There Is No Such Thing As 100% Down

When searching for a new down comforter, many people search for the term "100% down comforter". These people know that feathers do not keep the same warmth, softness or fluffiness as down. Feathers tend to poke through down comforters and duvets. A 100% down comforter would eliminate all the problems that feathers create, leaving the consumer with only the benefits of down.

There is a problem though. No down product is 100% down. It is impossible for us to remove all the feathers from down. We don't have the technology for this process. A 100% down product is an impossibility.

So Why Do Some Products Claim To Be 100% Down?

Though no comforter, sleeping bag or jacket will ever be 100% down, some companies do label their products as 100% down. The reason for this is that different countries have different regulations on how things can be advertised. In fact, different states within the United States have different rules and regulations for how feather products can be labeled.

Some countries do not have regulations on how down products can be labeled, and so you will see manufacturers from these countries stick a "100% down" label on their product, even though this is no true.

Within the United States the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has rules stating that A product may not be called "pure down," "all down," "100% down"... unless that is true. The FTC also regulates labeling of the type of down. A product cannot claim to be "Muscovy duck down" or "eider down" if the product contains significant amounts of other sources of down.

Regulations allow consumers to know the truth about what they are buying, but these types of regulations vary from country to country and from state to state.

What Percent Down Should You Look For?

When looking for a down comforter, see what percent of the product is actually down and what percent is feather. A product claiming to be 100% down is not being honest. Sometimes products with a 100% down label will actually tell you the true down percentage in their fine print.

I recommend purchasing down comforters with at least 80% down fill. Anything less than that are the feathers will likely become a problem. Products with a higher percentage of down will have less problems that feathers causes. Problems that feathers cause include: poking, creating little holes for the down and feathers to escape from, not keeping warmth as well, etc.

For more information on down comforters, check out our down comforter buying guide.