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Looking for a synthetic insulating layer without the cost and maintenance of down? We have tested over 60 of the best synthetic insulated jackets in extensive side by side comparison to find out which ones will hit the mark for your specific needs. Synthetic insulated jackets insulate when wet, offer excellent breathability, and generally cost less than down competitors. Whether you are looking for the warmest jacket to keep you comfortable in the coldest of temperatures, a lightweight and stretchy active layer to wear while working up a sweat, or a jacket with optimal wind resistance, we have you covered with excellent and affordable recommendations.
We've put a variety of apparel for men through the wringer and have thoroughly analyzed clothing, including down jackets, the top-rated fleece jackets, and winter jackets. Men's and women's versions are available for most styles; however, they don't always perform the same. To address this, we conduct in-depth testing by female reviewers on a whole fleet of women's insulated jackets, too.
Editor's Note: We updated our insulated jacket review on October 9, 2024, to ensure our lineup is up to date and offer some additional suggestions in our award section on other jackets we love.
We put the Patagonia DAS Light Hoody to the test high above the talus in Rocky Mountain National Park. When the wind picked up and the afternoon thunderstorms changed from rain to hail, we pulled on this jacket for instant warmth and weather protection. This lightweight jacket combines 65 grams of warm PlumaFill insulation with a Pertex Quantum shell with a DWR finish that performed super well in our tests at protecting us from the elements. Though a bit difficult to fit inside, the jacket has the ability to stow into the left-hand pocket, making it easy to carry on long hikes or up climbing routes. The fabric tends to be noisy, which some testers didn't like, but the fit was quite comfortable. The large and loose cut allowed for easy layering underneath, and there is ample room in the shoulders and back for unimpeded overhead movement. The longer hem kept the jacket from riding up, and the fabric feels smooth against the skin.
While it works great as an outer layer, the DAS Light performed better when protecting us from the elements than it did when we were performing high-output activities. Our testers noted that sweat built up quickly, necessitating the use of the dual zippers to ventilate or simply removing the jacket altogether to avoid being cold and sweaty. If it's a more breathable insulated jacket you're seeking, check out the Arc'teryx Atom Hoody, which was one of the most breathable jackets in our test and can work as a functional mid-layer. While it's possible to use the DAS Light as a mid-layer, we found it's better suited as an outer layer to protect against the elements on slightly rainy days.
The Arc'teryx Atom Hoody is an active insulated layer that has found a lot of utility during testing. Our testers found it great for climbing, running, snow sports, and just about any outdoor activity in cool to cold weather. The jacket offers a more athletic cut that fits close to the body but still offers maneuverability and freedom. The arms are long enough that they don't pull up when stretching, and the low hem keeps your waist protected. The Atom Hoody offers Coreloft insulation to keep your torso warm and stretch fleece side panels that keep it lightweight and breathable when you are exerting yourself.
Active layers are meant to be worn while doing activities, protecting you from the wind and elements but breathable enough to keep you from getting overheated and sweaty. Since these layers tend to be thin, they aren't meant to protect you from cold temps if you are inactive and standing still. If you're looking for straight warmth, check out a jacket like the Rab Nebula Pro, which is lofty and toasty. During testing, we found the Atom Hoody worked great as a stand-alone layer for outdoor activities in cool weather and equally perfect as a mid-layer when things got colder. Testers loved this jacket for winter running, skinning uphill, winter bouldering, snowboarding, and even for high-output Nordic skiing. It also serves as a lightweight jacket for chilly mountain evenings and mornings during the summer, or spring and fall when a heavier jacket would be overkill. If you are interested in a slightly less expensive option, we also like the Patagonia Nano Puff Hoody as a casual cool weather jacket or midlayer.
The Amazon Essentials Lightweight Puffer is filled with nylon insulation covered by a nylon shell and sold for a fraction of the cost of many other puffy jackets available. If you live in a milder climate or plan to layer this jacket with a rain jacket or hardshell jacket, this can be an adequate option that saves you a lot of money. Though it doesn't stuff into its own pocket, it comes with a small stuff sack if you want that option. It's comfortable to wear and inexpensive to own.
This jacket does not compress as small as a technical jacket, and so isn't ideal when packability is key. It's also not quite as warm as many others we've tested. While the version we tested didn't come with a hood, this jacket does have that option available if you want one. At the end of the day, this is a solid option for folks living in milder climates. If packability is what you're after, the Patagonia Micro Puff Hoody is hard to beat, though it won't be nearly as friendly to your wallet.
The Amazon Essentials jacket is a lightweight synthetic puffy that won't drain your bank account.
A warm jacket meant to protect you from the elements, the Rab Xenair Alpine is one of the most cozy and comfortable insulated jackets we have tested. Rab designed this breathable and versatile jacket for activities like climbing, mountaineering, and skiing. Our testers found the Xenair to be breathable while still protective from the elements. With two chest and two hand pockets, adjustable cuffs, hem, hood, and two-way zipper, you have plenty of ways to adapt the jacket to your activities while allowing for mobility and warmth. The long hem in the back keeps your rear protected, and the inner 20D recycled nylon with insulation throughout makes it feel like you're wrapped in your favorite sleeping bag. With the combined warmth and wind resistance, our testers found this jacket great for hiking, skiing, snowboarding, and everyday use when temps drop.
As you may expect, when using breathable fabric, you sometimes sacrifice water resistance. The shell of the Xenair Alpine sheds light water but begins to soak through the fabric to the insulation if exposed to heavier rain. Thankfully, it didn't soak through to the inner layer, and since it is filled with synthetic insulation, it still keeps you warm. (If you want the most water resistant jacket in our test, look to the Patagonia DAS Light Hoody.) The Xenair works well as an outer layer for most activities but functions great as an insulating mid-layer when you add a waterproof shell over top.
Filled with Nikwax-treated hydrophobic down, the Rab Electron Pro is warm enough for a chilly walk with the dog, a backcountry ski trip, and anything in between. It's packed full of features, like an adjustable waist hem, a helmet-compatible hood, and a two-way zipper. The Electron Pro has a drop hem in the back, covering your rear and locking in heat during movement. The 800-fill is packed in large baffles that trap heat. It has plenty of room to comfortably moving around, and this jacket will fit a layering system underneath or a shell over the top. It is treated with DWR, and the hydrophobic down keeps the weather away.
Though it packs up larger than other down jackets, compared to synthetic insulated jackets, the Electron Pro is on the smaller side. It includes a stuff sack, though it isn't stitched in, so be sure to keep a close eye on it. This jacket is also on the heavier side at 16.1 ounces. All in all, we continue to love this jacket year after year. The REI Co-op 650 Down is another down jacket that is worth a look. It is affordable, comfortable, and is available in extended sizes.
The Rab Electron Pro is stylish, warm, and versatile. Year after year, it is one of our favorite down jackets.
Credit: Sam Schild
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The recycled insulation in the Rab Nebula Pro had a down-like feel, and the fleece lining at the chin felt comfortable against the skin.
Credit: James Lucas
How We Test Insulated Jackets
Choosing which jackets to include in this review starts with lots of research by our reviewers and editors regarding the newest technologies and upgrades in the market. We then put these jackets to the test in the real world, using them the same way you do or would like to. We wear them while backcountry skiing, snowboarding, backpacking, hiking, climbing, Nordic skiing, shoveling snow, sitting around the campfire, and all the moments in between. We also test and rate each product more objectively and base recommendations on several metrics, including warmth, comfort, portability, weather resistance, and breathability. For more on our testing process, check out our How We Test article.
Our insulated jacket tests are divided across five different metrics:
Warmth (25% of score weighting)
Comfort (25% weighting)
Weather Resistance (20% weighting)
Portability (15% weighting)
Breathability (15% weighting)
Why Trust GearLab
This review is a collaboration between
James Lucas and Travis Reddinger. James works as a freelance photographer and writer who has written a Yosemite Valley bouldering guidebook, worked as an editor for Climbing Magazine, and traveled the world exploring the outdoors and climbing. Travis has spent much of his life in Minnesota, and wanting to remain active through the winter months, he has to endure harsh temperatures in the quest to be outdoors.
We put these insulated jackets to the test, wearing them on our hikes, errand runs, and ski trips. We even tested their weatherproofing by spraying them with water.
Credit: Travis Reddinger
Analysis and Test Results
The jackets tested in this category all use a variety of synthetic insulation but tend to be either active insulating layers or insulated jackets for warmth. Active jackets are generally thinner layers made with stretch fabrics and are highly breathable. They are designed to be worn all the time, can be layered over, and thrive on winter days when you are working up a sweat. Traditional insulated jackets have been designed to be warm and present a less expensive and more water-resistant option compared to down insulation.
We have tested both varieties in this review, and while we grade each choice on the metrics described below, be sure to identify which type of jacket — active or warmth — is likely to serve you well and aid in determining the best jacket for your needs.
What's the Best Value?
A good insulated jacket doesn't have to cost an arm and a leg, but you should plan on spending a good chunk of change for excellent quality. Synthetic jackets have historically been less spendy than down competitors, but with their rise in popularity, the field (at least price-wise) has evened out.
The Rab Nebula Pro offers significant warmth for its price and acted as a solid choice as a heavier insulated piece.
Credit: James Lucas
The Rab Nebula Pro offers excellent value with its notable price point and excellent warmth. If you are willing to spend a little more, the Rab Xenair Alpine also has a lot of nice features you are sure to be happy with. We also want to highlight top performers like the Patagonia DAS Light and Arc'teryx Atom Hoody. While these models cost a bit more, they are some of the top performers in our fleet; as such, they represent excellent value for your money. Meanwhile, the Amazon Essentials Lightweight is much more affordable, though it doesn't perform as well.
The DAS Light Hoody may be one of the pricier options in the list, but you will get years of use from it.
Credit: Travis Reddinger
Warmth
First and foremost, your jacket, combined with your other layers, needs to keep you warm in the weather you plan to use it in. Though down insulates better than synthetic, advances in synthetic materials are quickly catching up to the superior warmth-to-weight ratio of down. However, the scores awarded to the jackets in this review only compare their warmth relative to each other, not compared to down. Since this review includes jackets designed as activewear and for warmth, it's probably helpful to identify what type of jacket best suits your needs before giving too much importance to absolute warmth. After you know which kind you want, compare like types to like types.
The Rab Nebula Pro ranked as the warmest jacket in this review with its Primaloft Silver Insulation Luxe with Pertex Quantum Pro ripstop outer. With warmth comes weight, and the Nebula Pro was the heaviest jacket in our review. The Rab Xenair Apine also gets top marks for warmth with its solid features and PrimaLoft Gold Insulation Active+, but still ranks as one of the heavier options on the list. Comparing warmth between lightly insulated models proved challenging as the jackets allow some wind to blow through them to help with breathability while others block wind. To pick a comparison point, we rated their warmth as an outer layer when worn over base layers in various temperatures.
Insulation type, hood option, and hem length all impact the warmth of a jacket.
Credit: Travis Reddinger
Among the lighter-weight models tested, the Patagonia DAS Light Hoody, Arc'teryx Atom Hoody, and the Patagonia Micro Puff Hoody ranked well in terms of warmth. Some very light jackets can still be impressively warm. For instance, the Micro Puff uses Patagonia's lightweight PlumaFill insulation, resulting in extraordinary warmth despite being one of the lightest jackets in the review. Unfortunately, its super lightweight shell makes it vulnerable to abrasion from rocks and sharp objects. Additionally, the PlumaFill tends to leak out in long strands once there is a tear in the shell.
The athletic fit, elastic cuffs, and windproof shell of the DAS Light helped keep our testers warm.
Credit: Travis Reddinger
Comfort
In this category, we assessed each piece's mobility as well as little details that increased comfort. We found that some moved better than others, and some had features like a soft inner shell or fleece-lined hand pockets that delivered tactile happiness for minimal weight. We also note the fit characteristics of each jacket to give you a better idea of which body type each jacket fits best to help you choose the correct size. Since you aren't likely to use a jacket that doesn't fit well, comfort is something to consider when purchasing a jacket.
A jacket's mobility, or how well it moves with the body, often determines its usefulness. When you reach overhead while climbing or digging in your pack, a model that stays put (without the waist hem being tugged upwards) is preferable. We also assessed how well we could move our arms and our heads in the hood. Finally, we considered the ease of use when comparing jackets. Nice zipper pulls, pockets in the right places, convenient hood adjustments, adjustable hem, and other features contribute to higher comfort scores. The texture of interior fabrics and the presence of features such as soft chin guards add nice touches that also affect a jacket's comfort level.
We tested each of the jacket's mobility by climbing, hiking, and skiing in them. How well the jacket stayed down when we raised our arms overhead made a big difference.
Credit: James Lucas
The Rab Xenair Alpine quickly stood out as one of the most comfortable jackets we tested. The jacket fits nicely to the body without being too restrictive for activities. It has soft elastic cuffs with additional Velcro closure, dual front zipper, soft inner fabric, and the hood and hem are adjustable to snug up to your body. If you are looking for a thinner option, the Arc'teryx jackets stand out when it comes to comfort due to a combination of unobstructed mobility, perfect fit, and soft, comfy fabrics. The Atom Hoody received high comfort scores with low-bulk cuffs, well-shaped zipper pulls, very comfortable inner fabrics, and excellent mobility. We also cannot forget Patagonia, who had multiple jackets like the DAS Light and Nano Puff that scored well for overall comfort.
Our testers loved the wind protection and warmth from the soft fabric and well fitted hood.
Credit: Travis Reddinger
Weather Resistance
We've all found ourselves in torrential downpours and fierce winds despite a bluebird forecast. In these situations, the right insulated jacket can significantly reduce the suffer factor. Most of the products we tested are designed to be worn primarily as a mid-layer with a rain jacket or hardshell on top for foul weather. That said, many users employ these products as their outer layer in milder conditions. We've worn all of these jackets as outer layers in all sorts of weather while climbing, skiing, and simply hiking and have found some that provide significantly better protection than others. All the models tested are meant to have a Durable Water Repellent (DWR) treatment applied to the face fabric that causes light rain to bead and keeps insulation dry as long as it is effective (and not all are). The DWR treatments on some of the other lightweight jackets are far less effective.
Insulated jackets are usually not designed to be fully waterproof or windproof. If you're looking for a jacket that combines the warmth of an insulated jacket with the weather protection of a hardshell, consider one of the insulated coats from our best men's ski jacket review.
Models with a continuous or nearly continuous outer fabric do a better job of stopping the wind. The Patagonia DAS Light Hoody provides the most weather resistance of the products tested. It features a slippery nylon ripstop fabric with a durable water-repellent coating that works in light rain/snow and has a design that minimizes seams where air can leak making it practically windproof. Other jackets like the Arc'teryx Atom Hoody and Rab Xenair Alpine have a DWR coating that beaded water during a light misting, but soaked through the first layer with heavier and longer exposures.
The DAS Light kept our tester dry while rappelling through a virtual waterfall. We tested the jackets by spraying them with water and by wearing them in real-life outdoor situations.
Credit: James Lucas
Hood or No Hood?
We enjoy having hoods since they provide a warmth upgrade for little weight, is impossible to misplace, and can be worn over or under helmets. Our favorite hood designs feature cinch cords that tighten the hood around the head and not the face. Although more and more hoods are being designed with only elastic to secure the facial opening, it cannot adjust depending on your head shape or the weather. A hood can sometimes get in the way if you're planning to wear your layer primarily under a shell, but many hooded models tested are also available in hoodless versions. If you are looking for a solid insulated jacket without a hood, the Patagonia Nano Puff Jacket is worth a look.
The Rab, Patagonia, and Arc'teryx behave differently when subjected to water but didn't soak through to the inside layer.
Credit: Travis Reddinger
Portability
Since we pack our insulated jackets everywhere we go, lightweight and compressible options are ideal for outdoor pursuits. All else being equal, we'll choose the lighter, more compressible model almost every time. The Patagonia Micro Puff Hoody weighs a mere 10.37 ounces for a size medium, while the affordable Amazon Essentials, tips the scales at 11 ounces for a medium.
We appreciate a jacket that stows away in one of its pockets. Though we don't recommend keeping a jacket perpetually stuffed when not in use (which can compress the insulation), this is a great feature. It makes just-in-case storage in a backpack easy and keeps the outer fabric clean, protecting its DWR treatment. Many of the jackets tested stuff into a pocket or come with a stuff sack but a few of the jackets proved difficult to stuff into their own pockets, negating some of the advantages of this feature.
Among the lightest is the Cotopaxi Teca Calido Hooded. This jacket has an impressive number of pockets, including two zippered hand pockets, two internal drop-in pouches, and an internal zip pocket. Plus, it has a built-in stow pocket in the chest.
Durability
While synthetic insulation has become more compressible, long-term durability is still an issue. The fiber's ability to rebound to full loft decreases with repeated compression, and the more tightly compacted they are, the more wear the fiber matrices incur. Therefore, for storage purposes, we recommend keeping your jackets in their uncompressed state.
If you are looking for the perfect balance between warmth and weight, it's hard to beat the Arc'teryx Atom Hoody. While it is a top scorer, the Atom Hoody doesn't include a stuff sack or a stuff pocket option. The Patagonia Nano Puff Hoody and the Patagonia DAS Light Hoody can be stuffed down into their pockets, except that it's so challenging to get the jacket to fit that we didn't find this feature very useful.
The ability of a jacket to stuff into its own pocket helped significantly with the weight and compressibility metric.
Credit: James Lucas
Breathability
Designed to regulate temperature by wicking away moisture during high-energy activities, breathable insulated jackets revolutionized the outerwear scene. The long-standing approach to making a Primaloft or Coreloft product better suited to exertion is to incorporate wind-resistant fabric to protect your core while breathable stretchy panels under the arms or on the sides dump excess heat.
This jacket performs best during serious movement as it breathes quite well, allowing for excess heat to escape the body.
Credit: James Lucas
The Arc'teryx Atom Hoody takes this hybrid approach and earned top breathability scores by using a Tyono 20D nylon shell, Dope Permeair lining, and performance stretch fleece side panels. Other companies have begun imitating this style of jacket and they have changed the game for high-energy activities like backcountry skiing, cross-country skiing, and winter running. Pair this type of jacket with a lightweight windbreaker if you need some outer protection.
The Rab Xenair Alpine also received a high score for breathability when moving about. The jacket is designed to keep you warm during activities like climbing, skiing, and mountaineering and has breathable Pertex® Quantum Air fabric, a dual zipper, and adjustable cuffs to aid in ventilation. The Patagonia DAS Light and Rab Nebula Pro also shone bright here. These both have two-way zippers, which can help dump heat if needed and double as harness-compatible.
The Atom Hoody gives you mobility and breathability in a lightweight package.
Credit: Travis Reddinger
Conclusion
With the vast assortment of choices available, choosing the best jacket can be tough. We rank warmth and comfort high on the list of essential attributes, yet other features such as portability, weather resistance, and breathability may prove significant depending on your use. Remember to think about the type of activities you will be using the jacket for and what the most important attributes are to fit your needs. Will it be a multi-sport jacket that can be used as a stand-alone shell and insulating layer, or will it be a wind and water-resistant shield for climbing and hiking? Maybe you need something that's light and breathable for colder parts of the day but can be easily stowed until it's needed again.
Once you decide on your ideal jacket, make sure you have the rest of the necessary winter gear like winter gloves, beanies for men, and winter boots to keep you warm and outdoors longer.
