Sewn or snaps?

**Brock311** · 02-25-2014, 22:51

Looking at getting a top quilt. I do not know if I should get the foot box sewn or with snaps. Would love some recommendations. Thanks.

**Floridahanger** · 02-25-2014, 23:05

I can only speak from what I have.

I made a snap footbox with cinch cord TQ for my wife and myself. Reason is that we can open the TQ and use as a blanket in the house. The con to the snapbox is that it has a little opening at the end, but a sock or something stuffed in the end will help that.

I just used it last night at home opend up covering me. I love the versatility of it.

**SilvrSurfr** · 02-25-2014, 23:09

I have sewn footbox 'cause I don't see the point in the snap or cinch footbox. It's not a feature I need.

**stormcrow** · 02-25-2014, 23:12

Originally Posted by Brock311

Looking at getting a top quilt. I do not know if I should get the foot box sewn or with snaps. Would love some recommendations. Thanks.

Most of the time I will recommend getting the sewn footbox on quilts that are rated below 20°. This is because the difference between the outside temperature (below freezing) and the cozy inside temperature (@72°) is more significant.

When you cinch the end of a drawcord style footbox, there are two factors to consider. The act of cinching the end is going to compress the goose down at the end of the foot box. This will cause a loss of loft, and thus a potential to let cold air in. Some people do not notice this but others that tend to get cold feet, might. You also might notice it if your feet are damp. Also, no matter how much you cinch it down, you are going to have a little hole in the end that needs to be plugged. Not a big deal, just something to be aware of.

If you tend to have hot feet at night, the snap closed foot box might just be the one you want. Another reason to get the snap footbox is if you plan to open up your quilt. This is something that ground sleepers tend to do more often than hammockers. Or, if you plan to use your quilt at home like a comforter...the snap footbox might be the way to go. Quilts rated above freezing do not have to guard the user's feet from so large a temperature differential..so the snap foot box typically works great on them.

Again, this is just my opinion. and Your Mileage May Vary..

~Stormcrow

**Mumbles** · 02-25-2014, 23:22

A sewn foot box seems more logical to me. My 0* HG burrow has a sewn foot box. The 40* one has a snap foot box. I prefer sewn, but that is just my opinion.

**genixia** · 02-26-2014, 01:43

I noticed when hanging at 18F in my overstuffed 0F TQ/UQ combination that if you don't plug the cinch hole sudden movement can cause a vacuum that sucks a blast of cold air in through it. I didn't notice until the morning, and I slept very warmly that night. (Quilts calculate to -17F/-11F theoretically). I don't know whether with a sewn footbox the same thing could happen under the edges. I also don't think it's a big problem - I think of the cinched hole as a variable vent hole that would allow me to extend the range of the quilt into higher temperatures. I can always plug it for extreme cold.

**Boston** · 02-26-2014, 08:24

Originally Posted by Brock311

Looking at getting a top quilt. I do not know if I should get the foot box sewn or with snaps. Would love some recommendations. Thanks.

My planned 40*F TQ will be snap closure, as I intend to make it so it can double as an UQ. It will have draft collars too which I am hoping will seal the foot box hole.

If it's a dedicated TQ, I don't see the reason to do a snap closure, except that it's easier to make.

**Nodust** · 02-26-2014, 08:27

Originally Posted by Brock311

Looking at getting a top quilt. I do not know if I should get the foot box sewn or with snaps. Would love some recommendations. Thanks.

For a heavy winter quilt I like sewn. Light 40F quilt snapped is nice.

**The Old Boot** · 02-26-2014, 08:47

I tried two different types of snaps on my TQ. At first I wanted the versatility of the snaps so I could use the TQ as a flat quilt if ever needed.

Then I took them off and sewed the darn thing shut.

I tend to pull the TQ snugged up under my chin, heck sometimes I bury in it

The snaps kept popping open, not all of them mind you, just enough that my toes would end up finding the opening, kinda like the hole in the toe of your sock!

If my feet get too warm I stick them outside the footbox for a while so that solves an overheat problem. Having it sewn shut means no more fiddling with trying to find matched sets of snaps in the dark.

**ojdash** · 02-26-2014, 08:54

I have both..... I prefer to camp with a sewn footbox, especially when it's cold (both quilts are 20 degree quilts) but both quilts are on our bed all the time and it's very nice to be able to use my burrow blanket style up here or on the couch. I use my cinch 20 degree burrow year round and it is nice for venting in the summer. That being said,this winter and this spring I will almost exclusively gravitate toward my sewn footbox TQ (WL King size). I can go ground with either TQ... The only real difference for me is throwing one on the couch in blanket mode and venting in summer compared to a bit warmer feet in winter.

edit: In responseto the post above, I have used my burrow almost daily for 2 years and never had an issue with the snaps popping for me and I am an active sleeper... It might have been the snaps Adam uses though and of course YMMV