Comforters: Best All-Purpose Blanket Ever

Doubtless your child already owns, or will own, numerous baby blankets during the first few years of their life. Yet none of these baby blankets can compare to the relationship they will develop with their comforter.

A comforter is a thick blanket used over a fitted sheet and a flat sheet as a complete set of baby bedding. In most nurseries, the comforter provides the central focus of the nursery "theme" - for example, in a nursery decorated with trains and train tracks, the comforter might have a picture of a busy train station on it. In addition to being central to the nursery theme, the comforter is often the biggest and thickest of a young child's baby blankets, and thus quickly becomes the favorite.

Chosen Above All Other Baby Blankets

Baby blankets are available in a wide range of styles, textures, and levels of quality. If you own baby blankets that are thin, very similar, or small, your child will probably prefer the cover of a comforter to all others. However, having baby blankets that are sized "just right" for your child is one way to foster a bond between them and a favorite "blankie".

Not all children have a favorite among their baby blankets, to be sure, but most children, if asked to get a blanket, will return with the one most commonly used on their bed. This may be because this one, above all other baby blankets, is equated with a mindset of rest and relaxation; or it may be because of the size, which is typically much larger than other baby blankets.

Differences in Design

Most baby blankets bear simple, pastel designs, intended for use with small infants. While high-quality baby blankets can have some gorgeous patterns on them, they are all basically the same mass-produced baby-oriented details: ducks, frogs, or teddy bears; hearts, flowers, and rainbows. Comforters, on the other hand, are often designed to have one large picture, or to bear a bold and interesting pattern. Floral comforters often show more than three different types, whereas baby blankets with a floral design may only feature one. Comforters can depict a sort of mural-style picture, whereas most baby blankets are printed in a simple repeating pattern and rarely have a singular design of their own.

A comforter feels more like it is "telling a story" than most other baby blankets, which can be said to be purely functional. Comforters can be used as learning aides as well as comfort objects and multi-purpose baby blankets - i.e., used for picnics, camp-outs in the front room of the house, the roof to a "fort", et cetera. Due to its size, unique design, and flexible applications, the comforter is usually a family favorite far above other baby blankets.