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The fill decision affects warmth-to-weight, packed size, price point, care instructions and — increasingly — the environmental claim on the tag. Here is the honest comparison.

Downgives the best warmth for its weight and compresses smaller than anything else, which is why it holds the premium end of the market. Its weakness is moisture: when down gets wet it collapses and stops insulating, and it takes far longer to dry. It also costs more, and the price moves with the poultry market.

Synthetic hollow-fibredoes not match down on weight or pack size, but it keeps a useful amount of insulation when damp, dries quickly, tolerates repeated washing and costs a fraction of the price. For kids' bags, rental fleets, emergency and general retail ranges it is usually the better answer.

A practical middle path is to split the specification: down in the body where warmth matters most and synthetic in the foot and hood, or a synthetic bag with a water-repellent down option in the same shell. Both are straightforward on our lines.

Tell us the target season, retail price point and the washing instructions you want to print, and we will cost both fills. Enquiries: linda@reliableoutdoors.com.