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An awesome down jacket is a game-changing piece of substances: light-as-air white fluff encased in a shell of light-weight nylon. The perfect down jackets preserve you heat with out weighing you down. However severe points can come up when delicate stitching on the baffles and too-thin shells make these jackets inclined to ripping. When left untreated, water can negate all the down’s insulating properties. I examined 17 choices from Marmot, Patagonia, Cotopaxi, Eddie Bauer, Out of doors Analysis, Arc’teryx, and extra — those I’ve included listed below are the perfect down jackets.
How I Selected the Finest Down Jackets
Down jackets are prized for his or her potential to maintain you heat with out weighing you down. For this story, I evaluated jackets on numerous standards, together with general heat, weight, water resistance, and sturdiness. I additionally thought of different components akin to worth, guarantee, and recycled materials content material, the place relevant. Extra details about my hands-on testing and the way grades for heat, sturdiness, and water resistance have been decided could be discovered beneath in Testing the Best Down Jackets.
Finest Down Jackets: Opinions & Suggestions
Finest for Males: Stone Glacier Grumman Goose Down Jacket
Report Card
- Heat: Wonderful
- Water Resistance: Wonderful
- PFAS is at the moment within the DWR end
- Sturdiness: Nice
Key Options
- Sizes: Males’s S to 3X
- Weight: 11.8 ounces (males’s S)
- Down Quantity: 70 liters of loft potential (5.3 ounces at 850 fill energy)
- Pockets: Two zip pockets at waist
- Guarantee: Restricted lifetime
Execs
- Very heat and comfy
- Surprisingly sturdy
- Wonderful climate resistance
Cons
- No ladies’s choice accessible
- Heavier than different choices I checked out
The Stone Glacier Grumman Goose Down Jacket checks all of the packing containers. Together with the Huge Agnes Luna and Fjallraven Expedition Pack, it was one of many warmest jackets I checked out, whereas nonetheless being a number of ounces lighter. It additionally does a wonderful job at conserving chilly air from sneaking by way of the perimeters, with a lightweight elastic across the cuffs that’s comfy and safe and an additional elastic part contained in the hood that gives extra safety. It was surprisingly water-resistant, with no lack of loft detected once I submerged the cuff in water, and no water penetration detected once I left 1 / 4 cup of water on the again of the jacket for 2 hours.
The 15D Pertex Quantum shell was exceptionally easy and comfy, however I used to be involved that the thinness of the material wouldn’t stand as much as the sturdiness take a look at. I used to be unsuitable. Within the first take a look at, involving shoving my arm right into a thicket of blackberry brambles, it got here out with only a few scrapes and no seen holes. The second take a look at had me stacking more and more heavy weights on the jacket after which dragging it throughout tough asphalt. At 10 kilos, the utmost in my take a look at, the Stone Glacier Grumman Goose Down Jacket, was massively scraped up, however had no holes and no down escaping.
In case you’ve been searching for a down jacket that may deal with severe backcountry situations, this one is a no brainer. In addition they provide a model with a pair ounces much less down should you’re searching for a extra light-weight choice for milder situations. The one drawback? At current, Stone Glacier doesn’t provide a ladies’s model of this jacket, and the match of this jacket on the hips and waist was not a match for this feminine tester’s pretty typical curves.
Finest for Ladies: Big Agnes Luna
Report Card
- Heat: Wonderful
- Water Resistance: Truthful
- Sturdiness: Nice
Key Options
- Sizes: Ladies’s XS to XL (Males’s Shovelhead equal is obtainable in XS to XXL)
- Weight: 13 ounces (ladies’s S)
- Down Quantity: 65 liters of loft potential (6 ounces of 700 fill energy)
- Pockets: Two zip pockets on the waist
- Guarantee: Restricted lifetime
Execs
- Affordably priced
- Nice match
- Very cozy
- Sturdy
- PFAS free
Cons
- Poor water resistance
- Heavier than different choices I checked out
I’m slightly salty that the Stone Glacier Grumman Goose Down Jacket isn’t supplied in a lady’s match (that is 2024), however regardless of: We’ve got the Huge Agnes Luna. In testing, this jacket was simply as heat as my finest decide for males, and at a considerably decrease value. I particularly appreciated the protection supplied by its hood and cowl — which makes such a distinction on misty PNW days within the useless of winter — and the drop-tail hem. It additionally has a singular function amongst down jackets that I’ve examined: thumbholes.
I’ve been sporting the identical Huge Agnes Luna jacket for over a yr now, so I wasn’t stunned that it was one in every of my strongest performers within the sturdiness take a look at. Whereas there have been a few small puncture holes seen after it was subjected to the blackberry brambles (no down leaking, nevertheless), it appeared nice after being dragged throughout the pavement with weights on prime of it. A number of the different down jackets I examined will have to be repaired earlier than they are often worn once more, however this one is headed proper again into my common rotation.
The one actual ding right here for the Huge Agnes Luna is in water resistance. Whereas the sheer quantity of down will preserve you loads heat and dry in mild rain, if heavier rain is in forecast it’s further necessary to pack a shell with this jacket.
Finest Eco-Pleasant: Marmot Guides Down Hoody
Report Card
- Heat: Wonderful
- Water Resistance: Good
- Sturdiness: Nice
Key Options
- Sizes: Males’s S to XXL, ladies’s XS to XL
- Weight: 19.5 ounces (ladies’s S, examined); 21 ounces (producer supplied)
- Down Quantity: 100 liters of loft potential (9.3 ounces at 700 fill energy)
- Pockets: Two zip pockets at waist
- Guarantee: Restricted lifetime
Execs
- Very heat
- Makes use of a mixture of recycled down and plant-based insulation
- Affordably priced
Cons
- Heavy
- Unfastened match means air can sneak in simply
I’ll be trustworthy, I struggled with this one. The Rab Microlight Alpine Jacket has far and away the perfect eco-friendly credentials: It’s constructed from 90 p.c recycled supplies (which is actually unimaginable). Rab can be exceptionally clear about all of this, with a nutrition-label model data field that I want the remainder of the business would duplicate.
However I can’t give the Rab Microlight Alpine Jacket the eco-friendly award as a result of it’s not delivering on the heat — shocking, since on paper its 5.1 ounces of 700 fill energy down ought to have made it one of many warmest jackets in my take a look at. I don’t have sufficient testing completed to talk as to if recycled down is much less insulative for its weight than virgin down, however regardless, Marmot solved this difficulty with their Guides jacket by simply utilizing a ridiculous quantity of insulation: 9.3 ounces, 80 p.c of which is recycled down and 20 p.c of which is a plant-based down different constructed from the flower of kapok timber. It’s a really heat jacket. And just like the Rab, this jacket is delivering on the recycled bonafides with a totally recycled shell and lining, together with zip pulls constructed from recycled materials.
Sadly this one has some match points. Its match is oddly unfastened across the center — except your midsection is on the thicker facet, there are going to be main gaps the place chilly air can enter in by way of the underside, even with copious layering. The cinch twine on the backside hem helps slightly with this, but in addition pulls the jacket as much as nearer to my waist than I sometimes like.
Finest Light-weight: Kuiu Super Down LT Hooded Jacket
Report Card
- Heat: Nice
- Water Resistance: Nice
- Sturdiness: Nice
Key Options
- Sizes: Males’s S to 3X, ladies’s XS to XL
- Weight: 7.5 ounces (ladies’s S examined); 7 ounces (producer supplied)
- Down Quantity: 34 liters of loft potential (2.6 ounces at 850 fill energy)
- Pockets: Two zip pockets at waist
- Guarantee: Restricted lifetime
Execs
- Nice heat for weight
- Good sturdiness and water resistance
Cons
- Unusual crinkly sound
- The outer fringe of the cuff holds onto water, which could be uncomfortable
I wasn’t anticipating to discover a higher down jacket choice for the light-weight backpacker and backpack hunter set than the Mountain Hardwear Ghost Whisperer, however the Kuiu SuperDown LT Hooded Jacket edged it out in a number of classes. Whereas these jackets are equally heat with related water resistance, the Kuiu is inexpensive and a contact lighter weight (assume a couple of tenths of an oz.). Extra importantly: It’s noticeably extra sturdy.
Throughout my sturdiness take a look at, I loaded up every jacket with 10 kilos of weight and dragged them throughout a tough pavement floor. The Mountain Hardwear Ghost Whisperer 2 was very scraped up on the finish of this, with a number of holes and tears that would wish patching. The Kuiu Tremendous Down LT had one gap and some minor scrapes that I’m not terribly involved about.
The opposite a part of that take a look at concerned checking to see how simply the sleeves would tear once they encountered blackberry brambles. The Mountain Hardwear Ghost Whisperer 2’s material caught very simply — it took some doing to disentangle the jacket — and ended up with two punctures. The Kuiu barely caught in any respect and was primarily unhurt on the opposite facet of the take a look at. I even ran this take a look at twice on the Kuiu to test that I wasn’t imagining how simply the material slid previous a lot of the thorns.
Oddly for a searching model, the Kuiu SuperDown LT was the one down jacket I examined that produced audible noise whereas testing. I’m not speaking rain-jacket degree of crinkle, however this isn’t a very silent jacket.
Finest Ultralight: Crazy Levity
Report Card
- Heat: Nice
- Water Resistance: Truthful
- Unable to verify whether or not PFAS was used within the jacket’s DWR therapy
- Sturdiness: Truthful
Key Options
- Sizes: Males’s S to XL, ladies’s XS to L
- Weight: 6.1 ounces (ladies’s S examined), 5.4 ounces (producer supplied)
- Down Quantity: 35 liters of loft potential (2.4 ounces of 950 fill energy)
- Pockets: Zip pocket at inside proper waist
- Guarantee: Lifetime guarantee (with some exceptions)
Execs
- Lightest down jacket I checked out
- Good guarantee
- Surprisingly heat
Cons
- Very costly
- Not as sturdy as different picks on this listing
- Few options like pockets or hem drawstrings, and so forth.
The heat to weight of the Loopy Levity is off the charts. It weighs over an oz. lower than its closest competitor (the Mountain Hardwear Ghost Whisperer 2) and was simply as heat, if not hotter, than that jacket.
There are a few methods the Loopy Levity pulls off this spectacular feat. The primary is to easily use the best grade down it could actually: 950 fill energy to 1000 fill energy. And it doesn’t skimp on it both. A full 2.4 ounces of the whole 6.1 ounces of the jacket are down. Subsequent is a singular strategy to baffling. Relatively than sew in conventional baffles, they’ve small ovals glued in at periodic intervals that helps to maintain the down separated and evenly distributed. I’ve been sporting this jacket frequently for months and haven’t seen any chilly spots on account of inconsistently distributed down, so I’d say it’s loads efficient.
The Loopy Levity additionally dispenses with something resembling an additional. There is just one zip pocket on the jacket (inside on the proper waist) and there aren’t any drawcords or adjustment factors to cinch the hem or the hood, only a contact of elastic to carry it in place. Throughout testing, nevertheless, this felt like sufficient. I couldn’t really feel the chilly creeping in wherever. The material can be not particularly water repellent (regardless of being handled with DWR) and absorbed primarily all the water throughout my take a look at of water resistance (the jacket nonetheless lofted high quality, nevertheless).
There was no jacket I used to be extra apprehensive about on the sturdiness take a look at than the Loopy Levity. The outer shell is made out of a wafer skinny 7D nylon (the Mountain Hardwear Ghost Whisperer is constructed from a 10D material by comparability); I questioned if it was going to separate open simply by trying on the take a look at, spilling all that premium down in all places.
Thankfully, the truth was slightly totally different. Within the brush take a look at, it didn’t notably catch on any of the blackberry brambles, rising with a couple of scrapes, however no seen holes. On the weighted take a look at on pavement, it picked up two holes on the third weight, so I ended the take a look at with out transferring as much as the total ten kilos. Whereas that is undoubtedly the worst efficiency in my take a look at, it’s additionally a greater efficiency than you’ve gotten any proper to count on from an ultralight puffer jacket with a 7D shell. Don’t take this one bushwhacking, but when it unintentionally scrapes up in opposition to some Satan’s Membership, it’ll most likely be high quality.
The actual draw back to the Loopy Levity is its worth, which is a whole bunch of {dollars} greater than the rest I checked out. That’s considerably ameliorated by the guarantee, which is second solely to Patagonia’s and Forloh’s. This one is a Satisfaction Assured guarantee, which signifies that, not like restricted lifetime warranties, there isn’t an arbitrary age of the garment at which level the guarantee stops being in play. Nonetheless, they don’t cowl improper care of the garment, together with improper washing or drying, publicity to the solar, or contact with exterior brokers, like scraping in opposition to rocks, snagging in your backpack, or in my case, being dragged alongside the pavement. Nonetheless, it’s a surprisingly good guarantee given how delicate this down jacket is.
Most individuals will have a look at the Loopy Levity and determine (rightly) that it’s not for them. However should you’d pay virtually something to scrap a few ounces out of your pack weight and are prepared to child your gear, it’s a should have.
Learn the total overview: Crazy Levity: Can a Super Ultralight Puffer Actually Keep You Warm?
Finest Made in America: Forloh ThermoNeutral Down Jacket
Report Card
- Heat: Good
- Water Resistance: Good
- PFAS is at the moment within the DWR end
- Sturdiness: Wonderful
Key Options
- Sizes: Males’s S to 3X, ladies’s XS to XL
- Weight: 17.1 ounces (ladies’s S examined); 14 ounces (producer supplied)
- Down Quantity: 43 liters of loft potential (4.3 ounces at 650 fill energy)
- Pockets: Two zip pockets at waist, one zip pocket at left chest
- Guarantee: Lifetime guarantee
Execs
- Made in America
- Very sturdy
Cons
- No hooded choice
- On the costly facet
- Heavy
The fact is that the majority out of doors gear is made abroad, loads of it in China. So once I run throughout a model that’s getting it completed at a comparable worth level whereas nonetheless being made within the USA, I’m impressed. Forloh takes {that a} step additional by not simply making the ThermoNeutral Down Jacket in America, but in addition sourcing all of the supplies from America, too — even the down, which is from Amish duck farmers in Indiana.
In contrast to the wafer-thin Loopy Levity, the Forloh ThermoNeutral Down Jacket is constructed from a sturdy 40D ripstop nylon that meets navy grade specs and makes use of glue bolstered by ultrasonic acoustic vibrations (very futuristic sounding) as an alternative of sewing to carry the baffles collectively. I used to be anticipating this jacket to be one of the vital sturdy choices that I checked out, and it didn’t disappoint: After each assessments, this jacket appeared surprisingly near untouched. Equally, it stored water from soaking by way of over two hours on the water resistance take a look at, though I used to be stunned that the cuffs did lose slightly loft when submerged immediately into water.
Virtually all the downsides of this down jacket should do with match. It’s surprisingly stiff and heavy in comparison with different jackets that I examined, and was much less form-fitting than I anticipated. Whereas the neck closure of the Forloh ThermoNeutral Down Jacket was efficient at conserving chilly air from sneaking, it’s laborious to overstate simply how a lot physique warmth is misplaced when there isn’t a hood, an choice that Forloh doesn’t at the moment provide.
Finest Guarantee: Patagonia Down Sweater Hoody
Report Card
- Heat: Nice
- Water Resistance: Good
- Sturdiness: Nice
Key Options
- Sizes: Males’s XXS to 3X, ladies’s XXS to XXL
- Weight: 12.4 ounces (ladies’s S, examined); 12.1 ounces (producer supplied)
- Down Quantity: Unknown
- Pockets: Two zip pockets at waist
- Guarantee: Satisfaction assured (lifetime guarantee)
Execs
- Finest-in-class guarantee
- Nice match that enhances insulation
- Sturdy
Cons
- Not a stand-out efficiency in any class
- Not as heat as different picks on this listing
If there may be any down jacket on this listing that has a status to dwell as much as, it’s Patagonia’s Down Sweater Hoody. The place I dwell, within the Pacific Northwest, it’s one in every of commonest items of outside attire there may be. So I used to be curious to see how it might stack up in testing.
Verdict: It’s high quality. It was typically much less water-resistant than I used to be anticipating, with an primarily new jacket seeing some water penetration by way of the seams when standing water was left on it for 2 hours and the outer fringe of the cuff holding onto moisture when submerged in water. It picked up a small gap on the finish of the sturdiness take a look at. And whereas the superb match of the hood and cowl helped to entice heat whereas I used to be testing jackets in a walk-in fridge, slightly chilly air was sneaking in by way of the cuffs. In case you’ve been struggling to discover a puffer jacket that’s heat sufficient on your adventures, this isn’t it, however for typical situations it is going to work simply high quality. Even its weight was on the middling facet, with the jacket weighing a couple of ounces greater than the Arc’teryx Cerium Hoody, which was marginally hotter.
Sadly, Patagonia declined to share the variety of ounces of down fill their Patagonia Down Sweater contained (the one model in my take a look at to take action), so I used to be unable to calculate the down quantity.
However should you’ve been searching for an excuse to buy the Patagonia Down Sweater Hoody, right here it’s: It’s all about that guarantee. Most producers present a restricted lifetime guarantee. That’s not your lifetime; it’s the lifetime of the jacket, and there isn’t a ton of transparency round what producers assume that needs to be. A greater guarantee (the perfect, actually) is satisfaction assured, which Patagonia calls their Ironclad Assure. If one thing goes unsuitable together with your jacket, Patagonia will get you set straight. They’ll even restore your jacket (at a payment) should you do one thing ridiculous to it, like drag it throughout a parking zone with ten kilos of weight on prime of it.
Finest Price range: Eddie Bauer Stratustherm Down Jacket
Report Card
- Heat: Good
- Water Resistance: Nice
- PFAS is at the moment within the DWR end
- Sturdiness: Wonderful
Key Options
- Sizes: Males’s S to XXL, ladies’s XS to XXL
- Weight: 10.8 ounces (ladies’s S, examined); 11.8 ounces (producer supplied)
- Down Quantity: 35 liters of loft potential (3.5 ounces at 650 fill energy)
- Pockets: Two zip pockets at waist
- Guarantee: One yr
Execs
- Reasonably priced
- Hotter than I used to be anticipating
- Very sturdy
Cons
- Snap buttons are pointless and annoying to make use of
- Worst guarantee in my take a look at
- Match wasn’t nearly as good as among the costlier down jackets
I’ve tried my justifiable share of price range down jackets previously, together with the Decathlon Forclaz MT100 and the Uniqlo Extremely Gentle Down Parka. In case you’re working up a sweat on a day hike, these are most likely high quality. In case you’re waking up within the alpine to shut to freezing situations? Completely not. They only aren’t heat sufficient.
Whereas the Eddie Bauer Straustherm Down Jacket wasn’t the warmest jacket I checked out, it received the job completed in all classes. It’s heat sufficient, loads water-resistant, and was one of the vital sturdy jackets I examined, with just a few scrapes on the again after being dragged throughout a parking zone with a 10-pound weight on its again.
Which is sweet, as a result of this was the one jacket in my take a look at that had solely a one-year guarantee on it. The opposite draw back to this jacket is that the match isn’t nice. It’s not particularly type becoming, and the hood (which is a crucial a part of how this jacket was conserving heat in) was a looser match than others that I checked out. There additionally wasn’t any method to cinch the hem, which is a helpful method to preserve out chilly gusts on windy days.
The Remainder of the Area
Three down jackets greater than impressed throughout testing, simply lacking out on incomes an award. I’ve lengthy been a fan of the Mountain Hardwear Ghost Whisperer 2, which is loads light-weight for gram counters and heat sufficient for a lot of alpine adventures. Throughout testing, nevertheless, its sturdiness simply wasn’t there in comparison with the Kuiu SuperDown LT. It’s additionally a hair costlier and a hair heavier. However should you discover one on low cost, it’s a fantastic jacket that may serve you nicely.
One jacket that didn’t battle with sturdiness was the Arc’teryx Cerium Hoody. The truth is, it did nice in nearly each take a look at I threw at it. The draw back, sadly, was worth: It didn’t fairly justify the load and efficiency of this puffer jacket. Lastly, I cherished the Fjallraven Expedition Pack Down Hoodie, which doesn’t skimp on heat whereas coming in at a fantastic worth level. However it was fairly heavy in comparison with the Huge Agnes Luna, and the match wasn’t on the similar degree.
I checked out what’s arguably the most well-liked down jacket — or a minimum of essentially the most recognizable — the Cotopaxi Fuego. Whereas it carried out completely high quality in all my assessments, it solely impressed on sturdiness, escaping that take a look at with solely scuffs. It repelled water within the cuff take a look at, however 1 / 4 cup of water soaked by way of the again when left to sit down for 2 hours. It was moderately heat within the walk-in fridge take a look at, however not excellent for its weight or worth. In case you like the colours (the colours are nice), then the Cotopaxi Fuego is totally a serviceable alternative, however when you’ve got particular efficiency wants, different picks on this listing will serve you higher. I felt equally concerning the Marmot Hype Down Jacket, which did high quality in testing, however didn’t impress in comparison with equally priced jackets.
If cash isn’t any object, then the Norrona Trollveggen Superlight Down is one to contemplate. It’s very light-weight and comfy, if not particularly heat. The match was spectacular. It makes use of a wholesome quantity of recycled supplies. However even at its steep worth level, it solely presents a five-year guarantee. Given this jacket’s poor efficiency on the sturdiness take a look at, that makes this one much less of a positive funding than others I thought of.
I actually went forwards and backwards with the eco-friendly award, as I used to be past impressed by Rab’s transparency of their use of recycled supplies and what a powerful job they’ve completed in eliminating PFAS from the 2 down jackets I examined. Nonetheless, whereas their Microlight Alpine Jacket was constructed from 91 p.c recycled supplies, it simply wasn’t that heat, particularly for its weight. Their Mythic Alpine Light Jacket impressed extra for weight to heat (whereas nonetheless utilizing a wholesome share of recycled supplies at 53 p.c, however nonetheless wasn’t competing on the degree of the Kuiu SuperDown LT, Loopy Levity, or Mountain Hardwear Ghost Whisperer.
Testing the Finest Down Jackets
For my take a look at of the perfect down jackets, I expanded on an earlier take a look at I ran of the best packable down jackets. For this story, I selected to ignore the difficulty of packability and focus as an alternative on heat, weight, water resistance, and sturdiness in my testing procedures. I additionally thought of extra components akin to worth, guarantee, recycled supplies, moral therapy of animals, and use of PFAS.
Water Resistance
To check water resistance, I poured 1 / 4 a cup of water over the again baffling of every jacket after which let it sit for 2 hours. I additionally examined the cuffs of every down jacket (a standard fail level) for water resistance. First, I sprayed them with water from a twig bottle (mimicking the excessive humidity and mist that may be prevalent in fashionable backpacking locales), and allow them to sit for an hour. I then dipped them right into a container of water for 5 seconds to see how simply (or if) they wetted out. The outcomes of those three assessments have been mixed to offer an general image of how nicely the down jackets resisted water.
Wonderful water resistance signifies that the down jacket fully resisted water absorption throughout my take a look at (though I might not take that to imply they’re waterproof) whereas truthful notes situations the place the water soaked both into the insulation of the jacket or fully by way of to the opposite facet of the puffer.
![To check the water resistance of the jackets’ cuffs, I sprayed each 20 times using a mister and then let it sit for an hour.](https://www.outdoorlife.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/31/water-testing-packable-down-jackets.jpg?w=2000)
Heat
Total heat was examined utilizing a walk-in fridge. Whereas I thought of operating a take a look at open air for this take a look at (it was February in spite of everything), I discovered that over the course of 17 down jackets, making certain comparable situations was an excessive amount of of a problem. The solar would peak out behind a cloud for a couple of minutes warming issues up, or the wind would decide up unexpectedly, affecting how heat or chilly I used to be greater than the relative deserves of 800 fill energy down versus 850 fill energy down. The walk-in fridge, nevertheless, supplied pretty static situations at even air circulate and low humidity. Plus, it was simple to inform if the temperature had shifted a level or two and work that into the heat evaluation.
![Thanks to the employees of Chuck’s Hop Shop for letting me hang out in their walk-in cooler on a Wednesday.](https://www.outdoorlife.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/31/refridgerator-testing.jpg?w=2000)
Total heat was judged to be wonderful if on the finish of my testing interval within the walk-in cooler I felt comfy sufficient to remain there indefinitely whereas truthful packable puffers point out situations the place my enamel have been beginning to chatter. Whereas contemplating the comparative heat between down jackets, I additionally thought of how a lot protection was supplied by the hood, in addition to the performance of drawcords on the hem and elastic on the cuffs.
Sturdiness
In comparison with the perfect rain jackets or the perfect base layers, down jackets are comparatively fragile. The down is usually encased in nothing greater than a skinny nylon shell, sewn along with delicate baffles. Catching a nook of some down jackets on a bit of bramble may end up in a tear; others might be unaffected. To check the sturdiness of the perfect down jackets, I ran two assessments. To approximate the snags that may generally shred down jackets, I balled my hand into the sleeve of every and shoved my arm right into a thicket of blackberry brambles. A number of the jackets received fairly caught in there, and I needed to manually unhook a couple of thorns to get them again out. Others barely caught in any respect and I used to be in a position to simply pull my arm out.
![We tested the best down jackets by thrusting them into brambles.](https://www.outdoorlife.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/down-jackets-thron-test.jpg)
![To test durability we weighted down the jackets and dragged them on asphalt.](https://www.outdoorlife.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/down-jackets-weight-test.jpg)
My second take a look at checked out extra common abrasion resistance, akin to you may encounter should you slipped and fell on a tough floor. For this take a look at, I grabbed 4 2.5-pound weights and located a parking zone with a rougher asphalt floor. I positioned every jacket on its again with one of many weights on it, after which dragged it about 5 toes. If it survived with out noticeable harm I added one other weight. Once more, a couple of of the jackets survived this take a look at with nary a scratch whereas others ended up with a number of spots the place down was pouring out.
Weight and Down Weight
Weight was independently measured to verify producer specs. Due to the character of down there might be some variability in weight between merchandise; nevertheless, in situations the place there was greater than a half ounce discrepancy, I listed each my weight measurement and the one supplied by the producer.
Along with checking the down fill energy for every jacket, I additionally queried every producer concerning the variety of ounces of down in every jacket. Down fill energy (fp) refers back to the variety of cubic inches of loft 30 grams (1.05822 ounce) of down can obtain. Down that fills 800 cubic inches is 800fp, whereas down that solely fills 600 cubic inches is 600fp. However fill energy solely tells you half the story: In case you have three ounces of 600fp down, you’ll find yourself with 1700 cubic inches of loft. In case you have two ounces of 800 fill energy, you’ll solely find yourself with 1510 cubic inches.
A greater measure of purported heat of a jacket can be Down Quantity: Fill Energy x Weight. Whereas one producer (Patagonia) declined to share the load of the down they use of their jackets for this story, I’ve included that data for the remainder of the down jackets on this take a look at. Take into accout, nevertheless, {that a} jacket’s building will play a serious position in how successfully the down is used. Not sufficient down, and there might be chilly spots within the baffles. An excessive amount of, and the down gained’t have sufficient room to loft to its full potential.
Efficiency
Down Jacket | Value | Down Fill Energy (fp) | Down Weight | Down Quantity | Weight | Water Resistance | Sturdiness | Total Heat |
Arc’teryx Cerium Hoody | $400 | 850fp | N/A | N/A | 10.2 ounces | Nice | Nice | Nice |
Huge Agnes Luna | $270 | 700fp | 6 ounces | 65 liters | 13 ounces | Truthful | Nice | Wonderful |
Cotopaxi Fuego Down Hooded Jacket | $300 | 800fp | N/A | N/A | 11.7 ounces | Good | Nice | Good |
Loopy Levity | $650 | 950fp | 2.4 ounces | 35 liters | 6.1 ounces | Truthful | Truthful | Nice |
Eddie Bauer Stratustherm Down Jacket | $150 | 650fp | 3.5 ounces | 35 liters | 10.8 ounces | Nice | Wonderful | Good |
Fjallraven Expedition Pack Down Hoodie | $275 | 700fp | 3.5 ounces | 38 liters | 17.8 ounces | Good | Good | Wonderful |
Forloh ThermoNeutral Down Jacket | $400 | 650fp | 4.3 ounces | 43 liters | 17.1 ounces | Good | Wonderful | Good |
Kuiu Tremendous Down LT Hooded Jacket | $320 | 850fp | 2.6 ounces | 34 liters | 7 ounces | Nice | Nice | Nice |
Marmot Guides Down Hoody | $275 | 700fp | 9.3 ounces | 100 liters | 19.5 ounces | Good | Nice | Wonderful |
Marmot Hype Down Hoody | $300 | 800fp | 3 ounces | 37 liters | 9.2 ounces | Good | Good | Good |
Mountain Hardwear Ghost Whisperer 2 Hoody | $360 | 800fp | 2.9 ounces | 36 liters | 7.8 ounces | Nice | Poor | Nice |
Norrona Trollveggen Superlight Down Hood | $430 | 850fp | 2.5 ounces | 33 liters | 7.3 ounces | Nice | Poor | Good |
Out of doors Analysis Helium Down Hoodie | $300 | 800fp | 2.6 ounces | 32 liters | 15.4 ounces | Wonderful | Nice | Truthful |
Patagonia Down Sweater Hoody | $330 | 800fp | N/A | N/A | 12.1 ounces | Good | Nice | Nice |
Rab Microlight Alpine Jacket | $300 | 700fp | 5.1 ounces | 55 liters | 14.6 ounces | Truthful | Nice | Truthful |
Rab Mythic Alpine Gentle Jacket | $390 | 900fp | 2.1 ounces | 29 liters | 8 ounces | Wonderful | Nice | Good |
Stone Glacier Grumman Goose Down Jacket | $350 | 850fp | 5.3 ounces | 70 liters | 11.8 ounces | Wonderful | Nice | Wonderful |
How Water Resistance Testing Might Change within the Future
Whereas I’ve included the outcomes of the water resistance testing within the above desk, customers ought to know that upcoming laws could change the efficiency of among the finest down jackets. California issued Assembly Bill No. 2771 in 2022, which can prohibit the sale of textiles together with deliberately added PFAS beginning in 2025, and different states, together with Washington and Colorado are enacting related bans that may affect out of doors attire. Whereas PFAS is mostly related to non-stick cookware (assume Teflon), additionally it is used to offer water resistance, in addition to extra sturdiness and stain resistance, in out of doors gear. For down jackets, PFAS is typically discovered within the washes used to make the down itself water-resistant, in addition to the sturdy water-resistant (DWR) coating on the skin of the jackets.
I queried producers as to the place there may be at the moment PFAS of their clothes, and have equipped that data beneath. This turned out to be a reasonably sophisticated query, as PFAS turned up in a number of components of attire that producers don’t immediately make, such because the coating used on their zippers. A number of indicated their dedication to thoroughly eliminating PFAS from their attire traces by fall, however few had but achieved that standing.
In case you personal gear that incorporates PFAS, there is no such thing as a purpose to discard it. PFAS will increase your threat of most cancers when ingested, however there is no indication that it passes the skin barrier readily enough to pose a risk. Nonetheless, its ubiquity in client items and its standing as a “ceaselessly” chemical (so referred to as as a result of they can build up in both the environment and the human body) signifies that a number of states the place it’s now banned have seen it present up in unsafe ranges in native ingesting water provides. There are additionally substantial risks confronted by the individuals within the factories the place these jackets are manufactured.
Different Concerns
I additionally thought of a number of different moral and environmental components, together with the quantity of recycled content material in every jacket and whether or not it was Responsible Down Standard licensed. RDS states that force-feeding and live-plucking is prohibited. I additionally thought of the supplied guarantee (most have been fairly spectacular) and its affect on the general worth of every down jacket.
Company Accountability
Down Jacket | Value | Guarantee | Recycled Content material | Down Certification | PFAS Free? |
Arc’teryx Cerium Hoody | $400 | Restricted Lifetime | Shell material solely | RDS | No, in progress for Fall 2024 |
Huge Agnes Luna | $270 | Restricted Lifetime | Shell and lining material solely | RDS | Sure |
Cotopaxi Fuego Down Hooded Jacket | $300 | Restricted Lifetime | None | RDS | Sure |
Loopy Levity | $650 | Satisfaction Guaranteed | N/A | Downpass | N/A |
Eddie Bauer Stratustherm Down Jacket | $150 | 1 12 months | Shell and lining material solely | RDS | No (DWR coating), in progress for Summer season 2024 |
Fjallraven Expedition Pack Down Hoodie | $275 | Restricted Lifetime | Lining material solely | Inside verification | No (zippers solely), in progress for Fall 2024 |
Forloh ThermoNeutral Down Jacket | $400 | Lifetime Guarantee | None | RDS | No (DWR coating) |
Kuiu Tremendous Down LT Hooded Jacket | $320 | Restricted Lifetime | None | RDS | No, in progress for 2025 |
Marmot Guides Down Hoody | $275 | Restricted Lifetime | Shell and lining material, zipper pulls, down fill | Recycled | Sure |
Marmot Hype Down Hoody | $300 | Restricted Lifetime | Shell and lining material, zipper pulls | RDS | Sure |
Mountain Hardwear Ghost Whisperer 2 Hoody | $360 | Restricted Lifetime | Shell and lining material solely | RDS | No (zippers solely), in progress for Winter 2024 |
Norrona Trollveggen Superlight Down Hood | $430 | 5 years | Shell material solely | RDS | Sure |
Out of doors Analysis Helium Down Hoodie | $300 | Restricted Lifetime | 41% of the liner | RDS | Sure |
Patagonia Down Sweater Hoody | $330 | Satisfaction Assured | Shell and lining material solely | RDS | Not within the DWR coating |
Rab Microlight Alpine Jacket | $300 | Restricted Lifetime | 91 p.c of jacket | RDS | No (zippers solely), in progress for Winter 2024 |
Rab Mythic Alpine Gentle Jacket | $390 | Restricted Lifetime | 53 p.c of jacket | RDS | No (zippers solely), in progress for Winter 2024 |
Stone Glacier Grumman Goose Down Jacket | $350 | Restricted Lifetime | None | RDS | No, (DWR coating), in progress for 2025 |
Issues to Think about Earlier than Shopping for a Down Jacket
Fill Energy and Fill Weight of Down versus Feathers
It’s turn out to be more and more fashionable to promote the fill energy utilized in the perfect packable down jackets. However what’s fill energy? Fill energy refers back to the complete quantity taken up by an oz. of absolutely lofted down at numerous grades. Larger grade down can seize extra heat air than decrease grade down, and so will take up extra quantity. An oz. of 450 fill energy down takes up 450 cubic inches. An oz. of 900 fill energy down takes up 900 cubic inches. There are large weight financial savings that include utilizing increased grade down, however at a better value.
Much less typically marketed, however nonetheless necessary, is the fill weight: That’s how a lot of that down is definitely within the packable down jacket. (See our desk above for data on the fill weights of various packable puffer jackets). Even when a jacket is utilizing 900 fill energy down, if it’s not utilizing very a lot of it, it is going to solely be so heat. Conversely, a down puffer jacket stuffed to the brim with 550 fill energy down could also be fairly heat.
However even when you understand each of those metrics, you continue to don’t have the total image of heat. The design and distribution of down throughout a jacket can have an effect on heat. The potential for chilly spots — areas the down has shifted away from — also can have an effect on your expertise. Options like drawstrings on the hem in addition to the hood and cuff design can permit or forestall chilly air from creeping in. Lastly, if down is packed in too tightly, it could actually forestall it from absolutely lofting, diminishing the heat potential of the load and fill energy grade.
Chris Curtis, senior product supervisor for outerwear at Mountain Hardwear defined one other complicating issue: The mix of feathers to down can differ significantly when buying bulk down. “800 fill energy down insulation might be a mixture of 95 p.c down plumules and 5 p.c feather, or 90 and 10 p.c or 85 and 15 p.c,” he mentioned. “However because the warmth trapping properties of the down plumules is larger than the feathers, the 95/5 mix is statistically hotter than the 85/15, even when each are 800 fill energy.” Whereas manufacturers can specify a sure mix, generally that mix merely isn’t accessible, and they’ll compensate by adjusting how a lot fill is utilized in totally different components of the puffer coat.
RDS Certification
Whereas most down is a byproduct of the meals business, its recognition as an insulation materials has led to unethical practices previously: specifically, dwell plucking and drive feeding of geese. As a result of down is in just about all instances sourced from a third-party provider, it could actually make it tough for producers to independently confirm that animals have been handled humanely within the harvesting of goose and duck down. Accountable Down Normal (RDS) is a certification that verifies that there was third-party verification that each one animals have been handled humanely within the creation of a down garment.
Whereas RDS is the principle certification for down clothes, there are a few others which can be frequent as nicely, together with International Traceable Down and Downpass.
Shell Materials
Most packable down jackets are made with a nylon shell and DWR end. The shells sometimes are made in various thickness measured in denier (D). Normally these vary from 10D to 30D.
Pertex can be a standard sort of nylon used for packable down jacket shells, which supplies an additional diploma of safety from water.
Water Resistance
Whereas down jackets and down coats have a status for shedding their effectiveness in moist situations, my assessments confirmed that in the present day’s breed of down jackets, full with DWR therapies on the shell and hydrophobic therapies on the down itself, are literally fairly efficient at repelling mild rains. Nonetheless, these therapies will put on off over time. In case you regularly put on your down jacket out with no shell cowl, plan to refresh the water repellency frequently with merchandise like Nikwax’s hydrophobic down therapy.
Hood Protection
For my part, the perfect down jackets can have hoods, however the quantity of protection supplied by every hood varies significantly. In case you plan to make use of your down jacket as a standalone piece (i.e. with no balaclava or scarf) then test that it supplies enough protection of your head and face.
FAQs
Down jackets use down, the innermost layer of feathers on duck and geese, for insulation, whereas puffer jackets could use down insulation, artificial insulation, or a mix of each.
Down has the best heat for weight potential of any insulation materials. Nonetheless, how a lot heat is being supplied is dependent upon the standard of the down (measured in fill energy) and the quantity of that down that’s getting used. Typically, the much less puffy a down jacket is, the chillier it will likely be.
How heavy your down jacket needs to be is dependent upon how chilly your native temperatures are and what you propose to do. In case you plan to face round in subfreezing situations you’ll want a down jacket with a better fill quantity than should you’ll be actively mountaineering within the spring months.
You may test the relative heat of many best-in-class down jackets by reviewing our desk, which exhibits the outcomes of side-by-side testing. Typically, “truthful” scores needs to be saved for cool summer season evenings, whereas good and nice rated jackets could be worn into the shoulder season months. Down jackets rated wonderful are people who I might put on in below-freezing situations.
Whereas down jackets are usually not absolutely waterproof, they’re fairly water-resistant. Search for down coats that publicize DWR therapies and hydrophobic fills: These can deal with brief spurts in mild rain.
You may wash down jackets, however to guard the down for the long-term it is very important use detergents created particularly for down, like these from Nikwax.
Sure, all down jackets will lose a feather on occasion. That is regular and to be anticipated. Attempt to not pull on them while you see them as that may inadvertently lead to holes in your down jackets.
Remaining Ideas
The perfect down jackets can preserve you heat from the chilliness of early spring by way of the deep freeze of winter. After testing 17 totally different down jackets, these eight got here out on prime for heat, water resistance, and sturdiness.