FILL POWER
How much it puffs up
Fill power is the volume a measured weight of down fills, usually quoted in cubic inches per ounce. Higher means more loft for the same weight.
How it is testedStart
WHAT THE LABEL MEANS
Warmth you can
read off the label.
A down jacket keeps you warm by holding still air.
How well it does that depends on what is inside the baffles. European and US labelling rules say what the numbers on the tag must mean: how much is down, how much is feather, and how springy the filling is.
60% / 75%down to be called down
Decode a labelKeep in mind
- Fill power is loft
- Down % is by weight
- Dry it completely
- Three numbers, one warm layer
THE SHORT ANSWER
Three things
on the tag.
Down is sold by numbers.
Each one has a test or a standard behind it.
COMPOSITION
Down versus feather
Under EN 12934 the label gives the down and feather percentages by weight, largest first, in steps of 10%. Down gives far more volume than feather for the same weight.
Decode a label
CARE
Wash gently, dry fully
Industry care advice is a mild detergent, no optical brighteners and drying completely. Damp down clumps and can start to smell.
Care stepsA QUICK LABEL CHECK
What does
the tag promise?
Pick a phrase you might see on a down-filled jacket or its swing tag. The bar shows how much of the filling the phrase means is down.
Based on the European labelling standard EN 12934 and the US down labelling agreement, as summarised by the German down industry association and the IDFL test laboratory.
TWO NUMBERS WORTH KNOWING
Down breathes,
so the tests do too.
One figure on how much water down holds,
one on how clean a 'new' filling must be.
≈ 11%
Water held by down in normal room air
Down and feathers are proteins closely related to hair. The IDFL laboratory says their moisture settles at about 11% near standard conditions of 23 °C and 60% humidity, which is why fill power tests condition the down first.
MOISTURE · IDFL
≤ 5%
Broken bits allowed in 'new' down
The words 'new' or 'class I' may only be used for goose or duck filling whose 'other elements', such as broken feathers and down fibres, do not exceed 5%. Above 15% the share must be printed on the label.
CLASS I · EN 12934
Fill power depends on how the down is conditioned before testing. IDFL lists seven conditioning methods and says steam conditioning is the only method the international down and feather bureau (IDFB) still approves.
FOUR CARE HABITS
Keep the loft,
keep the warmth.
Down works only while it can spring back and hold air. These habits come from the down industry's own care guidance; the sewn-in label always comes first.
Step 1
Follow the care label
Wash at the temperature the label gives. The down industry's care advice keeps pointing back to the item's own label.
Step 2
Use a mild detergent
A gentle wool wash or a down wash suits it, because down and wool share the same base material, keratin. Skip optical brighteners.
Step 3
Dry it completely
Tumble drying is the preferred way. Filling left damp can clump and pick up an unpleasant smell, so make sure it is dry right through.
Step 4
Store it loose and aired
Avoid keeping it squashed in a tight space. IDFL found that down compressed for weeks tests below its original fill power until it is revived.
WELFARE LABELS
Where the
down came from.
Composition labels say nothing about how the birds were treated. The Responsible Down Standard is a voluntary scheme run by Textile Exchange that bans live plucking and force feeding, with third-party audits from the farm onwards.
Products meeting its requirements may carry the RDS logo, and a chain of custody tracks certified down through each stage of the supply chain to the finished jacket.
Questions
Questions on the way
What does fill power actually measure?
It is the volume that a measured weight of down fills once it has been conditioned, usually given in cubic inches per ounce. Europe's EN 12130 uses other units, and conversion tables only give an approximate match.
Is 90/10 the same as 90% down?
On an EN 12934 label, yes: the filling is 90% down and 10% feather by weight, with the larger share listed first. Percentages are given in steps of 10%, and a set tolerance applies when the filling is tested.
Why is my new jacket flatter than I expected?
Down that has been packed tightly for shipping takes time to recover. IDFL notes that body warmth and moisture help down clusters open up, which is why lab tests let down rest for days before reading fill power.
Can I wash a down jacket at home?
The down industry says down-filled items can be washed at the temperature on the label with a mild detergent and no optical brighteners, then dried completely, ideally in a tumble dryer. Always follow the item's own care label.
What does 'pure goose' mean?
Under EN 12934 'pure goose' means at least 90% of the down and feathers come from geese. Between 70% and 90% the label may just say goose.
Destination
Where the facts come from
- Textination (VDFI): What regulations are laid down in the standard EN 12934?
- IDFL: Comparison of down cluster labelling standards
- IDFL: Fill power conditioning methods evaluation
- BSI: BS EN 13542 Compressibility index of clothing filled with feather and down
- Textination (VDFI): Care of down and feather products
- Textile Exchange: Responsible Down Standard
Updated