Down, feathers, goose down, duck down, these can all be a little confusing when shopping for your down bedding. The first thing to keep in mind about down bedding is that not all down is created equal. Duck down and goose down are two types of downs one will run across when shopping for bedding. The first questions many may have are, "What is down," and "Isn't down the same thing as feathers?"

Down is a soft, feather-like, insulating substance that is taken from the belly of the goose or duck. Some notable characteristics of down versus feather is that down insulates while feathers shed water from the goose. Also, down doesn't have a hard shaft like feathers. If you have a down product that claims to be 100% down you can easily verify this by squeezing the bedding item. If the bedding feels like it has little sharp sticks in it then you've got a blend of down and feathers. Down products are allowed to be advertised in the USA as containing 100% down as long as they are 95% down. This is a sign of a lower quality down bedding product. If it's a comforter most likely it cost between $100 and $200. Higher quality down bedding products for queen-sized beds normally start around $350. The best down comforters available, called Eiderdown, can cost as much as $10,000.

Goose down is the right choice for you if you are looking for quality bedding. Duck down is the down of choice if you are looking for a cost effective down bedding product. There is a noticeable difference in performance between cheaper down and higher quality down. Some people have complained that cheaper down comforters cause them to become overheated. High quality goose down, on the other hand, is a more breatheable material and it also wicks away moisture. These qualities are what make goose down the more desirable material for those who appreciate fine bedding.

There are also different grades of goose down. Down quality can be defined by the region where it is grown. For example, Hungarian goose down bedding is considered to be among the finest down available. This is because Hungarian goose down is harvested with refined techniques that have been passed down from generation to generation. Canadian down bedding is also a great quality down. The goose down that is currently among the lowest grade is that down which is from China.