What Is the Difference Between Feather & Down Pillows?

Feathers

• Ducks and geese have outer feathers that protect them from the icy chill of winter water and give them their colorful plumage. These feathers contain quills--small pointed feathers that can make their way through thin fabrics and sometimes even heavier fabrics. Because feathers are not multidimensional, as down is, they don't hold the heat as well. The quills in feathers make pillows flatter, heavier and less soft. Feathers repel water and make pillows non-washable.

Down

• Down makes up the layer that lies beneath the feathers of ducks and geese. Down is multidimensional: it consists of tiny fibers radiating around a small, cotton-ball-like center called a plumule. These fibers link to other plumules and this linkage allows it to trap heat. Providing deep insulation, it is found mainly on the chests of these birds and makes up about 12 to 15 percent of a bird's total weight.

Comparison

• Much more heat is trapped in down pillows than in feathers ones. Down pillows are washable, where feather pillow are not. People allergic to feather pillows, are not allergic to down ones. The clusters in down, absent in feather pillows, make them extremely soft. Clusters also turn the heat of summer into moisture that leaves the down pillow cool. Down contains no quills, as feathers do.

Obtaining Down

• The best, and most expensive, down is obtained by hand from Siberian white geese. It comes from older geese grown in the very cold climate of Siberia just for down harvesting. The down is harvested by hand three times a year. Because of the hand-harvesting and the bird's extremely large clusters, trapping a maximum amount of heat, this goose down is the most expensive. It will last a lifetime if cared for properly.

Down and Feather Mix

• Some pillows are made with a mix of down and feather. Feathers, which vary in size from 5 cm to several inches, provide some insulation in pillows but are mostly added for support. The quills in feathers are often used.