It's a renowned fact that there has been a relevant increase in costs of duck and goose down recently. As a consequence, apparel makers have been forced to search for a down alternative.
In fact, the idea of the so-called down alternative is a product that provides similar features compared to down, in particular with regards to softness, bulkiness and thermicity.
The easiest and most common down alternative is the use of blown fibers, either as normal fibers or as fiber balls, which are blown in the jackets, quite similarly to how standard down is used.
Using this down alternative, you can achieve a very soft and lofty garment.
The problem with this down alternative are unfortunately its limitations: stability is extremely delicate and even after a normal use or machine washing there is a high risk of clumping and consequently the creation of cold spots (ie areas where there is no insulation), which then results in a very poor overall warmth of the jacket.
For this specific reason, more and more garment makers do not use it as a technical down alternative, but they consider it a cheaper solution.
Consequently, other apparel makers prefer to avoid this common down alternative and they chose to use a lower quality down. However, this results in an inferior, less soft handfeel, and can also increase the risk of allergies because of the use of unidentified/untraceable feathers.
Thermore has greatly explored the offer of down alternative insulations and now has a very vast collection of down alternative products.
Thermore® Evodown® and the most recent Thermore® Ecodown® Fibers: each one is the state of the art in down alternative thermal insulations.
Last but not least, every Thermore down alternative is easy care and can be machine washed (pls follow manufacturer's instructions).
Down alternative has higher performance, a lower price tag, it's easier to clean and wash than down and it's perfect for people who may find out they are allergic to feathers.
High qualities of Thermore's products - such as super durability, puffiness, comfort and warmth - are proved by many tests.
Typically, at the same thickness, down alternative is cooler than down, but you can compensate it this by getting an alternative down that is heavier and packed with more synthetic material.
Ecodown® Fibers is a Thermore product with no downsides that is puffier than the same product from competing brands, with 600+ fill power and it does not clump or create cold spots after washing.
Nowadays technology provides different synthetic materials for the down alternative production, that simulates many down characteristics, such as comfort and smoothness.
Thermore's products have highest performance and durability, thanks to many years of research and development of advanced fibers and innovative structures: Ecodown® Fibers, Thermosoft® and EVOdown® offer consistent thermal performance.
Thermore® Thermal Booster gives even a "boost" in performance: it is engineered to offer a 20% warmth level under normal conditions, when temperatures start falling.
Our tech box includes a selection
of thermal insulation.