Bedding Glossary

Baffle Box Construction: A baffle is an internal wall of fabric that separates the top and bottom layers of fabric in a comforter, featherbed, or pillow. A baffle provides better loft and distribution of fill than standard constructions.

Bamboo: A fast-growing, sustainable plant known for its eco-friendly properties. Bamboo serves as the source material for textile fabrics like rayon.

Batiste: This extremely lightweight weave is made from finely woven cotton and is known for its exceptional softness, texture, and breathability. Batiste is characterized by its fine threads and sheer quality, providing a delicate appearance.

Box Stitch: A box stitch refers to a specific quilting pattern used to create a boxed or grid-like design on comforters, quilts, or mattress pads. This technique involves sewing lines in both horizontal and vertical directions to form square or rectangular shapes, resembling a grid or box.

Cashmere: Cashmere is a fine, soft wool made from the undercoat of cashmere goats. Cashmere wool is famous for its luxurious softness, warmth, breathability and durability.

Combed Cotton: Combed cotton is cotton that has undergone a harvesting process where short fibers and impurities are removed, leaving only the longer, stronger fibers.

Comforter: A comforter (or duvet) is a type of soft, insulated blanket, typically filled with down or synthetic materials. It is designed to provide warmth and comfort.

Comforter Cover: Comforter covers (or duvet covers) enclose and protect a comforter, extending their life and reducing wear. All Cuddledown duvet covers feature corner ties and hidden button closures.

Cotton: A versatile and widely used fiber, known for its exceptional softness and breathability, available in a variety of weaves. Cuddledown uses only the highest quality long-staple cotton.

Coverlet: A single layer of lightweight fabric, without batting or fill inside. Coverlets often serve as a stylish top layer for a bed and may not provide as much warmth as a quilt or comforter.

Damask: Created using a Jacquard loom, damask features intricate designs woven directly into the fabric, rather than printing it on the surface. Damask offers a very luxurious look and feel.

Down: Down is the soft, fluffy layer of clusters found beneath the tougher outer feathers of ducks and geese. Down is known for its unrivaled natural insulating properties and loft, making it a popular fill material for comforters, pillows, and featherbeds. Our down is washed four times to ensure that it is hypoallergenic and dust-free.

Down Alternative: Our high-quality European down alternative fill is designed to closely mimic the loft and support of natural down. It’s durable, easy to maintain, and springs back to its original shape more quickly after compression.

Downproof: Downproof refers to a fabric or material that is designed to prevent down feathers from escaping. This is achieved through a tightly woven construction that keeps the tiny feathers contained while still allowing for breathability and comfort.

Duck Down: Duck down is the soft layer of clusters found beneath the tough outer feathers of ducks. Cuddledown offers a variety of dock down options starting at 600 fill power, ranging up through to the highly sought after Eiderdown. See also: Down.

Egyptian Cotton: 100% combed Egyptian cotton is a premium type of cotton renowned for its extra-long staple (ELS) fibers, providing superior softness, strength, and durability. This type of cotton is primarily grown near the banks of the Nile River in Egypt.

Eiderdown: Eiderdown is the most rare and valuable down in the world, originating from the deserted nests of the eider duck. This type of down is collected by hand with a very limited supply, resulting in a higher cost.

Extra-Long Staple (ELS) Cotton: Extra-long staple (ELS) cotton refers to the highest quality cotton fibers, usually measuring over 1.3 inches in length, with some varieties reaching up to 2 inches.

Featherbed: Featherbeds are plush, luxurious mattress toppers that add an extra layer of comfort to any bed. They are filled with feathers and down (goose or white duck), or our European Down Alternative. A featherbed is designed to enhance the softness and cushioning of a mattress.

Goose Down: Goose down is the soft layer of clusters found beneath the tough outer feathers of geese. Cuddledown offers a variety of goose down options starting at 600 fill power, ranging up through to 1000 fill power. See also: Down.

GSM: GSM stands for “grams per square meter,” and is a measure of the density or weight of the fabric. In reference to towels, GSM indicates the thickness and impacts absorbency. A higher GSM towel will be more absorbent (but slower to dry); a lower GSM towel will be less absorbent but faster and more efficient to launder.

Fill Power: Fill power measures the volume in cubic inches of one ounce of down fill. A higher number indicates better insulation and quality. The higher the fill power, the softer and loftier the down. Our down fill powers range from 600 to 1,000, while our down alternative offers a similar loft to 500 fill power down.

Flannel: Made from brushed cotton, flannel is known to have insulating properties, making it ideal for cooler climates.

Flax: Flax is a plant fiber derived from the flax plant. Known for its strength and breathability, flax fiber is used to create linen, which has a natural, textured feel and excellent moisture-wicking properties.

Fleece: Fleece is a soft, warm, and lightweight fabric. It is known for its insulating properties and is often used for making blankets and throws.

Jacquard: Jacquard refers to a type of fabric that features intricate patterns or designs created using a special weaving technique known as the Jacquard weave. This method allows for complex and detailed motifs.

Jersey: Jersey is a type of knit fabric known for its stretch and softness, often used in clothing like T-shirts. Its comfortable, breathable qualities make it a popular choice for both casual wear and bedding.

Linen: Fabric made from the natural fiber of the flax plant, celebrated for its breathability, strength, and unique texture. Linen becomes softer with each wash, offering a relaxed, lived-in look.

Long-Staple Cotton: Long staple cotton refers to cotton fibers that are longer than the average cotton fibers, typically measuring between 1.1 to 1.3 inches in length. Longer fibers produce a stronger and finer yarn, leading to smoother and more durable fabrics.

Microfiber: Microfiber is a synthetic fiber made from plastics like polyester and polyamide, known for its fine, dense weave. Although inexpensive, microfiber retains heat and can feel warm in sheeting. Microfiber contributes to microplastic pollution, accounting for 85% of man-made debris on shorelines worldwide. Cuddledown specializes in natural fiber sheeting and does not offer microfiber products.

Memory Foam: Memory foam is a supportive and high-density polyurethane foam that conforms to the body and relieves pressure points, while enhancing sleep quality. Some options are available with infused cooling gels.

OEKO-TEX® STANDARD 100: An internationally recognized certification system for textiles and textile products. It tests for harmful substances, ensuring that certified items are free from chemicals that could pose a risk to human health. Products that meet the OEKO-TEX Standard 100 are tested for a wide range of substances, including those that are regulated by law and those that are not, to ensure safety at various stages of textile production. Certification number: 18.HUS.35306 Hohenstein.

Organic Cotton: 100% organic cotton offers a soft, natural feel and supports environmentally friendly practices while being gentle for sensitive skin.

Percale: Known for its crisp, clean finish and cool touch, percale is a plain weave fabric with a simple one-over, one-under thread pattern, which makes it smooth and breathable.  

Pima: A high quality long-staple cotton with an extremely smooth, luxurious feel, and exceptional durability. Primarily grown in the U.S., Peru, and Australia.

Polyester: Polyester is a synthetic fiber used in many different forms, including fabrics and fills. Polyester fill is an alternative to down fill used in pillows, comforters, quilts, and more.

Quilt: A multi-layered bed covering made of a top and bottom layer, stitched over a layer of batting for warmth or added texture.  Stitching secures the quilt’s batting between the two outer layers will not shift.

Rayon from Bamboo: A soft and smooth textile derived from the bamboo plant. It is moisture-wicking, antibacterial, hypoallergenic, and odor resistant – making it ideal for towels.

Responsible Down Standard (RDS): The Responsible Down Standard describes and independently certifies animal welfare practices in down and feather production and tracks the certified down and feathers from farm to final product. We have been using certified down since the summer of 2016. Nearly all of our down is certified to the Responsible Down Standard, the exception being eiderdown. To learn more about the RDS, please visit: https://textileexchange.org/standards/responsible-down.

Sateen: Sateen is a weave pattern that exposes more of the threads on the surface, giving it a silkier feel and a subtle sheen versus a plain weave (ex. Percale). Known for its wrinkle resistance and easy-care properties, sateen offers a smooth, luxurious texture.

Satin: Satin is a smooth and glossy fabric that is made using silk or synthetic filament fibers (polyester, nylon).

Seersucker: Seersucker is a type of fabric characterized by its unique texture, which is created through a specific weaving technique. The weave incorporates alternating stripes of flat and crinkled threads, resulting in a lightweight, puckered fabric. So, while it refers to a material, it's also defined by the weave used to create its distinctive texture.

Silk: A luxurious fabric known for its smooth, lustrous finish and natural sheen. Cuddledown uses the highest grade silk including 100% Mulberry and Charmeuse. Silk is gentle on skin and hair.

Sheet Set: Cuddledown sheet sets include one flat sheet, one fitted sheet, and one pillowcase (for twin sizes) or two pillowcases (for full, queen, or king sizes). King sheet sets come with two king size pillowcases.

Thread Count: Thread count is the number of horizontal and vertical threads per square inch of fabric. The higher the thread count, the tighter the weave of a sheet. However, thread count alone is not an indicator of quality—the quality of the material is more important. Cuddledown only uses premium imported raw materials to create exceptional products.

Triple Sheeting: A bedding method that uses three sheets. Two flat sheets are used with a blanket or duvet in between to provide a clean, crisp look with easy maintenance. A fitted sheet (or a flat sheet) covers the mattress itself.

Turkish Cotton: Grown exclusively in Turkey, Turkish cotton is made of premium extra-long staple cotton to provide a high level of comfort, absorbency, and durability. Our Turkish cotton towels will become softer after each wash.

Voile: The term “voile” comes from the French word for “veil,” reflecting its sheer and semi-transparent quality. Voile is typically made using a plain weave, where the weft (horizontal) threads are woven over and under the warp (vertical) threads in a simple, uniform pattern. Voile is made of extremely fine yarns which produce its airy quality.

Waterproof: Designed for protection against spills, stains, sweat, and moisture without compromising softness. This type of specialized fabric is breathable yet impermeable.

Windowpane: Windowpane is a design style woven with a jacquard loom that features intersecting lines, creating large, square or rectangular shapes, often in contrasting colors. Our windowpane comforters and pillows feature a pattern created with a jacquard weave into the fabric itself.

Wool: A natural fiber primarily sourced from the fleece of sheep, but also from goats (like cashmere and mohair) and other animals. Wool is known for its softness, warmth, breathability, and durability. Naturally moisture-wicking and hypoallergenic, wool regulates temperature, keeping you warm in winter and cool in summer. It is also highly durable, flame resistant, and offers excellent breathability.

Yarn Dyeing: Yarn dyeing is a process of dyeing yarns before they have been woven into fabric, often used in the production of multicolored designs. This technique allows for vibrant, uniform colors and patterns in the finished textile.