What is the Difference Between Down & Feather Pillows?
Many consumers tend to think down and feathers are the same thing. In fact nothing could be more different as the cost, feature set, and firmness are all impacted by the fillings.
Down filling comes from the underbelly of ducks and geese, and it is very soft and airy. Down costs approximately five to ten times more than feathers. It’s used for comfort in items such as pillows, comforters, blankets, and on top of feather beds.
Feathers, on the other hand, come from the other parts of a duck or goose. They are rigid and provide support for items like pillows, pillow forms, beds and more.
Both down and feathers are processed the same way, and they are usually equal in their hypoallergenic standards based on the manufacturer from which you are buying. Higher amounts of feathers are useful for items that need to be firmer and durable.
The biggest difference between down and feathers is their usage. Both can be machine washed and dried, and they can provide years of comfort. Down can usually be washed and dried faster than feathers due to the moisture trapping of the quills on feathers.
Many three, four, and five-star hotels like to use 50/50 pillows on their beds. This just means they’re pillows comprised of half down and half feathers. Hotels also use down comforters, and in the best and most luxurious properties you’ll find featherbeds on top of mattresses.
While down provides soft, luxurious comfort, feathers provide support. Both down and feathers can last years. Down and feather bedding are equal in their ability to be allergy-friendly due to the higher thread-count, cotton fabric typically used. In fact, some British research has shown that down and feather bedding users actually saw improvements to their home-related allergies.
Any product labeled down in the United States must contain by law a minimum of 75% down clusters. The other 25% consists of more down, small feathers and/or fibers, which are the broken off pieces of down clusters.
There are only several down bedding manufacturers in the US, and many of the biggest ship their filling to other users of down including outerwear, sleeping bag makers, and fine furniture companies.
Sometimes consumers have a negative perception of feather bedding due to the nature of feather pillows and poking quills. In truth, even the best feather bedding item can poke once in a while. Therefore, for items like feather pillows and featherbeds, quilted protectors are recommended to add comfort. It is also important to consider buying a more luxurious blend of feather filling such as a 10/90 vs. the more common 5/95 feather/down blends.