Difference Between Down and Feather

Down vs Feather
 

Down and feather are words that can be seen mentioned on products like pillows, duvets, comforters, and even jackets that we wear during winters. Is there a difference between a pillow made up with down and a pillow containing feathers. We all know that down and feather come from geese and ducks. We also know that these soft objects are used inside pillows, to make them soft and also to provide us warmth. There are even pillows with both down and feathers. Let us find out the difference between down and feather to enable readers to pick up the right product.

Feather

We know that birds have feathers that allow them to fly in skies. These feathers have a bone like structure running along the length of the feather. This structure is called quill. It is the outer feathers of a bird like a goose or a duck that allow them to fly. These feathers are also multicolored in many birds. Feathers, because they contain quill, are not very soft and are also somewhat heavy. Pillows made up of feathers are, therefore, flatter and heavier than pillows that are made up of downs only.

Down

Down are also feathers of birds, but they are actually hidden beneath the outer feathers. They lie on the belly of the bird and are very soft. They are like tiny cotton balls with fibers extending from the centre of this ball to all directions. It is these soft feathers called down that provide the insulation to the body of the bird to help it fight extreme weather conditions. These downs are capable to trap heat, and this is why they provide warmth to not only birds but also to us humans when they are used to make pillows and jackets. Down harvesting is done from Siberian geese, and these geese are raised for this purpose, and their down is harvested three times a year, plucked by hands.

What is the difference between Down and Feather?

• Feathers are outer coverings found on the body of birds that help them in flying. These feathers have quills that are boney structures running across their lengths making them somewhat hard.

• Downs are also feathers of geese and ducks, but they remain tucked beneath these outer feathers and do not contain quills. This is why they are very soft and light and mainly responsible for the heat trapping that helps a bird to remain warm.

• Pillows made of feathers are flatter, heavier, and harder because of the fact that feathers contain boney quills.

• Downs are softer and lighter than feathers.

• Siberian geese are raised for down harvesting where down on their bellies are plucked by hands three times a year.

• Downs are known for their ability to trap heat whereas outer feathers containing quills are known to help birds in flying.

• Some people have allergy from feathers. For these people, products containing down are safe as they do not cause allergies.

• Feather with quills can poke through the fabric of the clothing item and can hurt the person whereas downs are very soft and pose no such problem.

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