Everything about down jackets

When the days are short and the temperatures drop, especially in the morning and evening, the right jacket is particularly important. It is the season of our beloved down jackets. But what actually makes a down jacket so special? Are there any quality labels what one should consider when buying a jacket? And how is a down textile treated best? We have answered those questions for you in this blog article.

 

What is down about?

The down jacket is an absolute classic in winter time. The usage of down in sports jackets is very common. What is it that makes down so super special? What comes first in mind might be the word feather. Almost right – down nestles under the coverts of waterfowls like ducks and gooses. Different to feathers down is constructed with a nucleus and a three-dimensional shape. From the nucleus tiny, intertwined and soft hairs are arranged like a snowflake. This construction enables the special characteristic of down to accumulate heat in the small intermediate spaces. There is almost no other material with such a great thermal characteristic. 

 

 

 

What should be considered when buying a down jacket?

There are differences in terms of quality. Of primary importance are two types of down. On one hand, duck down is widely spread in the industry. Mainly because of the good characteristics the majority of down products are filled with duck down. A little bit more exclusive are textiles filled with goose down. 

Furthermore, the mixing ration is of importance. When buying a down-filled clothing our rough-and-ready rule is “the higher amount of down = the better the quality.”

Last but not least you should consider the origin of your new down-filled clothing. Animal welfare and sustainable aspects are very important topics. Standards like the Responsible Down Standard (RDS), the Down Codex® or other schemes like the traceable down concept helps you to buy a high-quality product. The harvest of down can be either done via live plucking the birds or dead plucking. Unfortunately, one out of ten birds gets live-plucked. You should always check if there are any seals of quality declared on the product. 


 

 

What are the best care instructions for your down?

Washing and treatment advice 

For many down textile owners, one of the most difficult question is how the down jacket is washed best. For those who want to find out, we have put together a perfect washing instruction. 

 

STEP 1: BEFORE WASHING
To wash a down textile a little bit of experience is required and it’s  quite time-consuming. You need to take care of your high-quality apparel to give it a long lifetime. Very important is, that you avoid washing your down-filled clothing too often, as this goes ahead with a loss of performance ability. 

Please be aware of the washing instructions of the manufacturer which are declared on your down apparel.

You can also wash isolating clothing. Just make sure that all zippers, press-buttons, and  velcro-straps are closed. The best way is to turn your jacket inside out, to make sure that the inner surface is getting clean. This step gets especially important if the exterior is waterproof. All dirt on the exterior can be pre-treated and removed easily before washing. 

 

STEP 2: WASHING
Please use only a special detergent for down or synthetic fiber from specialized retailers. Do not use under any circumstances a bleacher or a fabric softener. 

When washing your down jacket with handwash, avoid squidging the down. After you have done the laundry, the down-filled clothing should be swilled until the water is clear. The best way to swill a down jacket is in a big sink or bathtub, where you can use a showerhead. 

Down or synthetical down apparel can be gently washed with 30° C. But please always take a look at the manufacturer’s label to find out how the textile needs to be washed. The washing machine needs to be big enough for 6 kilograms. After the wash cycle is over some rinse cycles should be done. With low temperature, the laundry can be tossed. After all, you get your wet textile out of the washing machine and let it drain over a sink or a bathtub. 

Our advice: Be very careful with the wet apparel. The typical down structure is divided into chambers. In case you are not aware of that, the small walls of those chambers threaten to break down. That could cause a movement of the down and needs to be avoided. Additionally, you can put two dryer balls (tennis balls also work!) in the washing machine drum and wash it together with your down-filled clothing. 

 
mountain equipment down codex

Every manufacturer got different washing instructions. Please follow those instructions when washing. 

 

STEP 3: DRYING
Our advice to best dry your down-filled jacket is to spread the  drained apparel on a drying rack. But pay attention: to let your down-filled textile dry 100%, it can last one to two weeks. During this time we recommend to spread and softly shake the freshly washed apparel once or twice a day to achieve the best outcome. With those smooth shakes, you can lose clumps. Synthetic down drys a little faster than the original. 

In the case you have a dryer, the process can be speeded up a bit. Please adjust your dryer to a very low temperature (maximum 30° C), as in any other case the textile is going to be damaged. Especially if it is sensitive and made of soft material. Another advice: Put some dryer balls in the dryer (as mentioned, tennis balls are fine, too). They enable a loosening up of the down clots. Ideally, you take the down jacket out from time to time and carefully shake it.  With this treatment, you can will achieve the best outcome. Before you use the dryer, please check if your down-filled textile is allowed to put in the dryer. Every manufacturer declares this on the label.

 

Also, sleeping bags are not that easy to treat. A good treatment is necessary to enjoy lots of amazing nights under the stars. For that reason we have composed the ultimate guide about Sleeping bags: Everything you need to know. 

 

How to store your down

Down should be washed as seldom as possible. Therefore it is highly recommendable that you store your down-filled apparel the right way. After every use of your down textile, a long and extensive airing is required. Make sure that your down jacket is 100% dry. The best way to store your down-filled clothing, like over the summer period, is in an uncompressed and dry clothes bag with good air permeability in a dark and dry room.

 

What happens if the down sheds feathers?

Imagine you buy a new, fancy down jacket. You are wearing a knit sweater under and go for a walk. After a short time, the first feathers shed out of your brand new down. The first thing that comes up in your mind: something is wrong with the jacket. But actually, it’s quite normal. Down has got the characteristic that it is getting statically loaded when there is a friction with, for instance,  wool or your car seat. Due to the friction of materials, the down is getting drawn out to the outside of the jacket. If that is the case, just try to get the little down back in the jacket. Please avoid in any case to extract the down, that could cause a multiplicator effect. After you have washed the down jacket the problem may be solved. 

 

 

 

What is the difference from down vs. synthetic down?

The industry always tries to imitate nature. Down can be imitated with synthetic down. Synthetic down is made of cotton or so-called synthetic fibers PrimaLoft®, although Synthetic down can never reach the same thermal characteristics. The reason for that is: a synthetic down-filled textile is never clinging the same way to your body than real down. Also, when packing your backpack you will recognize a difference. The pack size of down is ways smaller than the one of the imitation, as it cannot be packed so small. The one and only real advantage of synthetic down is the contact with moisture. There real down can easily suffer damage when it gets wet and is way more sensitive. For that reason, PrimaLoft® jackets are widely used in sportive activities as there are thermic characteristics as well as a good moisture management. 

 

 

 

How sustainable is Down?

Responsible Down Standard (RDS)

The Responsible Down Standard focuses on key points regarding the awarding of the label. For being RDS-awarded no down feathers form alive birds are allowed to be plucked. The animals are not allowed to be force-fed. The standard requires a holistic attitude towards respect of animals and their welfare from when the bird is hatched until to its slaughter. Each and every step in the down supply chain is audited by experts. Only if all criteria are 100% fulfilled manufacturers or brands get awarded with the RDS. Interesting is, that no legal regulation obligates manufacturers to get audited – it is absolutely voluntary.

Each and every brand or manufacturer gets examined to all criteria in a multi-level process before they are allowed to declare the standard on their products. The process examines whether all criteria are fulfilled properly and all rules are followed. You can see, it is not that easy to receive such a label. Well-known manufacturers and brands got awarded, like Black Diamond, Deuter, Mammut, Marmot, Norrøna, Salewa, Kjus, Vaude or Dynafit. 

 

Traceable Down from Patagonia

Patagonia is absolutely committed to 100% recycling-down.  For the down reprocessing Patagonia works together with family businesses who are uncompromisingly orientated in high-quality work. The used down in Patagonia’s products is fully recycled and contains duck and goose down with a fill power or 600 or 700. The down filling comes of old pillows, blankets or other comparable waste products. So the old down gets a new, upcycled life. Let’s reduce waste!

 

 

 

The Down Codex® of Mountain Equipment

Mountain Equipment produces all its down-filled textiles under the so-called Down Codex®. The special thing about the codex is, that each and every product gets an individual Down Codex® Code. With these 12 numbers you can track each step in the making of your down product. In this codex the role of a good life and later slaughter for the species is crucial. Down should only be used if it is a 100% by-product of the nutritional industry. With the development of the Down Codex® Mountain Equipment was one of the initiators worldwide for a sustainable and fair production in the outdoor sector. Mountain equipment plays fair and with completely open cards. You can, for example, download their animal protection report.

 

DOWNPASS Label 

The Scandinavian brand Kjus equippes its down-filled textiles with the so-called DOWNPASS label. This label documents all areas of the supply chain with a major focus on ethics. Similar to the Responsible Down Standard DOWNPASS-labeled down needs to come from waterfowl like ducks and geese, which live in audited and supervised animal farms. High-quality controls, for instance that the declared feather percentage is true, are also undertaken with unannounced but regular controls.

 

Just click on the logos to learn more:

 

You care about sustainability? We do also. Do you know our Wir Denken Um label at Sport Conrad for sustainable products and brands?

 

Summary

To summarize: down is a real champion in the wardrobe. There is just little hassle in terms of care and wet conditions. There is literally no other product with comparable thermic characteristics as down-filled textiles. To enjoy your apparel a long time you should keep in mind to store it properly and keep it dry. If the down is wet, let it completely dry before you store it. Also, keep in mind the complex care instructions. Before you apply any care, please check the label what is sewn into your product. Furthermore, brands like Vaude and Maloja announced to also use recycled down. So, pack your jacket let’s get out there!

 

We have selected for you our favourite down jackets.

For men:


 

For women:


 

 

Also, the topic  GORE-TEX® contains some interesting articles:

→ GORE-TEX®: How does the membrane work?

→ GORE-TEX® Pro: The high-protective shell

→ GORE-TEX® Wash and Care instructions

 

Foto Header: Elevenate | Fotos: Mountain Equipment