Luxury Bedding: Is a Down Comforter Hypoallergenic?

A hypoallergenic down comforter has an oxygen number of 4.8 or less and a turbidity result of 500 mm or more. Uhm…yes, but what does that mean??

Oxygen number and turbidity are 2 tests that determine the cleanliness of down. Down processing plants must submit their products frequently to labs that perform these tests to assure that their down is up to standards. In order for a seller to claim or label their down products as “hypoallergenic,” they must pass the strictest standards of cleanliness.

Oxygen number determines the amount of foreign organic matter 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 / hypoallergenic.

Turbidity determines the amount of dust in feather and down products. Clean products must have turbidity greater than 300 mm, but super clean / hypoallergenic products must be greater than 300mm.

So is a down comforter 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.