A Feather Bed is an over mattress entirely filled with feathers which adds warmth and comfort to any bed. Put one on your bed and relax into the gentle soothing all round support of feathers, let the stresses and strains of the day fade away and enjoy a really good nights sleep.

Put a Feather Bed on top of a modern mattress and you have the best of both worlds : the firm support of modern springing and the traditional warmth and comfort of feathers.

A Feather Bed helps maintain a steady body temperature all night : not too hot in summer, warm and cosy in the winter. This makes them particularly suitable for children and the elderly.

Each Feather Bed is hand-made with care from a double layer of best English feather-proof cotton ticking generously filled with natural duck feather and down. Since each Feather Bed is made to order in our Devon workshop any size bed can be catered for.

The outer layer of ticking is available in three colours : unbleached, traditional navy stripe, and single beige stripe.

For prices please go to the relevant page on the main index.

Here are some frequently asked questions about Feather Beds.

WHAT IS A FEATHER BED? A Feather Bed is an over mattress filled entirely with feathers which is placed on top of a 'base' mattress - this can be an interior sprung mattress, high grade latex or foam, or a futon. Traditionally the base mattress would have been horsehair. The purpose of the Feather Bed being to add a layer of extra comfort to the firmness of the underlying principal mattress.

IS IT CHANNELLED LIKE A DUVET? No. The feathers are left free flowing so that no one area of feathers becomes compressed through constant pressure. With a little care each day it will remain as good as new, maintaining the comfort and extending the life of the Feather Bed.

WHAT DOES IT FEEL LIKE? The Feather Bed itself is soft but when placed on a firm mattress it has a cushioning effect, retaining the firmness of the underlying mattress but giving gentle all over support. It will also maintain body temperature which helps muscles to relax. With light bed clothing the Feather Bed is as comfortable in summer as in winter.

HOW WILL IT FIT WITH MY EXISTING BED? When the Feather Bed is placed on the mattress the bed is then made up in the usual way with sheets either going over both mattresses or seperately over each one. Each morning it should be patted out flat and left to air. When bedlinen is changed a more vigorous shake from each corner is advisable and ocassionally it should be turned by rolling from end to end or side to side. If the base mattress is foam or a futon careful attention needs to be given to airing the Feather Bed as there is less natural flow of air from beneath than there would be with a sprung mattress.

HOW DO YOU CLEAN A FEATHER BED? A Feather Bed can be gently vacuum cleaned to remove dust and any marks can be sponged clean. Only in particular circumstances should they be dry cleaned and this is best discussed with The Feather Bed Company beforehand. With good care a Feather Bed will give many years of comfortable sleeping.

IS A FEATHER BED SUITABLE FOR ALLERGY SUFFERERS? Opinion will continue to vary on what causes allergies and asthma but with care a Feather Bed should be no more inclined to dust and dust mites than a conventional mattress, especially as the covers are made with a double layer of tightly woven fabric. However, they may not be advisable for anyone that is known to have a reaction to feathers.

WILL A FEATHER BED MAKE MY BED SOFT AND BE BAD FOR MY BACK? A Feather Bed will not make a bed soft. The hardness, or softness, of a bed depends on the principal underlying mattress, but what it will do is provide a cushioning layer which may be beneficial for some back problems as it will 'fill in' all the gaps between the sleepers back and the mattress, giving all over support. And for many people a Feather Bed itself provides a sufficiant 'pillow' for sleeping, so keeping the spine in a nice straight line.

ARE THERE ANY OTHER BENEFITS OF A FEATHER BED? The warmth that a Feather Bed maintains helps muscles relax, and the added comfort and support, particularly under legs, arms and shoulders, reduces pressure on particular points of the body. With less discomfort on pressure points, restlessness and movement during sleep can be considerably reduced, thus helping with a good nights sleep.

The Feather Bed Company, Crosslands House, Ash Thomas, Tiverton, Devon, England, EX16 4NU