What is the difference between down and feather in coats?

Question

i just bought a winter coat, it says it is made of 90% down and 10% feather, it feels pretty warm,and its light weight, i got it very cheap 20.00 bucks i no thats a a good price. its brand new never been worn. what is the down in the jacket, can any one tell me about these type of jackets are they any good,or is sinthetic matereal better to put inside a jacket witch one is gooder, sorry about my spelling i guess i am stupid.

Answer 1

Below is the Encarta answer:- basicly they are all feathers but from different areas of the birds body - down is the warmest as you willsee from the answer below,. You will also see that there are 3 different feathers named.

Down feathers, cover a bird’s entire body in a loose, irregular layer that traps air to keep the bird warm. Contour feathers hooked together by barbs and barbules, provide the flat, strong surfaces of the wings and tail over which air flows during flight. Hairlike filoplumes grow between the contour feathers.

Answer 2

Down is the soft fluffy undercoating that traps the body's naturally warmth. The down grows next to the body of the goose or duck underneath the protective layer of feathers. Each down cluster is made up of thousands of soft fibers radiating in all directions from a central point. The down cluster is three dimensional and does not contain a quill shaft. Because of this structure down clusters can loft without matting together. Lofting or filling up space is what creates trapped air and keeps us warm. Synthetic fibers are homogeneous and often mold together and clump.

Down clusters allow our natural body heat to keep us warm while allowing moisture to escape, therefore providing a level of comfort that is unsurpassed.

Feathers provide a protective layer over the down. Feathers are structurally different and therefore functionally different than down. Feathers are two dimensional and have a shaft. While the structure of down provides for greater lofting and insulating value, the structure of feathers provide for a greater support. Feathers still have the soft natural fluffy feeling while having a spring-like quality to provide resilience and support.

BTW: You're lucky to have gotten such a low priced down jacket. I work at a sporting goods store and our down jackets sell between $50-$100.