Clothing, Home Goods, and Outdoor Gear: Brands That Are Down Feather-Free

Down is for the birds—literally. “Down” refers to the layer of feathers closest to birds’ sensitive skin, which helps protect them and keep them warm.

In the down feather industry, workers tear these feathers from sensitive ducks and geese to stuff jackets, pillows, and comforters. Behind every down-filled product is a living, feeling bird who suffered.

But kindness is taking flight! A growing number of companies are flocking to innovative, animal-free materials that offer warmth and comfort without any cruelty to birds. From clothing brands to outdoor gear retailers, these companies are down-free. 

Clothing

• Ann Taylor
• ASOS
• Bernardo
• Claudie Pierlot
• Dr Martens
• Fursac
• Hobbs
• Lane Bryant
• LOFT
• Maje
• Napapijri 
• Primark
• Sandro
• Toad & Co
• Topshop

There are also vegan brands like Noize, Wuxley, Save the Duck, and Nivis Gear changing the game with warm, high-performance, feather-free outerwear. (Every vegan brand is inherently down-free, but these are a few standout names redefining winter wear that has historically used down feathers.)

Every bird is someone. Geese and ducks are extremely social, loyal birds. In their tight-knit communities—or “gaggles”—geese look after one another and take shifts performing different duties for the group. Little ducklings love their siblings, and even communicate with one another while they’re still inside their eggs so they can hatch at the same time. It’s up to you to leave feathers where they belong: on the birds born with them.

If you’re shopping in-store or online, it helps to know what to look for: Check for labels like “vegan” or “down alternative” and look for animal-friendly insulation made from high-quality synthetics, cotton, or innovative animal-free technologies. Most outdoor brands now have proprietary high-tech insulations. The North Face was among the first mainstream labels to introduce a high-performance down replacement with its revolutionary ThermoBall™ insulation, which is lofty, compressible, and even maintains warmth when wet, thanks to small, round synthetic fibers that cluster like feathers.

After hearing from PETA, H&M—the second-largest clothing retailer in the world—confirmed that it would no longer source new down for any of its brands worldwide, a move sparing ducks and geese a lifetime of misery and a painful and frightening death. The company committed to transitioning to sourcing only synthetic or post-consumer recycled down for its jackets and home goods by the end of 2025.

Outdoor Gear

• Alp N Rock
• Coleman

Home Goods

Plush comforters and cloud-like pillows filled with ultra-soft, animal-friendly materials are also gaining popularity across home goods stores. Pier 1 Imports has long been down-free, and after discussions with PETA, Restoration Hardware and Williams-Sonoma Inc. brands—including Pottery Barn and West Elm—have begun offering down-free options in their bedding and home collections. Williams-Sonoma even won Best Down-Free Bedding in PETA’s 2024 Vegan Homeware Awards for its duvets and pillows lined with PrimaLoft®, a luxurious, hypoallergenic, and antimicrobial vegan material that maintains insulation and wicks moisture.

If you’re traveling, you can also rest well at hotels that use feather-free bedding, like AC and Moxy. Check out PETA’s guide to down-free bedding at hotels for more.

Let Birds Keep Their Feathers

PETA entities have released nine exposés into down feather suppliers, including facilities tied to certified “responsible” companies, and each one has proven what PETA’s been saying all along: There is no ‘humane’ way to steal someone else’s feathers.