A Tick or Two: Feather Bed History

All it took was a little intelligence and a hint from nature to enlist one of the finest insulators into human service. If ducks and geese can keep warm in frigid climates, then why can't we? Thus began a long history of humans using feathers and down to make warm garments, blankets, and beds. Although today's down comforters, feather beds, and duvets are enhanced by modern techniques, they're essentially the same thing they were in the beginning: feathers in a sack. Feather Beds Down Through the Years Although the exact origin of the feather bed is difficult to pinpoint, it's safe to say that down bedding has been in use for centuries. Some sources indicate the use of down for bedding and garments in stone age Finland. Others mention eiderdown as early as the first century. What today's consumer would recognize as a feather bed came into popular use among the wealthy during the 14th century in northern Europe. Feather beds at that time were either very expensive imports from France or the result of years of plucking goose feathers by hand. As a prized possession of any well-to-do family, feather beds were often willed to heirs and passed from generation to generation.

By the 19th century, some members of the middle class could afford to make their own feather beds, especially if they plucked feathers from their own geese. Parents would often give their daughter a feather bed as dowry before her wedding. Servant girls were usually allowed to collect feathers from the poultry they plucked. They would save the down and feathers over time and gradually accumulate enough to make a feather bed or set of pillows before they got married.

Feather Bed Evolution
Feather beds were originally called ticks, a term referring to linen or cotton bags filled with feathers (or straw, wool, or cotton) and sewn shut. The ticking fabric was closely woven and often waxed or rubbed with soap to prevent feather quills from poking out. The feathers and down were taken from geese and ducks, with a primary source being the seafaring eider duck that still lives in northern Europe and breeds on Arctic Ocean coasts.

The feathers and down had to be aired and dried before being stuffed into the ticks, and most feather beds had to be fluffed every morning to redistribute the down evenly inside and release moisture. This resulted in a variety of hanging and airing practices among different European cultural groups. The English had elaborate methods of propping them up, while Germans and other groups draped them out windows or over balconies.

Baffling, Really
Eventually, the technique of sewing baffles or channels into feather beds caught on, and people enjoyed a more even distribution of down, warmth, and comfort that required less beating and hanging to maintain its shape and insulating properties. Today's feather bed constructions stem from the same principle, but are enhanced by modern manufacturing processes that allow for multiple layers, sewn-through channels, and complicated baffle box designs.

The original feather ticks were often laid on top of firmer straw mattresses for support, usually with a layer of canvas between. Today's feather beds are placed on modern mattresses in just the same manner to add cushioning and warmth. Some versions of this time-honored tradition are now equipped with elastic straps or skirts that secure them to the mattress below.

How Do You Duvet?
Duvets originated in rural areas of northern Europe where the use of goose and eiderdown bedding was a well-established tradition. Very similar to feather beds, duvets were loosely quilted with broad channels and were used as blankets on top of your body instead of on the mattress below. Sleeping between two feather ticks was an efficient way to beat the cold in these northern regions, surrounded by a feather bed below you and a single duvet on top. The English used the term "continental quilts" when referring to these early duvets, but they generally continued to use other sheets, blankets, or quilts with their duvets for many years.

Like the first duvets, today's duvets are generally made with channel or baffle constructions that distribute the down evenly and provide exceptional warmth. In most European countries, the term duvet maintains its original meaning and usage, denoting a down blanket or comforter used alone on top of the bed. In the United States, a duvet can still refer to a down comforter or down blanket used alone, but the term is more commonly used to mean a duvet cover - the removable cover that goes over a down comforter. Regardless of how you duvet, these familiar cousins of the feather bed add luxurious warmth to your sleeping experience, just as they did centuries ago.