Posts Tagged ‘down comforters’
Large down clusters make for high fill powers
Fill power describes the quality of the down used in many fabrics from sleeping bags to comforters. Pacific Coast down comforters use a minimum of 550 fill power in products that it produces for better loft and insulation.
Superior insulation is accomplished with large clusters of down, which breathe and last longer than the smaller, fragile down clusters that are used in low quality comforters. The higher the fill power means that the clusters of down are larger and stronger.
Learn about standardized temperature rating for bedding
In our discussion about fill power and loft over the past several days we would be remiss if we did not say that calculations are only approximate. A more accurate way to compare goose down comforters is to use European Norm temperature ratings, which are based on realistic independent lab tests.
These tests are the lowest comfortable temperature, and go above a safe but not comfortable temperature. In the United States, sleeping bags have temperature ratings, but manufacturers do not use standardized methods in establishing temperature comfort ratings.
Why can goose down be so expensive?
The higher the fill power means that the down is the rarest and accordingly the most expensive. The geese kept for breeding will molt naturally each spring and the down is collected by hand when it is loose.
This type of down from breeding geese is rare and expensive, but it has greater loft and gets its scarcity from the careful selection by hand. Pacific Coast down comforters are constructed using the better downs of up to 650 fill power.
Turn the thermostat down and sleep in warmth.
With fuel prices expected to rise and with the possibility of a cold winter looming, turning the thermostat down lower at night may be necessary. A cold house while we sleep is not as uncomfortable if you cover ourselves properly.
Down is an excellent insulator that is a natural regulator, keeping warmth in and cold out, without causing discomfort from being too heavy. Quality down comforters have a way of keeping the temperature under the covers just right and rarely will the term too warm or cold be a problem.
Does living in hard times mean we can’t be comfortable?
Our economy is suffering and money is tight as we approach the end of another year and the weather has turned from fall to winter. When you live in a northern climate of the upper Midwest you can feel cold all the time.
We are conserving as much as we can and this often means keeping the thermostat at 60 degrees or less at night. Consumers are realizing that an investment in goose down comforters for the family will keep everyone warm while they sleep.
The supply and demand of down
Raw down and feather supplies are like commodities that are sensitive to supply and demand. Down bedding manufacturers make up only part of the demand along with the makers of down apparel and sleeping bags.
The supply and demand is affected by the needs of consumers and manufacturers, which cannot be reliably estimated. During a downturn in an economy for example, demand for more expensive down comforters would be less, even though humans have a need to keep themselves warm, but would turn possibly to cheaper synthetic materials.
When a schoolday ends work is just beginning
When the kids get home from school they have a snack before they change into their work clothes and the girls help their mother do chores in the house. The boy helps his father do chores outside.
The family has an assortment of farm animals including; cows, sheep, goats, chickens, ducks, geese, and guinea hens. There are also dogs and cats. The ducks and geese have down under their feathers that provide the material for making down comforters.
The supply of duck exceeds that of goose
Another consideration when making a purchase of down comforters or pillows is the price of duck down versus goose down. One reason that duck is cheaper is that in the U.S. there is a perception that duck down is slightly inferior to goose down. A second reason is that there is a larger worldwide supply of duck, which far exceeds geese.
Goose down pillows and comforters will carry with them an inherent pride of ownership, which comes from the perception of being better and because of less abundant supply. For the money, if duck is the cheaper product and all other things are equal, it is probably the best buy for the obvious reason – price – and you may only be sacrificing the pride of ownership.
A bird of a different feather
Every bird was created with some feathers and down, but the down and feathers of geese and ducks are the only birds whose down we harvest. One reason that down is harvested from a goose is that it will have bigger down clusters, generally.
White goose down with 525 to 650 fill power is used to construct Pacific Coast down comforters. Fill power can range from about 175 to around 900, but fill powers of over 700 are rare. Large percentages of down clusters and large average down cluster sizes are associated with the higher fill powers.
Goose down comforters make for warm nights
As I sit down at my computer, cold weather is hitting various parts of the US and in not many days our furnaces will be running more. On long cold winter nights when we get ready to retire for the evening, we are greatly comforted knowing that warm bedding waits.
Owning natural bedding products such as goose down comforters, you can have confidence knowing that you have made the right decision. There is no need to sacrifice quality with something as important as sleep, which we do as much as one-third of our lives.