This comforter is filled with recycled plastic—and unbelievably squishy and soft
I’ve read so many reviews of the Buffy Cloud comforter. Users’ comparisons range from marshmallows to cotton candy, thanks to its squishy, bounce-retaining fill made from layered recycled fiber. I’ve tested a tremendous number of blankets—from weighted throws made from chunky loops of cotton yarn to sweat-wicking merino wool duvets designed to keep you cool—but Buffy has lingered on my radar for years as an eco-conscious down alternative that paves its own squishy path, rather than mimicking the cluster fluff of feathers.
Buffy launched in 2017 with a single product, a high-quality, all-season comforter, an inadvertent direct-to-consumer counterpart to the mattress-in-a-box boom. The company has since slightly diversified, now offering two comforters, the summer-weight 100% eucalyptus Buffy Breeze and an updated version of their hero product, the Buffy Cloud, as well as bedding and pillows.
The Buffy Cloud relaunched in May with a new quilting pattern and the ability to be machine washed. When Buffy sent me one to test, it arrived in a flat pack, vacuumed tight, before it blossomed to its full fluffy potential in a matter of seconds. Upon first squish, it feels like a marshmallow. It’s firm but also bouncy, almost gel-like, thanks to layered fill made from recycled food-grade plastic. (The brand claims to have diverted more than 4 million plastic bottles from landfills in 2020.) While it’s designed as a duvet—and features loops for cover fasteners—its super soft eucalyptus exterior is silky enough on its own, which is exactly how I’ve used it since it arrived at my home.
As I’ve mentioned (complained) before, my home can get stiflingly hot in the summer. As is the case with many poly-fill comforters, the Buffy finds its biggest critics in those who sleep hot. The brand offers the Breeze, a temperature-regulating, plant-based comforter, as an alternative. But I’m chronically warm and still happy snuggled under my Cloud as long as the air conditioner keeps running. The marshmallow-cloud-cotton candy-Squishmallow-effect is real. It has excellent puff retention, is satisfyingly squeezable, and keeps its fill in place with a new quatrefoil-shaped quilting.
The bad? I’ve tossed it into my washing machine with plant-based detergent but to be completely honest, had no idea what to do when it came time to dry. Buffy says to line dry, but finding a well-ventilated space to hang a wet queen-size comforter in a city apartment is dismal. I tossed mine over my shower rod and hoped it didn’t collapse under the weight. Some down alternative comforters—likewise stuffed with a poly blend—can survive a short, low heat cycle in a dryer, but I feared risking the sublime springiness of my Cloud and didn’t try it. That said, proceed at your own discretion.
The Buffy Cloud starts at $129 and comes with a complimentary a seven-night trial. But after that one generous squish, I doubt you’ll want to let it go.
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