Down is an incredible natural material, but if the cost of using it is the mistreatment of animals, we're not interested. Since 2016, all of our down has been independently certified to the Responsible Down Standard (RDS), which describes and certifies animal welfare practices in down and feather production from the farm to the final product. 

100% ETHICALLY SOURCED GOOSE AND DUCK DOWN

The Responsible Down Standard protects an animal’s 'Five Freedoms'. This means no force-feeding and definitely no live-plucking. RDS follows the down from farm to product, so consumers can be confident that the birds live healthy lives, and don’t suffer from pain, fear nor distress.

DOWN IS A BY-PRODUCT

The down that is used in outdoor products is a by-product of raising geese and ducks for meat. For the farmer, the value of the down is only around 5% of their income. Even if all apparel and bedding manufacturers stopped using down today, goose and duck farming would continue, but the down and feathers would likely end up in landfill.

Instead, the feather and down are cleaned, sanitized and recycled into down jackets and other apparel and gear. Your choices as a consumer can influence the living standards for these animals.

COLLABORATION HAS MORE IMPACT

The down supply chain is complex — the raw material goes from farms to processors to agents and manufacturers. Tracking each of these stages would be a big job for one brand. That’s why industry-wide collaborations like the Responsible Down Standard are the best way to make a big change.

NATURAL DOWN BEATS SYNTHETICS ON WARMTH FOR WEIGHT

Down has unique characteristics that cannot be replicated by any man-made material. Synthetic insulation is an alternative, but it doesn’t quite measure up when it comes to giving you warm, lightweight, compressible, durable insulation.

IN THE END, IT’S UP TO YOU

You can be confident that any Kathmandu down product you choose is not just the best material when it comes to warmth to weight, it’s ethical too. We even use traceable down in some of our insulation, allowing for full traceability of each cluster from farm to production. But the choice is always yours. If you prefer to avoid animal products, we do have great synthetic options.

Want to know how down keeps you warm? Learn about down fill-power.