Otto Keller Eiderdown

Eiderdown: exclusive fillings from the far north

Eiderdown is one of the most luxurious and expensive bedding fillings. Eiderdown is the down of the common eider. This is a large sea-duck that lives on the arctic shores of the Atlantic and Pacific. It is found in North America, Siberia, Scandinavia, Iceland and Scotland. Due to its preferred habitat, the common eider is exceptionally well adapted to very cold temperatures.

The special feature of the down of the common eider is the tiny barbs that can hook into one another like a fleece. This creates lots of small air chambers. This marvel of nature, on the one hand, provides perfect insulation against the cold and, at the same time, remains breathable.

The common eider benefits first and foremost from the amazing properties of its down when protecting its nest. It uses it to create a wind-resistant, even layer of insulation. Thanks to the barbs, the pieces of down stay together and do not fly away in the wind.

Eiders are purely wild animals. They would suffer badly in captivity. In order to obtain the down, eider farmers therefore look for the nests of the eiders after the breeding season and collect the remaining down. The farmers can only harvest around 20 grams of down per nest! The valuable goods are cleaned particularly gently so that the properties of the down are not lost. Every work step – of course, carried out by hand – requires a lot of experience. This also explains the high price of eiderdown bedding.

Down with ideal properties – also for humans

Just like with the ducks, eiderdown also keeps the bodies of humans very nice and warm. On the other hand, you also don’t run the risk of overheating with an eiderdown duvet, which is especially important for people who tend to sweat at night. This has to do with the fact that eiderdown automatically adjusts to the ambient temperature: when the temperature rises, the small down hairs lay down a little flatter. This reduces the filling power, and the down duvet will insulate less. In winter, on the other hand, the reverse process takes place: the small down hairs stand up a little more, and the duvet retains the warmth better.

Eiderdown does not contain any quills or other hard components. As a result, bedding made from eiderdown is extremely soft, very cosy and lightweight. Like every natural product used to fill bedding, eiderdown is breathable and regulates moisture. This creates a pleasant, dry sleeping environment with good temperature regulation. These properties of natural products are particularly important in the case of joint pain and rheumatic complaints.

The high price of the exclusive down is offset by its long service life: while ordinary down has to be replaced after around eight to ten years, eiderdown can be used for up to 20 years!