A Guide to Down Jackets

Few pieces of gear make cold-weather adventures feel as cozy and comfortable as a quality down jacket.down jacket These insulated jackets use feathers from ducks and geese to trap air near your body for effective insulation that keeps you warm. The best down jackets are ultra-light, pack up small, and provide reliable warmth for outdoor activities and even everyday wear in cold weather. Our team of experts has spent a decade testing and reviewing hundreds of down jackets, using extensive real-world and in-house lab tests to find the best.

There are loads of complicated methods for determining how warm a down jacket will be, but the simplest way to narrow down your options is by looking at the fill power and fill weight of the product. The higher the fill power and fill weight, the warmer the jacket will be.

However, a number of factors can impact how warm you'll feel in a particular jacket, including the thickness of the insulation (fill ratio), how the jacket is constructed (types of baffles), and the fabric it is made from (DWR coating). To keep things simple, our guide to down jackets provides an overview of what you need to know about these components before making a purchase.

Choosing the right puffy depends on a variety of factors, including what type of outdoor activity you're planning to do and what kind of temperature range you'll be in. If you're hiking or backpacking, a jacket with a higher fill power and higher fill ratio will provide more warmth, but it may also be heavier than a jacket with lower ratings.

The amount of warmth you'll experience in a jacket can also be affected by the amount of moisture it will encounter on your adventures. If you're going to be outdoors in rainy or snowy conditions, make sure the shell and insulation are treated with a durable water repellent (DWR) treatment to protect against wet weather.

Once you've found the perfect down jacket, it's important to care for it properly. Washing your jacket according to the manufacturer's instructions will prevent it from losing its heat-trapping fluffiness and clumping together. It's also important to avoid sweating in it or wearing it without a layer of clothing between it and your skin, as body oils can cause the down to lose loft over time. Finally, use tennis or dryer balls when drying your jacket to help re-fluff the feathers and prevent them from clumping. With the right gear and good maintenance, your down jacket will be a valuable part of your cold-weather adventure arsenal for years to come.