Down Harvesting Methods Influence Comforter Quality

Posted in Budget, Choosing a comforter, Comforters, Down comforters, Fill, Warmth by admin
May 27 2010
TrackBack Address.

Yet another thing to consider when purchasing a down comforter concerns the actual method of obtaining the down and feather utilized to fill  the comforter. In the same way all down is not created the same, definitely not all down will be collected the same. The particular geese being harvested and the approaches utilized to gather down and feathers for comforter fill materials can and do impact the complete functionality of the bed comforter. In a previous post, I mentioned Icelandic Eiderdown. This particular down is exceedingly rare and prohibitively costly as it is solely harvested by hand from abandoned nests. Goose down, meanwhile, is readily obtainable and is produced all over the world.

Even though it is often not stated on a comforter tag the exact method of collecting the down, the type of down used will invariably point to the harvesting method.

Hungarian White Goose Down

The present number 1 position for luxury goose downs is occupied by Hungarian white goose down. This down is produced from geese raised specifically for their feathers and down. Hungarian, or Magyar, geese have been raised in the Hungarian country side for centuries. The cooler weather of Hungary encourages the growth of sturdy and well-insulating down and feathers. Hungarian geese produce world famous, premium down which offers an excellent 750 fill power, long-lasting, gentle along with tough down. In addition, many Hungarian white goose down comforter sets are stuffed with large-cluster, hand-harvested down ( the larger the down cluster – the greater its insulating properties- therefore the warmer it will be ) Harvesting down by hand causes no damage to the geese and maintains the down’s inherent characteristics from any damage.

European and Canadian Goose Down

Running a really close second to Hungarian goose down, are the premium European along with Canadian goose downs. The term European goose down refers to down generated within Europe (apart from Hungary), for example Poland andTurkey. European down is usually characterised by a high fill power, in between 650 and 750, but lacks the particular historic centuries-long heritage of Hungarian goose down. Canadian geese, like their Hungarian cousins, are huge birds which may generate large-cluster, high-quality down. Much like the Hungarian diversity, Canadian goose down can easily attain a fill power of about 750. The Canadian goose down marketplace in fact traces its beginnings back to 16th Century Moravia, (presently the Czech Republic).

Chinese Goose Down

Chinese goose down is mainly a by-product of China’s food industry and is typically labelled as ‘natural’ down. Natural down is obviously an accountable use of raw material that could otherwise be dumped, nevertheless its purely natural traits tend to be sacrificed by two related elements. To start with, the geese from which this kind of down is farmed tend to be farmed to produce meats, not top quality down. Second, the actual butchering method inevitably harms the down somewhat. Natural down comforters are generally obtained in department shops and feature a fill power of 550 and below.

Hand harvested downs are usually associated with more costly comforters and therefore it is up to you to decide whether your budget or your comforter needs merits you to even consider the harvesting method employed.

Other Sources of Info

1 Comment »
Tagged as: bed comforter set, down comforter, down harvesting methods, goose down, havesting down, selecting a comforter