Duvet padding: Fill power, goose down and feathers

Sleeping under a soft goose down duvet has become an increasingly popular choice in recent years. The reasons for this preference are multiple. In addition to the convenience of quickly making the bed in the morning, duvets offer advantages in terms of hygiene and allergies compared to classic wool blankets. Plus, there's a wide range of options to choose from in terms of warmth and weight, thanks to the fill powebid to the padding. To make the right choice, it is essential to understand the technical characteristics of these products.

Duvet or feather? How to choose the filling of the double duvet

Goose down duvets are distinguished first and foremost by the type and quality of the feathers used as padding. Completely excluding synthetic alternatives, there are two main types of padding: down and feather.

Down has an appearance similar to a fluffy ball and is mainly defined based on its origin. Down represents the most valuable padding for duvets.

On the other hand, the feather or plumage is more rigid and has a central part called calamus, from which the feather filaments originate. Although it offers good thermal insulation, it is inferior in this regard to down.

Goose down: The fill power

In addition to the quality of the feathers, another crucial parameter when choosing a duvet is the fill power. You may have noticed that a double duvet can be lighter but at the same time warmer than a single one.

Fill power measures the filling capacity of the down and is the ratio between the volume of the padding and its weight. This value not only represents the heat, but also the quality of the product. Duvets with a fill power above 650, which indicates a high volume-to-weight ratio, are considered high quality.

A high volume and low weight indicate that the duvet is filled with high-quality down. This allows you to obtain greater volume without significantly increasing the overall weight of the duvet.

800 fill power: is it good quality?

Fill power is measured in CUIN (Cubic Inch) per ounce, which represents the ratio of volume in cubic inches to weight in ounces. This value can range from 400 to 850. A duvet with a fill power of 500 is considered to be of medium quality, with poor quality down.

For a duvet of excellent quality, you should opt for a fill power above 600. If you are looking for the highest level, aim for models with fill power between 650 and 850. So, a goose down comforter with 800 fill power is definitely of excellent quality .

Padding and fill power of the duvet

It is important to distinguish between fill type and fill power when evaluating double or single duvets. These two parameters are related, but represent different characteristics.

A concrete example is given by winter and mid-season duvets, which can have high quality padding and excellent fill power but offer different levels of warmth depending on the weight used. This means that it is possible to find duvets suitable for different seasons of the year.

Difference between natural padding and synthetic padding

It is also important to mention the difference between natural padding, such as goose down-based padding, and synthetic padding. Synthetic duvets can be made from materials such as microfiber or polyester. Among synthetic fibres, there are silicone ones which insulate well from the cold but may not be highly breathable. Microfibre is warmer and more comfortable than other synthetic materials, but hardly reaches the standards of lightness, thermal insulation and thermoregulation of down duvets. Their average lifespan is also shorter, around 5 years.

In conclusion, the choice between natural and synthetic padding should be made based on your personal needs. However, it is important to pay attention to the quality of the materials to ensure a comfortable and healthy night's sleep. For further information on the different types of duvets, you can consult the articles on our site to understand how to choose the duvet and combine it with high quality bed linen.