Acceptable feathers in down jackets

[adkayaker]

It's probably a topic as old as down jackets have been around. I was surprised when looking at an Eddie Bauer down jacket recently to see the feather content listed at 20% (not a First Ascent model). Is this a statistic to inquire on any down jacket purchase or are reputable outdoor brands keeping the feather percentage low or at zero. The negative of feathers I assume is they don't have any desirable characterics like down, compressibility, loft, non-allergenic, etc. In summary, 20% seems unacceptable to me and I did not buy the jacket.

 

[Maddy]

It's probably a topic as old as down jackets have been around. I was surprised when looking at an Eddie Bauer down jacket recently to see the feather content listed at 20% (not a First Ascent model). Is this a statistic to inquire on any down jacket purchase or are reputable outdoor brands keeping the feather percentage low or at zero. The negative of feathers I assume is they don't have any desirable characterics like down, compressibility, loft, non-allergenic, etc. In summary, 20% seems unacceptable to me and I did not buy the jacket.

I learned that lesson some time ago. You really have to check the content in the jacket.
There is a rather large discrepancy.

 

[TEO]

Am I wrong in thinking that a jacket/vest/comforter w/650 fill or better will have far less than 20% feathers?

 

[Chip]

Am I wrong in thinking that a jacket/vest/comforter w/650 fill or better will have far less than 20% feathers?

jees, I hope not, but you'd need to fill the jacket or sleeping bag yourself to be 100% sure. A few years ago I bought some $100 down bags for my boys and their friends, "Downright" out of Brooklyn (all the best down products hale from Brooklyn ). They're rated to -15 and are probably okay to about +20. I'm sure the fill rating/down quality was less than labeled, but at that price I wasn't kidding myself, either.