Down Fill Power: Goose Down Explained

To view Sierra Trading Post's goose down products, click here: stp.me/Down
Watch as Sierra Trading Post's Chris Martin explains fill power and the differences between down of different quality. Higher fill power products will typically be lighter and more compressible than similar products using lower-quality down. The best down is indicated by a high fill power number; for example, 900 fill power goose down is about the highest quality down that is currently available.
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[@scottstevens7356]

A lofting power of 400-450 is considered medium quality, 500-550 is considered good, 550-750 is considered very good, and 750+ is considered excellent. 750+ fill is very different from 400 fill. Most down commercially available is a secondary product of geese raised for consumption. The geese that are the source for lower fill down and are about four months old when "harvested" for food. Down from these geese will never loft like more mature down. The 700+ down fill comes from a small number of birds kept for breeding purposes throughout the year. These geese molt naturally in the spring. Their down is loose and is collected by hand. It is very rare and, of course, expensive. The larger individual plumeules are what gives greater loft. The difference between a sleeping bag with 550 fill power down and a sleeping bag with 700 fill power down is that the 700 fill power down sleeping bag will be lighter for the same warmth rating. High fill powers are most important for weight sensitive applications such as backpacking. A 550 down sleeping bag isn't necessarily a low quality bag, perhaps just a bit heavier than a 750 down sleeping bag that has the same warmth rating.

[@flashmanv3260]

Most good sleeping bags are 850 fill, some are 900. 700 fill is on the low side.

[@turboturd7954]

@@flashmanv3260 b.s. it all depends on temp rating, brand, quality and weight.

[@jordanmoshkowski7887]

Thanks for helping me decide what jacket to purchase!

[@Schafei]

A very well explanation, thank you!

[@rezkali01]

thanks and this explain the fill power rating.stay safe.

[@danos5181]

Thanks for the informative video. A question: how much down fill power is actually necessary in a soft shell jacket for 3 season hiking in low to mid elevations (up to 2400 meters high)? While hiking i assume that down jackets are generally too warm to wear? While at camp and sleeping i also have a fleece sweater not too mention a good down quilt. Ive seen very cheap duck down jackets from China (uniqlo) that are very inexpensive that probably have a fill power of 500. Is that sufficient if i carry also a fleece sweater?

[@onegunsalute1202]

Still confused on why the Nemo disco is .4LB lighter and the exact same dimensions as the riff but only uses 650 down vs the riffs 800? And wouldnt a denser down provide better air trapping?

[@guyvernon9796]

I work outside delivering food on an electric bike! Would it be useful to wear a 550 under a 900 down, do they add together to make it warmer. Or would the 900 be fine with a fleece ... HELP /advice would be awesome as win the r approaches

[@briandoolittle3422]

Well, winter is already over, so you've probably figured out what you need, but: Fill power is a measure of quality, and is only one part of how warm a jacket is. Like the video explains, fill power is how much 1 ounce of down takes up when it expands. How warm the jacket will be is not only a measure of its Fill power, but the amount of down used to. So if you have a 500 fill power jacket with 20 ounces, it will be less puffy, and therefor less warm then a 700 fill power jacket with 20 ounces. However, a 500 FP jacket with 20 ounces would be warmer then a 700 FP jacket with 10 ounces. A better quality jacket can be warmer, but quantity is still a factor. Simply stating the Fill Power of a jacket isn't enough to determine how warm its going to be, or how sufficient it will be for certain conditions. You also have to know how much down is in it. Layering multiple jackets is certainly a good way of keeping warmer. Layering has a 'more then the sum of their parts' effect, as you trap additional still air between the two layers of clothing, essentially providing you with a third 'layer' of insulation for no weight. You could do that with multiple down jackets, or with a down jacket and a fleece.Thats up to you to figure out what makes you comfortable.

[@bandw2010]

But how can you tell how warm a jacket will be?

[@btte854]

I had a 800 down fill very light jacket north face jacket once but unfortunately cold was going thru stiches at 40 degrees farenheit I had to wear a hoody otherwise I was getting very cold I think a mixed 550 fill plus synthetic like heatseeker is best for good insulation

[@AGH331]

+B Tte There are different ways of stitching - many jackets are sewn through, where the outer layer is stitched right to the inner lining in between the boxes of down. Naturally at the seams there is little insulation. High-end jackets are often 'box baffle', stitched in a way that each baffle is essentially a rounded cuboid. It naturally insulates better. Your last sentence is wrong since down IS the best insulation - synthetic has other benefits (most importantly it is more waterproof than down). Fill power itself does not say much about how warm a jacket will be, the total weight of the down combined with the fill power does. Plus the type of sewing described above.

[@dave1234u]

So according to this 550 down is low quality?? I just spent $225 on a 550 duckdown jacket. Thats a lot of cash for a low quality jacket

[@SierraOfficial]

550 fill down is considered a lower quality down than 800 fill down, because it takes more down to achieve the same insulating ability. When comparing two products with the same temperature rating, the product with 550 will be heavier than the product with 800 fill down. However, the jacket may still be a high quality jacket. It just won't be as lightweight and compressible as the same jacket with a higher fill power down in it. - Chris

[@2beJT]

+dave1234u UNLESS the 800 fill down jacket costs $400. Everything is relative

[@cbsteffen]

I have a bigger concern. Several down products contain down pulled off of living geese!

[@BrianWMay]

Not for long, they taste wonderful when roasted, which would of course waste the down unless harvested first . . .

[@redazi1]

I don t understand what you talking about but my winter jacket for this year is a vintage ELLESSE jacket in a excelent condition made in Italy which i found in feamarcket and guess what it was 4€ so with the explanation you gave that jacket price is around 200€,no thank you

[@alexreddragon88]

I have. 650 down filling but it's not cozy enough for 30degree weather