Best Feather Mattress Topper

Adding a feather mattress topper to your existing mattress can change the feeling from mundane to extraordinary. Toppers are incredibly versatile and can make a bed feel softer or firmer, adding more cushioning or support. Choosing a mattress can be such a difficult experience and sometimes when we feel we didn’t get it quite right that we are doomed to sleep on something that doesn’t work for us.  But there is no need for buyers remorse! Instead, all you need is to invest in a mattress topper that fills in the gaps and can take your sleeping to a whole new level.

Toppers are also a great way to refresh your current mattress that is starting to sag or have less spring in its step.  By adding a topper you can add years to the life of your mattress.

You can find mattress toppers in a variety of materials.  The most commonly used materials include latex, polyfoam, memory foam, down alternative, down, and feathers. Feather mattress toppers, also called featherbeds, typically contain feathers, down, or a combination of the two. The down and feathers used in a topper may come from ducks, geese, or both. Feather toppers are perhaps best known for their softness and luxury, but many sleepers also appreciate their breathability, responsiveness, and added support.

Even if you’ve narrowed down your topper search to feather toppers, you’ll have a lot of choices to make. There are many feather toppers on the market, and their unique materials and designs have a direct impact on their performance.

Best Feather Mattress Topper

How to Choose a Feather Mattress Topper

What is comfortable is a personal feeling that varies between individuals, so a wide array of mattress toppers are available to suit diverse preferences and budgets. Goose down feathers come in bigger clusters when compared with duck. If this is the case, expect the goose down feather mattress topper to possess higher fill power, meaning extra comfortable as compared to a duck or down mattress topper. However, the goose feather fill mattress topper can be more costly than duck and down. If you are tight on budget, but still prefer greater comfort on a mattress topper, then choose a brand that has combined stuffing material with goose feathers and down. The duck combination with down is more appropriate for heavy framed individuals or sleepers that prefer sleeping on a firmer surface. Note that down is silky clusters while feathers have their stems and can sometimes be pointing or poke out of the topper.  So while you don’t have to find an all goose down topper you will want to look closely at the fill ratio as well as the construction so that you know your filling will stay inside where it belongs!

There are many benefits of using feather toppers.  They are extremely lightweight, exceptionally soft and will completely improve your sleeping surface.  Feather toppers also have cooling properties because the fill is not solid and the feathers or down allow for good, constant airflow.  Toppers last for 2-3 years in good condition so take that into account when you are pricing out a topper that works for you.  No product is perfect of course, so keep in mind the few drawbacks of a feather topper.  For one, most of them require dry cleaning and that can get to be very expensive.  If you are prone to allergies, most of these toppers will kick them into high gear for you, so be sure to look for something hypoallergenic. If you are an animal lover, note that many companies pluck their birds alive and it is a painful and inhumane process.  Thankfully some manufacturers have pledged not to use live-plucking methods.  You can also investigate alternative down filling that is a synthetic material where no animals have been harmed.

Quality Materials

You may think feather and down toppers are all high quality, but like most materials, quality varies. Down generally has a stronger reputation for quality than feathers because they are usually softer, fluffier, and lack quills. Goose down is also typically higher quality than duck down because geese usually produce larger down clusters, lending to a fluffier topper. Some inexpensive toppers may also use chicken feathers, which tend to be more prickly and less soft.

Firmness Level

The firmness of a feather topper can affect its supportiveness and pressure-relieving capability, but feather mattress topper manufacturers do not typically rate the firmness level. However, a topper with more feather fill will typically be more supportive, while a topper with more down will probably be softer and fluffier.

Thickness

The thickness of a feather topper influences how significantly it alters the feel of your existing mattress. If you like the feel of your existing bed, a thin feather topper can provide a bit of plushness. If your existing bed is too soft or too firm, a thicker topper can adjust the feel so that it more closely matches your needs and preferences.

Are feather mattress toppers ethical?

Down and feathers are often harvested when the birds are slaughtered for food, so it can be viewed as ethically akin to leather. More potential ethical concerns arise from a process known as “live-plucking,” during which feathers and down are removed from a living bird. Since this process is extremely painful, it is prohibited in some parts of the world.

If you’re concerned about how the ducks and geese are treated, you may prefer to look for RDS certified products. This standard prohibits force-feeding and live-plucking.  The alternative filling is also a great solution to this ethical problem.

Mattress toppers showcase varied craftsmanship. There are two major construction designs used for feather toppers. One of the designs popular is the baffle box patterns. The visual appearance of a mattress topper with baffle box design is boxed patterns which are sewn, mostly with double stitching method. This construction ensures the baffle box feather mattress is durable, comfy and provides additional cushioning on the user’s shoulders and hips. The baffle boxed patterns also prevent the feathers from sneaking out of the outer cover.

Another type of mattress topper that you may come across is the baffle channel designed mattress topper. This particular design has either vertical or horizontal channel-like patterns. The channel-like pattern is adapted to offer maximum support along the sleeper’s spinal column. Many people favor this type of mattress topper because its design contours the body and adjust accordingly to the sleeper’s level of support requirement.

Last Words:

A feather mattress topper is a great way to breathe new life into an older mattress or to improve a mattress purchase you made that just isn’t as perfect as you thought it was.  Do note that to get the luxury of a feather topper you will have to put in a little work.  These toppers will need to be shaken from time to time to keep them fluffy, and be prepared with some extra cash for your dry cleaning bills.