Icelandic Eiderdown Pillow

Short answer? A combination of Eiderdown’s exceptional quality, unique physical properties, natural scarcity, the difficulty and labor-intensiveness of cultivation and production, and overall market demand! 

Long answer...

Numerous factors influence the price of Eiderdown! 

First, Eiderdown is uniquely sourced from wild eider ducks – a sea bird inhabiting the North Atlantic. Unlike commercially farmed geese, who sadly spend their short lives in complete captivity, eider ducks are wild and live for approximately 20 years. They spend 11 months of the year fishing in the icy waters of the North Atlantic, during which eiderdown is their insulating lifeline. Their longer lifespan and uniquely harsh environment have, over Millenia of evolution, meant that Eiderdown has adapted to be uniquely insulating but light, breathable, and temperature-regulating.

When eider ducks reach three years of age, they pair up for mating and return to land for a brief nesting season. Icelanders prepare sanctuaries to keep them safe while they incubate their eggs, during which the females shed a surprising amount of down.  

When her ducklings hatch and are ready to leave the nest, local farmers carefully collect the down by hand, a tradition passed down for centuries. Cleaning is meticulous and done naturally without chemicals, preserving the down’s natural resilience and unmatched softness. 

Eiderdown is also the rarest, most expensive down in the world, and for good reason. Only a few thousand kilograms are harvested worldwide each year, making it more expensive by weight than gold or platinum!

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Icelandic eiderdown is sourced from wild eider ducks. These ducks spend decades living mostly at sea, and the harsh environmental conditions of the Atlantic Ocean help them develop powerfully insulating, temperature-regulating, but soft, light down to survive.

Unlike other eiderdown, i is also sourced from the remotest corners of Iceland, one of the world’s wildest, purest, pristine environments. In the country’s remotest coastal fjords and islands, the air, water, and earth remain untouched by pollution. 

Unlike other down, which may be mixed or chemically processed, our eiderdown is 100% natural, gently gathered by local farmers, and painstakingly hand-cleaned.

Finally, Icelandic government inspectors certify all of Icelandic Down’s eiderdown for authenticity and quality, ensuring every gram of down meets the highest standards. 

You’ll receive two certificates with your order.

One is a veterinary certificate guaranteeing the origin of the eiderdown and stating that the eiderdown is collected from healthy birds.

The second certificate comes from one of twelve quality inspectors who have been appointed by the Icelandic government to oversee that all eiderdown sold and exported in Iceland is pure, quality eiderdown and that the weight described is accurate.

Unlike other bird down (goose or commercial duck down) which often involve cruel processes like live plucking or industrial farming, eiderdown is sustainable and animal-friendly. The eider ducks voluntarily leave their down behind when they abandon their nests. No birds are harmed in the process! In fact, they seem to quite like the company of humans. 

We also collect, process, and manufacture everything by hand using local labor in the remotest regions of Iceland. This ensures that we maintain century-long traditions and support local economies while minimising our carbon footprint.

Icelandic Down is a small, family-run company based in Iceland. Ragna Óskarsdóttir is our Founder and CEO, and handles all customer enquiries and orders.

You can ask Ragna, our founder, anything. Contact her via email (ragna@icelandicdown.com), phone (+354 892 3342), or instant message (click the chat icon in the bottom-right of your screen).

We offer three different “fills” — light, medium and warm. This determines how much eiderdown we put inside.

If you tend to get cold at night, then you should choose the warm option, which has plenty of eiderdown to keep you warm at night.

However, if you tend to feel hot at night, then you may want to consider the light option. It has less eiderdown. If you are familiar with the TOG rating, then these are the TOG numbers for our duvets/comforters:

Light: 6-7 Tog
Medium: 9-10.5 Tog
Warm: 12-14 Tog

If you don’t know which one to choose, then we recommend the medium option. It should work fine because eiderdown tends to adapt to your temperature by expanding when it’s cold and compressing when it’s warm.

We can also add custom fill amounts if you want more or less eiderdown.

For a full list of fill weights, click here for duvets/comforters, and here for pillows.

We have a huge range of dimensions for comforters and duvets, as well as pillows. We can also produce 100% custom product dimensions depending on your needs.

Click here for a list of dimensions for comforters and duvets, and here for pillows.

We can make duvets/comforters in any size, with any fill amount.

Just email Ragna at ragna@icelandicdown.com or via our contact page and tell us which size you want.

We will give you a quote based on the size and amount of eiderdown needed.

Everything is custom-made to order, meaning we hold no stock. Our duvets and comforters are hand-stitched using a baffle-box technique. Cotton casings are filled with eiderdown then evenly spread between baffle boxes, keeping the spread even.

Pillows are simpler, and don't require baffle-boxing.
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This depends on two things - fill power and product dimension.

Click here for a full list of specifications for duvets and comforters.

Click here for a full list of specifications for pillows.

Feel free to contact Ragna for more information.

Eiderdown bedding requires very little in terms of product care.

But to preserve the exceptional quality of your eiderdown bedding, we recommend the following:
Use a high-quality cover - Cotton, silk, linen, or bamboo covers are all suitable. This will protect your duvet or comforter, keeping it clean and reducing the need for washing. You can wash your covers as you would your regular sheets.
Air it out regularly – Eiderdown thrives on fresh air. Simply shaking it out and letting it breathe will maintain its loft and softness. 
Wash when necessary – Unlike synthetic fillings, eiderdown doesn’t trap odors or bacteria, so it rarely needs washing. Washing can degrade the eiderdown’s physical properties if it is not done professionally (or properly!). 

If washing is necessary:

Clean professionally: To ensure the down remains intact, we recommend washing your bedding with trusted professional cleaners. Ideally, this would be a company that specializes in or is experienced in cleaning down bedding.
Wash delicately: If washing at home, use a delicate cycle, down-specific detergent, and cold water.
Dry thoroughly: Down takes a long time to dry, and eiderdown takes even longer. Even after it feels dry to the touch, keep drying it using a low-heat tumble dryer until it fully expands (just like a down jacket).r guidelines:

We offer worldwide shipping via DHL Express, ensuring fast and secure delivery to any location.

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Product manufacturing takes 2-4 weeks, and shipping takes 1-2 weeks. It depends on a few factors, including our back orders and shipping distance. A good estimate is - you’ll receive your product 3-6 weeks from ordering.

All of our bedding is covered by a ten-year warranty. If the product breaks due to a flaw, then you can send it back to us for free repair or replacement. You'll also receive a lifetime of customer support from Ragna herself.

If you are unhappy with your product, then you are eligible for a partial refund. We can refund 70% of the product price if we receive it in new or gently used condition. We cannot offer full refunds because a large part of the cost of producing our products is not recoverable.

We must receive the product within 60 days of your purchase for you to be eligible for a partial refund.

Once we receive the product, we will refund your money via credit card or international wire transfer.

You can contact me (Ragna, the founder) directly at ragna@icelandicdown.com. If you’d prefer to order online, you can order directly from the shop.