NEMO Pulse Quilt vs Feathered Friends Flicker UL 20 Quilt
In short: The NEMO Pulse Quilt costs $9 less; the Feathered Friends Flicker UL 20 Quilt is rated 3 °F colder on the figure each maker publishes; the NEMO Pulse Quilt saves 7.5 oz; only the NEMO Pulse Quilt publishes a lab temperature rating at all.
| Spec | NEMO Pulse Quilt | Feathered Friends Flicker UL 20 Quilt |
|---|---|---|
| Approx. price | ~$550 | ~$559 |
| ISO comfort | not published | not published |
| ISO limit | 23 °F | not published |
| Rating on the label | 20 °F | 20 °F |
| Honesty gap | — | — |
| Rating standard | ISO 23537 | manufacturer |
| Weight | 1 lb 2 oz | 1 lb 9.5 oz |
| Warmth per ounce | — | — |
| Fill | 1000 fill power down | 950 fill power down |
| Fill weight | not published | 14.7 oz |
| Loft budget | — | 14.0k in³ |
| Shape | quilt | quilt |
| Shoulder girth | not published | 62 in |
| Zipper | none | center |
| Shell fabric | 10D recycled polyester ripstop, C0 DWR | Pertex Quantum Pro 7D × 30D ripstop |
| Hydrophobic down | Yes | No |
| Packed size | 2.3 L | 8 L |
Shaded cells mark the row where one has a measurable advantage. Weight, thickness, girth and shape are left unshaded on purpose: heavier is sometimes tougher, wider is sometimes warmer, and calling a winner on those would be an opinion dressed as a measurement.
What each one does well, and costs you
NEMO Pulse Quilt
- 1000-fill down, the highest grade in production, and the only use of it in this catalogue.
- 2.3 litres packed, less than half the volume of most 20-degree quilts.
- 18 ounces with a published ISO lower limit of 23 °F — almost no quilt publishes any lab figure at all.
- 10-denier recycled shell, and the whole thing is designed for NEMO's take-back and recycling programme.
- $550 makes it the most expensive quilt here by $60, and the gain over 900-fill is roughly one ounce.
- The pad attachment is designed around NEMO's own pads and is fussier with other brands' baffle shapes.
- 10-denier shell on a $550 quilt means a snagged branch is an expensive afternoon.
- Two sizes only, no width options, and no overfill — the cottage makers all offer both.
- As with NEMO's bags, the comfort figure is not published, only the limit.
Feathered Friends Flicker UL 20 Quilt
- The centre zip and drawcord foot turn it from a blanket into a closed bag without any straps or clips.
- 62 inches of wrap width is among the widest quilts here, which is the real defence against drafts.
- 950+ fill down, 14.7 ounces of it, in a water-resistant Pertex Quantum Pro shell.
- A Wide version exists on the same pattern for anyone who needs more than 62 inches.
- Sewn in Seattle, with published girth at shoulder, hip and footbox.
- 25.5 ounces is heavy for a quilt — the zip and the extra fabric cost about five ounces over a strapped quilt at the same rating.
- No hood, and no pad attachment either, so a cold night depends entirely on getting the zip and drawcord right.
- $559 without a lab rating behind the 20 °F figure.
- 7-denier face fabric.