This Big, Bizarre-Looking Duck Is Making Down Gear Warmer, Longer-Lasting, and More Affordable

Despite every manner of challenger — from biodegradable synthetics, to alpaca fleece, “Seawool” made from crushed oyster shells, and even salvaged bison fiber — the undisputed king of warm, insulated gear remains goose down.

An analysis by the Global Trends Observatory forecast that the market value of down, which stood at $3.5 billion in 2023, will hit $5.2 billion by 2032. It’s not just good marketing (although that doesn’t hurt); high-quality down is an amazing insulator, it’s lightweight, and it packs down small. It’s everything you’d want for winter outdoor gear.

But high demand comes at a cost, literally. Geese are a limited resource and, according to Therm-a-Rest Product Line Manager Chris Davis, the price has more than doubled since 2021. That’s why this month, at the biannual Outdoor Market Alliance new product demo in Denver, the Therm-a-Rest team was hot to trot — not on an outright new product, but a new fill for its popular sleeping bags.

It comes from the Muscovy duck, a comparably large duck whose unique down has shown numerous performance benefits over traditional goose down. And, quizzically, it is more affordable — roughly 35% less expensive than its goose-sourced counterpart, according to Zenbivy founder Michael Gavin.

Zenbivy and Therm-a-Rest are among the very first brands to market with Muscovy down this year, but they will almost certainly not be the last. Here’s why both Gavin and Davis laud the new insulation and believe consumers will see a lot more of it.

What Is Muscovy Down?

Muscovy down comes from the Muscovy duck, native to South and Central America and the southernmost parts of the U.S. Weighing up to 9 pounds, it’s the largest duck in North America, nearly as large as a goose.

Its down stands out among other duck down because of its exceptionally high loft (900+) and larger and more intricately barbed clusters. While the bird is native to the Americas, most of the down used for insulation is sourced from China, as a byproduct of the food industry.

Performance Benefits

“It’s a premium insulator with serious performance chops,” Davis, the Therm-a-Rest Product Line Manager, told GearJunkie. “Because these ducks are larger and mature more slowly, they produce some of the loftiest and most resilient down on the market.”

According to Davis, Muscovy down surpasses goose down in multiple performance facets: It traps more air, retains more heat, rebounds from compression faster, and retains more loft after multiple washes than goose down.

Practically speaking, that means a sleeping bag filled with Muscovy down can be lighter, warmer, and stay loftier over time than a similar bag filled with goose down. And because of the clusters’ shape, it resists migration better than traditional down.

Cheaper, For Now

Gavin asserts that Zenbivy was the first to market with Muscovy down, releasing its first products this year. Therm-a-Rest will launch its first products with the insulator in spring 2026. ZPacks also has products with Muscovy down.

However, both Gavin and Davis agreed that beyond its performance benefits, Muscovy offers one irresistible attribute for all consumers — it’s more affordable.

That might not be immediately apparent for shoppers, though. Therm-a-Rest confirmed the price of the 2026 Parsec sleeping bag with Muscovy down will be roughly the same as the current Parsec. But that’s actually the savings offsetting tariff and market-driven increases in the price of goose down.

That said, demand is fluid and tariffs are anything but stable. So, as with any raw material, nothing is set in stone.

Downside?

The only notable drawback to Muscovy that’s widely acknowledged is that it’s more odiferous than goose down, which carries the least odor of any down product. To combat this, Them-a-Rest, Zenbivy, and ZPacks all use an ultrasonic washing process that claims to eliminate any odors.

Where to Get Muscovy Down Gear

Three major outdoor brands have made it to market or unveiled products that will launch next year with Muscovy down: Zenbivy, ZPacks, and Therm-a-Rest.

Zenbivy’s Ultralight beds and accessories offer the option between traditional goose down and Muscovy. The Ultralight Quilt is available in 25- and 10-degree Muscovy options for $350 and $450 (versus $410 and $580, respectively, for goose down). The Muscovy Ultralight Sheet is $20-30 less expensive than good down, depending on the temperature rating.

ZPacks has a lineup of sleeping bags, quilts, and puffy jackets with 900-fill Muscovy down. And in January 2026, Therm-a-Rest will join the Muscovy club, launching two sleeping bags with the high-quality duck down — the popular Parsec in regular and long 20- and 0-degree ($470-650) and expedition-focused, -20-degree Polar Ranger ($790-840 in regular and long).

But this is likely just the start. When asked if Muscovy could become the new standard in down gear, Gavin was unequivocal.

“Definitely. Not only will Zenbivy be expanding our leadership position in Muscovy down, you are sure to see it appearing from more and more brands as the market becomes more aware of its benefits.”