Eiderdown likely is the lightest, softest, warmest and most comfortable natural material on the planet. Products made from eiderdown We recommend buyers to compare the quantity of eiderdown filling and prices before taking purchasing decision.

The Arctic fox – Vulpes lagopus – is the only mammal in Iceland whose presence predates the island’s settlement. Much smaller than its red cousin, the Arctic fox has miniature soft paws that are entirely covered in fur (hence its species name, which means “rabbit foot” in Latin). Perfectly adapted to the country’s varying seasons, the foxes can roam thousands of kilometres, their winter coats transforming from white to brown or even blue in the summer months. Eiderdown automatically adjusts to the ambient temperature. When the outside temperature rises, the microscopic ‘hairs’ adjust to lay slightly flatter. As a result, the filling force, and thus the insulation strength, decreases in the summer. When the air cools, the filling power increases again, and the eiderdown duvet becomes more insulating. Softness They’re warm, they’re hydrophobic but are eiderdown feathers ethical? The answer is a complicated one. Eiderdown harvesting mirrors truffle hunting more than it does typical down production. It’s collecting, a quiet art of observation and focus. It’s a meditation. There have been other concerns over the years, including sedating eider predators — a practice that was once widespread across Iceland — approved and employed by the government as well as farmers.

Protect migrations & the natural rhythm of things.

I've not been in Germany for long, but pretty much as soon as I got here, Game of Thrones fans were telling me: "Brace yourself. Winter is coming."

The eiderdown is a type of down feather, which is a soft and fine layer of feathers located under the bird's tougher exterior feathers.

As I held a clump of eiderdown in my hand, however, one Icelander told me something that seemed to offer an alternative to this unsettling relationship between humans and birds. He said that the eider it once belonged to is probably still alive. Not in some dark barn, or even in an open-air enclosure, but in the wilds of the Arctic Circle.

The second certificate comes from one of twelve quality inspectors who have been appointed by the Icelandic government to oversee that all eiderdown sold and exported in Iceland is pure, quality eiderdown and that the weight described is accurate.” Because of its unique properties, it is considered to be the best insulating material that can be used to make duvets and comforters. What is eiderdown and where does it come from? Compression resistance: It is extremely resistant to compression, ensuring that duvets made from it will continue to stay fluffy. If eiderdown is collected before an egg has hatched or disturbs a nesting female, she can produce a brown, oily, and odorous liquid aimed to protect the nest by offending the predator. But if the liquid touches an egg, she will reject it. Each bird nest produces about 15-17 grams of eiderdown per year, or about 0.5-0.6 ounces. Eiderdown has unique characteristics

It is hard to explain the incredible feeling of eiderdown in words. Holding and touching it is really an incredible experience, it feels like something from another world. Those two effects — the more females breeding and larger clutch size — actually almost perfectly cancel out in our models the effect of polar bears eating more of their eggs,” explained Cody Dey, a researcher at the University of Windsor and lead author of the study.

About 75% of the eiderdown worldwide comes from Iceland and Icelandic eiderdown is considered to be of the highest quality. And their work islabor-intensive. Collecting just one kilogram of eiderdown can take a skilled worker almost half a day, and that's before the cleaning process starts. Tufts of eiderdown have neither quill nor any other hard components, so they are extremely soft and give off a unique cuddly feeling. Long lifespanIt also brings questions about authenticity. How do you know if you’re getting real eiderdown? Courtesy Savior Beds Consider the amount of money that people spend on their cars, despite probably spending less than an hour per day driving. At the same time, people spend about 7-9 hours per night sleeping. Plus a high-quality duvet lasts much longer than a new car. Fun facts about eiderdown Eiderdown is used in various high-end luxury products that require powerful insulating properties, such as duvets and pillows. Technology has brought a number of synthetic down replacements in recent years. Many can perform better than down when wet or compressed. And now alternatives are proving just as warm and breathable as down. Another bonus: they’re a lot cheaper. Eiderdown has been used for hundreds of years. It was commonly used by royalty and extremely wealthy people throughout history.