Finest Packable Down Jackets of 2024

Nearly everybody lately is sporting a packable down jacket. Even the place I reside, within the gloom and mist of rain jacket nation within the Pacific Northwest, puffer jackets have taken over. And the manufacturers producing them — Mountain Hardwear, Arc’teryx, Large Agnes, Fjallraven, Cotopaxi, and extra — are among the greatest names in outside attire. However with so many seemingly comparable choices to select from, how have you learnt which are literally heat, and that are about aesthetics solely? I put a dozen of one of the best packable down jackets to the take a look at to see which might come out on prime for heat, weight, and packability throughout a wide range of situations. 

How I Examined the Finest Packable Down Jackets

I thought of numerous standards for packable down jackets which might be essential for backpackers and backpack hunters, together with packability, weight, water resistance, options, general heat, and value. 

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 puffer jacket (a standard fail level) for water resistance. First, I sprayed them with water from a sprig bottle (mimicking the excessive humidity and mist that may be prevalent in standard 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. I mixed the outcomes of those three exams to supply an general image of how nicely the puffer jackets resisted water. 

To check packability, I began by stuffing every puffer jacket into its supplied or connected stuff sack to see which packed down the smallest. I then checked to see how simply every down jacket match into the smallest stuff sack (the Rab Mythic Alpine Gentle Jacket). I then mixed these two metrics to present every down jacket a grade for packability, from further small to giant. When assigning these grades I saved in thoughts what measurement down jacket I used to be (producers supplied a spread of sizes from further small to medium). 

Total heat was examined utilizing a walk-in fridge. I examined the jackets in August and this was the right approach to obtain a cool, temperature-controlled atmosphere. This additionally made testing extra dependable as a result of the temperature is posted proper exterior, starting from 39-45. There was additionally no wind chill and fixed low humidity to keep away from skewing obvious temperature versus precise. Along with assessing how comparatively heat I used to be between 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. 

I independently weighted every to substantiate producer specs. Due to the character of down there can be some variability in weight between merchandise; as such, I’ve solely famous these cases the place there was greater than a half ounce of discrepancy.

For packed measurement, ultralight backpackers ought to search for these packable down jackets famous as further small, whereas giant or medium puffers can be extra applicable for packing into checked baggage and the like. Glorious water resistance implies that the down jacket utterly resisted water absorption throughout my take a look at (though I might not take that to imply they’re waterproof) whereas truthful notes cases the place the water soaked both into the insulation of the jacket or utterly by means of to the opposite facet of the puffer. Total heat was judged to be glorious if on the finish of my testing interval within the walk-in cooler I felt snug sufficient to remain there indefinitely whereas truthful packable puffers point out cases the place my tooth have been beginning to chatter. 

Finest Packable Down Jackets: Evaluations & Suggestions

Finest Total: Large Agnes Girls’s Luna Jacket/Males’s Shovelhead 

Purchase the Girls’s

Execs

• Heat sufficient for cold-weather tenting
• Nice options like a visor and thumbholes
• Glorious hood protection
• Least costly puffer jacket in my take a look at

Cons

• A bigger packed measurement
• Heavier than different picks on this checklist

Key Options

• Out there Sizes:
  Males’s XS-XL, girls’s XS-L
• Weight:
  13 ounces
• Fill:
  6 ounces at 700 fill energy
• Down Certification:
  RDS

Check Outcomes

• Heat:
  Glorious
• Packed Down:
  Massive
• Runs barely small

Positive, I need a packable down jacket to weigh as little as attainable and pack down small. However greater than the rest, I need my packable down jacket to maintain me heat. The Large Agnes Luna just isn’t a midlayer for summer season mountain climbing at elevation, however a puffer full of down that may preserve you heat at an alpine camp when the temps drop. Even higher, it’s acquired sufficient oomph to go out on snowy overnights. 

I’ve been sporting the Large Agnes Luna (the ladies’s model of this jacket, the lads’s model is known as the Shovelhead) for over a 12 months, and after testing out the competitors, it’s staying in my rotation completely. It’s not my first selection for ultralight backpacking (that’d be the Loopy Levity) or a backup layer for midsummer tenting (go along with the Mountain Hardwear Ghost Whisperer or Rab Microlight Alpine Jacket), however it’s what I seize for absolutely anything else. Autumn neighborhood strolls with the household: Luna. Winter backpacking journeys: Luna. Shoulder season tenting journeys: Luna. I do know it would preserve me toasty heat in all these situations and that’s the peace of thoughts I need.

My favourite element concerning the Large Agnes Luna and Shovelhead is simply how a lot down they packed in there. Though it’s utilizing a decrease grade fill energy than different packable down jackets on this checklist, it’s merely utilizing a lot of it (6 ounces) that it’s blowing the competitors out of the water for heat potential. In reality, it has a lot down stuffed into it, that I think it’s not in a position to maximize the lofting potential of the 700 fill energy, as a result of there merely isn’t room for all of it to loft totally. However in reality I see that as a plus. It implies that I don’t have to fret about dropping heat with each inevitable wisp of down poking by means of the shell layer. There’s loads extra inside. 

The small print of the Large Agnes Luna and Shovelhead are additionally amongst my favorites of any puffer jacket I’ve checked out. The hood is extraordinarily beneficiant, which I really like on days when the wind is kicking up and I wish to protect the facet of my face. The thumbholes on the sleeves are excellent for after I need a bit of additional heat for my fingers. 

Whereas the Large Agnes Luna carried out completely within the chilly room take a look at, it struggled with the water resistance testing. Whereas the down retained its loft it doesn’t matter what I threw at it (the sheer amount of water-repellent down coming into play right here), the material itself absorbed, and handed by means of, a major quantity of water. I think what’s occurring right here is that the sheer quantity of use this puffer jacket has gotten has brought about its water-repellent end to utterly put on off. The end right here is comprised of a PFOS and PFOA-free method. Whereas a lot better for the atmosphere and human well being, it could have to be refreshed extra usually. 

Finest for Backpacking: Mountain Hardwear Ghost Whisperer 2

Purchase the Girls’s

Execs

• Nice heat to weight to cost ratio
• Nice climate resistance (though the down just isn’t handled with a hydrophobic wash)

Cons

• Barely costlier than different picks on this checklist
• Not heat sufficient for shoulder season or winter backpacking

Key Options

• Out there Sizes:
  Males’s S-XXL, girls’s XS-XL
• Weight:
  7.8 ounces
• Fill:
  2.9 ounces at 800 fill energy
• Down Certification:
  RDS

Check Outcomes

• Heat:
  Nice
• Packs Down:
  Small
• Run barely giant

The Mountain Hardwear Ghost Whisperer 2 is one thing of a mainstay amongst backpackers. Most of us have owned this coat a minimum of as soon as, and once we’re evaluating a possible new insulative layer, it’s what we’re evaluating it in opposition to. 

After testing among the finest packable down jackets from different prime manufacturers, the Mountain Hardwear Ghost Whisperer 2 continues to be among the finest choices for backpackers there’s. It’s very light-weight—in my take a look at, the one factor lighter than it was the Loopy Levity. It’s surprisingly heat for that weight, too, conserving me comfortably heat through the freezer take a look at. 

The cuffs of the Mountain Hardwear Ghost Whisperer 2 have some artificial fill to forestall them from wetting out. Most backpackers have skilled the cuff of their down jacket poking out from beneath their rain shell on bad-weather days, and inevitably getting moist. After totally submerging the Ghost Whisperer cuffs in water, I shook them dry and so they lofted completely. The one signal that they have been moist, in reality, was the skinny strip of material operating across the inside, which held extra moisture than the rest.

The remainder of the jacket was so efficient at repelling moisture, in reality, that it was utterly dry on the underside after two hours with 1 / 4 cup of water sitting in opposition to the again. Nonetheless, watch out to maintain this one underneath one of many finest backpacking rain jackets whenever you’re out within the backcountry: The down just isn’t handled with a hydrophobic wash. 

I additionally appreciated the protection on the Mountain Hardwear Ghost Whisperer 2. The small measurement simply lined my unusually lengthy (19 inches) torso, and the hood wrapped comfortably round my face, offering loads of protection round my neck and jawline. In case you’re on the lookout for a light-weight insulative layer to get you thru chilly mornings and evenings within the alpine, this is a superb selection. 

Finest Eco-Pleasant: Rab Microlight Alpine Jacket

Purchase the Girls’s

Execs

• 90 % of the jacket is comprised of recycled supplies
• Affordably priced
• Small packed measurement
• Wide selection of obtainable sizes

Cons

• Not as heat as different packable down jackets
• Considerably heavy

Key Options

• Out there Sizes:
  Males’s XXS-XXL, girls’s XXS-XXL
• Weight:
  14.6 ounces
• Fill:
  5.1 ounces at 700 fill energy
• Down Certification:
  RDS

Check Outcomes

• Heat:
  Honest
• Packed Down:
  Medium
• Runs giant

Not solely does the Rab Microlight Alpine Jacket have spectacular environmental bonafides in comparison with different packable down jackets, it has spectacular bonafides in comparison with nearly any piece of outside gear. A full 90 % of this jacket is comprised of recycled supplies. Not 90 % of the shell materials; 90 % of your complete jacket. That’s past spectacular.

Along with utilizing one hundred pc recycled materials for the shell materials, Rab additionally makes use of one hundred pc recycled down for the fill with the Rab Microlight Alpine Jacket. The recycled down comes from duvets, pillows, and outdated down sleeping luggage and jackets (you possibly can even get a free label to recycle immediately with Rab if you’re within the UK). Rab can be an authorized Local weather Impartial Firm. And so they’ve achieved all this with out a rise in value—the Rab Microlight Alpine Jacket was one of many extra inexpensive choices I checked out.

Sadly, there have been some efficiency points. Regardless of being handled with a hydrophobic wash, the down matted throughout my take a look at of the cuffs. After I left 1 / 4 cup of water on prime of the jacket, all of it soaked by means of the Pertex shell in two hours—one of many worst performances in my take a look at. That being mentioned, the pores and skin really feel of the fabric is great—so long as you might be cautious to not depart it in a puddle of water, most individuals can be happy with its efficiency.

The Rab Microlight Alpine Jacket additionally struggled through the cold-room take a look at. I used to be pretty chilly whereas sporting this jacket alone at a temperature vary of 39 to 45 levels Fahrenheit. Preserve this one readily available for summer season tenting and shoulder season errands, however should you want some critical efficiency out of your packable down jacket, different choices on this checklist will serve you higher stead.  

Finest Ultralight: Loopy Levity

Purchase the Girls’s

Execs

• Extraordinarily light-weight
• Surprisingly heat
• Packs down small

Cons

• Very costly
• Scant on options

Key Options

• Out there Sizes:
  Males’s S-XL, girls’s XS-L
• Weight:
  6.1 ounces (producer specs: 5.4 ounces)
• Fill:
  2.4 ounces at 950 fill energy
• Certification:
  Downpass

Check Outcomes

• Heat:
  Nice
• Packed Down:
  Additional small
• Runs true to measurement

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. It additionally puffs up seemingly immediately; no ready round for the jacket to loft. And, in fact, it packs down very small: the second smallest packed measurement in my take a look at. 

There are a few methods the Loopy Levity pulls off this spectacular feat. The primary is to easily use the very 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 overall 6.1 ounces of the jacket are down. Subsequent is a novel strategy to baffling. Moderately 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 regularly for months and haven’t seen any chilly spots because 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 tremendous, nevertheless). And bear in mind all that premium down I discussed? That’s a part of the largest downside of the Loopy Levity. Its value level is a whole bunch of {dollars} greater than the rest I’ve checked out. 

Most individuals will probably have a look at the Loopy Levity and resolve (rightly) that it’s not for them. However should you’d pay nearly something to scrap a few ounces out of your pack weight, it’s a will need to have. 

Learn the total assessment: Loopy Levity: Can a Tremendous Ultralight Puffer Really Preserve You Heat? 

Katabatic Tincup

Purchase the Girls’s

Execs

• Heat
• Reasonably priced
• Sturdy exterior

Cons

• Much less packable than others that I checked out

Key Options

• Out there Sizes:
  Males’s S-XXL, girls’s: S-XXL
• Weight:
  11.1 ounces (producer specs: 11.0 ounces)
• Fill:
  4.7 ounces at 850 fill energy
• Down Certification:
  RDS

Check Outcomes

• Heat:
  Nice
• Packed Down:
  Massive
• Runs true to measurement

The Katabatic Tincup has rapidly grow to be one in all my favourite down jackets. It’s very heat, almost as heat because the Large Agnes Luna and Fjallraven Expedition Pack Down Hoodie, with no chilly spots to talk of. It’s acquired a formidable and sturdy exterior cloth that doesn’t catch simply, however a smoother inside cloth that’s silky clean to the contact. The match is nice for people with common silhouettes (and so they have a formidable vary of sizes), and that is simply one of many lower-priced choices that I checked out.

Actually the one ding on this jacket is that it’s not particularly packable for a down jacket. In case you’re simply on the lookout for an on a regular basis piece that you could stuff into your mountain climbing backpack it would work simply tremendous, however should you’re trying to maximize packed house for journey or backpacking, go along with one other choose on this checklist.

Fjallraven Expedition Pack Down Hoodie

Purchase the Girls’s

Execs

• Very heat 
• Affordably priced

Cons

• Not as waterproof as others that I checked out
• Boxy silhouette
• Heavy

Key Options

• Out there Sizes:
  Males’s XS-XXL, girls’s XXS-XL
• Weight:
  17.8 ounces (producer specs: 15.3 ounces)
• Fill:
  3.5 ounces at 700 fill energy
• Down Certification:
  Down Promise

Check Outcomes

• Heat:
  Glorious
• Packed Down:
  Massive
• Runs giant

After a few packable down jackets had left me shivering through the testing interval, I made a decision it was time to interrupt out the heaviest possibility within the arsenal, the Fjallraven Expedition Pack Down Hoodie, for a change of tempo. I used to be not upset. The jacket was heat from the second I put it on and solely acquired hotter as time went on. On the finish of the testing interval, I felt I might have fortunately stayed within the chilly room even longer. Along with being loads heat, the Fjallraven Expedition Pack Down Hoodie can be affordably priced (solely the Large Agnes Luna/Shovelhead was much less). 

The draw back to the Fjallraven Expedition Pack Down Hoodie is that it’s heavy and hulking, noticeably extra so than the Large Agnes Luna that I examined whereas solely offering marginally extra heat. It wouldn’t be my first selection for a backpacking journey, together with in winter, for that motive. I additionally discovered that it had a reasonably boxy silhouette, which is neither as flattering or as environment friendly an insulator as extra streamlined choices. 

One element that I actually appreciated concerning the Fjallraven Expedition Pack Down Hoodie was the fleece across the neck gap of the jacket. Throughout the winter months I usually pull the cowl in as shut as I can to maintain my mouth and nostril from getting chilly, which may result in not insignificant moisture buildup. The addition of a contact of fleece there’ll assist be sure that it stays snug even after getting somewhat damp. 

Rab Mythic Alpine Gentle Jacket

Purchase the Girls’s

Execs

• Nice water resistance
• Light-weight

Cons

• Not fairly as heat as different picks on this checklist

Key Options

• Out there Sizes:
  Males’s S-XXL, girls’s XS-XL
• Weight:
  8 ounces
• Fill:
  2.1 ounces at 900 fill energy
• Down Certification:
  RDS

Check Outcomes

• Heat:
  Good
• Packed Down:
  Additional small
• Runs true to measurement

In case you’re planning a fast-and-light trek that’s going to place all of your gear to the take a look at, then take an in depth have a look at the Rab Mythic Alpine Gentle Jacket. Throughout testing it confirmed glorious water resistance, very close to on par with the Out of doors Analysis Helium Down—at half the burden. It packs down very small, due to its 900 fill energy it packed down smaller than the rest I checked out.

It wasn’t fairly as heat as the opposite backpacking-ready packable down jackets I checked out, just like the Loopy Levity or Mountain Hardwear Ghost Whisperer 2, however you’re probably not planning to hold round camp, and even actually take any breaks in any respect proper? That is the puffer you need readily available whenever you hit the ridge and a wall of wind (combined with mist) blasts you within the face. Simply throw this on and preserve shifting till you’re warmed again up. When it’s time to take away this layer once more, you’ll barely discover the burden or quantity it takes up in your bag. 

Out of doors Analysis Helium Down Hoodie

Purchase the Girls’s

Execs

• Most waterproof packable down jacket I examined
• Additional sturdy waterproof materials on the hood and shoulders
• Nice vary of sizes accessible

Cons

• Heavy
• Not as heat as different choices I checked out

Key Options

• Out there Sizes:
  Males’s S-XXXL, girls’s XS-4X
• Weight:
  15.4 ounces
• Fill:
  2.6 ounces at 800 fill energy
• Down Certification:
  RDS

Check Outcomes

• Heat:
  Honest
• Packed Down:
  Medium
• Runs true to measurement

In case you are usually fairly arduous in your gear you then’ve most likely been avoiding packable down jackets. Delicate nylon shells with much more delicate down can spell huge hassle if you end up plowing by means of soggy brush. One tear (and they’re fairly straightforward to tear) and the center of the entire thing—a whole bunch of {dollars} of down—go flying all over the place. Worse, on the first trace of moisture, down begins to mat, dropping its insulative properties. Overlook your shell layer and also you’re screwed. 

If that sounds such as you, then you must think about the Out of doors Analysis Down Helium Hoodie. It was the outright winner of my water resistance testing, with no water penetrating by means of the jacket after two hours. Spectacular stuff. The water was sitting on the intersection of the Pertex Quantum cloth (the vast majority of the shell) and the Quantum Defend with Diamond Fuse cloth. This cloth, which is positioned on the hood and shoulders, is each considerably extra sturdy than typical packable down jacket shells and really waterproof: a significant asset if an surprising storm kicks up. 

The draw back to this jacket is twofold: It wasn’t very warm in comparison with different choices I examined, and it’s pretty heavy. Seize this one should you’ll be working up a lightweight sweat in a cool rain. 

Arc’teryx Cerium Hoody

Purchase the Girls’s

Execs

• Very heat for its weight
• Nice water resistance
• Good vary of sizes

Key Options

• Out there Sizes:
  Males’s XS-XXXL, girls’s: XXS-XXL
• Weight:
  10.2 ounces
• Fill:
  2.6 ounces at 800 fill energy
• Down Certification:
  RDS

Check Outcomes

• Heat:
  Nice
• Packed Down:
  Medium
• Runs barely small

Arc’teryx is understood for making premium open air merchandise at a premium value, and their Cerium Hoody was no exception. It was noticeably hotter throughout testing than the Loopy Levity, Mountain Hardwear Ghost Whisperer 2, and the Rab Mythic Alpine Gentle Jacket whereas solely weighing a pair ounces extra. It additionally had a wonderful efficiency through the water resistance take a look at, with the cuffs solely matting barely when totally submerged in water. Solely a slight quantity of moisture soaked by means of after I left 1 / 4 cup of water on the again for 2 hours. 

However, it’s costlier than every little thing however the Loopy Levity. In case you’re on the lookout for extra heat than backpacking requirements just like the Ghost Whisperer present however don’t need the majority of a winter-weight puffer just like the Large Agnes Luna, then the Arc’teryx Cerium Hoody stands out as the center floor you might be on the lookout for. 

Finest for Youngsters: Large Agnes Ice Home Hoodie

See It

Execs

• One of many warmest puffer jackets for youths accessible
• Extraordinarily sturdy
• Smallest measurement suits older toddlers
• Affordably priced

Discovering high-quality outside clothes for youths will be difficult, as loads of pint-sized attire is constructed with the concept you’re going to take a break out of your outside pursuits now that you just’re a guardian. However you aren’t, are you? Yeah, me both. So the gear we get for our youngsters wants to have the ability to sustain with the gear we have already got for ourselves.

That’s what the Large Agnes Ice Home is. I’d say it’s just like the mini model of my finest general choose—the Shovelhead/Luna puffer jacket—because it shares some primary design similarities, together with the beneficiant hood and collar, drop-tail hem, and plenty and plenty of puff (600fp vs the 700fp of the grownup model). However actually the Ice Home is likely to be even higher. My child wore the smallest model of the Ice Home hoodie for 2 years, and it went by means of the wringer: snow, rain, wind, mud, sand, juice spills, pasta dinners. I by no means washed it. It nonetheless seems nice. The one drawback with it’s that she merely grew out of it. Time to order the subsequent measurement up. 

The Remainder of the Discipline

I checked out what’s arguably the most well-liked packable down jacket—the Cotopaxi Fuego. Whereas it carried out completely tremendous in all my exams, it didn’t notably shine in any of them. It repelled water within the cuff take a look at, however 1 / 4 cup of water soaked by means of the again when left to sit down for 2 hours. The Fuego was center of the street for packability. It was moderately heat within the walk-in fridge take a look at, however not excellent for its weight or value.

Learn Subsequent: The Finest Down Jackets

And whereas Cotopaxi’s B corp bonafides are spectacular, the recycled content material of the Rab Microlight Alpine Jacket places it in a category of its personal for eco-consciousness. My take is that should you already personal the Cotopaxi Fuego, you must really feel assured that you’ve got a high-performing packable down jacket. However if you’re trying to improve or buy one for the primary time, one of many different choices I examined is more likely to be a greater match relying in your priorities. 

I attempted one cheaper puffer jacket possibility within the run as much as this take a look at: the Decathlon Forclaz Girls’s MT100 Hooded Down Puffer Jacket. Sadly, regardless of its low value, I believe that is one to steer away from. In my expertise, this coat merely doesn’t loft, even when left unpacked for lengthy intervals of time or worn throughout brisk walks. Higher to spend extra on a premium packable down jacket and get some actual warmth-to-weight advantages.

Learn Subsequent: The Finest Base Layers of 2023

Issues to Take into account Earlier than Shopping for a Packable Down Jacket 

Fill Energy and Fill Weight of the Finest Packable Down Jackets

It’s grow to be more and more standard to promote the fill energy utilized in one of the best packable down jackets. However what’s fill energy? Fill energy refers back to the whole quantity taken up by an oz. of totally 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 enormous weight financial savings that include utilizing increased grade down, however at a better price.

Much less usually marketed, however nonetheless essential, is the fill weight: That’s how a lot of that down is definitely within the packable down jacket. (See our desk above for info 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 would 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 realize 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—may have an effect on your expertise. Options like drawstrings on the hem in addition to the hood and cuff design can enable or forestall chilly air from creeping in. Lastly, if down is packed in too tightly, it could actually forestall it from totally lofting, diminishing the heat potential of the burden 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 fluctuate significantly when buying bulk down. “800 fill energy down insulation could possibly be a mixture of 95 % down plumules and 5 % feather, or 90 and 10 % or 85 and 15 %,” he mentioned. “However for the reason that warmth trapping properties of the down plumules is bigger 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, typically that mix merely isn’t accessible, and they’ll compensate by adjusting how a lot fill is utilized in completely different components of the puffer coat. 

Learn Subsequent: Learn how to Layer for Mountaineering 

RDS Certification of the Finest Packable Down Jackets

Whereas most down is a byproduct of the meals trade, its recognition as an insulation materials has led to unethical practices previously: specifically, reside plucking and pressure feeding of geese. As a result of down is in nearly all instances sourced from a third-party provider, it could actually make it troublesome 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 might be widespread as nicely, together with International Traceable Down and Downpass. 

Shell Materials of the Finest Packable Down Jackets

Most packable down jackets are made with a nylon shell and DWR end. The shells usually are made in various thickness measured in denier (D): normally these vary from 10D to 30D. 

Pertex can be a standard kind of nylon used for packable down jacket shells, which supplies an additional diploma of safety from water. 

Water Resistance of the Finest Packable Down Jackets

Whereas down jackets and down coats have a fame for dropping their effectiveness in moist situations, my exams confirmed that as we speak’s breed of packable down jackets, full with DWR therapies on the shell and hydrophobic therapies on the down themselves, are literally fairly efficient at repelling gentle rains. Nonetheless, these therapies will put on off over time. In case you regularly put on your down jacket out and not using a shell cowl, plan to refresh the water repellency regularly with merchandise like Nikwax’s hydrophobic down therapy. 

Hood Protection of the Finest Packable Down Jackets

One of the best packable down jackets will all the time 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., and not using a balaclava or scarf) then test that it supplies ample protection of your head and face. 

Learn Subsequent: The Finest Puffer Pants

FAQs

Learn Subsequent: The Finest Thermal Underwear for Girls

Ultimate Ideas on the Finest Packable Down Jackets

Whereas high-quality packable down jackets have been as soon as the purview of mountaineers, backpackers, and backpack hunters, increasingly more individuals are discovering their unimaginable warmth-to-weight potential. After years of attempting out completely different fashions of packable down jackets, I examined fashions from eight of the largest manufacturers for this story, together with Out of doors Analysis, Cotopaxi, Arc’teryx, Rab, Large Agnes, Loopy, and Mountain Hardwear. I used to be impressed by all of them, however just a few actually shone by means of and are actually my go-to staples for every little thing from journeys to the grocery retailer to overnights within the alpine.

 

The Finest Offers on Out of doors Gear Items

After field-testing one of the best gear all 12 months lengthy, we all know precisely what must be in your buying checklist. Take a look at the highest performing open air merchandise and one of the best offers accessible.