Many people wonder if the quality of goose down is directly related to the fill power of goose down. The answer is yes.

There are always several factors which determine the quality of goose down products. There are things such as turbidity and oxygen number, which are both measurements of cleanliness, and essentially determine if your goose down is truly hypo-allergenic or not.

Premium goose down will have a high turbidity number and a low oxygen count number. Net Down content is another important measurement of quality. When measuring goose down, individual down clusters are counted and weighted against the sample lot to determine the "Net Down Count" of the filling.

For example, there is no such thing as 100% pure goose down. There is no such thing as 100% net down count filling material, so don't be fooled by un-educated sales people trying to make a quick buck.

"Net Down Content" is a very important specification for goose down. Here is the facts about net down content...

There is a minimum net down cluster content needed for products to be labeled as "down" on the law labels. Both goose down and duck down apply in this case. In order for a product to be labeled with the word "down" in the contents portion of the tag, those contents need to have no less than 75% net down clusters.

In order to determine the exact net down content, a sample of 100 grams can be separated apart using precision measuring tools. In an atmospheric controlled scale container, every fiber, dirt particle spec, cluster, feather, filament, etc. are all individually and precisely weighed.

A calculation is made which determines the "net" down content. The higher the down content, the better. This brings me to the filling power of goose down.

Goose down lofts, or expands. When fill power is tested, exactly one ounce of goose down is placed into the testing machine. Because feathers, particles, fibers, dirt and other foreign matter have weight, but no loft, the fill power will be less in goose down that has less net down cluster content. The higher the net down content is, the higher the fill power will be, always.

Fill power is measured in cubic inches per ounce and it essentially measures how much volume one ounce of goose down will occupy after it has gone through the compression and expansion test process.

While this may be difficult to understand for a person who is not well versed in goose down, I will put it in a language that is easier to understand. A high fill power goose down will expand (or loft), which means it will occupy more volumetric space, per one ounce than a lower fill power goose or duck down. The higher fill power goose down will essentially trap more air per ounce, allowing you to use a lighter comforter and still remain just as warm, and have the comforter appear just as puffy.

The quality of the insulation is not the only thing that goose down fill power has an effect on, but also the value. If you have a higher fill power, then your goose down comforter will last much longer than a lower fill power product. Although it may cost you more up front, it is definitely a better investment in the future to outright buy a high fill power goose down comforter and avoid the fire-sale brands. You will enjoy your time with your purchase much more!

Goose down loft (fill power) is very important and should not be overlooked. If you are concerned about getting a high quality goose down comforter, the first thing you must look at is fill power. Likely, if you have a high fill power the other high quality measurements will also be there, but you must ensure that the fill power is high before considering anything else.

Before you purchase goose down items, be sure to ask some questions and inform yourself. If they can't answer, then they themselves may not be educated in the fine details necessary for your health and well being. Goose down comforters, especially very high quality ones, will last a long time. Choose wisely, and enjoy!