Down Proof Fabrics

• The fabric (ticking) used to cover quality down comforters and pillows is a highly specialized textile. Here are some things to look for:

• A quality down comforter fabric is light in weight, to allow the down to reach it's full loft. At the same time, it has to be durable so that it will last, yet remain breathable for comfort.

• Look for a thread count in your down comforter fabric that is 260 to about 480. A thread count that is higher than 480 (or so) may result in a fabric that is too finely woven to retain the stitching, eventually resulting in down leakage.

• Perhaps of more importance than thread count is the type and weight of the yarn and the weave of the fabric. In order to weave more threads per inch, each yarn has to have a smaller diameter, often resulting in a cloth that is too fine and delicate for holding down. Indeed, extremely high thread count fabrics in a down comforter can be prone to leakage, and may not be able to retain the stitching over the many years of use that a comforter will experience

• Another thing to look for is where the fabric was manufactured. Sad to say, most textile manufacturing in the United States is a highly toxic industry. For this reason, we prefer a fabric that carries the Confidence in Textiles certification. This is a European manufacturing standard, and assures that your comforter ticking was manufactured to the highest environmental standards in the world.

• Beware of cotton (not silk) down comforters that are "Dry Clean Only". These comforters have most likely been finished incorrectly and will begin leaking down regardless of how it is cleaned.