I have been using featherbeds now for over15 years, and with a bad back they have literally saved me. Finding a mattress I could sleep on became impossible long before my first spine implant. An old friend gave me her used featherbed to see if I liked it, and I was hooked. Problem these days is finding one that is at least 5 inches thick and baffled. They are hard to come by. Also, you do have to shake them out and turn them over each week, as they get compacted by sleeping on. I've found that after about a year and a half max., it is necessary to buy another one, as they continue to compact over time and do not yield the same sleep experience after such time - or you have to plump them up way more often than once a week, which is not practical with bad backs! I used to buy Northern Nights version, but they no longer sell these. Finding this on Great Offer Stock was a treasure, as I was not finding it anywhere else - at least with 5 inches and baffles. This one came with a cover, so that also helps keep the wayward feathers in. You will still get a few feathers that escape all the time, but it's nothing overly difficult to deal with, as some of the reviewers talk about. And much better to deal with a few feathers on the carpet than waking up with a sore back and lack of sleep! The only reason I rated this a 4, is that is seems to be flattening out faster than previous beds. By the end of the week, I have to move to the other side of the bed to still get the waft. I was hoping to get a longer use out of this bed, but after having had it for a little over a month, it is starting to show symptoms that previous featherbeds exhibit after about 6 months. So we'll see how long this one lasts. It was, however, the only game in town with the maximum loft and gusseting that I required. I'll put the old one on the guest beds, as company usually doesn't stay more than a week, and in the past I've had rave reviews from our guests on their bed's comfort. Happy sleeping everyone!