So is Down Comforters, hypoallergenic? Yes some are, but the vast majority are not. Most down comforters pass the standard for “clean” products – which is still very good. But more and better cleaning techniques are used on down products that are hypoallergenic; consequently their price is a little higher.

There are several steps involved with preparing raw down and feathers for use in finished products. First, the down and feather material is taken to a down processing plant. There it is washed at high temperatures to remove all impurities. Down and feathers are sterilized during the drying process

All down bedding, processing plants must receive a sterilization permit if its product is for use in bedding. In the US, permits are most commonly issued by the State of Pennsylvania. A sterilization permit shows that the down processing plant follows proper quality assurance procedures.

Hypoallergenic down is super clean. It provides relief of allergy symptoms, and helps prevent allergic reactions by removing the cause: dust and allergens trapped inside the down. Washing your down comforter once or twice per year and using a duvet cover, will help maintain your down comforters super clean status for a long time.

Hypoallergenic is another way of saying super clean, and in the case of down comforters super clean actually has a very specific, technical definition. A hypoallergenic down comforter has an oxygen number of 10 or less and a turbidity rate of 300 mm or more. But what does that mean in plain language?

Oxygen number determines the amount of foreign organic matter found on the surface of the down and feathers. To qualify as “clean” the oxygen number must be less than 10, but it must be less than 4.8 to qualify as super clean, or hypoallergenic. Turbidity determines the amount of dust in feathers and down products. Clean products have turbidity greater than 300 mm, but super clean / hypoallergenic products must be greater than 300mm.

Oxygen number and turbidity are the two tests that determine the cleanliness of down. Down processing plants frequently submit their products to labs that perform these tests to assure that their down is up to standards. In order for sellers to claim or label their down products as “hypoallergenic,” they must pass the strictest standards of cleanliness.