Down comforters are filled with natural goose or duck down feathers while down alternative comforters are filled with synthetic goose or duck down feathers.
There are a couple notable differences between natural down feathers and synthetic down feathers:
- Down alternative comforters are hypoallergenic because synthetic goose down feathers aren’t likely to trap allergens. Natural goose feathers from down comforters on the other hand, tend to trap allergens that trigger allergic reactions such as dust mites, skin cells, and pollen.
- Down alternative comforters are low maintenance and are washer/dryer safe while their counterparts are much more delicate and shouldn’t be thrown in the washer or dryer. This is because natural down feathers are much more delicate than synthetic down feathers and also takes a considerable amount of time to dry.