Pyrenex stuffing, a guarantee of quality and comfort
Pyrenex feathers and down offer exceptional performance in terms of insulation, lightness and durability. We maintain strict control over our raw materials, selecting only the finest from the best producers in Poitou, Aquitaine and the Pyrenees. The expertise of the Pyrenex teams in our Saint Sever factory and our commitment to technological development allow us to maintain consistently high quality and impeccable hygiene. From washing and sorting to treatment, each step of the transformation process is painstakingly executed to ensure that Pyrenex remains the international reference for the very best in feathers and duvet.
From the very beginning, Pyrenex has been the embodiment of passion for our feathers and for our work. This passion has been handed down from generation to generation and is reflected in every stage of the process, from washing to sorting and production. Pyrenex is also very much a family company, bringing together a team of exceptional people who share the same values: authenticity, well-being and nature.
Pyrenex has been a constant champion of environmental and social causes for 160 years. By recycling and using a co-product from local farms, our factory is an active participant in sustainable development and the circular economy. Supporting the community means doing our best for people’s health too, and this is why Pyrenex makes products for ethical, responsible consumers who care about their own well-being and that of everyone involved in the process. Lastly, Pyrenex is committed to animal welfare: all of our products are fully traceable, so we can guarantee the quality of the farms we source our products for and the practices they use. When you bring one of our creations into your home, you’re also taking home the commitment, solidarity and loyalty of the men and women at Pyrenex who made it for you.
OUR LABELS
DOWNPASS: The DOWNPASS label guarantees that we meet our ethics, quality and traceability criteria for our feathers and down. This label also reflects the standards for the European Convention for the protection of farm animals. This label applies for all of our naturally stuffed products.
BELLE LITERIE EXCELLENCE - THE EXCELLENCE OF FINE BEDDING: This label is issued by the SFL (French Bedding Federation) and guarantees that the specifications set for fine bedding by the CTBA (the Technical Centre for Wood and Furnishings) are met. This label applies for all of our naturally stuffed products, except the Pilote, Caresse, Country couleurs, Americain, Coussin, Alizée, Marin, Biarritz, Grand coussin de sol et Petit coussin de sol models.
OEKO-TEX® STANDARD 100 : This label certifies that none of the substances used in the production process is harmful to human health. Pyrenex offers two levels of guarantee for our products which use certified casings or fillings, and are also the only company to offer 100% OEKO-TEX® STANDARD 100 products (casing + stuffing). This label applies for all of our naturally stuffed products.
GOTS: The label GOTS is an international label created in 2002 for the biological textile. It guarantees a mode of ecological and socially responsible production. It also applies quality requirements. The label only takes into account the production of the textile and is not concerned in the conditions of culture of the cotton. It only focus on the natural fibers. Label for our products Font-Romeu, Font Romeu Plus and Osseja.
GREENFIRST®: Greenfirst® natural plant-based anti-mite treatment: lavender, lemon and eucalyptus. Longlasting performance, even after several home wash cycles at 90°C. This label applies to all the products in the Santé (Healthy) range, except the Pilote model.
ISO 9001 ET 14001: The Saint-Sever production site is ISO 9001 and 14001 (version 2015) certified, guaranteeing quality, hygiene, safety and respect for the environment. This label applies to all of our products.
CHOOSING THE FILLING
THE NATURAL DUCK AND GOOSE FILLING OF FRANCE
Pyrenex natural filling is composed of goose and duck feathers and down in varying proportions, depending on the use and the desired effect of the finished product. In fact, feathers and down have different physical structures which give them specific properties which can be suited to each person.
DOWN
This precious material constitutes only 10% of goose and duck plumage. Every particle of down is composed of a shaft around which small fibres push out in all directions. This three-dimensional geometry gives it both flexibility and the capacity to expand, while playing the indispensable role of an insulator as it is able to provide heat by storing a significant volume of air.
FEATHERS
Feathers have a more organised structure than that of down flakes, with a central stem and offshoots branching out on both sides. Depending on the size, these may be called either feathers or fine feathers. In palmipeds, the feathers have a characteristic contour – that is what gives the spring and density to the products which make use of this material.
GOOSE OR DUCK DOWN?
As a goose is larger than a duck, goose down generally has more loft than duck down. Goose down filling is therefore lower in weight per m² compared to duck down, but with the same level of thermal comfort. However, thanks to its know-how and experience, Pyrenex has developed duck down which surpasses the characteristics of goose down: the Legend 1859.
Recognised throughout the world for its traditional knowledge and skills, the Pyrenex manufacturing company has been working with goose and duck feathers and down for over 150 years with the same love and the same stringent requirements. Today, Pyrenex is an innovator in the manufacture of this exceptional material: the manufacturing company has slowed time and the yield-production race, and has instead asked its best workers to concentrate their know-how and technology in search of exceptionally pure down. The basic material, essential in this pursuit of excellence, is duck down from the Pyrenees – selected from the most beautiful supplies in South West France. A revolutionary process—marked by precision, care and 'slow craft'—today allows this 'flower of a down' to reach never-before achieved levels of insulation and lightness. Promised to the most beautiful down jackets of Haute Montagne or du Luxe, this exceptional down is now offered in the most prestigious Pyrenex duvets and pillows, providing 'sublime' comfort and lightness.
ALLERGY TO FEATHERS AND DOWN – MYTH OR REALITY?
Keratin compounds (such as nails and human hair, or feathers and down) cannot, in and of themselves, bring about an allergy. Possible discomfort can come from several other allergenic agents such as dust or dust mites, if the bedding is not sufficiently aired or cared for properly. In order to guarantee cleanliness and perfect hygiene, the Pyrenex feathers and down undergo several washes before being sterilised in a steriliser at more than 100°. The down thus becomes hypoallergenic. At the end of the process, the final product has reached a very high level of cleanliness. In reality, feather and down filling removes moisture much better than polyester, thus presenting a much less favourable terrain for the development of mites. Furthermore, the very tight type of weave of our cotton outer layer—initially intended to hermetically contain the down—ensures a natural barrier to mites. According to recent studies, down also contains eight times less dust mites than polyester filling. The simplest way to limit the risk of allergies is to care for the bedding regularly. Machine-washed and dried, they will be rid of allergenic agents, and the feathers and down will once again regain their loft.
THERMAL CAPACITY OF FILLING
TOG
The tog is an English unit of measure which measures thermal insulation – that is, the ability to trap air and exchange it quickly.
THE FILLING POWER
The strong point of Pyrenex is the filling power of its down – the measurement unit of its 'loft' or 'fluffiness'. Calculated in CUIN (cubic inches), it measures the capacity for a certain filling weight to puff out to a certain volume: the greater the ‘puffed out’ volume, the higher the insulation performance and lightness of the down. Products with fill power greater than 500 are already considered to be of very good quality. However, the exceptional down LEGEND 1859 offered by Pyrenex in 90% down, or 100% down in some products of excellence, boasts of an impressive fill power of 850 cuin.
