WHAT IS FILL POWER?
Fill power is a number that measures the fluffiness and quality of a down product. Fill power measures the amount of space one ounce of down will occupy in cubic inches. Higher fill power means the down will have better quality, higher loft, and will retain its firmness longer. This is because higher fill power means the down can trap more air which allows for greater insulation. Common fill power measurements include 650, 750, 800 & 850.

Each of the cylinders below contain only one (1) ounce of down. As fill power increases, the down can trap more air which, in turn, allows more insulation from the down.
For example, one (1) ounce of 800 fill power goose down will loft to 800 cubic inches. So 850 fill power will ‘bloom’ or ‘loft’ higher than 800 fill power. The higher the fill power the larger the down cluster. Larger down clusters will loft higher; sleep softer, last longer and sleep warmer.

Fill power facts:
1. The higher the fill power the larger the down clusters.
2. The larger the down cluster the higher the quality.
3. The higher the quality the longer it will retain its loft and firmness.
4. The larger the down cluster the more mature the bird from which it came.
5. The larger the down cluster the more air it traps.
6. The larger the down cluster the higher it will loft.
7. The larger the down cluster the better the insulating power.
8. The larger the down cluster the lighter the down pillow, down comforter or feather bed will be.
Three (3) Fill power Myths:
1. The higher the fill power the firmer the pillow. NOT True.
2. The higher the fill power the heavier the pillow. NOT True.
3. The higher the fill power the higher the fill weight. NOT True.
Fill power vs fill weight?
Fill weight is the number ounces of down inside the pillow shell. Fill power is the size and quality of the down used to fill the shell. It’s that simple.

We see this all the time fill weight and fill power but what’s the difference between the two? So this is one of those questions that we get a lot and people think that fill weight and fill power are the same thing but the reality is fill weight is a measurement of how much material, in terms of ounces, we put inside the shell of the pillow to create a given density, soft, medium, firm or extra firm or thickness.
While fill power is a measure of quality and cubic inches so the higher the fill power the higher the quality and the larger the down cluster. Just to give you some perspective on the difference between those qualities a 600 fill power down cluster is a little bit smaller than a US dime but an 850 fill power down cluster is larger than a US Quarter and has the maximum loft and the highest quality but it takes a lot longer for you to have such a high quality material that becomes that large that’s why it’s so much more expensive. So I wanna look for the high fill power 800 or 850 if I want the best? Absolutely.
What does down fill power mean for pillows?
Fill power represents the size and quality, loft and how long a pillow will retain its firmness. The higher the fill power the higher the quality, the higher it will loft and the longer it will “retain its firmness” (i.e. years it will last). DO NOT use fill power as a “measure of firmness”, 850 fill power down pillows are NOT firmer than 650 fill power down pillows.
However, the 850 fill power pillow is higher quality and will last longer. Firmness (i.e. soft, medium, firm, extra firm) is determined by, fill weight, adjusted by the amount of down inside the pillow shell. For example, our standard soft 850 fill power pillow contains (14 oz.) while the medium contains (16 oz.) firm contains (19oz.) and extra firm has (21 oz.) stuffed into the pillow shell.
How to compare fill power?
Comparing our Down & Feather Co. ultra-premium Hungarian white goose down sourced, cleaned, packaged and shipped by our team to other down in the market is going to be a challenge. All down is not sourced from the same species, from the same geography, cleaned the same and certainly not packaged, shipped and stored in a climate controlled room with moisture barrier floors installed and designed specifically for our down. All of those variables can and do significantly impact the way the finished goods; pillows, comforters and mattress toppers perform over time.
Fill power is a measure of quality, size and cleanliness. The higher the fill power the higher the quality and the higher the fill power the larger the size of the down cluster. Since the higher fill power down cluster are larger we can’t get as many of them into the pillow so the fill weight is lower. And, since higher quality fill powers are also larger comparing them to other fill powers becomes a challenge.
The reason is all fill powers are not created equal even within the same fill power especially when compared across different manufactures. Meaning, I can almost guarantee you that our ultra-premium Hungarian white goose down isn’t like any other Hungarian white goose down or any other goose down.
A very quick, and hopefully useful analogy, is comparing chocolate. Is all chocolate the same? I mean, it’s just chocolate right? So how different can it be? Hershey’s makes great chocolate. But, Godiva is probably better. You might not like Godiva more than Hershey chocolate but Godiva is using higher quality ingredients and it’s certainly more expensive. Godiva is great chocolate but Teuscher chocolates of Switzerland and their champagne truffles are extraordinary. “A chocolate truffle made with Dom Perignon and milk chocolate ganache and then encased in milk chocolate”. Still chocolate but significantly higher quality ingredients, much more expensive than Godiva, requiring much greater skill to source and manufacture. So, all chocolate isn’t the same. All goose down isn’t the same either and the differences can be just as extreme as chocolate.
How do I compare fill weights?
The fill weight is different for each pillow density, or thickness, for each pillow size; standard, queen or king and each fill power. Unfortunately, we get a lot of emails requesting the number of ounces used to create a given density (thickness); soft, medium, firm or extra firm. I have yet to speak to a customer that understands how or what they are comparing to make an informed decision, much less compare fill weights from one company to another, when they know the number of ounces for a given density or thickness.
What does fill power mean for down comforters?
Fill power represents quality, loft and how warm a down comforter will sleep. The higher the fill power the higher the quality. The higher the fill power the higher your down comforter will “puff up” and loft. If you are looking for a big billowy down comforter then you will want to look at our Quality Rest™ Winterweight down comforter or our Natural Nights™ Winterweight down comforter. They will loft the highest, last the longest and sleep the warmest.
What does fill power mean for Feather beds?
Fill power represents quality, loft and longevity. Fill power is a very important factor for an item like a feather bed given that all your weight will be compressing the down clusters underneath you for, hopefully, 8 hours. The larger the down cluster the higher the quality. The higher the quality longer it will retain its loft and firmness. DO NOT use fill power as a “measure of firmness”, 850 fill power down feather beds are NOT firmer than 650 fill power down feather beds. However the 850 feather bed will last longer.