Ethically Sourced
& Incredibly Warm

The down that keeps you warm

Our Down

Down is a tremendous insulator - you simply cannot get a better insulator that packs down well, keeps the weight low, and has excellent longevity. Whether used in garments, sleeping bags, or bedding, down excels at keeping you warm. It is the core of our production.

THE RDS
Ethically Sourced Down

100% of the down we use is certified by the Responsible Down Standard (RDS). No force feeding, no live plucking. Feel good about what keeps you warm.

Fill Power

One of the strongest indicators of the quality of down is its fill power, which is a standardized measurement of loft that down provides. 

Fill power measures the volume of one ounce of down. It is measured by the following process: one ounce (28.35 grams) of down is placed in a graduated cylinder. A 68.4 gram weighted disk is placed on top of the down. Once the disk settles, the compressed volume, measured in cubic inches, is the fill power. So 700 fill power down has a volume of 700 cubic inches per ounce of down, 850 fill power down is 850 cubic inches per ounce of down, and 900 fill power down is 900 cubic inches per ounce of down. 

Not only is fill power a decent indicator of down quality, it becomes especially important in weight-conscious activities, such as mountaineering and backpacking. Since higher fill power down provides more volume of insulation per ounce, you need less of it to insulate. For items with a lot of down insulation, this could mean saving considerable weight, with the added benefit of better compression for a smaller packing size.

DOWN BEDDING
700+ & 850+ Fill Power

Our down bedding is made with European white goose down. 700+ fill power is excellent, while 850+ fill power is for those who want the absolute best.

Apparel
900+ Fill Power

The entire Feathered Friends line of down garments utilizes exceptionally lofty 900+ fill power goose down. Carry warmth, not weight.

DOWN SLEEPING BAGS
900+ & 950+ Fill Power

Sleeping bags - they are so important, yet they require a lot of down to keep you warm. That's why we use some of the highest lofting down available so you can shed a lot of weight without sacraficing warmth.

Fill Weight

Fill weight is the physical weight of down used for a product. We measure the fill weight in ounces (or grams for the rest of the world). For instance, a jacket may have a fill weight of 9 ounces. That means there are 9 ounces of down inside - regardless of what fill power the down is. Knowing both the fill weight and fill power gives you a pretty solid baseline to compare products, because one of those numbers on its own doesn't give you enough information. A jacket with 9 ounces of 850 fill power down will be substantially warmer than a jacket with 9 ounces of 600 fill power down.

Down FAQ

Even though geese have down plumes and feathers, they are not the same thing. Down plumes are extremely light, three-dimensional structures that trap heat. They also loft up, are very resilient to compression, and do not contain a quill shaft. Feathers, on the other hand, are two-dimensional in shape, and are based on a tubular quill shaft. While feathers do offer a bit of insulation, the weight-to-warmth ratio is nowhere near as high as a down plume. 

Fill power is a great metric for comparing down products, but the fill power number alone cannot tell the full story. Another major factor is fill weight, which is the actual physical amount of down, by weight, that is used in a product. Additionally, the full composition of the down is important. Namely, what percentage of the down contains down plumage, also known as "down cluster," in relation to other elements, such as feather and quill? Down that contains high percentages of feather and other miscellaneous elements tends to be of lower quality. 

Yes! We've been using 100% Responsible Down Standard certified goose down since March 2015!

No. We want our down to be as close to 100% down as possible. Our down routinely tests well over 90% down cluster, which is brilliant. So we never blend or dilute our down - we keep our down the way it is when we receive it. 

Yes it is. All of the down we use - across all fill powers - is certified hypoallergenic.

Yes, Feathered Friends down products - apparel, sleeping bags, and bedding - can all be washed. Check out our washing instructions here

Down Tracker

See what is keeping you warm! Every Feathered Friends sleeping bag, jacket, pant, comforter, and pillow come with a Down Tracker tag. Enter the lot number to see where the down comes from, as well as testing results that show the full composition of the down.