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Eiderdown Comforters: What Makes Them So Special?

October 25, 2007 on 8:05 pm | In Uncategorized | No Comments

Eiderdown is the world’s most coveted down insulation used in comforters and pillows. Harvested from the nests of Eider Ducks in the chilly North Atlantic, an Eiderdown comforter or pillow can command thousands of dollars. It therefore may be natural to ask what one is getting for the sizable premium prices.

The Common Eider (Eider Duck) is the northern hemisphere’s largest duck. They line their nests with down from their own bodies, typically plucked from the nesting female’s chest. It is this insulation that is so prized due to it being so light yet so incredibly effective. The Eiderdown far more than other down clings to itself and this density rewards the sleeper with the utmost in insulation value. Our Eiderdown comforter contains down that is measured at 700 fill power, but insulates at the equivalent of 850 to 900 fill power. The Eiderdown in our products is hand collected from nests in special Eider Duck sanctuaries without disturbing the Eider Ducks. I’ve had the opportunity to personally have eiderdown rest in my hands. Closing my eyes and having the eiderdown placed in my hands, I quickly got the sensation of this amazing warmth, yet I could feel essentially no weight or mass. Only after opening my eyes, could I notice the plump mass of dark colored eider down. It is this unparalleled insulation which is so highly sought after.

Other types of high quality down will tend to look poofy or fluffy. They might have a fill power rating higher than the 700 fill power of our eiderdown comforters. But ounce per ounce, no other down can match the insulation value of the eiderdown. The eiderdown comforter may not look as fluffy as some high grade goose down comforters due to the clinginess of the eiderdown. But in fact, the eiderdown is so warm ounce per ounce that it’s best to have somewhat lower fill weights (number of ounces of down) to avoid overheating. The eiderdown comforter is something which if properly cared for will last many years and in fact is regarded as having the qualities of an heirloom.

If Eiderdown appeals to you, we would recommend that you select a reputable source or provider. Any ad or solicitation promising “eiderdown cheap” is almost certainly not selling the genuine article. It can easily take eiderdown from dozens of nests to provide enough filling for merely one comforter. A few hundred dollars per ounce of eiderdown is not unreasonable given the extremely limited harvest quantities per year and rising demand, particularly from newly affluent societies in east Asia. Our Eiderdown is not only harvested on a sustainable basis, but hand sewn into comforters using the finest, softest downproof fabric to provide unsurpassed comfort and rest.