LaCrosse® LoftAIRE Down Alternative Comforter – Assembled in The USA

A comforter (in American English), also known as a doona in Australian English, or a continental quilt (or simply quilt) or duvet in British English, is a type of bedding made of two lengths of fabric or covering sewn together and filled with insulative materials for warmth, traditionally down or feathers, wool or cotton batting, silk, or polyester and other down alternative fibers. Like quilts, comforters are generally laid over a top bed sheet (and sometimes also blankets) and used to cover the body during sleep. Duvets are another form of quilt, traditionally filled with feathers, though since the late 20th century often made of synthetic fibres or down alternatives.

A comforter is sometimes covered for protection and prolonged use. Comforter covers are similar in principle to pillowcases, usually closed with zippers or buttons.

In the United Kingdom, the term comforter is not generally used. It is instead called a quilt (or continental quilt), a duvet or an eiderdown. A duvet differs in that it is thicker and usually used with a cover, and without blankets or extra sheets.

In Indonesia, the term comforter is not generally used. It is instead called a Bed Cover. Usually bed cover is sold in packages containing sheets and comforter.

Sometimes a comforter is sold as part of a "bed in a bag", usually a case of some sort with handles that contains an entire set of bedding in the same or a matching pattern: comforter and top sheet, fitted sheet, pillowcase(s), and perhaps pillow sham(s). Some sets have a duvet and duvet cover (more popular in Europe) in place of a comforter and top sheet. More deluxe sets may include a bed skirt and pillows.

Comforters are usually used in the winter season when it is very cold, although a variety of different thicknesses means that they can be used in other seasons as well, with lighter examples being used in warmer weather. Due to the thickness of a comforter or the amount of down/feathers or other filling it has, a person is insulated against cold.

Comforter sizes correspond with bed sizes: twin, full, queen, king, and cal-king. Comforter sizes run slightly larger than mattress sizes to allow for draping over the sides of the bed. Typical sizes in the United States for comforters are:

• Twin Bed = 64 in (163 cm) width × 87 in (221 cm) length
• Queen Bed  / Full = 87 in (221 cm) width × 87 in (221 cm) length
• King Bed = 101 in (257 cm) width × 90 in (229 cm) length

Down most often refers to:

• Down, the relative direction opposed to up
• Down (gridiron football), in North American/gridiron football, a period when one play takes place
• Down feather, a soft bird feather used in bedding and clothing
• Downland, a type of hill

Down may also refer to:

The is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. The is the most frequently used word in the English language; studies and analyses of texts have found it to account for seven percent of all printed English-language words. It is derived from gendered articles in Old English which combined in Middle English and now has a single form used with nouns of any gender. The word can be used with both singular and plural nouns, and with a noun that starts with any letter. This is different from many other languages, which have different forms of the definite article for different genders or numbers.