Sintepooh

• environmentally friendly and hypoallergenic,
• the material does not absorb odors and does not accumulate dust;
• high wear resistance, it does not collapse;
• antibacterial, synthetic fibers do not contain microorganisms and fungi;
• breathability, provides ventilation
• resistant to deformation, the original shape returns after compression or stretching;
• water resistance, fibers quickly evaporate moisture after getting wet, but even when wet they retain their heat-insulating properties;
• tolerates washing well, does not shrink;
• In terms of care, synthetic down jackets are machine washable.

Spray bonded cotton wool is environmentally friendly, safe material. On the label of a down jacket or jacket it is designated as: spray bonded wadding. It is made from natural cotton and cotton wool. This is a soft, wear-resistant and breathable material. By technical properties This filler is close to bio-fluff. It has high quality thermal insulation, does not cause allergies, does not rot or corrode, does not crumple, and is breathable. Be sure that the spray-bonded cotton wool filler will not harbor microorganisms, moths or other insects. Spray-bonded cotton wool will not crawl out through the seams and roll into lumps. It will help you withstand the harshest frosts.

Many residents of our latitudes on cold winter days traditionally trust warm and reliable down jackets to warm their body and soul. It is a cozy down jacket that can be confidently called the most versatile type of winter clothing, which is optimal for both business days and active weekends. outdoors. There is no need to be surprised, because the birthplace of down jackets is Canada, for which harsh winter weather is nothing new. But down jackets are different from down jackets, so today we will try to figure out how to choose a down jacket correctly and without unnecessary headaches, in order to get a reliable thing that will faithfully serve us for more than one cold season.

We look carefully at the labels

Many people mistakenly consider all puffy winter jackets to be down jackets, but in fact, only a down jacket can be considered a down jacket. In order to buy a down jacket in a store, and not a cute little thing a la down jacket, you should carefully read the label and find the treasured word "down", indicating the presence of fluff inside. To make down jackets, swan, eider, goose or duck down is traditionally used. Chicken down is not suitable, although many handicraft Chinese models are stuffed with it. Eider down is considered the warmest and highest quality down. In such a down jacket, it’s not scary to find yourself at the North Pole. A down jacket with eider down is certainly not a cheap pleasure, but in urban conditions it is not such an extreme necessity. Regardless of the type of down a down jacket is filled with, 100% down is very rare. As a rule, a certain percentage of feather is added to the down, which should be indicated by the inscription “feather”. If you see the inscription “cotton” on the label, you are not dealing with a down jacket, but with a quilted jacket; the inscription “wool” indicates the presence of wool batting inside, and “polyester” is nothing more than padding polyester. Of course, synthetic winterizer will cost much less, but there is no need to talk about the durability of such a thing, because most of the heat-preserving properties of this synthetic insulation are lost after the first wash. But duck down, with proper care, can last at least five years, and goose down - all 20! Now decide what is more practical: a down jacket or a jacket with padding?

Down to feather ratio

To buy a down jacket high quality attention should be paid to percentage fluff, which should not be below 75%. On the label this will be expressed by the following numerical designation: 75/25 (75% down, 25% feather). It is with this indicator that the heat-saving properties of a down jacket reach their maximum. For long walks in fresh frosty air, it is better to choose a ratio of 80/20 or 90/10. Of course, a down jacket may contain 50% down, but this will no longer be winter option, but demi-season.

Down elasticity

Another important indicator, which will help you make your choice, is the so-called fluff elasticity coefficient - FP(Fill power). It indicates the ability of down to recover after compression. A quality down jacket this indicator should be at least 550 units, and ideal values ​​can reach up to 800. To choose a down jacket with high elasticity, you can focus not only on the label. Just try rolling your down jacket into a tube: the smaller the roll, the higher the quality of the down. Moreover, after some time, the folded down jacket, having filled with air, should completely restore its shape. On a small scale, all this can be tested on a separate down block.

GOST standards for choosing a down jacket

In addition to all of the above indicators, you can find a number of other marks on the label of a down jacket, which will certainly attract the attention of a discerning buyer who wants to choose a down jacket that is not only warm, but also meets all hygiene and safety requirements. An abbreviation such as CLO indicates a unit of measurement for thermal insulation. For example, an indicator of 1 CLO indicates that a person will feel quite comfortable in such a product at temperatures reaching -15 degrees. Down jackets are characterized by a 3 CLO rating, guaranteeing comfort and warmth even at -40. The compliance of the product with the European down quality standard is indicated by the inscription DIN EN 12934, in the presence of which you can be sure that the down in the down jacket you like has passed all stages of technological and hygienic treatment, ranging from soaking, washing and drying to filtering from impurities and sterilization.

Distribution of down in a down jacket

An important indicator is the distribution of fluff among the blocks, preventing it from falling to the hem of the product. The size of each block should be approximately 20x20 cm. Do not rush to reject a down jacket that is not sewn into blocks; be sure to feel the product. It is likely that the inner part, divided into blocks, is simply additionally covered with solid fabric for best design.

Anti-feather protection

Before buying a down jacket, you need to thoroughly wrinkle it, touch it, and inspect the seams. If you feel a tingling sensation or see feathers coming out of the seams or through the lining, there can be no question of any quality. In a high-quality down jacket, the down is usually placed in a double bag with a special Teflon-containing impregnation that does not allow the down to pierce the fabric, and the down jacket itself is necessarily covered with waterproof fabric.

Fittings, replacement parts and down sample

Don’t forget to pay attention to the accessories: zippers, buttons, Velcro. Like the down jacket itself, it should be high quality, durable and comfortable. The presence of branding and fabric straps, which make it easier to fasten and unfasten the down jacket while wearing gloves, is very welcome. In addition, a high-quality down jacket should be accompanied by a bag with a sample of down filling, spare rivets or buttons, instructions for washing the product, and, as a rule, two hoods: a light one - in case of rain, and a warm one - for frosty snowy weather. The country of origin must be indicated on the label.

Now you know what to look for when looking for a high-quality down jacket that will last you more than one season, and you won’t mind frost and snowfall.

Katerina Bagatskaya

Reading time: 6 minutes

Down-feather filler is one of the types of natural fillers, consisting of a mixture of down and feathers from birds - domesticated (goose, duck) and wild (eider, swan, wild duck). Down grows in the plumage of waterfowl only; it protects them from low and high temperatures, that is, from cold and from overheating.

The plumage of birds is divided into flight and contour feathers and down. Fly feathers are never used as filler. Outline ( upper part body) only the fluffiest ones are selected. The feather has a hard core (shaft), and fluff is hidden under it ( bottom part body), which forms a “layer” and prevents the feather from coming into contact with the body. The down does not have a spine like a feather, but only a core, from which extend beards with processes that interlock with each other and give the down a rounded shape.

Production

The total number of processing stages and operations that fluff goes through is about eighteen.

• The first stage is considered to be raising waterfowl.
• Down is collected from a living bird at a certain period.
• After collection, it is weighed and the quality and degree of moisture are determined, then dried, dusted, sorted and down and feather mixtures are made.
• Then these mixtures are washed in machines with special detergents, squeezed out in centrifuges to a moisture content of 45-50%, and fed into drying machines, where they are finally dried with hot air (at a temperature of 80-120 degrees). Sometimes hot steam cleaning is used.
• Using a fan, the fluff is fed into a collector and pressed into bales.

All raw materials must be tested and veterinary certificates are issued for them. If the fluff comes from disadvantaged areas where poultry diseases occur, it undergoes mandatory disinfection.

Categories and properties of down and feather filler

The most expensive type of filler is the one that contains the most fluff - 99-100%. It is called Exclusive quality down and has the following properties:

• very durable;
• has low thermal conductivity - the fluffs come into contact with each other and create air gaps, a barrier is formed that allows neither heat nor cold to pass through;
• hygroscopic - able to absorb large amounts of moisture and evaporate it into environment;
• has very low weight - light and delicate down compared to all other fillers, including synthetic ones, has a better weight-to-warmth ratio;
• breathable - ensures good air circulation;
• non-felt - the fluffs do not fall off, as they are very strong, flexible and elastic.

When adding a feather to such a filler, the category decreases. Filling with a down to feather ratio of 95% to 5% belongs to the Premium category, 70% to 30% to the Highest category, 50% to 50% to the First category, 30% to 70% to the Second category.

The more feathers added, the worse the properties of the filler. If small or crushed feathers from killed poultry are added to it (as a waste product from meat production), it will have more high thermal conductivity, low hygroscopicity, more weight and stallability. It is also necessarily treated with chemicals.

FEEL POWER

There is a special indicator of the quality of down and feather filler - the FEEL POWER index (the higher the better).

It shows how resilient the fluff is and how capable it is of recovering from compression.

If the index value is 750 and above, this is fluff of exclusive quality, it is collected manually and only in the spring from the chest part of the bird, which is constantly in selective housing conditions.

An indicator below 400 indicates a very low quality of the filler; such fluff was collected from a dead bird.

The degree of elasticity also determines how many degrees the insulation effectively protects from the cold. For example, duck down in a down jacket with a high FEEL POWER index will provide comfort down to minus 30-35 degrees and even lower.

Raw materials

Gaga

The most valuable is considered to be the down of the northern eider bird, which lives in the Arctic climate of Iceland (eider down is also collected in Canada, Denmark, Finland and Norway). It is collected by hand directly from the nests. She plucks it out of herself to warm her offspring with the warmth of her skin.

All subsequent stages of processing are also carried out manually, since the fluffs have the highest degree of adhesion, and in the filled product they form a dense elastic layer that does not change shape during use. Products with eider down are incredibly light, airy and warm. This type of filler is the highest quality and most expensive.

Goose feather

Next comes goose down, which is also divided into categories. The most valuable is the white goose, followed by the gray goose. Its quality depends on both the breed of bird and the habitat: the harsher the climate in which the goose lives, the higher the quality. Canadian is considered the best. Next come the European breeds: Hungarian, Italian, North German and others.

The down of birds that live in harsh conditions, but fly to countries with warm climates (Turkey, China, Germany) for the winter, is of less quality.

Duck

In addition, duck plumage has a specific smell and requires additional processing. Canadian duck down is of very high quality.

White duck down is considered universal insulation. It is interesting that the raw materials for it are collected from nests, since this species of duck is listed in the Red Book. Birds prepare nests for their chicks by lining the bottom with down, which they pluck from the abdomen and chest. They cover the laid eggs with the same down.

Chicken feather as a filler

It only has a feather. Used for the production of goods in the lowest price segment.

Manufacturers

The best producers of such filler are Canada and Hungary, and products using down and feather raw materials are Canada, Europe (Germany, Hungary) and the Scandinavian countries. The main exporter of the highest quality eider down is Japan.
In Russia, for a long time, raw materials were produced from the fluff of a dead bird, so it was of low quality and inexpensive, then (high-quality and cheap) gained popularity.

Application and care

The down and feather mixture is used as a filler for those products that are intended as insulation. These are winter outerwear (down jackets, jackets, coats) and bedding (blankets and pillows).

Cloth

For men's, women's and children's down jackets and overalls, down is additionally treated with water-repellent compounds. Usually the filler of the Highest category (70/30%) is used. Such clothes are very light, but protect well from winter frosts.

Modern down jackets are sewn in such a way that fluff and feathers do not come out through the layer of outer fabric. To do this, the filler is placed in special fabric bags, additional cushioning fabric is used, and the seams used to quilt the product are treated special compounds. To prevent such a down jacket from letting in the cold in the quilting areas, the bags are overlapped.

Thus, a suit with down filling has the following pros and cons. Their main advantage is lightness, durability, and low thermal conductivity of down. However, natural insulation requires additional and special care; it can cause allergic reactions.

How to care for a down jacket made of down and feathers

It is recommended to have your down jacket cleaned, but it is also allowed machine washable with liquid detergent on delicate cycle. To prevent fluff from forming clumps, place three tennis balls in the washing machine.

You should not wring out and dry the product in the machine; you need to let the water drain by laying the down jacket on horizontal grid or grate. Then dry with a fan or hair dryer.

Bedding

And with such natural filling they are very light, soft and warm. They keep their shape well and do not fall off. It is recommended to fluff your pillows by hand every morning (not in the evening).

Care

For such products, dry cleaning in specialized institutions is recommended. You can wash it yourself in a machine at a temperature of 40-60 degrees. Only high quality items are washed. In cheap ones, the filler is more fragile and can be damaged.

Bedding. Much depends on the country where the raw materials were produced, but there is no such information on the label.

You can visually check the quality by pressing on the product and seeing how quickly it returns to shape. If high-quality raw materials were used, the shape is restored by 50-70% in 15 seconds, and completely in 2-3 minutes.

Service life

Clothes and blankets filled with goose down can last up to 20 years. But it is recommended to change bedding (pillows and blankets) every few years (or clean it once a year), as they absorb all the substances that are released through human skin.

Thanks to modern technologies down and feather filler is of very high quality and environmentally friendly pure material. With proper care, products with it will last a very long time.

Over the past decades, down jackets have been considered the most versatile clothing. And this is quite justified, since jackets and short coats with natural or synthetic filling are very comfortable to wear, do not get wet and retain heat well. There are many down jackets on sale various colors and models. But harsh winter makes its own demands on outerwear, so a down jacket should not only be stylish and beautiful, but also light and warm. When choosing a winter jacket, you need to pay attention special attention on the insulation used for sewing the model.

Manufacturers use natural or synthetic fiber as a filler in the manufacture of winter outerwear. Natural materials retain heat well, but require special care. The latest synthetic fillers are close in their heat-shielding properties to natural fibers, but in addition, they are hypoallergenic and easy to care for.

Down jackets with natural filling

The most reliable and warm filler For down jackets, even in our time of the latest technology, natural material is used. It has incredible thermal insulation properties, preventing cold air from penetrating into clothing and preventing heat from escaping. The only drawback of products with natural filler is the high cost.

Pooh

Down is considered one of the most popular insulation materials for winter clothing. It can be duck, swan or eider down, which is considered the warmest and most expensive and is used to make down jackets for people living in harsh climatic conditions.

A jacket filled with down lasts more than 10 years. The advantages of this filler are lightness, softness, durability, and high ability to conserve heat. Among the disadvantages, one can highlight the significant cost of the product, which consists not only of the cost of insulation, but also depends on the quality of the covering fabric, lining and brand. Such clothes require special care; in addition, natural fluff can cause allergies.

The most common option for insulating jackets is duck or goose down. It is often combined with synthetic fiber to reduce the cost of the product.

Feather, fluff

Another popular insulation for jackets and coats is a mixture of down and feathers. By adding a feather, the product becomes more voluminous, reducing the cost of clothing. Down jackets filled with down and feathers can be machine washed, which makes caring for such products much easier.

Wool

Sheep or camel wool can be used as filling for a winter jacket. It is difficult to call such a product a down jacket, since there is no down in it at all. Items filled with wool retain heat well and are inexpensive, but they weigh a lot and shrink when washed.

For people sensitive to natural wool, this filler may cause allergies. Recently, synthetics have been mixed into wool, which makes the product much lighter and allows washing at home.

Here are some tips for those who decide to buy a jacket or coat with natural filling.

1. If the down jacket is really filled with down, then the label will say English word down. Since clothing made from fluff alone is extremely rare, the word feather will be present nearby, translated as “feather”. Next you need to pay attention to the ratio of these components. A truly warm jacket made of 80% down and 20% feather. For average winter When the air temperature rarely drops below -10°C, a down jacket with a ratio of 60/40 or 50/50 is suitable.
2. The designations polyester, cotton or wool on the product tag indicate that cotton wool, wool or padding polyester was used as a filler.
3. When choosing a down jacket, you need to make sure that the material is stitched in even blocks small sizes. If the cells are too large, the fluff will quickly fall off and form lumps, which will spoil appearance products and will reduce protection from the cold.
4. They produce both single-layer and double-layer down jackets. For a city dweller who does not have to spend a long time on the street, a single-layer model is sufficient, although two-layer ones are much warmer.
5. High-quality filler quickly restores its original state after deformation. This property of the product can be easily checked by squeezing a part of the jacket with your hand and abruptly releasing it. In addition, the manufacturer usually indicates the compression ratio on the label, which is designated by the letters F.P. Quality clothing corresponds to an indicator of 550 or more.
6. The properties of the filler directly depend on how well the down and feathers are processed. A conscientious manufacturer does not hide information about processing. If the label says DIN EN 12934, it means that the down and feathers have been disinfected, washed and dried properly.
7. When choosing a jacket with natural filling, you need to carefully inspect the lining and make sure that the feathers do not pierce the fabric. Otherwise, wearing such clothes will be uncomfortable.

Each manufacturer that respects the reputation of their company supplies products with a small transparent bag with filler samples and detailed instructions care instructions in the form of a small book.

Jackets with artificial filling

Can be used as fillers for winter clothes artificial materials, produced by the latest technologies. They all have their advantages and disadvantages. The coldest of the synthetic fillers is considered to be padding polyester - a material consisting of polyester fiber.

Thinsulate

One of the highest quality artificial insulation for winter jackets - invented by the Americans in 1978 specifically for the clothing of astronauts and polar explorers. The thin, light and elastic fiber of this material provides excellent thermal insulation and does not cause an allergic reaction. The manufacturer assures that Thinsulate is 2 times warmer than natural down.

Isosoft

The filler is an improved copy of padding polyester, unlike which it can be used not only for autumn, but also for warm winter clothing.

The thermal insulation properties of isosoft are higher than those of synthetic winterizer, although they lag behind many modern insulation materials.

Holofiber

There are a number of synthetic insulation materials made from 100% polyester in the form of balls, spirals, and springs. In addition to holofiber, this type includes fiberskin, fibertek, polyfiber and others. The fibers in such materials are not interconnected and contain voids, which allows the product to retain its shape well and retain heat.

Sintepooh

Has properties similar to natural material. This non-woven insulation consists of small polyester threads shaped like a spring. Closely intertwined with each other, synthetic fluff fibers form a strong structure with air cavities. The threads themselves also have microscopic holes that trap air. The filler does not absorb moisture and can retain heat even when wet. The material easily returns to its original state after deformation, does not pill during washing, and is convenient to use.

How to choose winter clothes with synthetic filling

Manufacturers, trying to attract the attention of buyers to their developments, are coming up with new trade names for fillers. In fact, all synthetic insulation materials are similar in their properties and characteristics.

When choosing a winter jacket with synthetic filling and looking at the label, you can see full information about the material of the outer fabric and lining. As for the insulation, it will only be noted that it is made of (or polyester). But almost all synthetic insulation materials are made from polyester fiber, so more detailed information you need to check with the seller.

The sales consultant must tell you exactly what filler is contained in the product and explain the technology for its manufacture. Reputable companies attach a booklet to their products, which describes in detail the materials and care rules.

Many manufacturers claim that clothes with synthetic padding are warmer than those with natural down. But from practice it is clear that artificial fillers are suitable for mild winter when the air temperature is not lower than -10°C. For a long time in severe frost it is uncomfortable to be in such clothes, it is better to give preference to insulation from natural materials.

Down jackets are the most popular clothing for the cold season. Despite their lightness, they perfectly warm, protect from the wind, and are indispensable during winter rain or snowfall.
The advantages of down jackets largely depend on their filling. Synthetic fibers are used for insulation in clothing(holofiber, Thinsulate, Isosoft, Synthetic, etc.). Another option is to use natural materials(wool, fluff, which is often supplemented with feathers).
When choosing a product, you need to take into account the properties and qualities of various insulation materials.
We will tell you what duck down insulation is, whether it is warm, and how many degrees it retains heat.

Characteristics of duck down

Down fillings are made from the down of waterfowl: eider, swan, goose, duck.
Duck is one of the most common materials. Manufacturers turn to it often. But we have to figure out how good it is for down jacket owners.

Advantages

A duck's rather small downy feather has a number of obvious advantages.

• Due to its naturalness, it environmentally friendly.
• Duck down attracts with its lightness.
• Filler spreads well inside clothing. Small size fluff allows you to evenly fill the internal space down jacket so that it doesn’t even remain in clothes small plots, free from fluff.
• A down jacket made from this material makes a person feel comfortable. After all the filler retains heat well.

Reference. In such down jackets, even small children do not freeze during long walks at temperatures down to minus 25 ºC.

Flaws

Compared to other waterfowl ducks cover their feathers with a fairly large layer of fat. It is secreted from the sebaceous glands of the bird and is necessary to protect its feathers when they come into contact with water.

Reference: the fatty layer of duck feathers is larger than similar protection in other birds: eider, swan, goose.

This feature leads to such negative features insulation.

Difficult and expensive cleaning

Due to this feature, before using it as a filler, has to be cleaned more thoroughly than other feathers. This uses strong detergents. They can not only wash away the sebaceous layer, but also get rid of the odor.
But the complexity of the cleaning process increases the cost of insulation production.

There is one more disadvantage of such cleaning: the period during which the down plays an insulating role is reduced. Which means The lifespan of clothing becomes shorter.

Weight

The fat layer also affects the weight of the down, making it heavier. That's why jackets with such insulation are heavier than products with other contents.

Care

When washing in a machine Jacket contents may clump together. And after washing her It will take a long time to dry completely products.

Advice: If you need to wash an item filled with duck down, place it in the drum washing machine or put a few tennis balls in your clothing pockets. This will prevent lumps from forming.

Features of down/feather filler

Very often, manufacturers produce warm clothes, the insulation of which cannot be called completely down, since feathers have been added to it.
It adds volume to the product and also reduces its cost.

Label symbols

You can find out what was used for the insulation of a particular jacket from the information on the label.

• Inscription "down" points to downy contents products.
• Word "feather" indicates that it has been used mixed look, manufactured with feather additive.

In addition to the indicated text inscriptions, the label contains numbers. They are written as a fraction. This is the percentage ratio of the two components.

• At the top (numerator) presented amount of fluff.
• From the bottom of the fraction (denominator) you can find out how much feather was added to the insulation.

For example, if the label says 70/30, this means that the down jacket fills 70% down, and the remaining 30% is feather.

Optimal ratio

Once you have information about the jacket, you need to evaluate it. To do this, you need to know which combination will provide heat.

Reference: Increasing the feather percentage makes the down jacket less warm.

• To avoid freezing in winter at temperatures up to minus 25 ºC, you need to select products in which the pen takes up no more than 20% (80/20).
• Residents of the districts with harsh winters need to find model with even less pen: 10% (90/10).

Having information about duck down, you can decide whether a down jacket with such insulation is suitable for you or not.