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Here at Warm Things, we often get asked, “What’s the difference between down and feather?” and “Which one is better?” Well, to quickly answer that question, it all comes down to the bird itself. Down and feathers come from the same place - either a goose or a duck. Before we dive into this blog, we encourage you to first read about how we produce our down and feather products.
Unfortunately, when it comes to producing down products, there are several companies out there that don’t follow ethical practices. We are not one of those companies. At Warm Things, we love and appreciate all types of animals... This includes ducks and geese! We'd really like to make it clear that our pillows and comforters are responsibly sourced. We fully respect the humane treatment of ducks and geese and we make sure that absolutely no animals are harmed in the making of our products. Read more about how we source our products here!
Now, let's get into more details on down vs. feather!
According to Wikipedia, "The down of birds is a layer of fine feathers found under the tougher exterior feathers." Down products are incredibly comfortable to sleep with considering that the individual plumules of down allow them to mold and conform to your body. Plumules features thousands and thousands of little tiny fibers that radiate from its core. Down products tend to make you feel like you're sleeping on a cloud! Due to the quality, down products have a protective layer that helps to keep heat in and keep cold out.
Feature products tend to be more firm and they are usually used as decorative pillows... You know how beds are sometimes decorated with smaller pillows in front of the larger soft pillows - well, those are typically filled with feathers. Don't get us wrong, they're still comfortable, however, we personally believe that down products are cozier due to their softness... That's just our personal preference! If you're someone who prefers sleeping on firmer pillows, then feather is the way to go!
The feathers on geese or ducks are found on the outside of the bird and consist of quills. Down lies beneath, usually on the bird’s belly, and is light and fluffy. Unlike quills, a down cluster has a round center called a plumule, which produces a soft and airy material. As we mentioned, down is super-soft... When a pillow or comforter is filled with down, it feels like a cloud!
Due to their individualized structural design, down and feather work differently inside bedding products. Feathers tend to line up, making them more supportive. With feather fillings, you sleep on the pillow, whereas with down you sleep in due to its fluffy clusters. When it comes to comfort, down tends to lead to a super-soft slumber, whereas feathers are more compacted and firm.
When it comes to shopping around for the best pillow or duvet products, one must consider fill power, a measurement of fluffiness. Only down has a fill power rating, while feathers do not. The higher the fill power, the more air the down can trap, producing a greater insulating ability. This becomes especially helpful during the winter months. Additionally, the down clusters are larger, making it last longer so you get more bang for your buck. Fill power most commonly ranges from 400-850, with 850 being the finest and most consistent. The more fill a product has, the softer and fluffier they'll be.
We absolutely love feeling like we're sleeping on a soft cloud, so we definitely prefer products that have a high fill power. Due to how comfortable they are, products with high fill powers also seem to help us fall asleep a bit faster.
Here at Warm Things, we have tons of down-filled products... So, here are our top 3 favorite down comforters!
1. German Batiste Baffled Box Medium Weight White Hungarian Goose Down Comforter (Level 3)
As you can most likely tell just by looking at the photo below, our German Batiste Hungarian Goose Down Comforter is incredibly comfortable. It has a medium weight and an 800 fill power. This comforter is made from the finest Hungarian goose down and German batiste shell. It's definitely the softest and lightest comforter that we make. It's available for twin, queen, and king-sized beds.
For more information on our German Batiste Baffled Box Medium Weight White Hungarian Goose Down Comforter, click here.
2. Supremium Baffle Box Light Weight Hungarian Goose Down Comforter (Level 2)
Our Supremium Hungarian Goose Down Comforter is super cozy. It's light weight, has 700 fill power and a 500 thread count. Considering the weight of the comforter, it's perfect for warmer climates or for warmer sleepers that still want a fluffy quilt. This comforter is available for twin, queen, king, and oversized king beds.
For more information on our Supremium Baffle Box Light Weight Hungarian Goose Down Comforter, click here.
3. Premium 700 Baffle Box Heavy Weight Down Comforter (Level 4)
Here is another one of our cozy comforters. This one is heavy weight and has 700 fill power. It also has a 300 thread count and a baffle box construction. Due to the weight, our Premium Down Comforter is best for winter and for colder climates in general. It's so incredibly luxurious and soft that you may not want to get out of your bed... So sorry (but also you're welcome) in advance!
For more information on our Premium 700 Baffle Box Heavy Weight Down Comforter, click here.
At Warm Things, we also have tons of down pillows! We even have a pillow form that is half feather, half down... Check it out below!
White Feather/Down Pillow Form
This pillow form is 5% white down and 95% white feathers. We'd suggest using an insert slightly larger than your sham to help fill out the corners. This is available in several different pillow sizes including decorative pillows and European pillows.
For more information on our White Feather/Down Pillow Form, click here.
Last, but not least, if you're looking for a cozy pillow, then check out our Premium 700 Medium Down Pillow! Here is some information on why it's so great!
Premium 700 Medium Down Pillow (Level 3)
This pillow has a high fill power - 700 to be exact! It offers medium-firm support, yet it's still super soft. Our Premium Down Pillow has a 300 thread count and a 100% down-proof cotton shell. Thankfully, this pillow comes in 6 different sizes, so chances are, there's a size to fit your pillows at home! If you enjoy sleeping on your side, then we'd highly suggest checking this pillow out!
For more information on our Premium 700 Medium Down Pillow, click here.
We hope we were able to teach you more about the differences between down and feather products. We'd love to know which type of products you prefer to sleep with - whether it's down or feather!
As we mentioned, down and feathers can come from either geese or ducks. Geese down tends to be the comfiest considering geese are larger birds than ducks. Their clusters are larger which makes for a higher fill power. The higher the fill, the fluffier the product! If you prefer firmer pillows, then we'd recommend looking for a feather filled pillow made from duck feathers.
Now that you know the difference between down and feather, make sure to take advantage of our sales at Warm Things! We often have sales of our down comforters and other of our awesome and comfortable products! You can either visit us online to see our selection of down pillows, down comforters and feather pillows.
Thank you so much for reading our blog... Let us know if you have any other questions and happy shopping!
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