Frequently Asked Questions

Down consists of the clusters found on the underside of a goose or a duck (waterfowl). The clusters are soft, fine strands that stem from a central point and trap air as they interlock. The air keeps you warm. Feathers are the outer plumage of a waterfowl. Feathers have a quill and are flatter than a down cluster. They are thicker and do not entrap air as efficiently as a down cluster does.

Many products are a mix of down and feathers. Generally, when there is more down in a product, it is fluffier and softer; when there is a higher feather content in a product, it is firmer.

Fill power is the standard measure of the number of cubic inches filled by an ounce of down. The more space an ounce of down occupies the more warmth it provides. This is because more space entraps more air. (And it is the air that provides the warmth.)

The best pillow for you will be a personal preference, but we can help. Our Pillow Butler® Team has created a quiz to assist you with the critical task of picking the pillows that are right for the way you sleep. You answer questions to determine the size, style, and fill of the pillows that will turn your bed into a sleep oasis and help you to have a great night’s sleep®. Take the Pillow Butler® Quiz on our Home Page to find the right pillows for you!

For a side sleeper, we often recommend the Rhapsody Wrap, 30%/70% Feather and Down Pillow; the feather core provides support for your head while the down and feather mix wrapped around the core is softer and can be molded to your preferred placement. The best pillow for you will be a personal preference, but we can help. Our Pillow Butler® Team has created a quiz to assist you with the critical task of picking the pillows that are right for the way you sleep. We ask the questions to determine the sizes, styles, and fills that will turn your bed into a sleep oasis and help you to have a great night’s sleep™. Take the Pillow Butler® Quiz to find the right pillow for you!

These pillows are both alternatives to down and feather. The difference is in the type of polyester fill that is used and the feel it provides.

The aquaplush® hypoallergenic polyester pillow has a combed fiber polyester fill that resembles down. The fiber is made of 2.5D polyester (70%) and 6D polyester (30%). 2.5D polyester is super soft. 6D polyester gives the pillow support. We mix them together to make a custom fiber blend. The aquaplush® is a great balance of softness and support.

The fairfax hypoallergenic polyester pillow has a fill that results in a feel more like a polyester foam. The fiber of the fairfax pillow is made of 7D polyester. It is a large, strong fiber that results in a firm pillow.

You should wash your pillows and comforters upon soiling or after any build-up of moisture in your room. Keeping your down bedding clean and thoroughly dry will prevent the build-up of dust or mold. We encourage you to use pillow protectors, duvet protectors, feather bed protectors, and mattress pads to create the most hygienic bed and to protect the investment you have made in your pillows, bedding, and mattress.

If you store your down products (comforters, pillows, or feather beds), never put them in plastic bags or containers. Down is a natural product—it needs to breathe. If these products are enclosed in a plastic bag with no air holes, moisture can build up and they may begin to smell. Always store down products in cotton bags or breathable containers in a dry area with proper ventilation. In the event your down products do develop an odor, air them outside of the protector in sunlight or place them in the dryer on the lowest heat setting to absorb the moisture and eliminate the odor. Include three fresh tennis balls, clean white tennis shoes, or dryer balls in the dryer to agitate the fill.

Use a front load dryer at its lowest heat setting and include three fresh tennis balls, a clean pair of white tennis shoes, or dryer balls to agitate the fill. You may have to reposition the comforter in the dryer as it begins to dry. It is very important that you dry your comforters and pillows thoroughly to avoid mildew. This may take several hours.

If you keep your pillows clean and protected, it is not necessary to replace them once a year.

We recommend the consistent use of zippered pillow protectors.
Use of pillow protectors will prevent soiling and the build-up of dust or moisture inside of your pillows. Pillow protectors should be laundered with your sheets.

When cleaning your pillows, make sure they are thoroughly dried to prevent any build-up of dust or mold. As long as your pillows are kept clean and free of moisture and still retain their form, you should not have to replace them for years. Of course, if your pillows become stained or loose their fluff or their form, you should replace them.

The down and feather pillows on which you sleep at luxury hotels have been in service and may feel different than the pillow fresh out of the package. Sleeping on your new pillow will change it over time so that it becomes softer and fluffier. Additionally, your pillow may appear flat when it arrives as it has been compressed for shipping.

Down and feathers are natural products and need to breathe. Just add air by fluffing your down product and letting it breathe outside of the packaging or any sheeting. We also recommend placing your down and feather pillows in the dryer with dryer balls on the lowest heat setting for 3-5 minutes to fluff them up. You can do this periodically during the life of the product, too.

Picking the best down comforter is a matter of personal preferences. All comforters are available in three weights: summer weight (light weight), all-seasons weight (medium weight) and winter weight (heavy weight). Depending how you like your bed to look and feel, we can determine the comforter that is right for you. Whether you like a warm and fluffy bed, or you sleep hot and prefer a lighter comforter, we have the right weight for you. If you are not sure, we suggest you start with an all-seasons-weight comforter.

We know hotels worldwide, and there is a good chance you slept on one of our products. You can enter the SKU from the tag in the search bar on our website to find our pillows and bedding. If it was not ours, you can call us at 415-348-0084 and tell us where you stayed and what you liked about the pillows or bedding. We can suggest something similar that will provide you with a great night's sleep.

Down is a natural product and will breathe and adjust to your body temperature. You may find that you are hotter sleeping under a polyester comforter, which might be less breathable. We recommend using 100% cotton comforter covers and sheets because cotton is a natural, breathable fiber. This will provide the most comfort and allow you to sleep at a comfortable temperature.

We always recommend a cover for your down comforter. This will keep your comforter covered and clean and provide a decorative element to your bed. It is easier to launder a removable cover than to launder the comforter itself. We recommend 100% cotton comforter covers and sheets, which provide comfort and breathability.

Your new pillows probably support your partner’s head at the correct angle so that they are breathing more easily, causing them to snore less. If your head and neck are at the correct angle, you are less likely to snore and will get a more efficient flow of oxygen to your brain, promoting a better, more sound sleep. We suggest firmer pillows for side and back sleepers and softer pillows for stomach sleepers.

Our CentroClean™ cleaning process removes the allergens from the down and feathers. Often when people are allergic to down, it has not been cleaned properly or the product has not been cared for properly and has developed dust or mold, which can cause allergic reactions. For this reason, we recommend laundering after you have experienced any moisture build up in your bedroom. We further recommend thorough drying of all down and feather products. If you do find that you are allergic to down, we would like to recommend our aquaplush® hypoallergenic pillows and comforters. They are filled with a combed fiber polyester fill meant to feel like down.

Our feather and down products are all cleaned above industry standards to ensure a premium product. We use a specialized cleaning process called CentroClean™ to ensure that our products are highly sanitized and hypoallergenic. We wash our feathers and down for a minimum of 30-50 minutes using Henkel/Fluidol K 6 German detergent. This cleaning product has been specifically created for feather and down cleaning. Our feathers are rinsed 20-30 times until the water is clean and tested. Once the wash line is checked for quality, the feathers are sent to steam dryers, resulting in feathers of great curl and loft. All processing is quality checked before the manufacturing of Down Etc’s down products begins.

Comforters and feather beds are made with baffle box construction with invisible baffle seams. Baffle-box construction is a box within a box. Each comforter has boxes that are approximately 15”x15½”x1¼". Each box has a box within it, providing a double layer of fabric and a closed box. This prevents the down from shifting around and gives the down more space to breathe, providing a fluffier product.

Feather beds are feather and down filled mattress toppers, which sit on top of the mattress pad and mattress and beneath the bottom sheet. They add extra loft, warmth, and comfort to the bed. Made with the same baffle box construction we use for our comforters in heights of 1½" and 2½".

We recommend feather bed protectors for all feather beds. The 235-thread-count, 100% cotton cover with an invisible zipper closure will preserve the life of the feather bed by protecting it from dirt, Dust Mites, and mold. The feather bed protector should be washed as frequently as your sheeting.

Our comforters are made using superior construction techniques and 100% down-proof cotton fabric. The baffle box construction with invisible seams keeps the down securely and evenly distributed throughout the comforter. The down in our comforters will not shift. In addition, our comforters are finished with double stitched edges and German cotton piping, which prevents any down from leaking. These details also create products that will survive repeated institutional laundering in hotels.

When feathers are long, the quills can poke through the fabric containing them. That is why we use feathers no longer than 1”-1¼”. We also use a baffle box construction, which creates a double layer of fabric and a closed box to prevent the down from shifting or escaping from the comforter. Finally, we use only a 100% cotton, down-proof fabric with at least a 235 thread count for the ticking on our down and feather pillows and comforters.

We include extra-long feather beds in our college dorm room bedding kit to fit the extra-long dimensions of dorm room beds.

We offer extra-long bedding as part of the college dorm room bedding kit, which includes a down comforter, down pillow, pillow protector, feather bed, and mattress pad. It all comes conveniently packaged in a reusable laundry bag.

d.o.e.® stands for down on earth, our bedding and bath products made with 100% organic cotton.

Every sleeper drools and perspires. An unprotected mattress can be ruined easily by these, as well as by spills and other accidents. To protect your mattresses from these potentially ruinous contaminants, Down Etc highly recommends the continuous use of mattress pads, which should be removed and laundered regularly.

Down Etc has spent years developing and perfecting the Lily Pads® to meet your need for a waterproof, motionless, soundless, and breathable mattress pad. The 100% polyester nonwoven backing provides a waterproof barrier while the 100% cotton twill top layer provides a soft and silky base for the bottom sheet. In between is 5.5 oz or 15 oz of polyester fill to pull moisture away and to provide cushion between the sleeper and the polyester backing. The diamond quilting holds the layers together and provides the strength that takes the Lily Pads® through repeated institutional washing. The fitted skirt prevents the pad from moving.

Once you have found the perfect pillow, we recommend you protect your investment by using a zippered pillow protector on every pillow. The pillow protector can be removed and laundered when you launder your sheets. The pillowcase goes over the pillow protector.

You should wash your pillows and comforters upon soiling or after any build-up of moisture in your room. Keeping your down bedding clean and thoroughly dry will prevent the build-up of dust or mold. We encourage you to use pillow protectors, duvet protectors, feather bed protectors, and mattress pads to create the most hygienic bed and to protect your investment in your pillows and mattress.

Dust Mites are tiny bugs that live in your home. They measure 1/100th of an inch in length and feed off dust. Their waste is a major cause of allergies and asthma. They love warm, humid areas filled with dust.

To prevent Dust Mites in your home, it is essential to keep your home free of dust and moisture. Pillow protectors and mattress pads help to keep your pillows and mattresses clean and free of Dust Mites. Clean the protectors frequently. To kill dust mites, a temperature of at least 130° is required. If you wash your sheets in warm or cold water, be sure to dry them thoroughly to kill dust mites.

If you store your down and feather products (comforters, pillows, and feather beds), make sure they are thoroughly dry before storing. Never put them in plastic bags or containers. Down is a natural product and needs to breathe. If these products are enclosed in a plastic bag with no air holes, moisture can build up and they may begin to smell. Always store down products in cotton bags or breathable containers in a dry area with proper ventilation.

In the event your down products do develop an odor, air them outside of the protector in sunlight or place them in the dryer on the lowest heat setting for 3-5 minutes to absorb the moisture and to eliminate the odor. Include three fresh tennis balls or dryer balls in the dryer to agitate the fill.

Before you click on the "Submit Order" button at Checkout, return to your Shopping Cart and edit items. If you have already submitted your order, simply call us at 415-348-0084, and we would be pleased to assist you in changing your order. If your order has already been processed, your order cannot be changed, but you can return the item(s) according to our Return policy under our Shipping and Returns tab under Customer Care.

You can redeem your gift card online during checkout. Simply type in your gift card number during checkout. You may redeem more than one gift card on an individual order, and you can also combine a gift card with a credit card payment. If you have any questions regarding your gift card use, simply call us at 415-348-0084, and we would be pleased to offer assistance.

Simply type in your promotion, coupon, or discount code in the appropriate box during Checkout. Promotions, coupons, and discounts cannot be combined unless specifically disclosed in the promotion, coupon, or discount. Promotions, coupons, and discounts cannot be applied to items already on sale. Promotion, coupons, and discounts cannot be used on the purchase of Gift Cards. Promotion, coupons, and discounts are only valid for purchases made on www.downetc.com. Items purchased using promotions, coupons, or discounts cannot be returned or refunded. If you need help, call us at 415-348-0084 and we would be pleased to offer any assistance.

We distribute emails from downetc@downetc.com or info@downetc.com. These email addresses are used for marketing emails, as well as order and shipping confirmation emails, that you may receive from us. We notify customers when they subscribe to our preferred email list that they will be receiving emails from us, and you agree to receive emails from us when you place an order on our website.

Adding this address to your email address book will ensure that the special offers, promotions and news from info@downetc.com and downetc@downetc.com get delivered to you. If you would like to stop receiving emails, please unsubscribe or contact us at info@downetc.com for assistance.

We moved to a new platform as of July 25, 2022. For security reasons, we could not migrate user passwords. For this reason, you will be required to re-register your account. If you do so with the previously used password, once you have re-registered and logged on, you will be able to view your entire history and orders.

Yes, you can place an order on the website without creating an account by placing an order as a guest at checkout.

The treatment of ducks and geese is important to us and to many consumers and retailers. Our team audits farms and slaughterhouses to evaluate how the animals are treated. We look at the living environments, transportation, slaughterhouse processes, feeding practices and other aspects relating to good husbandry prior to purchasing materials. We control both the quality of raw materials by focusing on quality management standards. Our products have gained the certificate of international textile environmental protection Oeko-Tex Standard 100 and implemented ISO 9002:2000 and ISO 14001. We maintain long term relationship with our suppliers and constantly monitor the supply chain to ensure best practices on raw materials. Our advanced testing laboratories test all raw materials and constantly survey feather and down quality to make sure they meet our standards. We maintain thorough records of every batch.

The majority of down and feathers are a by-product of the food processing industry. Food products are the main value of duck and geese farming. Down and feathers are collected during the food-preparation process.