Down jacket choose feathers or wadding

How to choose between feathers and wadding? 

Are you having problems deciding between a feather-filled product or a product with wadding for when you go for an outdoor adventure? Discover the benefits of each of these materials!

Are you undecided between feathers and wadding when it comes to hiking products? Would you like to understand the differences between the two so you can make an informed decision? Insulation is the key. 

Feathers or wadding down jackets sleeping bag

Feathers: advantages and disadvantages

In short, feathers offer the best combination of warmth, compact design and low weight. For the same weight, a product with feather insulation will be warmer than a product with wadding insulation.

That said, feather's worst enemy is the damp. If you go trekking somewhere damp, you may well discover that feathers don't like water. You may have experienced this already: when you wash a down duvet or jacket, it looks like all the down has been lost in the wash.

Of course that isn't the case! But the fine feathers contained in your product have clumped together because of the moisture. Tumble dry your product several times on a low temperature, short programme with tennis balls, until it regains its fill power.

It isn't recommended to go under the rain or in a damp environment (jungle or other) with a feather product, the insulation of your jacket or duvet could be reduced to nothing.

Sleeping bag wadding feathers

And where does wadding fit in to all this?

Although feathers have many advantages, polyester wadding also has some! Especially since, in recent years, a number of high-performance wadding materials, offering improved insulation, better compression and lighter weight, have come onto the market. Wadding is often known as synthetic insulation.

The main point of a wadding product is its ability to stay insulating and warm even in damp conditions. Ideal when you are going somewhere damp or if you are uncertain about the weather conditions.

Moreover, wadding is very easy to wash!

Has your black pullover already been speckled with small feathers that have got out of your down jacket? That won't happen with wadding!

Today we are developing, and using, increasing quantities of wadding made partly from recycled polyester.

Let's take stock!

Now I hope you'll find it easier to decide between a feather product or synthetic insulation! In any event, you have all the information you need to make an informed choice.