Featherbed: Pros and Cons of a Feather Bed
Quality featherbeds are still the standard for comfort and luxury for many people, but you should know the benefits and disadvantages of this type of bedding.
Featherbeds have been around for hundreds of year and in fact, were the bed of choice for royalty and people of means in the old world. They were so important, in fact, that if family of lesser means were fortunate enough to have a feather bed in the family, these beds were passed down to the next generation as part of the family's inheritance!
Featherbeds have historically been known for their extreme softness, comfort and durability. And even though other types of mattress toppers such as latex foam mattress toppers, wool mattress toppers, organic cotton mattress pads and memory foam toppers have flooded the consumer market over the past 50 years, quality featherbeds are still the standard for comfort for many people. In fact, fine luxury hotels around the world still place high end feather bed toppers on their mattresses.
Benefits
Today's version of a featherbed is basically a feather or down mattress topper, filled with goose down, feathers or a blend of both, that is placed on top of an existing mattress, then
covered with bed linen. Most often they are used to simply make the mattress softer and more comfortable. People who suffer from arthritis or fibromyalgia may highly benefit from sleeping on a featherbed at night.
A feather bed helps regulates body heat both during the winter and summer months. The material is particularly lighweight and only adds a bit of height to a mattress, depending on what type of topper you select. This type of bedding is highly durable and can last for many years if you provide general maintenance to the product. Of course, quality is everything, so it's important to choose a good quality bedding product for extended durability.
Disadvantages
While some people love the feel of a fine featherbed on top of their mattress, other consumers may prefer to choose another topper because of certain disadvantages found in a feather bed. Goose down and feathers tend to flatten over time and the only way to fluff them again is to dry clean the bedding.
This in itself is another disadvantage for some consumers because feather mattress toppers
do not wash well, especially the thicker featherbeds, which can be 2" or 4" thick in some cases. Some people do wash very thin down mattress toppers, but care should be taken when choosing this method of cleaning. In order to protect this bedding investment, it is always advisable to use featherbed covers on down bedding.
Another negative is that unless you choose a higher quality feather bed, you may find that the quill ends may be quite prickly when sleeping on the feather mattress pad. Those who have allergies may find that they are not able to sleep on this type of mattress topper. If not kept dry, down and feathers can quickly become havens for dust mites, mold and mildew.
When this happens, the only recourse is to purchase a new one. Also, some people report that they seem to have allergic reactions to feathers, although many experts believe that the reactions are more to the bacterial and microbial issues that can develop in this type of bedding.
While extremely comfortable, featherbeds do not provide body support as do other types of toppers. It's important to use a moderate to firm mattress under any featherbed you choose, if body support is a concern. Those with back injuries, skeletal issues or other health conditions that require good body support while sleeping, should carefully consider whether or not a featherbed is best for them.
Related Articles:
up to 70% off...always!
Copyright 2009. All Rights Reserved.
Down Mattress Topper Shop
Save up to 70% off on a Down Mattress Topper and Other Luxury Bedding
The
Guide Topics
Guide Channel:
