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Loft
Loft is the number of cubic inches one ounce of down will fill under specific conditions: The larger, more mature the bird, the higher the loft of its down.
A loft test is done in a Plexiglas cylinder of a standard size, under exacting conditions of specific temperature and humidity, with a sample of precisely one ounce of down. There is a disk of specific weight that sits on top of the sample to simulate the load that the covering fabric exerts in a finished item. The highest loft to be consistently tested is 800.
This illustration shows the loft of different grades of down. Each tube is the same size and filled with 1 ounce of down. It is easy to see that a higher quality, more mature down fills more space for the same weight. This explains why a high quality down product will be much lighter and at the same time much puffier than a lower quality item. It takes much less of a high lofting down to fill a product, be it sleeping bag, pillow, etc.
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1 oz.
300 Loft |
1 oz.
400 Loft |
1 oz.
600 Loft |
1 oz.
700 Loft |
1 oz.
800 Loft |
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Density
This describes how dense the fibers of down are at its center. The denser the down, the better it traps air, and the better insulator it is. High density is found only in very mature downs.
The photos show the difference between a down plumule with high density (Right) and a down plumule with low density (Left).
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| Low density down |
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High density down |
Cling
Eiderdown is the only down where cling is specific to its species. Other downs must be very mature to develop this trait. Tiny hooks develop as the down matures and these hooks cause down clusters to cling together giving a more even layer of insulation. Since it is costly to maintain birds to this level of maturity, the resulting down is very expensive, but exceptional.
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| A very mature White Goose Down |
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Eiderdown is the only down where cling is specific to its species |
Breathability
Down has a remarkable ability to wick away moisture. It allows water vapour to
pass right through it, keeping the sleeper comfortable, with none of the clamminess that is often felt with synthetics.
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Cleanliness
High quality downs are carefully washed, rinsed and dried, using machinery developed for this specific purpose. Special sanitizing processes are used to ensure the down is hypoallergenic.
When this process is complete the finished product has a very high level of cleanliness.
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