Besides the problem that most down is cruelly live-plucked from birds who live in inhumane conditions…down has problems of it’s own as a bedding and clothing insulator.
For decades, down bedding has traditionally been thought to provide superior comfort and health benefits. And, whereas, there are real benefits to using down over certain synthetics, there are real shortcomings, too.
When you get the real lowdown on down, you’ll begin to see it’s not always what it seems.
For example:
Because down doesn’t insulate or breathe, it cannot regulate your body temperature… as a result, many people sweat under a down comforter. In a controlled study, subjects sleeping in a 64 degree Fahrenheit room reported that down tested outside of the comfortable range for optimal sleep. And, as you learned above, this “thermal stress” causes you to expend energy rather than restore it.
Down creates “microclimates” – so where you may be perfectly warm under one section of a down comforter, you may be roasting in another.
Again, these microclimates cause your body to work hard to keep your body comfortable. Waking up with your head on a sweaty pillow or experiencing that clammy feeling under the comforter is never enjoyable.
Plus, down is extremely flammable. The only way to reduce this flammability is through potentially harmful chemical saturation of the feathers. As with synthetics, these chemicals can present real problems.
And, of course, in addition to the fire-retardant chemicals, many other chemicals are regularly used in the processing and cleaning of feathers… each with their own possible health risks, especially for people with asthma or any air sensitivities and allergies.
If that wasn’t all bad enough…
Down Makes a Great Home for Millions of Dirty Guests:
Dust Mites Are NOT Your Friends
Did you know that the beds in nearly one in four homes contain extremely high levels of dust mite allergen?
Add to that the fact that a shocking 20 million Americans, or 10 percent of the population, are seriously affected by dust mite allergies every year, and it’s easy to see we’re facing a real dust mite epidemic.
Dust mites feed on the dead skin cells that your body naturally sloughs off every day.
That’s why your bed is one of the places dust mites thrive.
Dust mite feces and decaying bodies are responsible for our allergic reactions. Allergic reactions can range from very mild to severe. If you have existing air sensitivities, your reaction could be even more intense. When considering bedding choices, it’s important to note that dust mites thrive in warm, humid conditions.
Regretfully, because down dries very slowly and doesn’t wick away moisture like sweat, down creates the ideal humid habitat for dust mite infestation.
When you realize that a down pillow can accumulate up to two pounds of dust mite feces over two years, it becomes even more important than ever to find a real bedding solution – one that helps you get the optimal sleep AND reduces your chance of dust mite problems.