Down and Synthetic Insulation Compared for Buyers

Warmth for weight

Down carries more warmth per gram than synthetic fill, which is why it dominates cold-weather ranges where packed volume matters. Fill power describes the loft of the down rather than the amount used, so a 600 fill power garment is not automatically warmer than a 550 one until you also know the fill weight.

Behaviour when wet and when compressed

Down loses loft when wet and takes longer to dry. Synthetic fill keeps more of its structure. Compression is the other half of the story: a garment that spends six weeks flat in a carton has to recover on the rail, and blended fills using cocoon fibre are built for exactly that recovery.

Where blends sit

Blended fills, such as the 50 percent duck down and 50 percent cocoon-fibre polyester used in styles in our range, trade a little warmth for weight against faster recovery and easier care. For a retail programme with long sea freight, that trade is often the right one.

Cost and documentation

Down programmes carry traceability requirements that synthetic ones do not. Decide early which side you are on, because switching fill after sampling usually changes the shell weight, the baffle pattern and the price at once.