Stella owner Mischelle Arcus shares her tips for buying luxury down.
With years of bed making under my belt, I’ve learned that dressing a bed is much like dressing yourself—if you don't feel comfortable wearing it, you won’t be comfortable sleeping in it! That’s why, at Stella, we take great care to ensure that all of our down is hypoallergenic, meaning it’s been washed and sterilized to remove any allergens. We also only source down made with sustainable and cruelty free methods, and check to make sure our European white goose down and shells (outer fabric) are rigorously tested before we sell. That way, when it comes to choosing from our down, you won’t have to worry about quality or sustainability, but instead focus on the following questions necessary to help you pick your next piece.
Question 1: Do you sleep warm or cold?
Down comes in different “fill powers,” which means puffier the down the warmer it will be. If you sleep more on the warm side I recommend a summer weight! Organa is our least puffy summer weight, followed by Himalaya and then Logana. If you are a warm sleeper in a well insulated home, a summer weight is sufficient for colder nights, although you may want to supplement with a throw or foot blanket.
Question 2: What matters more—function or fluffiness?
While summer weights are great for warm sleepers, they give a rather lower profile look to the bed. If you are not concerned about temperature, or you sleep cold and want to increase warmth, I recommend the Logana, our most luxurious and lightweight down. Made with a very fine batiste ticking and filled with fluffy Siberian goose down, it’s the warmest down we have, and in a summer weight it will give you loft as well as warmth. Another recommendation here is the Himalaya Comforter, which, at a mid-range price, is our most popular down. It’s filled with Polish white goose down and a smooth sateen ticking for optimal fluff.