Are down pillows as great as down comforters?

When there are so many advantages to down comforters, one might suspect that down pillows are just as unbeatable. But that cannot be transferred across the board.
While a down comforter has to gently cover and warm the body, the pillow is supposed to stabilize the neck area. In addition, the head should not heat up excessively on the surface. In this respect, different standards apply to pillows.

If you are looking for a pillow made of natural materials, you should opt for a high proportion of feathers. Due to their construction, springs are stabilizing and firming – but do not warm. They support the head and neck area while sleeping and are still comfortable and soft. Cushions with around 70 to 80 percent feather content are recommended. The rest is filled with down. They round off the filling and ensure a supple and soft feel.

Wrapped in down all around – with a down topper

The feeling of lying under a down comforter is unmistakable. It becomes even more charming when the ground is made of down feathers. For this reason there are special toppers. They are placed over the mattress as a support and cover the body with feathers on all sides.

The soft cover consists of a specially arranged layer of down and feathers. The advantage: while the feathers provide stability and support the body individually, the down feathers dissipate any moisture and heat. In this respect, such a topper is the right addition for people who are sensitive to temperature and moisture and who value their sleep quality.

How do you properly care for bedding with down and feathers?

You should make sure to shake up the blankets and pillows daily and ventilate them regularly. It is nice to let the bedding air out by the window. In everyday life, however, it is usually sufficient to cover the bed thoroughly in the morning and shake the plumeau well.

If you want to refresh your covers in between, you can put blankets or pillows in the dryer together with a damp cloth and let the ventilation program run. It is advisable to put two tennis balls in the drum to loosen up the down.

Is it possible to wash properly?

There are persistent prejudices about the care of such a natural product. The fact is: high-quality down comforters, down pillows and down toppers can be put in the washing machine! Depending on the manufacturer, a cleaning care program with up to 60 degrees can be selected. The products are also suitable for tumble drying.

Good to know: Most producers recommend annual wet cleaning in a professional washing machine. The bedding has a little more space in it. This ensures that you will be able to enjoy the set for several decades.

Are down comforters suitable for allergy sufferers?

There are also numerous prejudices here. But you have to know that the natural plumage of the animals is made in such a way that parasites can hardly settle in it. Mites do not find a proper hold along the elastic down, which is why the concern here is rather unfounded.

To make it even easier for allergy sufferers, some covers are made of easy-care and mite-repellent materials. Due to the dense weave, the small parasites cannot even penetrate the interior of blankets, pillows and toppers. Nevertheless, for reasons of hygiene, it is advisable to clean the bedding once a year.

What about animal welfare?

In order to get feathers and feathers of perfect quality, the living conditions of the animals have to be right. This primarily concerns proper keeping and ethically correct removal. There are special seals to guarantee this.

One of these quality marks is the so-called downpass certification. It indicates that only those down and feathers are used that come from animals raised in a species-appropriate manner. The birds are neither plucked alive nor previously kept as so-called darning geese. Rather, the down and feathers are a by-product – namely when the animals were slaughtered for meat production.

The TÜV issues another certificate. It is ensured that the keeping complies with the provisions of the German Animal Welfare Act and that the ducks or geese are looked after by a veterinarian. Other manufacturers, on the other hand, expressly point out that the raw feathers come from free-range animals and have been checked for the presence of viruses or other pathogens.

In order to be sure which feathers and down it is specifically, one should pay attention to the certification of the respective producer. Well-known manufacturers have been doing without the dubious live plucking for many years.

Our conclusion

Duvets made of down and feathers have many ingenious functions that can hardly be imitated in this way by a synthetic material. In particular, temperature-sensitive people who get cold quickly or who quickly work up a sweat benefit from the climate-compensating properties. In terms of comfort, such bedding is unmatched anyway. Because down duvets and pillows last for many years, it’s worth buying.