re: down duvet, there is a super king size that gives you more heft, the company store has many options at different price points, possible spend time reading up on them there.

Yes, you need something waterproof on your bed in case the little one has an accident. Even just something as simple and inexpensive as a thin plastic drop cloth under your mattress pad. It won't be there forever and no one will see it.

For down comforters, you want comforters that are made entirely with "Goose down" fill, not "feathers", not "down". If you see "feathers" in the fill description, move on. This will also dramatically increase the cost of the comforters, but it's worth it.

Depending on where you live, you need to figure out what weight fill you want and need. Winter weight, for example, will be too warm in spring and fall; Summer weight will be too cold for winter. I have found that, getting a medium weight "all-season" down comforter and then switching from a 100% cotton percale duvet cover to a flannel one for the winter, no sheets, allows the same comforter to transition to one warm enough for winter.

You want a "sewn-through" baffle box pattern, which is the best at keeping the down from shifting. Periodically take the cover off and throw the comforter in a dryer with a couple of sneakers to bang the down around and fluff it up. Remember, it's body heat working in tandem with the down that makes it warm.

I would check Lands End, The Company Store, and LL Bean for (Goose) down comforters, and since winter is coming to an end, you may well find them on sale, or sales coming soon.

Lands End is having a 30% off over $150 sale. Says it ends today.

Company Store has a wonderful looking down comforter, the "legends Geneva', which you can buy in different weights. I'd get the medium.

I love my Natura Ultimate Latex pillow. The Standard is a good size for children. Adults need the queen, as these are Canadian sizes.

Oh, and yes, you want the duvet cover to be slightly smaller than the comforter. It is very easy to make duvet covers. Just buy two sheets of whatever material you want (percale for warmer months, flannel for colder), and sew them together on three sides and about 8 inches in on the bottom. Then just sew snaps on to close it at the bottom, or buttons and button holes if you want to get fancy!

Or, just buy your duvet covers, turn them inside out, and sew new seams on three sides. Easy peasy.

This post was edited by Tibbrix on Mon, Feb 2, 15 at 10:10

No advice but wanted to say I adore your screen name. :)

My duvet cover is from Rough Linen. I'm not altering this beautiful craftsmanship at all!

Thanks for all of the thoughts! All good info.

Oakley - Boomer Sooner!

We'd purchased an organic latex mattress last year ( obasan) and went with a new duvet from Crescent Moon. Love it! It's an organic alpaca wool instead of down. I couldn't sleep with down as I got too warm ( soon be at the stage where I might get a little too warm at night...)
The wool regulates body temp much better than down. We went with summer weight even though we live in cold Ontario climate. Both DH and I find it's perfect.
Also bought shredded latex pillows. I haven't used mine yet, but DH loves his.
Memory foam can have some off gassing and can get warm whereas latex does not. ( I've never paid much attention to this stuff, but did some research when we were buying the mattress)
Do a search on the Mattress Underground forum...tons of info!

The linen bedding sounds wonderful!!

lisa, I too love my wool bedding, including my wool-filled comforter and my St. Dormier wool mattress pad. I have to admit though, that right now, while the temps are so low, I'm sleeping under my down comforter with a flannel duvet cover, no sheets, and am toasty warm. Of course, I also sleep with the windows open, even a crack is it's @ 10 degrees (fortunately no water pipes in my bedroom!). However, most people keep the heat on at night, so a wool-filled comforter should be plenty. The flannel cover also really traps the heat.

Sooner, then maybe have it altered professionally. Not only will your comforter look better on your bed in a cover that is slightly smaller than it, it will also be warmer and keep its shape better for you, i.e.: perform better for you.

If you're going to spend a fortune on bedding, which IMO is one of a few things that are worth spending a fortune on since sleep is so important, might as well get it right.

What's the loft like on a wool comforter inside a duvet cover? Similar to down or flatter? I've never seen one.

My boys love down, and call it "marshmallow fluff". Would the wool comforter be similarly marshmallow-y to 2 and 5 year olds?

No, wool is flatter and heavier. It would not give your boys the marshmallow fluff feel. If they love the down, I would stick with that.

If they're only 2 and 5, I'd look for goose down comforters for kids. You'll save money and the kids will be warmer, since again, body heat working with the down is what makes them warm. If the comforter is HUGE over the kids, their body heat will be spread out more and have to work harder to keep them warm.

Something like this: see link

Here is a link that might be useful: goose down comforter for kids

I have definitely found the comforter! The company store's Geneva Hungarian Goose Down comes in oversized king that will be the perfect size for stuffing my Rough Linen duvet! And the reviews are outstanding! They also have a wool mattress pad that I'm considering.

Now off to check out the kid size option versus twin size for their beds.

Be sure to check the measurements of any bedding you buy. A lot of mattress pads, toppers, etc. are labeled "Queen Size" or "King Size" but are smaller than the standard measurements for these. For example, you may see a "Queen Size" mattress topper that measures 76" L x 56" W. The actual size of a Queen bed is 80" L x 60". The smaller size is supposed to help make sheets fit better. IMHO, it allows a factory to skimp a LOT on materials and is deceptive.

Here is a link that might be useful: An example of an undersize mattress topper

Camper - thanks for the heads up! I will confirm measurements of the mattress topper. I don't need it to be small because I'm using an oversized flat sheet as the bottom sheet and the mattress itself is on the thin size. Definitely need to make sure the topper stretches across the entire top.

My only caveat on the down comforters for kids is if there are accidents. You can wash down gently (I do, although not too often), and I think there's a thread on that, because most of them say dry clean.

They would not be my first choice for messy kids/kids who are still in diapers or who may have accidents. I'd go for something easier and more convenient to clean.

The same goes for a wool mattress pad - in fact, I thought I read somewhere that wool mattress pads cannot be washed at all (?)

sj, I think the wool pads with the exposed wool can't be washed. I believe the cleaning recommendations are to brush them and air them out periodically.

I and someone else here (sorry, can't recall who!) have the St. Dormier wool pad, which is really terry cloth with wool fill, but you'd never know it by how thing they are! I love it, although I'd prefer a wool-exposed pad!, and it is machine washable and dry-able.

oh yeah? Well, I wash mine, and it has the exposed wool. Look for ones that say "washable." I think some aren't.

But I don't wash it too often -- only a few times a year. If there are constant accidents with kids, you'd have to put a waterproof top on it. And then what's the point?

This post was edited by Violet.West on Mon, Feb 2, 15 at 18:24

Even better if you can, Violet!

I also have the St. Dormeir wool pad. You can wash it (though I haven't yet), but it would not protect the mattress from seepage if a kid has an accident.

As far as pillows, they are the hardest thing to recommend to someone else because preferences vary so greatly. When we bought our latex mattress, I tested the various latex pillows at the store and could not find one with the right loft. I ended up with a shredded latex pillow, which worked well for me because I could remove the amount of latex necessary to make the pillow work for me. I now love it so much I bought one for my mom, since I was sure she'd love it, too. And she could not have hated it more. So now I have 2 nice shredded latex pillows!

My recommendation for pillows is to go to a good bedding store and try them all out. Listening to people's recommendations online is likely to result in your spending good money on something that doesn't work for you.

You need to have a waterproof mattress as they can prevent from spilling over the bed.

I made a big purchase from company store this morning and am excited about it. I'm glad I asked for feedback here and am so appreciative of all the insights provided.
The comforter recommended above (thrilled to find oversized), a wool cover (will keep waterproof pads that we used in crib handy for when the littlest guy crawls into our bed), sheets and duvet cover for little guys. I'll get them inexpensive "marshmallow fluff" from bed bath and beyond. I wash the full size down comforter the oldest had been using and will do the same w the twin sizes when needed.

Happy sleeping to all. And, now, let's get this renovation complete so we can move out of a hotel!

Congratulations - hope it all works out (feels great to "pull the trigger",, doesn't it?)