The unit is only part of the result
KAKEN describes down power as volume per gram and distinguishes it from the fill-power terminology used with IDFB testing. A supplier may use translated terminology loosely, so request the original report rather than interpreting the name alone.
For procurement, treat a loft claim as a complete record: sample identity, result, unit, method and edition, preparation, laboratory and test date. None of those fields can be inferred reliably from a number on a product label.
What to compare
| Report wording | Check before accepting it |
|---|---|
| Fill power: cu in/oz | Confirm the cylinder/test system and conditioning stated by the laboratory. |
| Down power: cm³/g | Confirm the Japanese method and edition, rather than assuming equivalence to an IDFB result. |
| A converted value | Ask whether it is a unit calculation or a result measured under the requested protocol. |
| A bare number such as 700 or 400 | Request the missing unit and method before using it in a purchase specification. |
Why a conversion is not a new test
IDFL notes that different systems use different measuring equipment and that conversion factors do not account for conditioning. A mathematical volume-per-mass conversion changes the reporting unit; it does not reproduce a second laboratory procedure.
If two offers were tested differently, ask for the same agreed method on representative samples. Keep the original reports and describe any conversion as a calculation. Do not issue a Japanese-method acceptance statement solely from a converted US-unit result.
A usable purchasing instruction
Write: ‘Target loft: [value and unit], tested using [method and edition], with [conditioning]; acceptance limit and sampling plan to be agreed.’ Keep the original unit in the purchase specification. For dual-market programs, ask the laboratory whether separate tests are needed.
Assess the approved filling in the intended product. Loft terminology does not tell you the jacket fill weight, baffle distribution, finished warmth or recycled content.
Preparing a loft request for CIRCUDOWN
CIRCUDOWN accepts customer-defined test requirements. ELLY’s company profile lists in-house fill-power testing and third-party testing arrangements. That capability statement does not establish that a particular recovered lot meets either an FP or DP target. Send the original specification or report wording so the method can be agreed before quoting.
| What you have | What to send or confirm |
|---|---|
| An FP target from an existing design | Original unit, method, conditioning and acceptance tolerance; do not substitute an assumed DP equivalent. |
| A Japanese DP requirement | The original Japanese specification and method edition, plus whether your buyer requires a named laboratory. |
| Two reports for different markets | The report identities and test procedures; agree whether the same material needs separate tests. |
| No test method yet | End product and destination market. Request help defining the brief, rather than accepting an unspecified loft number. |
Questions, answered.
Are down power and down content the same?
No. Down power concerns bulkiness per unit mass under a test procedure. Down content concerns the composition of the filling.
Can a conversion calculator approve a shipment?
No. Acceptance should follow the agreed test method, sampling and limits. A unit conversion alone is not evidence of compliance with another method.
Which value should I ask CIRCUDOWN to quote?
Use the value, unit and method required by your destination market or existing specification. If undecided, describe the product and ask for a specification discussion.
Further reading & source references
These primary references explain terminology and testing or certification scope. Confirm the current method and applicable policy for your order; these links do not verify a specific CIRCUDOWN shipment.
KAKEN — down bulkiness and down power ↗IDFL — conditioning methods and measurement systems ↗