You might wonder what the difference is between a goose down comforter and a duck down comforter when shopping for luxury bedding. What is the difference between goose down and duck down? Let’s start by talking about what down is. Among ducks and geese, down is the softest, fluffiest feather. To keep the birds warm, they trap air with their fine feathers.
It is primarily the size and fill power of clusters that distinguish duck down from goose down. Goose down clusters are generally warmer and have a higher fill power than duck down clusters. Goose down clusters are typically larger than duck down clusters because geese are larger than ducks. Geese’s down clusters need to be large and fluffy because they live in cold environments.
Goose Down
Duck Down
Ducks and geese are two of our favorite creatures, and both produce beautiful down feathers that provide luxurious warmth. The differences between them are as follows:
Goose down clusters are larger because they live in colder climates and are larger than duck down clusters. In general, larger clusters provide greater insulation, or “fill power,” and therefore provide greater warmth.
The abundance of ducks also makes duck down more affordable, making it ideal for climates with warmer temperatures. Lightweight duck down comforters are filled with premium high fill-power duck down and encased in a cotton cambric shell to provide a layer of opulent, insulating warmth.
It is also important to compare the fill power and the fill weight of duck down and geese down when you compare the two. Even with the same fill weight, goose down is typically warmer than duck down.
The quality of goose down vs. duck down:
- Duck down clusters are generally smaller than goose down clusters.
- Larger and older geese usually produce goose down clusters.
- Duck down tends to have more odor issues than goose down.
- Clusters of goose down are the only ones large enough for luxurious down bedding.
In general, white goose down is softer and more insulating than duck down. High fill power can only be achieved with goose down. Having a high fill power allows the down to trap more air, resulting in greater insulation, a loftier item, and a longer lifespan. Large down clusters and high fill power can only be created by geese.
What are the benefits of goose down? Meat doesn’t appeal to geese! As herbivores, they eat plants. As a result of this lack of meat in their diets, their feathers and down are significantly less likely to smell when exposed to moisture and perspiration.
We guarantee that all raw materials used in our products come from farms that are responsible and cruelty-free.
The myth of Siberian Goose Down: Internet and retail stores are marketing down products labelled as “Siberian Goose Down.”. This is simply not true. Siberia has no known down harvesting industry, despite being a cold and snowy place. It is true that there is a bird named the Siberian Goose, but it is an endangered rare species with deep red breast feathers that are not suitable for bedding. Unscrupulous operators market “Premium Siberian Goose Down,” and their origin and quality are suspect.