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I’ve never really put much thought into my bedding. By that I mean I’ve always been more concerned with how my comforter looked in my room and whether it matched my decor, rather than how comfortable it actually was to sleep with. I was even less concerned with what it was actually made of.
Flashback to six months ago, when I was sent a Buffy Cloud Comforter — the self-described “cooling” comforter that’s all over the internet — to check it out for myself. My initial thought was, “Oh, it’s a comforter made out of plastic bottles and eucalyptus, that’s cool!” but I never expected it to change the way I thought about my bed, my sleep and my shopping habits.
What’s so special about the Buffy Cloud Comforter?
The Buffy Cloud Comforter is made with a 100% eucalyptus fiber called lyocell, a sustainable form of rayon that’s cooling and moisture-wicking. Lyocell is also an eco-friendly alternative to cotton because eucalyptus requires less water than cotton to cultivate and ultimately produces little to no waste in the manufacturing process.
The eucalyptus fibers make the 300-thread-count comforter material light and cool to the touch, for a soothing, sweat-free sleep. Of course, we all know it’s what’s on the inside that counts. Buffy’s Cloud Comforter is stuffed with a polyester filling that’s made from 100% recycled BPA-free plastic water bottles. (The brand also just announced a new comforter, the Buffy Breeze, that’s made entirely with eucalyptus fibers for fully biodegradable bedding.) Both comforters offer animal-friendly alternatives to down feathers. According to the brand, each Buffy Cloud Comforter keeps 50 plastic bottles out of landfills and protects twelve geese from “live plucking” — which is reason enough to ditch your down comforter habit.
The Buffy Cloud Comforter is only available in white (but features a geometric triangle stitched pattern that’s nice enough to display sans duvet), and it ranges from $120 for a twin to $190 for a California king. It’s available to purchase at Buffy.co, and select sizes are also available on Amazon. The brand offers a seven-night trial period so you can “sleep on it” before you buy.
What is it like to sleep with Buffy?
I’ll admit I was a bit skeptical about the Buffy comforter when I first unboxed it. Don’t get me wrong, it was beautiful. The bright white bedding was puffy and surprisingly light to carry — appropriate for a comforter called “The Cloud” — but I didn’t understand the hype behind it. As far as I was concerned, a comforter was just the thing you threw on your bed for decoration and warmth.
That was before I got in bed with Buffy.
The first night I swapped out my existing sheets for a fresh set of linens and laid The Cloud Comforter over my bed. I had to admit the fresh white comforter looked luxurious and inviting, and I couldn’t help but run my hands across cool material and inspect the pretty, triangle-shaped stitching on the cover. These little air pockets provide the puff and padding that make The Cloud thick but ultra lightweight — unlike any other comforter I’ve used before.
Tucking myself in was like sliding into a puffy, breathable marshmallow. It was fluffy enough to wrap myself in and feel cocooned, without ever feeling suffocated or weighed down, which is the worst if you move around a lot in your sleep. I fell asleep in my own room, but woke up in what felt like the bed of a fancy hotel I could never afford. I felt pampered just having bedding that soft and fluffy in my proximity.
I started sleeping with my Buffy comforter in January, and it’s been my go-to bedding ever since.
Even when alternating between my Buffy and another comforter during washes, I find myself eager to bring the Buffy back into the rotation every time. Even the subtle plop it makes when I throw myself on my bed after a long day is so satisfying, and it never falls flat.
The comforter has survived multiple machine washes (even though the brand recommends dry cleaning ... oops) and the crisp, white color is still intact despite my dog, April, jumping on it for Sunday morning snuggles. It’s also served me well during the different seasons over the past six months. In the winter, I layered it with a thick blanket to build my own cozy bundle. Now that it’s summer, I just pair it with a flat sheet for an airy, sweat-free sleep. As someone who’s usually a cold sleeper, trying to nod off with a comforter in the summer can be a struggle that almost always ends up with me doing the one-leg-in, one-leg-out thing, and I’m sure that’s a shared experience for hot sleepers all year round. In a way, the eucalyptus material basically makes this comforter climate-controlled for hot and cold sleepers.
My only complaint with the Buffy Cloud Comforter is that it can get a little wrinkled, which could be due to the fact that I machine wash it. From a maintenance perspective, dry cleaning is not always practical. However, since it’s made from eco-friendly material, I don’t expect it to perform like cotton ― and frankly, I can deal with some creasing if it’s better for the environment and animal welfare. A wrinkle-free duvet cover would likely eliminate the need to wash so often. But then again, the rumpled bedding look is better on Instagram anyway.
What’s the takeaway?
The Buffy Cloud Comforter is sustainable, comfortable and beautiful, and offers an affordable bedding solution that can be used all year round for under $200. While that might be slightly more than I (and I’m sure some of you) would normally pay for a comforter, knowing that it’s eco-friendly and animal-friendly is a huge benefit for me, and I’ll certainly rethink ever using a down feather comforter again. Still, if you’re not sure if this “cooling comforter” is for you, Buffy offers a seven-night trial period. That’s a bedding solution you can rest easy about.
