Bed linens made of Goose Down or Feather

When you say "Goose Down Comforter" an immediate richness feeling overwhelm you. There is a good reason for this.

Every child knows and heard about kings and queens who only slept only on royal beds covered with Goose Down Blankets.

But what do you really know about Goose Down Comforters?

Before you is a fascinating facts sheet about Goose Down Comforter and Goose feather Comforter.

The word "Down" - where is it come from?

The word down comes ultimately from Old Norse dúnn and is unrelated to the fact that down is found closer to the bird's skin than larger feathers.

What is so special about Down and Feather:

The down of birds is a layer of fine feathers found under the tougher exterior feathers. Very young birds are clad only in down.

Down offers excellent thermal properties due to its excellent lofting characteristics. The down traps small pockets of air efficiently. The small pockets of air provide the thermal barrier. Down has the added property that it can be packed into a very small space.

Down is considered to be the single best insulating material available for outdoor equipment, due to its light weight, compressibility, and heat retention.

Down insulation is rated by fill power, measured as the number of cubic inches displaced by a given ounce of down (in3/oz). Higher fill-power downs will thus insulate better than lower fill-power downs of the same weight.

Feather and Down - Wheat is the different:

Down is the soft fluffy undercoating that traps the body's naturally warmth. Feathers provide a protective layer over the down. The down grows next to the body of the goose or duck underneath the protective layer of feathers. Each down cluster is made up of thousands of soft fibers radiating in all directions from a central point. The down cluster is three dimensional and does not contain a quill shaft. Because of this structure down clusters can loft without matting together. Lofting or filling up space is what creates trapped air and keeps us warm. Synthetic fibers are homogeneous and often mold together and clump.

 

Down clusters allow our natural body heat to keep us warm while allowing moisture to escape, therefore providing a level of comfort that is unsurpassed.

Feathers provide a protective layer over the down. Feathers are structurally different and therefore functionally different than down. Feathers are two dimensional and have a shaft. While the structure of down provides for greater lofting and insulating value, the structure of feathers provide for a greater support. Feathers still have the soft natural fluffy feeling while having a spring-like quality to provide resilience and support.

Harvesting Down and Feathers - How it done:

Down can be collected in a variety of ways. Birds which provide the feathers may be used for other purposes, for example to provide meat. Some birds are killed solely for their down, while some birds (particularly some geese) are periodically live-plucked of their breast feathers. Some birds, such as the eider duck, line their nests with down, and such down might be harvested safely after the young leave the nest. Animal welfare groups consider the collection of down to be a painful procedure and cruel, particularly since birds must undergo down collection repeatedly.

Sources: WikiPedia.com, answers.yahoo.com