The sewn through stitching, as the name suggests, has thread that goes through from the top to the bottom of the comforter. This does divide the down into smaller compartments or boxes. However, where the sewn through stitching occurs the comforter is pinched, which can result in cold spots as there is no down to provide insulation.

Baffle boxes solve this issue because the baffles are vertical walls between the top and bottom of the comforter. The baffles also divide the down into smaller areas, but provide depth to the comforter and allow the down to loft to its maximum. Baffle box construction is most commonly found in premium down comforters such as our Luxury & Hungarian Goose Down Comforters but also in down comforters overall. However, to really ensure that the down doesn’t migrate from one box to another, look for “true baffle box” or “closed baffle box” construction. Some baffle box designs may have partially open baffles which does allow for some movement or shifting of the down. Conveniently, all of the down comforters at Supercomfort.com show in the title and/or the description the exact kind of construction, whether it is sewn through or baffle box, and whether it’s a true or closed baffle box.