What quality of Down does PHD use?
PHD continue to use the same three qualities of down that have been the foundation of our outstanding down gear for years. The fillpower classifications changed in 2014, but the down used post-2014 is the same as ever. All three downs, 800, 900 and 1000, are European goose downs, the best of their kind, backed by our own fifty-plus years of experience in the trade as well as by our own Lorch test machine. In 2014 we also decided to introduce a 950 down into the range to add a very high quality alternative to the fabulous (but fabulously expensive) 1000.
None of these four downs comes cheap, being the cream of their category. But they all give great value in return and we’re happy to say that the quality of all four of them is excellent at the moment.
Please note that these fillpowers are confirmed on PHD’s own Lorch machine and cross-checked with the International Down & Feather Laboratory:
- 800. Superb European goose down, lively and well processed. Used in some of our products, where the extra fractions of fillpower are not so critical.
- 900. European goose down of very high quality. A truly excellent down with large clusters, consistent quality and lively long-term performance, which has demonstrated remarkable performance in actual use. This is the standard filling for our Minimus, Omega and Xero clothing and for most of our sleeping bags.
- 950. A newcomer to our range. European goose of rare quality. A high value alternative at the top levels of performance. We have introduced a wide range of options in 950 in response to the soaring cost of 1000.
- 1000. European goose down of unique quality with exceptionally large lively clusters. 1000 provides the highest warmth-for-weight performance possible from down and has been used in PHD products since 2008. Unfortunately, scarcity (and the fashion industry) continue to push up the price steeply every year. This rarest of all downs we reserve for the K Series, our lightest products right through the range from marathon ultralights to alpine kit and on into high mountain gear.