Eiderdown Comforters: What Makes Them So Special?
October 25, 2007 on 8:05 pm | In Uncategorized | No CommentsEiderdown 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.
Down Comforters: Sewn Through Box Stitch or Baffle Box?
June 2, 2007 on 10:10 pm | In Uncategorized | No CommentsAt Supercomfort.com, we’re often asked what the difference is about the stitching, particularly between sewn through box stitching and baffle box construction.
Our clients often are concerned that any comforter they purchase have stitching that keeps the down from shifting away. I’ve heard numerous stories of clients who purchased years ago from other retailers some comforters which were the old fashioned singled chambered down comforters. As those old type comforters consisted of a single area in which down could move, these persons would find that the down would settle to the lowest point while they slept. Typically, this meant that the down would settle to the sides and to their feet, leaving the main parts of their bodies with minimal down coverage! Fortunately, these days, it’s rare to see new down comforters on the market where all the down is in one single chamber. Most comforters manufactured today have more stitching to contain the down.
There’s quite a few different styles, but the most common construction types for down comforters now are sewn through box stitching and baffle box stitching. Both keep the down confined to a smaller area. The sewn through stitching, as the name suggests, has thread that goes through from the top to the bottom of the comforter. This does divide the down into smaller compartments or boxes. However, where the sewn through stitching occurs the comforter is pinched, which can result in cold spots as there is no down to provide insulation.
Baffle boxes solve this issue because the baffles are vertical walls between the top and bottom of the comforter. The baffles also divide the down into smaller areas, but provide depth to the comforter and allow the down to loft to its maximum. Baffle box construction is most commonly found in premium down comforters such as our Luxury & Hungarian Goose Down Comforters but also in down comforters overall. However, to really ensure that the down doesn’t migrate from one box to another, look for “true baffle box” or “closed baffle box” construction. Some baffle box designs may have partially open baffles which does allow for some movement or shifting of the down. Conveniently, all of the down comforters at Supercomfort.com show in the title and/or the description the exact kind of construction, whether it is sewn through or baffle box, and whether it’s a true or cl