FEATHER AND DOWN
How we carefully choose our feather & down
Welcome to heaven. Our feather and down quilts and pillows are nothing short of celestial bliss. Fluffy, soft and wonderfully light, they’ve got more cloud-like properties than should strictly be possible for something of this earth.
Quite understandably, the technical prowess of down and feather probably isn’t something you’re familiar with though. That’s why we’re here to give you some insight into what makes these natural materials so impressive. After years of meticulously sourcing the finest down that Europe has to offer, we’re proud to call ourselves the experts.
Where does your down come from?
We source our down and feather from the chilly climes of Eastern Europe. We travelled all over to source the very finest, from the snowy depths of Czech Republic to subarctic Siberia to the mirrored icy lakes of Poland. In each place, the birds have evolved to protect themselves from the elements with bigger clusters of down that keep even more warmth in.
Why does down keep you warm?
Fine tuned to perfection over millions of years, down is still one of the world’s best lightweight insulators. Try as we might, mankind just can’t imitate it.
A fluffy cluster of down is made up of intricate tendrils that spread in all directions. Every single super-fine strand helps to trap warm air and heat within your bedding, creating insulation and weightless warmth.
How do you choose your down?
We measure our down by its fill power. This is decided by its resilience and ability to loft, trap air and insulate. The bigger and the stronger a cluster, the more warmth it'll be able to trap.
Our fill power starts at 550 and goes up to 900. You can choose a different level of warmth for each of our quilts, but the higher the fill power, the more lightweight your doona will be for that cloud-like bliss.
Whilst fill power is crucial, the way a quilt or pillow is designed is just as important to maximise down’s incredible properties. That’s why Abode quilts have an extra-thick baffle box to allow down filling to loft. Abode pillows also have a triple chamber that keeps down snug in place for optimal springiness without any risk of crushing it.
What’s the difference between feather and down?
Since feather has a quill and down doesn’t, feather has a firmer, denser feel in a pillow. This makes it more affordable when used as part of the filling mix, though it has a sturdier feel. A down pillow feels softer and lighter; your head tends to sink luxuriously into the pillow, ready for deep sleep.
We don’t use any feather in our quilts. It’s all part of our promise of celestial comfort. We want our quilts to feel like sleeping beneath a cloud that’s blissfully warm, yet effortlessly light.
What’s the difference between duck down and goose down?
As goose down is from a bigger bird, it forms larger clusters making it a better insulator. Ducks are smaller birds so the reverse applies.
Is using down bad for the environment?
As a natural by-product of the food industry, we’ve found that down has a lower carbon footprint than synthetic materials.
We feel very lucky to harness the incomparable power of nature in our products. Protecting animals and the environment to strict European standards is essential to our company values. We build trusting, long-standing relationships with our suppliers for this very purpose.
Is the down you source harmful to geese?
The ethically sourced down we use meets both Responsible Down Standards and Downpass auditing to safeguard animal welfare to European standards. This means the birds live healthy lives and never suffer from fear or pain.
Do you treat your down with chemicals?
All of our down is thoroughly cleaned and sterilised then rigorously tested under strict government supervision.
The strict European environmental standards that our suppliers adhere to make sure the down we source is ecologically safe. These eco-safe textiles are free from formaldehyde, chlorine, heavy metals and other harmful chemicals. This protects our customers so they’re not exposed to chemicals while they sleep.