If the temperature hasn’t dropped in your town, it will (unless you live in some balmy climate). There’s no better way to beat the chill than to snuggle under a real down comforter. Unfortunately, buying a down comforter is no simple matter. You must study up on terms such as weight, down type, fill power, loft, baffle box and thread count. There are several places on the web where you can educate yourself before shopping - such as Supercomfort.com and Scandia Down. A few pointers: Down is not feathers with their prickly quills - it is the soft inner plumage of waterfowl (we’re told birds are not harmed in harvesting the down). Down can come from geese or ducks (duck down is cheaper), and the more prized down comes from Hungarian geese, European geese, Eider ducks of Iceland or Siberian geese. The fancier the fowl, the more you’ll pay. Fill power is a measure of the down’s fluffiness, and the higher the fill power number, the more it will cost (around 600 is good, more than 800 is luxurious). Baffle-box comforters are superior to those with sewn-through stitching, but there are different types of baffle boxes. You can go for the top of the line stuff at Scandia Down, Eiderdown from DownStore or Down & Feather Company. Get a broader price selection from Supercomfort.com, AmbienceLinens.com or Overstock.com. NextTag comparison shopping offers 665 options sorted by maker and price. If you fear geese might make you sneeze, most retailers offer “hypoallergenic” comforters, such as those at Allergy Buyers Guide.