Choosing the Right Down Jacket

A down jacket provides an exceptionally warm, comfortable and lightweight layer that’s ideal for cold weather backpacking, mountaineering or snowshoeing.down jacket But choosing the right jacket can be daunting, with so many options out there. The main considerations are fill power, weight and outer fabric. The best down jackets will be warm, lightweight, durable and have a good price point.

Down is the primary insulating medium for most down jackets, and it’s a natural material.down jacket Goose down, and sometimes duck down, is used because it has a high “loft,” or fluffiness, that creates insulating air pockets to keep you warm. The higher the fill power, the warmer and lighter your jacket will be. The fill power is determined by lab testing, which measures the baffles’ ability to trap warm air pockets.

The shell and lining fabrics make up the majority of a down jacket’s weight.down jacket Those fabrics also determine how waterproof and windproof your jacket will be, so the outer fabric is important as well as how tight or loosely woven it is. Tightly woven fabrics help to prevent down from poking through the shell, and they’re often treated with a water-resistant coating for additional protection.

Fill power and weight will have the greatest impact on how warm your jacket is, but other factors like baffle design and construction, shell fabric, and hood, cuff, and hem closures all play their parts as well. In general, though, a more expensive jacket with a higher fill power will be warmer for the same weight than a cheaper model with lower fill power.

Beyond warmth, your jacket’s packability will also have a major influence on how much it can be worn and where. Ultralight models with premium down can be incredibly puffy while also packing into a tiny stuff sack. At the other end of the spectrum, midweight down jackets like the Rab Microlight Alpine and Patagonia Fitz Roy have a more balanced mix of high-quality 800-fill down in a slightly bigger package than their ultralight counterparts.

While down is very warm for its weight, it does have a big drawback: It loses its insulating properties when it gets wet. The average down jacket will become a soggy sack of feathers that takes days to dry, and in the meantime won’t keep you very warm. The best down jackets will come with a waterproof shell and features like taped seams to protect your insulation from moisture.

Some jackets have hybrid constructions that use both down and synthetic insulation in areas prone to moisture, like the hood and shoulders. Others like the Arc’teryx Cerium combine down in most areas with synthetic in the hood and shoulders for extra moisture resistance. And, of course, some brands offer up designs that are completely waterproof and still very light and warm, like the Rab Microlight Alpine and Patagonia Macai.