Down Buying Guide – 2024 Edition

Down Buying Guide – 2024 Edition Presented by DOWNLITE®

Down Buying Guide – 2024 Edition Down Buying Guide .

This content is sponsored by DOWNLITE. byand DOWNLITE® International,Presented America's premier down feather bedding manufacturer.

Founded in the 1970s, DOWNLITE is recognized as a world leader in quality products today. We continue to be cutting-edge in developing new and innovative bedding products.

Be sure to check out all DOWNLITE has to offer.

Down 101 Buying natural-filled bedding products involves many overwhelming decisions With all the variables involved, the options seem endless. We have gathered helpful information to guide you.

What is Down?

Down is the light, fluffy coating beneath the feathers of ducks and geese. Each down cluster is made from thousands of tiny fibers, like little cotton balls between the bird's skin and feathers.

Ounce per ounce down is the most efficient insulator for bedding products. It is not only lighter weight, but it also has the unique ability to "breathe," allowing excess heat and humidity to escape and allowing you to reach an ideal temperature. Down clusters are naturally very durable; it is not uncommon for people to use a down bedding item for a dozen years or more before replacing it. Down is also naturally flame retardant, making it an excellent choice for safe sleeping.

What are Feathers?

Feathers are the outer coating of protection for ducks and geese.

They are the rigid plumage found on the outside of waterfowl and can range in size from 1cm to 6cm. Products containing feathers will be heavier than down but also offer more support.

At DOWNLITE, we only use feathers in pillows and feather beds.

A comforter filled with feathers would feel quite heavy and provide different insulation than down.

Duck vs. Goose Although all birds have feathers and down, virtually all down and feathers come from geese and ducks. Generally, the larger the bird and the colder the climate in which they live, the larger the down cluster and the higher the fill power of the down. Thus, goosedown typically has larger/better clusters. High-quality down can be found in both ducks and geese. But duck down and feathers are less expensive than goose down and feathers for three primary reasons: 1. They're perceived as slightly inferior in quality to geese.

2. The worldwide supply of duck down far exceeds that of geese.

3. Goose down has less of an odor compared to duck down.

Grey vs. White Down and feathers can come in shades ranging from pure white to black-speckled grey. The industry has placed a premium on white feathers and down due to their ability to blend better visually when filled into white bedding products. However, the color of the feathers and down has no relevance to its quality. When dark colors of filling appear next to lighter filling, it is called Flecking. It is almost impossible to prevent some flecking because down and feathers are natural by-products collected and processed in shared facilities. Sometimes, it is better to use gray filling in white bedding because any stray white filling won't show as much as an all-white filling.

From Raw Material to Bedding Quality

About 75% of the world's feather and down production comes from Asia, with the remaining source mainly being Eastern Europe. Farmers sell the birds for their meat, and the down and feather become a by-product. This is then purchased and shipped to manufacturers for processing. After the feathers and down are procured, they must be washed, sterilized, and sorted for use in bedding and apparel. First, down and feathers are sent through giant washing machines that wash and rinse the raw goods to remove dirt, oil, and bacteria. We wash our RestAssured® down twice with bluesign™ certified detergents to ensure cleanliness.

The fill is dried and sterilized in a steam dryer at temperatures between 250-275°F. The sanitized material is then sorted in large separating machines, which produce different filling qualities based on various feather and down cluster sizes.

Down Testing

Down testing is best performed after the down is washed and dried before it is used in the final products. This allows tighter control over products through final production. There are several industry-accepted tests for feather and down fill used in bedding and other finished products. The three most prominent tests are listed below.

1. Fill Power Fill power measures how 'fluffy' or lofty down is. This test involves filling a cylinder tube with 30 grams of down and measuring how many cubic inches of space it takes. A specially calibrated weight is placed on top of the down and allowed to fall slowly for 60 seconds. The test is done three times, and an average of the three tests is taken for a final result. The higher the fill power, the loftier the down, and the better an insulator. Typical fill power is approximately 550-600 cubic inches and can reach as high as 800 or more in premium bedding. As fill power increases, so does the price of the down.

View the video to see this test in action.

2. Turbidity Turbidity is a test that involves adding 10 grams of down into 1 liter of water. This container of down and water is sealed and vigorously shaken for 30 minutes. The mixture is then strained into a graduated cylinder.

The tester will look down into the opening of this cylinder to see if a pair of crosshairs on the bottom are visible. The cylinder is filled to the top marker. If the tester has trouble viewing the crosshair, the cylinder is slowly emptied until it is visible from the top. The marking where the water is equals the cleanliness of the down. The minimum standard in the United States is 300mm and 500mm is considered "hypo-allergenic ."The higher the turbidity number, the 'cleaner' the down. View the video to see this test in action.

3. Oxygen The oxygen test further proves the cleanliness of the down, where organic materials are measured. Organic materials are dirt and bacteria from the down. The test adds specially measured chemicals to the water used for the turbidity test. The lower the oxygen count, the less organic materials in the finished product. A good oxygen test measures 4.5 or lower. The standard in the United States is a maximum of 10 (mg/100g), and 4.8 or less is considered "hypo-allergenic."

Independent Outside Testing There are many labs for the testing of down products. International Down and Feather Laboratories (IDFL) and California Down & Feather Testing Laboratory (CDFTL) are two standard labs. Both facilities regularly test down from down processors and retailers of the finished goods. Many more extensive retail and catalog chains request officially certified tests from these companies to audit their inventory of down products.

Down Bedding by DOWNLITE Few things in life make you feel as pampered as luxurious down bedding. Although we include many more popular uses of down and feathers in our bedding, this list is not all-inclusive.

The information listed is a guideline to help you decide what bedding is best for you, but everything is a personal preference.

Pillows Although pillows may seem simple, many variables are involved in making a pillow.

The three basic parameters of a pillow are fill, fabric, and construction.

A natural pillow can be filled with down, feathers, or both. These blends range from 5% down/95% feathers to 50% down/50% feathers. With blended pillows, the more down, the softer the pillow. If you buy a down pillow, you may notice that the law label shows "75% down" and not "100%". This is because short of hand-picking every cluster; it's nearly impossible to get a pure 100% down cluster. The other 25% of your down pillow consists of additional down clusters, down fibers (broken clusters), and small feathers (<6cm).

Our natural fill pillows are made with cotton fabrics. A thread count of 230 or higher means that the pillow is "down-proof." Generally, as the thread count of the pillow fabric increases, the price of the pillow rises as well.

We have two different pillow constructions as well: standard bag and chamber. The standard bag is a simple shell filled with down/feather. A chamber pillow features three compartments inside the shell—a core of feathers in the middle, with down on top and bottom.

Our pillows come in various densities, from extra soft to extra firm. We recommend soft pillows for stomach sleepers and firm pillows for side sleepers. A medium pillow suits back sleepers or those who change positions through the night.

Blankets Down blankets are perfect when a consumer needs less warmth, typically during summer or hotter climates. Most down blankets utilize a sewn-thru box construction. Although less down is used in filling blankets, they are becoming much more popular among consumers as a substitute for a comforter. A down blanket is also an excellent option to add extra warmth in the winter without needing a heavyweight comforter.

Comforters Down comforters come in a variety of weights and constructions.

DOWNLITE offers comforters in three basic weights: lightweight, year-round, and winter. We consider the fill amount plus the down used's fill power to determine these. Fill power measures how lofty and insulating the down is. This means you'll see higher fill power (650+) in our winter comforters. The amount of fill also plays a factor in the comforter's weight. A lightweight comforter will have >30 oz. of fill, a year-round 30-50 oz., and winter has <50 oz. in a queen size.

We also have three different constructions for our comforters: sewn-thru, baffle box, and PermaBaffle.

• Sewn-Thru: Fill is added to the shell, and then the top and bottom layers of fabric are sewn together. This forms boxes that can range from 4”-18” in size, the ultimate in eliminating downshifting in the comforter.

• Baffle Box: The boxes are pre-sewn into the shell, and small openings between boxes allow the fill to be blown into the comforter. This can allow some shifting of fill but gives a loftier comforter.

• PermaBaffle®: This is the same as the baffle box above, but the small openings are covered with a flap of fabric inside the shell. This allows the same loftiness but with

Bedding Care

Preventative Maintenance Down comforters and pillows should be shaken out daily to restore their loft. You can also tumble dry your products to get some extra loft.

Protecting your comforter and pillow is a great idea. Duvet covers for comforters and pillow protectors are worthwhile investments that significantly extend the life of down bedding. These also allow you to wash the outside covering of your bedding more often than washing the bedding itself. Additionally, using a duvet cover, you can change the look of your bed.

Washing Ideally, you will wash your pillow protectors and duvets rather than your feather/down bedding. However, you should wash your products at least twice yearly to sanitize them. We don't recommend using the dry cleaner because the chemicals are too harsh. Instead, use your washer and dryer if you have extra-large capacity and a front-loading washer (or no spindle/agitator on a top loader). You can also take them to the laundromat and use the large-capacity machines if they aren't available in your home.

Before washing, ensure the fabric is not weakened by age or wear, or you might get a washer full of loose feathers. You can wash your down products in warm water on a gentle cycle, using a mild soap like Woolite®.

It takes 3-4 hours to completely dry two pillows or a down comforter in a large commercial dryer on medium heat. Adding a couple of clean tennis balls to the dryer can help break up clumps of filling and maximize the fluffiness of your pillows and comforters. The most important thing is to ensure that your product is dehydrated before use since mildew can ruin your bedding. The outside of the product might feel dry, but the down and feathers inside could still be slightly damp.

Why Downlite?

Down blankets are perfect when a consumer needs less warmth, typically during summer or hotter climates. Most down blankets utilize a sewn-thru box construction. Although less down is used in filling blankets, they are becoming much more popular among consumers as a substitute for a comforter. A down blanket is also an excellent option to add extra warmth in the winter without needing a heavyweight comforter.

Superior Products It all starts with our down and feather fills, the cleanest in the industry. Our internal standards are far stricter than those set by the FTC and USDA, and we are universally perceived as the highest-quality down and feather processor in the United States.

DOWNLITE also holds the patent for the PermaBaffle® comforter construction. This comforter design is the best-performing baffle box comforter available. Its interlocking baffles eliminate downshifting, even during washing, while maintaining the loft and lack of 'cold spots' associated with sewn-thru box comforters.

Manufacturing and Warehouse Facilities DOWNLITE's state-of-the-art manufacturing and warehousing facility in Cincinnati, OH, has the finest German-engineered computerized bedding machines. The 200,000-square-foot facility has adequate warehouse space to stock forecasted products for our largest customers. In addition, a separate custom manufacturing area is specially dedicated to smaller runs and more unique bedding items so we can better serve our smaller customers. Our feather and down processing plant, just five miles from the bedding factory, provides daily deliveries of down and feather. We also operate a mattress pad and garnetted pillow from our Monroe, NC, facility.

Customer Base Our customer list includes major retailers, catalogs, and hotels. In addition to these bedding customers, we sell washed and processed bulk feathers down to many domestic furniture manufacturers and highly respected international apparel makers. DOWNLITE has been entrusted by some of the most powerful licensed brands in the world, including Eddie Bauer®, Tommy Bahama®, Stearns & Foster®, Pendleton®, and PrimaLoft®.