What is a Featherbed?

A featherbed is exactly what it sounds like: It's a bed that you sleep on, and it is usually filled with various blends of feathers and down.

Also known as a "feather mattress pad" or a "mattress topper", a featherbed can vary from a couple of inches in thickness up to to 10cm or so. Feather World featherbeds are about 5cm thick. Some people consider a featherbed, complimented with a quilt and a generous helping of goose down pillows, to be the height of sumptious luxury.

A featherbed is a great way to soften the feel of a overly firm or lumpy mattress, or even just a pea, if you're a princess. When used on top your mattress, you can use a fitted sheet to cover the featherbed (if the pockets are deep enough). 

Be cautious of featherbeds that use cut feathers, as this type of feather is not nearly as pliable or supportive as whole body feathers, and have very sharp ends that can be quite uncomfortable.

Caring for your featherbed is relatively easy. Just give it a good shake once a week or so. It's also a good idea to turn it end to end (top to bottom) to help reduce wear patterns.