News flash: It’s cold outside. And if you’re smart enough to save money and energy by turning the heat down inside, you know how important your winter bedding is. There’s only one danger: your bed will be so warm and comfy that you might not want to get out of it in the morning (but then again, don’t you always want to catch a few extra Zs when that alarm goes off?)
When it’s time to load up your apartment bedroom with the coziest bedding, think beyond the sheets. Here are some ideas to stay warm all night long:
For fluffy warmth, it doesn’t get much better than down. Your most expensive down comforters – designed to be covered by a duvet, or just thrown on top of the bed as they are – will be filled with 100 percent goose down, but a more affordable alternative is a comforter filled with a mixture of down and feathers.
These comforters come in a variety of fill powers, which describes the quality of the down. A higher fill power means you’re getting higher-quality down, and it probably means you’re paying more money. If you live in Alaska, it might be worth it; if you live in Florida, probably not. And definitely look for a comforter that’s baffled, meaning there are pockets sewn in that trap the down in an evenly distributed pattern.
Depending on the fill power, down comforters range in price from about $40 to several hundred dollars.
There are also a few down alternative comforters out there that’ll still keep you plenty warm, but without costing you as much money. Expect to pay anywhere from $25 to about $500 for a high-end down alternative comforter.
Switching out lightweight sheets with something fuzzier is pretty common for most people when the nights start to get chilly. Flannel sheets are made from cotton or a cotton-wool blend and are warm and soft, yet lightweight. You’ll pay about $20 for a low-end queen set of flannel sheets, up to about $180 for a high-end set.
When it’s really frigid, there’s no shame in turning to electricity to keep yourself comfortable – sure, it’ll cost you money and energy, but it’s a more efficient way to stay warm than turning up the central heat. Heated mattress pads and electric blankets create a warm cocoon under your blankets. Turn them on a few minutes before crawling into bed and you’ll be welcomed into a blissfully cozy pocket. Turn them off before you fall asleep – the blankets on top of you will keep the heat trapped, and you’ll be snug as a bug all night long.
Expect to pay anywhere from $20 to $100 for a queen-sized electric blanket or mattress pad. You can spend more if you want to be fancy, but it’s probably not worth it.
In the centuries before electricity, people used wool blankets to keep themselves warm at night. Today, those same properties apply – a thick wool blanket on your bed will do wonders to keep you comfy and cozy. Just be sure to have them dry-cleaned, because you know what happens to a wool sweater when you put it in the dryer, and that’ll happen to blankets as well. And when winter’s over, store wool in a sealed chest where moths can’t get to it.
Prices will vary depending on the size of your wool blanket and where you buy it.
It’s not glamorous, but it works. Boil some water on the stove and pour it into a temperature-safe water bottle. If it’s too hot to handle right away, wrap it in a cloth until it cools down a bit. Keep it close to you while you’re in bed, and you’ll be surprised at how toasty you’ll be.
Looking for other options to ward off winter’s chill? The AG Blog has got you covered:
How do you stay warm on frigid winter nights?
Photo by Matthew Henry on Unsplash