The feathers on geese or ducks are the outer covering of the bird. They have quills, repel water, and make it possible for the animal to fly. Down lies beneath this protective covering – usually on the belly of a bird - and is light and fluffy. It provides the insulation birds need to keep warm.

However, in some situations, a high quality duck down can be better than a mediocre goose down. Goose clusters are generally larger than duck clusters and typically come from older, larger birds. As a result, their down tends to produce higher fill powers, be more resilient and durable than duck down.

Feather and down products are generally filled with down from either geese or ducks. ... Geese are larger birds than ducks and generally have bigger down clusters. Their filaments are therefore able to trap more air and provide more insulation. The general rule of thumb is the bigger the down cluster, the warmer the duvet.

Goose feather is softer than duck feather and also less stalks protrude through. FILLING: 75% white goose feather and 25% soft DOWN to provide "warmth without weight" and gives the duvet that sumptuous cozy feel. The higher the down content the more luxurious the duvet is.

A down jacket is a jacket which has been insulated with the soft and warm under feathers from duck or geese. Down is a fantastic insulator as the loft (or fluffiness) of down creates thousands of tiny air pockets which trap warm air and retain heat, thus keeping the wearer very warm.

Down comforters are made from the light, fluffy clusters and plumules that come from beneath the feathers of ducks and geese. The quality of down can be determined by the fill power or loft. ... Down alternative comforters are great options for anyone allergic to down feathers or for anyone on a stricter budget.

The biggest difference between goose down and duck down only comes into play when you start looking at fill power, the measure of how puffy (and thus warm) a given amount of down is. ... And geese, being larger than ducks, are the only birds that produce sufficiently large plumules for high-end down.

Since birds like ducks and geese are bred in large groups for the production of meat and foie gras, "harvesting" their feathers is a profitable by-product. Feathers are usually removed during the natural moulting cycle of the bird, which is the time when they shed their old feathers and grow new ones, every 6-7 weeks.

Togs tell you how warm you will be when sleeping under the duvet. The lower the tog, the cooler you'll be. So you need a lower tog for Summer (4.5 tog) and a higher tog in Winter (13.5 or 15 tog). If you prefer to stick to just one duvet all year round choose a tog rating of around 10.5.

Fill power is a measure of the loft or "fluffiness" of a down product that is loosely related to the insulating value of the down. The higher the fill power the more air an ounce of the down can trap, and thus the more insulating ability an ounce of the down will have..

Down Fill Powers. ... If you use two ounces of 800 fill on jacket A, and two ounces of 700 fill on jacket B, jacket A — with the 800 fill down — will be warmer because it has more loft. However, a jacket may have eight ounces of 850 fill down and yet be of similar warmth to a jacket with twelve ounces of 650 fill down.

1[intransitive, transitive] to move your head or body downwards to avoid being hit or seen He had to duck as he came through the door. duck (down) (behind/under something) We ducked down behind the wall so they wouldn't see us. He ducked under the overhanging branches.

Everyday upkeep: Plump pillows daily when you make your bed, to keep the filling from becoming flattened. Longevity: With regular washing and fluffing, the average down or feather pillow can last many years. "I have pillows on my beds that are 10 to 15 years old," Martha says.

Whereas traditional hollowfibre duvets are made from a filling which has fibres with hollow space between them, microfibre duvets have very fine fibres which are tightly woven and without the hollow space. ... If you've always had a natural-filled duvet but fancy a change, your best bet is to go for a microfibre one

A down jacket is a warm jacket filled with the soft feathers of a duck or goose, and the outer layer is usually made of materials like nylon or polyester. Down, the soft feathers mentioned, is usually taken from the breasts and wings of the duck or goose.

Synthetic insulation is essentially polyester threading that is molded into long, single threads or short staples to mimic down clusters. Thinner and lighter threads fill voids and trap warm air more effectively. ... Unlike down, synthetic insulation is water-resistant and will still provide some warmth if it gets wet.

400 Thread Count: Prevents down from escaping. 100% Cotton: Fine cotton allows the down to breathe. Canadian Hutterite White Goose Down: Farmed by the Canadian Hutterites in Alberta and is world-renowned as one of the highest quality fills.