What is Eiderdown?
Eiderdown is a product harvested from the eider duck. The material has been prized historically for use as a warming insulating layer in clothing and bedding, especially in Northern regions, where cold weather necessitates excellent insulators. Although eiderdown has largely been replaced with down from other birds such as geese or artificial products like Primaloft®, there is still a market for it, and high end bedding especially tends to be made with eiderdown. Iceland is one of the major world producers of eiderdown.
Down is a soft insulating layer of feathers which can be found underneath the larger body feathers of aquatic birds. The external feathers keep water from coming into contact with the skin of waterbirds, while down creates an airy layer of insulation which keeps the body of the bird warm. Eiderdown has remarkable insulating properties, being highly efficient and extremely lightweight. It is also very soft to the touch, without the scratchy quills which are sometimes found in goose down.
The eider duck is native to the Northern hemisphere, and can be found in many Northern nations. The male of the species is black and white, while the female is colored in shades of brown. Both ducks are very stocky, and have wedge-like bills which are quite distinctive. When eider ducks settle down to nest, they pull out their insulating down to line the nest. After abandoning the nest, the eiderdown is available for harvest.
Not only is eiderdown harvesting not harmful to the birds, it actually helps them. In nations which harvest significant amounts of eiderdown, there are large regions set aside for the ducks to nest in. These protected areas also shelter other wetland species. The ducks are not hunted or harassed, and tend to be rather outgoing and friendly as a result. However, the painstaking harvest process for eiderdown does make it more expensive than other comparable products.
Comforters are classically made with eiderdown, since a large comforter can get quite heavy when made with other materials. It is also used to make extremely soft pillows and feather beds. Some people may be allergic to down, necessitating the use of a tight hypo-allergenic wrap and cover for eiderdown products, if they wish to use them. Other consumers should also look out for holes which may leak eiderdown, since the lightweight, fluffy material can quickly end up everywhere if it is allowed to escape.
Written by S.E. Smith
