One of the most important things about batting IMHO is how much it will shrink. My first quilt shrunk 6 inches. When I read what was on the batting package, in teeny, tiny print and at the very bottom of the bag, it stated that the batting would shrink between 4 and 6 inches. What that means is that it will shrink 6 inches. The quilt no longer fit my bed. From that point on, I only buy batting that is prepackaged. (you never know for sure about a big ole' roll of the stuff) and I look for 1% or 2% shrinkage. You can prewash batting but it is messy and a pain.