Why Are Dark Spots Underneath Comforter? (Flecking, explained)

Down and feathers come in many shades of white, cream, grey and brown. Down being a natural product can be difficult to ensure the filling is 100% of a specific color. Generally, there are two color groups for down filling:

1. White down actually includes white, ivory, even some yellow.

2. Grey down actually includes brown, grey and even some black.

Because down is a natural, hand processed item, the colors can mix a bit.

How come I see dark spots below the fabric?

Don't worry, that is what is called flecking. Flecking is when dark down shows though white fabric. It is perfectly natural and the only way to avoid it, is to have a team of folks with tweezers combing through the filling at the plant. It is a labor-intensive option that most commercial accounts and consumers do not want to spend extra on. Flecking is like freckles on our skin and will occur naturally in down products.

Sometimes we will create a down product with grey filling because there is less color variations below white fabric such as this 50/50 pillow. Performance wise there is no difference between a white filling and a dark filling.

Want to learn more about down - here are some popular blog posts:

Why does the law label only say 75% down?

How to reduce or remove the down odor?

Why is the bedding fabric so noisy?

If you would like personalized assistance or professional advice before ordering your bedding, you may contact our customer service representatives, and they will assist you in your decision-making.