As a hand quilter, I have quilted most of the available battings. My first preference is wool. I like natural fibers, so don't often quilt poly. Wool gives the loft of poly, is easy to needle and breathes, making it more comfortable to sleep under, unlike poly which doesn't breathe. The most difficult batting for me to hand quilt is 100% cotton. If I want to use cotton, I use the 80/20 cotton poly which needles quite nicely. To me the two most important things to consider are ease of needling and the look you want.