Down is a very unique and specific material. Much of the testing done on down and feathers continues to rely on subjective interpretations and care in handling material.

Many multi-category testing facilities do not have the expertise or experience to reliably test down. We have seen some egregious errors causing inconsistent and unreliable results in some of the biggest testing facilities.

We will always recommend the International Down and Feather Laboratory globally to provide the most consistent results, but we can also work with any testing facility to ensure the utmost accuracy.

Down Cleanliness is tested by two different means – turbidity and oxygen. The combination of these tests tells us exactly how clean the down is.

TURBIDITY

Turbidity generally measures the amount of dirt and dust on the down following processing. The down is agitated in water and the water from this agitation is placed in a long 1000 ml tube with crosshairs visible on the very bottom. The point at which you can not see the crosshairs any longer is the value. So if you can only place 300ml of the water in the tube before the crosshairs are no longer visible, the turbidity number would be 300 and considered fairly dirty low quality material. Any down that measure over 500ml is considered hypoallergenic. ALLIED down regularly measures over 1000ml.

OXYGEN

The oxygen test measure the amount of organic matter left in the water that the down is pre-agitated in. Sulphuric acid is added and Individual drops of potassium permanganate are added in 1.6g increments. The potassium permanganate will react with react with the organic matter until it is exhausted at which point the solution will remain pink. Most countries require a number less than 10. ALLIED material regularly tests at 1.6 which is a single drop which shows a tremendously clean material with little to no loose organic matter present following processing.

It’s important to note, however, that it still does not take into account fat and oil content which means one can use harsh chemicals to get the down very clean initially, but do so by stripping the fat and oil from the down cluster resulting in a “clean” down, but one that will break down very quickly. There is a reason ALLIED’s DuraWASH process involves so many steps and why we have extremely precise measurements for fat and oil we need to maintain in order to offer a high quality and long lasting insulation.

Fill power is simply a measurement of volume; how much space a given amount of material can fill. It is most commonly measured in cubic inches per 30g of down, but each testing method can differ slightly in both metrics and general outcome.

The most commonly used method ot testing is the IDFB / US method. For brands selling through only to Europe, the EN standard can be used and for the the China domestic market, the GB/T standard is required. While ALLIED always recommends the IDFB/US method, our testing labs can test to any method required.

In general, when testing, there is a pre-conditioning, a rest period and then the material is placed in a large cylinder with a very slight weight placed upon until the final reading is taken. Like with all down testing, a lot of this is done manually and it is critical it is done so by well-trained testers. Mishandling of the down during pre-conditioning, for example, could give a result more than 100 points of what the accurate value might be.

IDFB / US

This testing method is the most common globally as it generally gives the most accurate and consistent results of the potential loft of the down tested.

For this method, the down is steamed in a conditioning box and left to rest. The steam conditioning is considered the most consistent method for achieving the full loft of the down.

The down is then placed in its cylinder and agitated again three times before depressing to find the final value.

This is all done under strict humidity control.

EN testing method

The EN testing method was at point the most common method of testing for European sales. In this method there are a small number of different ways a tester can condition the material. This alone can provide a high level of inconsistent results. Recently, the steam conditioning method was approved and now values between EN and IDFB/US testing are far closer for the same material than they had been in the past.

While it is less common, you might see European brands marketing the fill power as “CUIN.” Either way, it is the same – 700 fill power = 700 CUIN.

GB/T

The GB/T method is required for China domestic sales and is a completely method with a different condition methods and simply measured in cm.

For the GB/T method the down is simply heated for conditioning and placed in a cylinder more narrow than other testing methods. The result is communicated in centimeters so instead of a 600 fill power, the GB/T might have a result of 16cm.

Nomenclature and labeling are perhaps the most confusing communications around down. For labeling purposes, down is specified primarily through cluster % and then usually followed by fill power for marketing purposes. Species is usually specified for goose and left as simply “down” for duck down or a down blend that does not fit the requirements to be labeled as goose down.

LABELING REQUIREMENTS / RESTRICTIONS

There are many different region and country-specific requirements for appropriate labeling. The US standard, in general, is the most difficult requiring at least 95% goose for labeling as goose down (where in Europe as example, that could be as low as 85%). There are also limitations certain regions place on the different elements above. China, for example, limits the amount of feather that can be present.

The US standard is the most global of the standards and most common. When working with ALLIED, we can ensure and provide material to reach all standards required by sell through regions.

For further comparisons and different standards and requirements, see the downloads below.