The power of down

Down and feathers are not the same. Everyone can recognise a feather, but down is more of a mystery.

Feathers make up the rigid plumage on ducks and geese. Each feather is flat – unable to trap air effectively and has little insulation value. The main purpose of feathers in pillows is to provide bulk and support. In duvets, they can reduce the quality of the final product if too many are used.

Down is the soft undercoat beneath the birds’ feathers, found mainly on the belly and breast. It consists of clusters of light, fluffy filaments growing from a central quill point. As there’s no quill shaft, the structure is naturally soft.

Each down cluster provides warmth and insulation by trapping thousands of tiny pockets of air within the filaments. At the same time, the down keeps the birds dry by allowing water and moisture to escape from their bodies. No wonder it makes such a wonderful material for duvets. At Norvegr, even our entry-level Classic Collection duvets are just 10% feather. From the next collection and onwards, they are all feather-free.

The more air down is able to trap, the greater the loft (springiness) of the down. With its luxurious feel and superb insulating properties, down is far more highly prized than feathers. It’s also scarcer, as birds produce a great deal more feather than down. This scarcity naturally makes down more expensive. However, the quality of products does vary. So, having decided to purchase a lovely down sleeping set, you need to be aware of the factors that influence the end product.

If you’re used to a more voluminous, heavy duvet, your first experience of Norvegr may be surprising. Our duvets are unbelievably light. But after a night or two of perfect sleep, you’ll be addicted. Densely filled duvets cannot provide the harmonious balance between warming and cooling that down does. In fact, thicker, heavier varieties are often poor quality, as they’ve been filled simply to add bulk.

Down:Feather ratio

Also affecting quality is the ratio of down to feather. Confusingly, many duvet and pillow makers on the high street will refer to their products as down-filled even if there’s only a tiny percentage of down. If you want a high fill power, and a lofty, fluffy, temperature-regulating, cloud-like product, the down-to-feather ratio needs to be high. Down-to-feather ratios are generally 70/30, 80/20 or 90/10, with the first number representing the percentage of down and the second indicating the feathers. A higher first number generally means a better-quality product. Down with 700 fill power in a 90/10 mix is going to loft exactly the same amount as down with 700 fill power in a 95/5 mix. The ratio is irrelevant as far as lofting ability is concerned. However, the higher the fill power, the more down and less feather there is. When approaching 800 fill power (EU), the mixes are as close to feather-free as they can be.