To put it bluntly, yes, you should care. Luckily, we decided to save you the trouble and did the research on what exactly makes these two types of insulation different, as well as what brings them together, so you can read at your leisure. On a similar note, we might talk about feathers in one paragraph, and down in another, so, unless explicitly told otherwise, take it as if we were discussing one and the same thing. Age before beauty, eh?
Many people assume down is made from feathers, and they are both right and wrong at the same time. In a nutshell, down is the layer of delicate feathers or undercoat that lies under the sturdier exterior feathers. Our ancestors noticed this and started using down feathers for insulation millennia ago, collecting it from various species of wildfowl most notably gulls and other kinds of seabirds.
However, most of the down we use now comes from the undercoat of various species of waterfowl, such as domestic ducks and geese, and occasionally swans. Of course, it should go without saying that the birds are not used solely, nor primarily, for feathers. If you want to be all technical about it, PrimaLoft is a type of synthetic microfiber thermal insulation.
It was initially developed for the US Army back in the days the s , and it became really popular in commercial waters really soon. Commercially, it first appeared in jackets , then gloves and sleeping bags A year later, synthetic down made an appearance in home furnishings — pillows, comforters, mattress toppers, the whole shebang. The first performance yarns were spun in , and now we have socks , sweaters and base layers knitted from these fibers.
Incidentally, these days PrimaLoft as a brand is the largest supplier of bluesign approved insulations in the world. The eider down is usually farmed in Northern Russia, Scandinavia, and Iceland, and is considered the best of the best, but also tough to get by since the quantity is rather limited. The second best, and commercially most affordable, is the goose down, sourced only from mature geese and plenty fluffy high lofted.
A lot of products that use PrimaLoft are also able to be dried on a gentle setting. Some are also able to be dry cleaned, but the manufacturers tend to recommend against the use of harsh chemicals being used as part of the cleaning. This is why the amount that the insulation can compress is important. Down is able to compress down far better than PrimaLoft can, making it the better choice when it comes to compressibility.
PrimaLoft also loses its ability to bounce back from being compressed over time. Down also has the added advantage in that it is more insulating than PrimaLoft. An additional factor to take into consideration for compressibility is that as PrimaLoft is a synthetic material, it cannot compress as many times as down can before it starts to lose its ability to bounce back. While it can still be compressed down a significant number of times, this is a limitation that should be considered.
While we all know that products that are designed for hiking tend to be expensive, it is still something that we need to consider when we are looking at buying gear. As down comes from animals, there are more steps and contributors to the overall price. The price of the down needs to take into account the raising, caring, and plucking of the birds, transportation, and any chemical treatments that are applied to make them waterproof.
The fabrics that are used in down jackets and sleeping bags tend to be of higher quality. This is partially to help keep the down inside but also because if someone is paying a higher price for the insulation, they are likely to want higher-quality fabrics as well.
PrimaLoft has fewer contributors to the price as it can be made quickly without long raising times. This allows for more to be spent on the fabrics compared to a similarly priced down product. When we are out on a hike, every pound that we are carrying increases the exertion that we go through on the hike, and the more food we need to either carry with us or find to fuel us on the hike.
For this reason, it is good to be able to keep the weight to a minimum, but which of our contenders is able to provide the best warmth to weight ratio? Down is able to be lighter than PrimaLoft while providing the same level of insulation. This is due to down being able to create more air pockets that retain the heat from a smaller volume of material. As down has a far greater fill power than PrimaLoft, it is able to provide the same amount of insulation from less weight. To avoid down from poking through the face fabric, heavier duty fabrics with tighter weaves tend to be used for down products.
This will contribute to the overall weight of the product. When properly cared for, down will outlive a product made with PrimaLoft. The use of higher quality face fabric and its ability to bounce back from compression will allow a down product to last longer. However, it is more likely to suffer from mold and dust mites, which will reduce its lifespan.
Over time down jackets will build up mold and dust mites. These can start to shorten the lifespan of the insulation as well as increase the likelihood of the wearer suffering from allergic reactions or inflammation of asthma. Another problem faced by down is that the face fabric will start to allow down to start to poke through after a time. It is able to accomplish this through its premium ultra-fine synthetic fibers, equivalent to qualities of fine silk, at only a fraction the width of a strand of human hair.
This is important because the best warmth-retention occurs when fibers maintain loft, meaning they are fluffy and buoyant, allowing for small pockets of space to become trapped. Read our comparative review on synthetic vs. Delicate, fine strands also mean that those air pockets have good tension and density between strands so that heat does not escape the pockets and dissipate. Another key to the reliability and success of PrimaLoft products is the water-resistance PrimaLoft has achieved.
The synthetic fibers also include a permanent fiber finish that keeps insulation as dry as possible, even when water is trying to force its way in. Finally, PrimaLoft is the king of comfort. Once again, those fine fibers come into play in that they move and cocoon in a manner that mimics that of fluffy down.
They also strike a perfect balance of breathability versus aggressive protection in the way PrimaLoft can permit moisture vapor to be passed through the clothing and off the skin.
Yes, other synthetic insulators may maintain similar qualities, but what pushes it up and over the competition is the obvious effort put into customizing and idealizing the product. PrimaLoft comes in a variety of forms, each offering different benefits, allowing a customization of needs. Gold insulation includes high warmth to weight ratio, strong water-resistance, breathability, compressibility for economic storage, and a lightweight and soft feel.
This is the most all-encompassing of their synthetic materials. Characterized as an environmentally conscious choice. For the more active adventurers, this insulation offers a 4-way stretch that will not damage the insulation, as well as offering the traditional benefits of Gold insulation. Lux insulation offers everything the Gold insulation offers, but with the luxury of down appearance, feel, and warmth. It also includes high warmth, water-resistance, and lightweight breathability.
It is also warm, water-resistant, breathable and lightweight. Just like an oven, this insulation includes ceramic particles that push body heat back into you, with all the qualities of Gold insulation included. Utilizing the performance features of natural Merino wool, this insulation combines Marino with PrimaLoft. Although not as compressible, it does have the other same traits as Gold insulation. Not being compressible, it still is warm, water-resistant, breathable, lightweight, and soft.
It is a common belief that down is actually feathers, but this is not true. Down is a natural insulator in its own right, being the soft tufts found underneath the feathers of geese and ducks. This can become not only a nuisance but it can also put you in actual danger as you will be at risk for hypothermia and that is the very last thing that you want to have to deal with in freezing weather.
As we mentioned in the beginning, there are two main types of insulations , which are the natural insulation and the synthetic one. Natural insulation refers to Down, which itself can be of different types, depending on the birds it was sourced from. The main two, however, are duck down and goose down. As for synthetic insulation, the options are numerous as different brands have come up with their own particular type of insulation, which varies considerably from type to type. Now, you may wonder why do we actually need either insulation at all?
Or just opt for synthetic insulation every time? Matters get a bit complicated here as these different types of insulations perform quite differently and fulfill different requirements. With that being said, since our focus is Down vs.
Down is an animal-based insulation, as it comes from the undercoating of waterfowl, such as ducks and geese.
Down is revered as the best insulator there is because of its incredible ability to trap in heat without having to be excessively bulky in order to do so. It provides the best warmth to weight ratio and the higher its fill power, the lower the weight and the lesser the bulkiness.
Fill power is what is used to measure the quality of down as it shows the ability of down to expand and insulate. What this means is that the higher the number, the more space the down can fill without requiring additional weight. Considering the weight equal for both, the fill power down will take up more space, therefore requiring less of it to entirely fill up a jacket, as opposed to fill power down. Fill power is not the sole indicator of quality as the birds that down was sourced from plays a key role, too.
Goose down is of considerably higher quality than duck down , as it provides better loft and the feathers are much softer, fluffier and better able to expand. This is why goose down in a jacket amps up the price noticeably, especially for higher fill powers.
0コメント