Down and feathers

Down is a natural product made from the warming protective feathers of water fowl. Thanks to its three-dimensional, elastic structure, down can trap a lot of air, which makes it an enormously powerful storer of heat. Visually, down resembles a fine snowflake, and it is just as light at 1–2 milligrams. About one million pieces of down are required for one kilogram of filling material. The larger the pieces of down, the higher their fill power, i.e. their effectiveness in terms of thermal insulation.

Unlike down, feathers have a two-dimensional, flat shape. The so-called vanes, which consist of soft barbules, branch off on both sides from the continuous, hollow quill in the middle. As their name implies, feathers are extremely resilient; even after a thousand fold compression, they always spring back to their original shape. This resilience is called fill power and ensures that feathers withstand high loads. For this reason, one, in principle, uses a higher feather percentage for pillows than for duvets.

Down and feather plumage give geese and ducks ideal protection against the cold. Many of the good properties of down and feathers that are important outdoors in nature can be transferred to their use in bedrooms at home. For example, they are able to absorb moisture and dissipate it into the ambient air like no other material. Their resilience makes them extremely durable – while ensuring the highest degree of softness and snugness. In addition, down and feathers are easy to clean and can be washed at up to 60°C. On top of that, ours are fundamentally suitable for allergy sufferers (NOMITE) and are ecologically tested (Standard 100 by OEKO-TEX).