Most of what we gather at Lækur goes into our own duvets. Some of it, and down we buy from neighbouring eider farms here in Dýrafjörður, we sell by the kilo to people who make things from it: bedding makers, outdoor-clothing brands, designers and small manufacturers who want certified Icelandic eiderdown and want to know exactly where it came from. This page explains what we sell, how a purchase works and what the paperwork looks like, so that your first order from Iceland holds no surprises.
Certified by law – every kilo, every lot
Icelandic eiderdown is the only down in the world with its own quality law. Under Act no. 52/2005, every kilo – sold in Iceland or exported – must first be fully cleaned and then inspected and weighed by a sworn, government-licensed down assessor, who seals the packs and issues a certificate from the ministry’s certificate book. No certificate, no sale.
- Independent. The assessor is not us. He is sworn and licensed by the state, and he inspects, weighs and seals every lot himself.
- Strict. A handful of down is shaken over a white sheet of paper for fifteen seconds and must leave next to nothing behind – no dust, no feathers, no foreign matter. Loft and colour are judged by hand, and good eiderdown springs up into a ball when the hand is opened.
- Per lot, in writing. Every lot has its own certificate, and every sealed bag is marked with the certificate number. The certificate travels with your shipment.
- Conditional. Our sale is conditional on the down passing the official grading. Down that does not pass is not sold as certified eiderdown.
The certificate speaks for the down; we answer for the certificate. It is issued in our name and under our responsibility, so you always know who stands behind what you receive.
What you get
Fully cleaned Icelandic eiderdown from Dýrafjörður in the Westfjords – from our own colony at Lækur and, when the quantity requires it, from neighbouring farms in the fjord whose down we buy. Every lot is inspected, weighed and certified by a sworn, government-licensed down assessor under Icelandic Act no. 52/2005 as it is packed, in our name and under our responsibility. The down is packed in clear, sealed plastic bags, each marked with the certificate number, and the certificate travels with the shipment. The certificate speaks for the down; we answer for the certificate.
How a purchase works
Icelandic law is strict about eiderdown, and that strictness is what you are paying for: down that, in a duvet, lasts a lifetime – we know duvets that have passed from parent to child. The steps are always the same:
- Quotation and agreement. You tell us the quantity and when you need it; we quote within a week. We agree quantity, price and terms in writing, with the sale conditional on the down passing the official grading.
- Grading and sealing. The sworn down assessor inspects the down, confirms it is first-class, weighs it and seals the bags. The grading itself is simple and strict: a handful of down is shaken over a white sheet of paper for fifteen seconds and must leave next to nothing behind – no dust, no feathers, no foreign matter – and the loft and colour are judged by hand. The assessor also smells the down, then fills a palm with it and opens the hand: good eiderdown springs up into a ball, and that spring is the clearest sign of real eiderdown. He then issues the certificate for the lot from the ministry’s certificate book. Nothing leaves Iceland as certified eiderdown without it.
- Export documents. We obtain the EUR.1 movement certificate from Icelandic Customs, so that the down enters the EU duty-free under the EEA Agreement, and the veterinary export certificate from the Icelandic Food and Veterinary Authority (MAST), which customs authorities require for down. A certificate of origin from the Iceland Chamber of Commerce goes with every shipment as well.
- Documents and payment. We scan and send you the full set – grading certificate, EUR.1, certificate of origin, veterinary certificate, commercial invoice and packing list. On receipt of the documents you pay the invoice in full by bank transfer.
- Insurance and dispatch. Once our bank confirms the payment we insure the shipment for its full value and ship the sealed boxes by air freight, door to door, unless you have your own forwarder. Economy freight or post is possible too if you prefer a cheaper route.
Allow a few weeks from your go-ahead to delivery: the assessor’s visit and the certificates come first, and customs clearance takes a different time in each country. The process is the same for every order, so we leave ourselves room in the timing. Delivered DAP; we help with the export papers.
Quantities and price
We sell from one kilo upwards. Our own harvest goes first into our duvets, so larger quantities depend on the season and on what we can secure from neighbouring farms; tell us what you have in mind and we will say honestly what we can deliver and when. Prices are on request – they follow the year’s harvest and the quantity – and we quote within a week.
Why from us
Because you will know where every gram came from. Eider ducks have nested under the protection of Lækur since 1911 – the same birds come back every year to the same nests, and eider are known to return to one spot for more than twenty years, because they feel safe there. Where we take the down and leave hay in the nest, the birds keep coming back. The two of us who run the farm today grew up gathering down here. When you buy from us you deal with the people who walked the colony, not with a trading house, and the certificate on your bag carries our name. If you would like to see the place before you buy, you are welcome to visit – we also run a small farm stay here.
Ask for a quotation
Tell us who you are, how much you need and when. One of us – Snorri or Ingi – answers every enquiry personally.
Looking for a finished duvet rather than loose down? See our duvets. For how eiderdown is gathered and cleaned, read how eiderdown is harvested; for why it costs what it does, this article.