REASONS TO BUY
Lightweight
Great layering piece
REASONS TO AVOID
Poor weather resistance
Outdoor Research Illuminate Hoody Review
Has a slim fit and layers well, but is vulnerable to rain and wet snow
Credit: Outdoor Research
RELATED: Best Down Jackets for Men of 2024
Our Verdict
The Outdoor Research Illuminate is a solid down mid-layer. Don't expect much in the way of weather protection, but do expect a slim fitting low bulk jacket that feels great under a shell. Stuffed with 800 fill power down housed in a 10 denier nylon shell, the Illuminate is lightweight and packable, with a climber-centric stowaway pocket to keep you warm pitch after pitch or mile after mile.
Our Analysis and Test Results
The Illuminate is a faster, sleeker, dare we say a sexier version of the classic OR Transcendent, using higher fill power down and a thinner shell material than its heavier cousin. This comes with the sacrifice of weather resistance and durability, but if you're disciplined and refrain from bushwacking, off-width climbing, or emergency automotive work in this jacket, you'll be rewarded with a light and relatively warm mid-layer at a nicer price than many of its competitors.
Performance Comparison
This slim-fitting jacket makes an excellent mid layer.
Credit: Matt Bento
Warmth
800 fill down has great insulating power for its weight, but the Illuminate isn't as warm as other jackets with the same type of insulation. Manufacturers don't generally list fill weights as they do for down sleeping bags, but we can assume that the extra warmth comes from there being more down in these jackets and keep their weight lower with lighter shell materials.
This jacket isn't as warm as our Editors' Choice award winner, The North Face Summit L3, as it has a higher hemline and less down.
Credit: Matt Bento
Weight
Weighing in at 12.5 ounces for a size large, this jacket is one of the lighter in our review. If weight is your first motivator when shopping for a down jacket, keep looking, but this has a good warmth to weight ratio.
Water resitance
You don't want to get caught in the rain without a hardshell or a rain jacket while wearing the OR Illuminate. This jacket is one of the least weather-resistant models we've tested, as it doesn't have a DWR treatment on its shell fabric or a hydrophobic treatment on its insulation. In our shower testing, all the jackets we tested eventually leaked, causing the feathers to lose their loft. The Illuminated soaked through at a fast pace and took the longest to dry out and re-loft.
Fit
This jacket is slim fitting, making it great if you're wearing it as a mid-layer, but limited if you want to throw it over all your other layers, parka style. The hem length could use being longer, but it provides a little more bum coverage than a few competitors.
Credit: Matt Bento
Compressibility
We've had some trouble in the past with the stowaway pockets on OR jackets being too small to fit the jackets. Maybe they were listening because the Illuminate fits easily into its pocket, and it includes a clip-in loop.
It stuffs easily into its own pocket and is one of the more compressible models we reviewed.
Credit: Matt Bento
Features
The Illuminate has several features that add to its comfort and functionality. Starting from the bottom, one hem cinch does a fine job sealing out the cold, though you need to be mindful to tuck the slack loop up into the jacket so it won't catch on anything. The zippered handwarmer pockets have a microfleece lining. While this move isn't in-line with ultralight, it is in line with comfort! The hood is a little small to fit over a helmet, but it's warm and held in place comfortably with a cinch cord in the back. The hood sits high on the forehead, and while it will keep your neck and ears toasty, it provides little weather protection.
The hood stays in place nicely thanks to a cinch cord in the rear but is too small to comfortably fit over a helmet.
Credit: Matt Bento
Value
The Illuminate's retail price is not bad at all for a jacket with high quality down and lightweight shell fabrics, especially considering the high price tags on the Arcteryx model, for example. This jacket's face fabric is very thin, but we didn't manage to put any holes in it or lose any feathers during the testing period. Our testers report a fast response and excellent support when dealing with Outdoor Research's warranty program.
800 fill power down feels sooo good on this chilly day at the crag.
Credit: Matt Bento
Conclusion
While not a top performer compared to some of the more expensive jackets in our review, we are pleased with the Illuminate's features and design for its price. It's much warmer for its weight than most synthetic competitors, without putting a large dent in your bank account.
—Adam Paashaus & Matt Bento
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