Ok look...a LOT of the bad reviews on this feather topper (and others!) are a reflection of the buyer's misunderstanding as to what a quality feather topper should or shouldn't do. I bought this feather topper a couple months ago and am pretty happy with it. This feather topper is my 6th. They've all been different brands. I can tell you with certainty that there are a few things all quality feather toppers have in common: the feathers will shift around, feathers will poke through, and feathers will become compacted and smushed These are all unavoidable consequences of having a quality feather anything. Feathers are so comfortable specifically because they allow a lot of air around them which creates a temporary loft you can sink into. Other materials like foam don't allow air so they keep their shape. But because air is the central component in feather pillows, beds, etc, 1) once you sink in and push the air out, you'll have to fluff it to pump air back in, and 2) for the air to be able to get in and out of the pillow or topper, the surrounding materials have to be porous. Porous materials like cotton allow air to pass through its fibers, but that also means that some small feathers will inevitably pass through those same tiny openings. As far as feathers shifting around, having them separated into squares (baffled) or tubes can keep the shifting localized, but it's still going to happen. There are obviously differences between brands in softness, loft, types of feathers/down, and the general amount of feathers that tend to escape, and you can check out the tightness of the weave in the surrounding material to make sure there aren't large spaces where too many feathers can escape. On the flip side though you don't want the weave too tight or you won't be able to fluff it up or sink down into it. This specific topper ranks in the upper middle of the ones I've had overall. It loses fewer feathers than some and keeps its shape a little better, but consequently doesn't allow for quite as much fluffiness and loft as some I've had. Also, the feathers themselves have smaller more flexible feather "spines" than many other toppers do so even if one slips out, it won't stab you when you roll over...which is a big plus if you've ever been stuck by one!!