Down Bedding Information

If you go to your local bedding store you will likely find a wall of stark white bedding. It all looks the same but the costs dramatically differ? How do you decided what fill, fill power, size, warmth level, density? The goal of this site is to show you how to love and enjoy down bedding regardless of budget and time of year.

Down and feathers come from Ducks & Geese. Ducks and geese live in colder climates and are considered waterfowl - unlike hens and chickens which are considered land fowl. Their habitats of cold and wet climates have given ducks and geese the wonderful byproduct of down which keeps them snuggly warm. Down is lightweight, soft and billowy - often used for down comforters and down pillows. These cold weather birds need something that is lightweight yet keeps them warm.

Down & Feathers are dramatically different in their benefits, cost and application. Down is lightweight and cloud like in softness. Down filling is used for down comforters, down blankets and down throws. Applications where warmth is needed without weight. Feathers on the other hand provide more support and are used in bedding like feather beds and pillow forms. Down costs approximately 10 times what feathers cost per pound. Some pillows contain primarily down while others have a mixture of down and feathers based on their use.

Down bedding is considered the gold standard of bedding due to its ability to wrap you in soft goodness and comfort. Down comes in different colors but is generally labeled 'White' or 'Grey'. White goose down is considered the platinum standard followed by Grey Goose Down. After the goose fills you have white duck and then grey duck in terms of price scale.

Down filling is cleaned and made hypoallergenic by several manufacturers in the world with the biggest in the USA being DOWNLITE. DOWNLITE not only manufacturers private label bedding programs for department stores but actually sells it's fillings to other bedding companies as well as to companies making outerwear, sleeping bags and fine furniture.

Down filling is measured in quality by a few quantitative metrics - notably fill power, species, color and ounce weight. Of course it is vital that any down used in bedding be Hypoallergenic and behind the scenes the fillings hypoallergenic claims are independently tested by outside firms to comply with federal and industry requirements. DOWNLITE calls their cleansing and sanitization process RestAssured and is used on all items made in the USA as well as out standards being used for imported items.

A common mistake made by new buyers of down bedding is to overbuy the warmth level needed. Because down is so lightweight it's warmth properties are deceiving if you simply go to a store and do a 'heft' test to gauge how warm something might be. In essence the higher the fill power then less physical weight is needed to keep you warm. So an 800 fill power down comforter with 30 oz, in an oversized king will be just as warm as a 525 fill power 70 ounce grey duck filled comforter. To learn more about warmth ratings visit our FAQ guide where we explain in detail the various metrics and warmth equivalents. Of course you can also call DOWNLITE directly and speak to a product expert who can help you with your buying decisions.