Down & Feather 101

 

"What is the difference?"

Feathers:

The outer plumage of the duck are two dimensional. Each feather has a shaft. The slight curvature of the duck feather is unique to this specie of bird and provides a supportive quality which makes them perfect for use in sleeping pillows and decorative pillow inserts. They are generally not used for insulating purposes.

Down Cluster: 

The soft plumage undercoating of a duck. It is the unique three-dimensional structure of the cluster which allows it to trap and hold air; this ability to trap air provides the warmth without weight.

 

 

Comforter Construction:

Comforter construction provides the performance features and aesthetic appearance of a comforter. 

Baffle Boxstitch construction utilizes vertical walls of fabric between each box; allowing the fill to achieve its greatest loft and a smoother surface texture. 

Sewn-Thru Boxstitch construction features end-to-end closed boxes that are stitched closed to prevent shifting of the fill material.  The box shape is more visible because the top and bottom layers of fabric are sewn together.  Box sizes offered include 8, 10 and 12".  All Down Direct® comforters are stitched edge-to-edge and are finished using double-needle stitching and cording for enhanced durability.

 

                                                           

                                                                Baffle Boxstitch                                                                                                    Sewn-Thru Boxstitch

 

Pillow Construction:

Down Direct® offers sleeping pillows which are constructed using either single chamber or tri-chambered compartmented shells.

Single Construction pillows place the fill material in one area.  The fill options for single chambered construction include down, feather/down blends, or down alternative fibers.

Tri-Chambered Construction provides three unique internal chambers for housing the fill material.  The combinations for fill material in the three chambers allow Down Direct® to manufacture pillows for all sleeping styles and density preferences.  The illustration below shows the three chambered construction of our compartmented pillows.

 

Tri-Chambered Construction