Pros/Cons of a featherbed?

Mattress Talk Additional Components & Accessories
1

General question…

What are the pros and cons of using a feather bed on top of a mattress, other than comfort? I currently have a 2" 19ILD latex topper on top of a latex blend mattress that has 28ILD in the comfort layer. I’m debating trying out a 2-3" feather bed in place of the latex topper, just to see how it feels. Are they bad for people with allergies? Is there a certain encasement to look for to keep the feathers, or whatever is inside, from poking through? Is there anything in particular I would need to know when shopping for one?

While the setup have now is fairly comfortable and I could deal with it, I don’t want to HAVE to “deal” with my sleeping surface. I want to love it! So I’m just looking for the perfect combination.

2

I can appreciate your comment about trying various toppers, just to see… And wanting your bed to be perfect. I’m similar, and currently have a wool topper being delivered for that very reason.

I looked at feather / down beds, and this is what I discovered I’d do if I felt so inclined (I decided against it because I felt wool would probably be far more practical, durable, and might be more comfortable for me than a feather bed).

I looked at the st Geneve heirloom, which is actually down.
http://www.tmasc.ca/feather-beds-feather-toppers/stgeneveheirloomdowntopper.html

If I seriously went that way, I’d either use the st. Dormier wool protector
http://www.tmasc.ca/wool-mattress-pads/st-dormeir-wool-mattress-topper-protector.html

Or, a dust mite proof quality cotton
http://www.tmasc.ca/dust-mite-bed-bug-mattress-encasements/st-geneve-stellmark-bed-bug-mattress-encasement.html

Or something else to protect it and keep it dry, especially with the moisture you lose during night (down + damp = mildew). I especially think down could be warm, so the wool barrier would appeal to me.

I’d be curious if you try it, if so please provide feedback on your comparison!

3

Hi 01svtL,

While bedding isn’t my area of expertise … you can see some general comments about featherbeds in post #6 here.

Down lasts longer, and and is more “comfy” and less “crunchy” but it compresses more and feathers are more resilient and don’t compress down as much (although they don’t retain their loft as well as down in the long term). Both can sleep warm … especially if you have a down comforter as well.

The fabric needs to have a tight enough weave so that any small feather quills don’t poke through the material and the down and feathers needs to be washed in production well enough that there are less issues with smell and allergies from dust mites. Some suppliers have return policies if you discover that you are allergic to their product but most allergies are not to the feathers themselves but to the byproducts of the dust mites that they can contain. An actual feather allergy can be tested with an allergy test.

Both can take some maintenance and need to be protected from any buildup of moisture (which can damage them quickly with mold and mildew) and body oils (which will damage them over a longer period of time). I would also suggest a separate cover that can help with feathers poking through and can also be removed and washed.

Overall they are more for “feel” and outside of cushioning pressure points don’t provide the same level of pressure relief as foams and aren’t nearly as “supportive”.

Phoenix

4

dn, I actually ordered the st doemier this morning! I’m going to try it with the latex topper first to see how/if it changes the feel at all. The owner told me it’s about 1/4" thick, so it may firm it up ever so slightly.

What wool topper did you go with? What are you putting it on and what firmness do you typically prefer? What exactly are you trying to accomplish with it?

I’ve quickly come to realize that while I don’t want to fork over $4k for a name brand just because of the name, ultimate sleep comfort is certainly not worth cheaping out on.

5

I have a st domrier already for my pillows (one down, one memory foam). I very much prefer it on the down, don’t like it on the memory foam pillow (mostly because it changes the height causing the pillow to no longer perfectly match the pillow height I need). I find I sleep cooler with it on the down pillow. On a mattress, well, I’m curious your experience. The bed I have has some wool already in the top layer so adding it would probably be less dramatic for me. It is about 1/4" thick, very high quality. One thing I’ve found with st Geneve / st dormier is their beddings made slightly too big, so when they shrink they fit perfectly. They document this on their website, but not always with their products.

I have ordered the sleeptek topper. In another post I described it, but copied here…

I have a 3" wool topper on the way. I will review when it arrives (about 3 weeks still) - feel is so subjective tho. Link below to the one I’m getting. The things unique about the sleeptek one are: 1) it’s organic, if that’s meaningful to you; 2) it has a lot of wool, that typically you only see with the higher end shops or those that specialize in wool, many Ive seen on this forum, and 3) the wool they use is not merino, it’s Corriedale which is supposed to be more rough/less straight… Merino apparently matts down / loses loft very quickly

http://www.tmasc.ca/wooltoppers/sleeptek-classic-2000-wool-topper.html

I’m putting it on 9" of Dunlop, layered (top to bottom) either soft/soft/firm or soft/medium/firm (I have both to try).

I am trying to get… More softness without sacrificing support. I find the latex very comfortable, especially the soft/soft/firm by itself, but I find after resting on it a long while it feels like while it’s perfectly accommodating it’s still pressing back. I got aches in my hips and shoulders with soft/medium/firm, and still have hints of that with soft/soft/firm. When on my back, the latex feels like a dream. When on my side, even tho it seems great for PPP, I still want a bit more softness, feeling of being “in the bed” and a touch less sleeping “on the bed” (which actually I thought I’d prefer). I’m predominantly side sleeper.

Like you, I’ve invested enough time and money, I want it to be perfect for comfort. for me that’s both what I feel, and also knowing i tried all my options and selected the best for me.

For me it’s both peace of mind, and comfort of body. I need to know I’ve tried and selected the best for me with precision. If the wool isn’t perfect, I can see considering a different topper, trying talalay, or adjusting the latex too (soft/soft/medium perhaps, or an ultra soft latex), or deciding what I have now is perfection. If there’s something I haven’t tried which I think I want to try to see, I don’t get the peace of mind!

My mattress is the Green Sleep Vicence on S-200 foundation (not surprisingly bought at tmasc also).
http://www.tmasc.ca/natural-latex-foam-mattresses/green-sleep-vicence-organic-mattress.html

6

01svtL, please post what you think of the St. Dormeir when you try it! It’s on my short list of mattress protectors for my new Dunlop latex mattress. I’m also looking at the Cozy Pure mattress cover and at a wool/cotton protector, https://www.foamsweetfoam.com/queen-natural-mattress-pad-4.html, but I haven’t been able to find out much about it. I feel that I need something over my mattress (for peace of mind, if nothing else), but I really don’t want to buy anything that’s going to change the feel of the latex very much since I love the feel of my bed the way it is now. I’d be very interested in how much you think the St. Dormeir changes the feel.

The featherbed thing - I used one for the past couple of years on a soft sided waterbed that was too firm for me. I loved it for the first year, but after that the feathers and down seemed to gravitate more and more to the sides and the ends, finally getting to the point where I was unmaking and remaking the bed every single day so the feather/down bed would have chance to regain loft. Not fun doing it every day.

Before I decided to just abandon the whole sleep system in favor of a new Dunlop mattress, I was looking at a DeWoolfson featherbed. They’re made in NC and look like a much better featherbed than the one I had. If I ever buy another featherbed, it’ll be one of theirs - www.dewoolfsondown.com. The one I just got rid of was top of the line from The Company Store - their sheets are good, but I’d never buy another featherbed from them.

I sleep hot, but never was hot using the featherbed even though I also had a down comforter on the bed. Then again, I use Tencel or bamboo sheets (and nightgowns), which help me sleep without sweating or waking up hot.

I confess that as much as I love my new latex bed, there are times I miss the feel of snuggling into the featherbed, and take comfort in the fact that if I ever want to tweak the feel of my bed I can always get another, better featherbed or another couple of inches of very soft latex - and that’s after having bought the softest Dunlop mattress I could find, with 3" of 16-18 ILD over a 6" 19-23 ILD core.

I too am after perfection - I’m way too old to be a princess, but not so old that I can ignore a lifelong “princess and the pea” syndrome, I’m afraid.

7

For mattress protector I use the green sleep one. It’s really expensive, but I love it. It’s 1/4 inch of stretch cotton. The material has no wool like the st dormier (my mattress has wool already), but at thick or thicker and really soft but dense. Because of the kind of fabric, I’ve not been able to feel it I don’t think. I plan to put the wool topper under it to protect it also.

http://www.tmasc.ca/organic-mattress-pad-protectors/green-sleep-vasilo-organic-cotton-mattress-pad.html

8

Ah, the ‘perfectionist’ thread. I love it :slight_smile:

9

Thanks for the info, Phoenix! So, to your point of not adding any support, that’s kinda what I’m after. I feel like the DF latex mattress with the 28ILD “comfort” layer is providing ample support, as it is. I mean, it’s to the point that it’s causing lower back pain.

I considered a wool topper as well, but it seems like most people say it doesn’t really add comfort, but makes the surface more firm, which is the opposite of what I am looking for. Maybe There are wool toppers that do add some plushness though?

10

Clawdia - I most certainly will post when I receive it. I received an email from the company owner this morning telling me her source in Canada (I thought they were American made) is behind a week due to an increase in demand. So it may be the week after next before I have it in hand.

Thanks for the info on the featherbed. What ratio of filling was yours? I see DeWoolfson has 3 different options as far as the filling ratios go (goose down/goose feather). Was the one you had quilted in squares like these, to keep the filling in place? After looking at their site, the 1" kinda interests me, if the cover is pulled tight enough to keep me from sinking straight through it. I just feel like 3" would be too much. Who knows. Do they allow returns/exchanges? This is way more frustrating than I thought it was going to be.

Edit: The 1" was the wool topper from the site that dn mentioned, not the featherbed. The Cozy Pure topper looks interesting as well - the 1.5" version.

11

[quote=“01svtL” post=24892]Thanks for the info, Phoenix! So, to your point of not adding any support, that’s kinda what I’m after. I feel like the DF latex mattress with the 28ILD “comfort” layer is providing ample support, as it is. I mean, it’s to the point that it’s causing lower back pain.

I considered a wool topper as well, but it seems like most people say it doesn’t really add comfort, but makes the surface more firm, which is the opposite of what I am looking for. Maybe There are wool toppers that do add some plushness though?
[/quote]

Hi 01svtL;

I don’t know what your expectations of the St. Dormier is, but it is not a topper. It won’t add any softness or plushness, and as you’ve noted if anything it’ll feel a bit like it ‘firms up’ what it surrounds. It just isn’t made to be a plushness/softening item, it’s a protector item. I would describe its feel like wrapping whatever you are putting it on in a fluffy towel. So if you imagine you have a soft down pillow, wrap it in a towel, it might feel a touch firmer.

Yes, there are definitely wool toppers that ARE designed to add softness/plushness. The link in my prior one is 1 example.

As Phoenix has written too, the sensation of soft is really in the eye of the beholder. Having tested a 3" wool topper in the store, I would describe it as adding softness to a 9" mattress that has 6" of soft dunlop on top. But that’s a personal thing… also, it remains to be seen how it feels after the wool compresses (which is a natural part of using wool). Wool, feather, or down toppers all feel different than latex - whether you describe it as more plush/soft or not is probably something only you can answer.

If you want to sort of imagine wool… if you have a poly fill duvet or comforter, you might fold it in half (to get some thickness) and lay it on your bed and sleep on top of that. It’s a little bit like that.

12

Don’t forget that there are two kinds of support. Primary support comes from the deeper layers of a mattress and is meant to “stop” the heavier parts of the body from sinking down too far. The upper layers of a mattress are meant to “allow” the protruding parts of the body to sink in more which relieves pressure on pressure points and also provides the secondary support which fills in the more recessed parts of the body (waist and smell of the back etc) and helps to maintain the natural alignment of the spine. “Just enough” thickness and softness and no more is the key with the comfort layers so that the pelvis is allowed to sink in just enough but not too much before it “reaches” the firmer support layers. Comfort layers that are too thin and firm or that are too thick and soft along with support layers that are too soft for the specific body type and sleeping style of a person can all lead to alignment issues. Adding a fiber padding on top of a mattress can actually reduce the amount your body sinks in to the foam layers below it because it adds a padding around the hips and shoulders which increases the surface area and reduces the amount they can compress the comfort layers (the same weight is spread out over a larger area) while it also adds its own type of “feel” softness. In other words it can have both a firming and softening effect at the same time.

There are a few of these listed in post #3 here.

Phoenix

13

I was in the hills of New Mexico this weekend, I guess my reply didn’t go through.

I definitely understand the St. Dormier is not a topper. I purchased it for its intended use as a protector. I was just saying that even 1/4" of wool may be enough to change the feel, somewhat. I guess I’ll see how it feels for a week or two before I make any other decisions on toppers. My gf slept on the new mattress/topper for the first time last night, and although we generally haven’t agreed 100% on “feel” yet, she said she thinks it’s nice. Who knows what that really means though; females… :stuck_out_tongue:

I woke up with zero back pain, though. And this is after 2 nights on an air mattress followed by a night on a friend’s older firm mattress of some kind. I definitely think the support is there, I’m just not sure I am 100% happy with the “feel” yet. I’d hate to spend another several hundred dollars on a topper that I would like less than my current setup. I’d want to buy from a seller that accepts returns.

[quote=“dn” post=24903][quote=“01svtL” post=24892]Thanks for the info, Phoenix! So, to your point of not adding any support, that’s kinda what I’m after. I feel like the DF latex mattress with the 28ILD “comfort” layer is providing ample support, as it is. I mean, it’s to the point that it’s causing lower back pain.

I considered a wool topper as well, but it seems like most people say it doesn’t really add comfort, but makes the surface more firm, which is the opposite of what I am looking for. Maybe There are wool toppers that do add some plushness though?
[/quote]

Hi 01svtL;

I don’t know what your expectations of the St. Dormier is, but it is not a topper. It won’t add any softness or plushness, and as you’ve noted if anything it’ll feel a bit like it ‘firms up’ what it surrounds. It just isn’t made to be a plushness/softening item, it’s a protector item. I would describe its feel like wrapping whatever you are putting it on in a fluffy towel. So if you imagine you have a soft down pillow, wrap it in a towel, it might feel a touch firmer.

Yes, there are definitely wool toppers that ARE designed to add softness/plushness. The link in my prior one is 1 example.

As Phoenix has written too, the sensation of soft is really in the eye of the beholder. Having tested a 3" wool topper in the store, I would describe it as adding softness to a 9" mattress that has 6" of soft dunlop on top. But that’s a personal thing… also, it remains to be seen how it feels after the wool compresses (which is a natural part of using wool). Wool, feather, or down toppers all feel different than latex - whether you describe it as more plush/soft or not is probably something only you can answer.

If you want to sort of imagine wool… if you have a poly fill duvet or comforter, you might fold it in half (to get some thickness) and lay it on your bed and sleep on top of that. It’s a little bit like that.[/quote]

14

Phoenix, have you heard anything on this one?

etsy wool mattress pad

15

Hi 01svtL,

You can read a little about them in post #34 here

Phoenix

16

Hi guys,
I need some help and I can’t find how to create my own topic so I thought this would be the most relevant one for me to post my questions.
I’m looking at getting a featherbed/down mattress topper and I’ve narrowed it down to a few options, but the prices vary so much and I’m not convinced the most expensive options are the most valuable. Also I’m not sure on down/feather ratio that would be best. I mainly see 5/95 and 10/90 but I read somewhere anywhere from 25/75 to 50/50 is standard for the higher quality but I thought that might be a bit too soft.
There are two options as well, one that says 1800gsm and the other says 3800g and I’m not sure if they are the same measurements or if they are referring to different things.

Let me link to the items I’m looking at.

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/1800GSM-9cm-Extra-Deep-100-Cotton-Duck-Feather-and-Down-Mattress-Topper/182754833816?hash=item2a8d097598:m:mySfA2kAnhUgz9nqUi9yBwQ

https://www.hotelathome.com.au/luxury-goose-feather-down-topper-as-used-in-some-sofitel-hotels-copy

http://www.superiorquiltco.com.au/store/shop/hotel-quality-mattress-toppers/

https://hotelhome.com.au/store/mattress-toppers/mattress-topper/mattress-topper-gen-ii.html

http://www.innovations.com.au/p/bedding-bath/pillows-protectors/12cm-duck-feather-mattress-topper?Affiliate=PCIAMY&utm_source=myshopping&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Bedding&utm_term=12cm+Duck+Feather+Mattress+Topper+King+Single

https://www.duvetsandpillows.co.nz/product/mattress-toppers

If any of you could help me narrow down my options even further and give me some guidance I’d greatly appreciate it.
I am thinking either
http://www.superiorquiltco.com.au/store/shop/hotel-quality-mattress-toppers/

or

https://www.hotelathome.com.au/luxury-goose-feather-down-topper-as-used-in-some-sofitel-hotels-copy

Thanks,
Ciaron