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We purchased and tested 24 of the best down jackets for men from brands like REI, Stio, Rab, Mountain Hardwear, Patagonia, and more
Our in-depth review puts today's top down jackets against one another for a side-by-side comparison to help you find the very best option for your needs and budget.
Whether you're throwing on a jacket to walk the dog around the block or gearing up for an alpine adventure, the right down jacket can be your best friend for three seasons a year.
We've purchased and tested more than 60 of the best down jackets over the past decade. We spent months testing these jackets, wearing them for thru-hikes of the Appalachian and Arizona Trails and on our everyday morning commutes. We've made coffee on sub-zero mornings, braved chilly fall camping, and headed out on crisp spring mornings help you find the perfect down jacket for your needs and budget.
Our favorite all-around option is the REI Co-op Magma 850 Hoodie. It's warm and cozy, highly versatile, and surprisingly affordable. While you can pay more for additional expedition-level warmth, the Magma is well-suited to everyday life and the occasional adventure.
The Decathlon Forclaz MT100 isn't quite as warm as the above models, but it's warm enough for milder climates. What it lacks in insulation, it more than makes up for in comfort and portability, which makes it a great choice for backpackers and travelers — and costs a fraction of other top-scoring jackets we tested.
If you expect your puffy layer to get wet, consider a jacket with synthetic insulation instead, as (unlike down) it will stay warm when soaked. For something a bit less technical, our review of winter jackets walks you through the best parkas for more casual wear. Or if you're hitting the slopes, we've also tested top ski jackets.
Editor's Note: We updated this review on April 11, 2025, to add new jackets from REI, Mountain Hardwear, Jones, L.L. Bean, Decathlon, The North Face, and Camel Crown. We've also updated our award-winning lineup after our latest round of testing.
From chilly walks with the dog in the winter to summer backpacking trips, every one of our testers loved wearing the REI Co-op Magma 850 Hoodie. Thanks to its 850-fill-power goose down, this jacket is incredibly warm for its weight, highly compressible, and easily packable, making it a great option for travel. “It looks good, feels great, and the best part is that it's not nearly as expensive as other top-performing models I tested,” touts our lead tester. While the Magma 850 isn't the warmest jacket in our lineup, our test team agrees that it's the best option for most people. The perfect jacket for every use is hard to pin down, but they agree that this one is more versatile than other bigger, burlier puffies we tested. You can comfortably layer this svelte jacket with a hardshell for skiing or snowboarding and continue wearing it through the summer on chilly nights around the campfire.
SPECIFICATIONS
Responsible Down Standard (RDS) Certified
Yes
Down Fill
850-fill-power goose down with bluesign-approved DWR
Outer Fabric
Recycled ripstop nylon
Measured Weight
12.5 oz (M)
Hem Type
Drop hem (small)
If you live in an extremely cold environment, you might need the maximum warmth and weather protection offered by a jacket like The North Face Summit Breithorn Hoodie or Rab Electron Pro. “While no down jacket can replace a hardshell or rain jacket, the Electron Pro fights the elements the best of any model I've worn,” claims one tester. The Magma 850 is also quite weather resistant and features a DWR treatment on both the shell and down insulation, but it doesn't cover quite as much of your body below the waist as the Electron Pro. Although the Electron Pro and Breithorn Hoodie are some of the warmest jackets we've tested, they're a little too warm for summer use, and all of that extra stuffing makes them less packable. The Magma 850, on the other hand, balances warmth and packability, which makes it much more versatile. And who doesn't want a jacket you can wear more often? We certainly do.
The Decathlon Forclaz MT100 performs on par with many of the other high-end jackets we tested, yet costs two to three times less. This model is stuffed with high-quality 800-fill-power down, which makes it highly compressible and packable enough for everything from ultralight backpacking to international travel. Our lead tester weighed his men's size Medium at a mere 10.3 ounces, which is competitive against the Mountain Hardwear Ghost Whisperer, our top choice for an ultralight puffy. “This jacket can hang on the trails with the best of them,” boasted our lead tester. “But its casual, not-too-technical look makes it a comfortable option for wearing around town at the end of the day, too.” Another affordable jacket that's perhaps better suited for casual wear is the REI Co-op 650 Down. Comparing the two, the REI 650 is ever so slightly more comfortable, and some may prefer a puffy jacket without a hood. The MT100, on the other hand, is better suited for situations like backpacking because it easily packs away into its own pocket.
SPECIFICATIONS
Responsible Down Standard (RDS) Certified
Yes
Down Fill
800-fill-power down
Outer Fabric
15D polyamide
Measured Weight
10.3 oz (M)
Hem Type
Drop hem (small)
The biggest downside of the Forclaz MT100 is its sizing. Our lead tester, Sam, is often between Small and Medium sizes. “The size Medium I tested fit much more like a men's Small from every other brand,” Sam said. “I highly recommend sizing up with this jacket.” The sizing on the REI 650 is much more consistent with other brands and is available in a wider range of sizes, so pretty much anyone should be able to find a size that fits their body shape. The MT100 is also not the warmest jacket we tested, but considering its weight, we're not at all surprised by that fact. For an affordable jacket that's super warm, check out the Columbia Deltra Ridge. “The Delta Ridge has a heat-reflective lining, which makes it extremely warm, especially considering its price,” one tester pointed out. Although the Delta Ridge is warmer, it's not nearly as comfortable or as breathable as the MT100. Much like the REI Magma 850, the MT100 strikes a nice balance of traits but at an unbeatable price point.
The Stio Pinion Hooded is our choice for a top-tier jacket that's affordable and capable just about anywhere — from the lift line to the alpine and the brewery patio afterward. This jacket is very comfortable, weather-resistant, and great for layering. Plus, it's less expensive than most other down jackets from premium brands. This model is warm enough for cold conditions, and it has a slightly larger fit through the torso, making it easier to layer underneath. It has an adjustable stretch cinch cord around the hood to ensure it stays on your head. Plus, it has an internal chest zipper pocket to keep your phone warm, a drop-in pocket for your gloves, and two external zippered hand warmer pockets. The 800-fill down insulation is treated with a hydrophobic finish, and the recycled Pertex Quantum shell material withstands light precipitation to protect you on snowy slopes and in quick desert rains.
SPECIFICATIONS
Responsible Down Standard (RDS) Certified
Yes
Down Fill
800-fill-power AlliedFeather down with HyperDry hydrophic finish
Outer Fabric
Recycled Pertex Quantum shadow 20D ripstop
Measured Weight
13 oz (M)
Hem Type
Drop hem (large)
If you like the sound of recycled Pertex and want more recycled content, the Jones Re-Up Recycled features a recycled nylon ripstop shell treated with a PFC-free DWR, and it's stuffed with recycled 750-fill-power down. “The Re-Up feels similar to the Pinion in terms of warmth and comfort,” commented one tester. “Even though it's not as baggy as the Pinion puffy, both of these jackets are great for layering underneath.” While we appreciate that the looser fit of the Pinion Hooded makes it easier to fit an extra layer or two underneath, if you're between sizes, we recommend sizing down. If you want everything the Pinion offers but with a trimmer, alpine-fit, we recommend the Rab Microlight Alpine. “The Rab Microlight is just as versatile as the Pinion,” noted our lead tester. “But the Microlight is a few ounces heavier and costs a bit more, which makes the Pinion a better value.”
Weight: 10.6 oz (small)| Fill: 90% duck down, RDS certified
PROS
Shockingly inexpensive
Lightweight
Very compressible
CONS
Not the most durable
Hand pocket zippers snag easily
Boxy fit
Down puffies can get expensive, but not the Wantdo Packable Down Hoody. This model costs about half as much as the second most inexpensive down jacket in our testing lineup and less than a quarter of some of the priciest. It has an average warmth-to-weight ratio and packs down into an included stuff sack. It's filled with 90% duck down insulation and has a thin outer shell with an adequately comfortable liner. “It's pretty astonishing how good this model is, considering the price,” admits our lead tester. The Camel Crown Packable Puffer – which costs nearly twice as much but is still very affordable – doesn't even come close to the warmth and comfort offered by the Wantdo. Whether you're heading to work or out for a day spent playing outside, a small and light insulation layer like the Wantdo is an excellent option to carry. “It's easy to take with you anywhere you go, just in case,” continues our lead tester. “And it costs less than an average lift ticket, so it's hard to pass up this deal.”
SPECIFICATIONS
Responsible Down Standard (RDS) Certified
Yes
Down Fill
90% duck down
Outer Fabric
20D 400T nylon
Measured Weight
10.6 oz (S)
Hem Type
Straight
Though it's lightweight, packable, and affordable, the Wantdo doesn't have the same premium features you'll find on many other jackets. The zippers on the hand pockets are very small and snag easily. This makes them hard to operate bare-handed and nearly impossible to use while wearing gloves. It's also one of the least warm jackets we tested. If you plan on wearing your puffy a lot, we think spending a little more for a more comfortable jacket like the REI 650 or a warmer jacket like the L.L. Bean Ultralight 850 Hooded is well worth it. But for the price, we had to recommend the Wantdo for folks living in mild climates or those who only need a down jacket for occasional wear.
The North Face updated the Breithorn Hoodie for the 2024-2025 winter season. The shoulder baffles now run from front to back rather than horizontally. We tested this new version and found its performance to be indistinguishable from the previous version.
The The North Face Summit Breithorn Hoodie is the jacket we grab when we need all-around warmth and comfort. This is one of the warmest and most comfortable jackets we tested, and it has tons of unique features that make it a pleasure to wear. Its supple lining material is some of the softest-feeling fabric against your skin, and the wrist cuffs are comfortable as well. They're stretchy knit material that feels like a well-worn T-shirt, unlike the simple elastic sewn into wrist cuffs of most other jackets. The hood adjusts with a single toggle on the back that tightens around your face edge and then twists to wrap around the back of your head. The result is a super simple one-handed adjustment to lock the hood in place. It also has two zippered hand pockets, a zippered external chest pocket, and two internal slip-in pockets.
SPECIFICATIONS
Responsible Down Standard (RDS) Certified
Yes
Down Fill
800-fill-power ProDown with water repellency
Outer Fabric
15-denier Pertex Y Fuse 100% recycled ripstop nylon
Measured Weight
15.2 oz (M)
Hem Type
Straight
The Summit Breithorn Hoodie has tons of great features to keep you warm and cozy when the temperature drops, but it's relatively heavy. At 15.2 ounces for a men's small, it's certainly overkill for summer backpacking conditions. If you want a jacket for excursions like that, check out the Mountain Hardwear Ghost Whisperer, which is less warm but, at 8.3 ounces, is about half the weight of the Breithorn. However, the Breithorn jacket is an excellent choice for everything from ice climbing and mountaineering to hanging around the campfire and walking around the city in the winter. If comfort is paramount for you and your pursuits don't include high-octane excursions, the Patagonia Down Sweater Hoody is another superbly cozy jacket that we love for everyday wear, and it's a bit more affordable, too.
The Mountain Hardwear Stretchdown Hoody features the most unique shell fabric we've seen on a down jacket. Rather than the slick nylon found on most down jackets, the proprietary shell fabric is soft and stretchy, allowing you to move in any way imaginable without fear of it riding up. “I love this jacket for winter rock climbing in the desert,” one tester said, and we agree – our whole test team loved wearing the Stretchdown Hoody while climbing, hiking, skiing, snowboarding, or for any other cold-weather sport. It has a two-way zipper that allows you to vent your core without taking the jacket off, which meant we rarely needed to take this jacket off. And it's so comfortable that you won't want to take it off, even after you come inside. “I often found myself wearing the Stretchdown Hoody around the house when I'd otherwise wear a cozy cotton hoodie,” admits our lead tester. The Patagonia Down Sweater Hoody and Rab Electron Pro come close for overall comfort, but both are still built with a sleek shell material that just can't quite compare.
SPECIFICATIONS
Responsible Down Standard (RDS) Certified
Yes
Down Fill
700-fill-power RDS-certified down
Outer Fabric
20D Durable Stretch Doubleweave
Measured Weight
18.1 oz (M)
Hem Type
Drop hem (small)
Despite our love for this unique design, the Stretchdown Hoody is one of the heaviest down jackets we tested. It's also one of the few jackets in our lineup that doesn't come standard with a DWR coating on the shell. If you live in a cold, dry climate or plan to wear this with a shell in inclement weather, then this isn't a big deal. But if you're looking for a comparably comfortable down jacket that can better battle the elements, check out the The North Face Summit Breithorn Hoodie or the aforementioned Rab Electron Pro. Both of these models are lighter and slightly more packable than the Stretchdown Hoody, too. “But the Stretchdown is oh-so-cozy,” lauds our lead tester. And if you don't ever plan on taking a jacket off, does it really need to be packable?
During the 2024-2025 winter, Mountain Hardwear has dropped the /2 from the name of their updated version of this jacket. It's now just called the Ghost Whisperer Down Hoody. We tested this latest version and found its performance and features to be practically identical to the previous version.
The Mountain Hardwear Ghost Whisperer is the best down jacket when weight saving is your top priority. At 9 ounces for a men's Medium, it offers incredible packability. This model easily packs into its pocket and compresses into the smallest size of any jacket we've found. This is our go-to layer for backpacking and alpine climbing, and it acts as a just-in-case layer that will practically disappear into your pack when you aren't wearing it. “I wore this jacket while thru-hiking the Arizona Trail and Appalachian Trail,” noted Sam, our lead tester. “And I'll continue to carry this puffy on every backpacking trip going forward.” It breathes better than most down jackets, so you can keep wearing it as you move faster. The athletic fit accommodates broader shoulders, allowing for easy overhead movement. The Ghost Whisperer doesn't run as small as the Decathlon Forclaz MT100, but we still recommend getting the larger size if you're in between sizes or plan to wear this puffy over anything more than a thin base layer.
SPECIFICATIONS
Responsible Down Standard (RDS) Certified
Yes
Down Fill
700-fill-power RDS-certified down
Outer Fabric
20D Durable Stretch Doubleweave
Measured Weight
18.1 oz (M)
Hem Type
Drop hem (small)
The Ghost Whisperer has just two zippered hand pockets with no drawcord, no interior pockets, and no adjustment on the hood. “While the absence of these features makes it as light as it is, an additional pocket and more hood adjustment would be nice in some instances,” one tester commented. If you're not heading out on an alpine climbing expedition, the more casual MontBell Superior Down is another lightweight contender that has a more casual fit and is much more affordable. The Decathlon Forclaz MT100 mentioned above costs even less, and despite its similarities to the Ghost Whisperer, is much less technical in appearance. Overall, the Ghost Whisperer's packability and incredible overall performance make it the best option for anyone looking for an ultralight puffy jacket for fast and light adventures.
The Ghost Whisperer is our go-to jacket for when you need the lightest down layer possible.
Credit: Sam Schild
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How We Tested
Since 2010, we've purchased the most interesting, most compelling jackets and pushed them to their limits around the world, climbing, hiking, skiing, backpacking, and even sleeping in them. We took them to frigid places like the High Sierra, the Rockies, the Pacific Northwest, the Big Horn Mountains, and the Green Mountains. We've brought them on long-distance thru-hikes of the Appalachian Trail and Arizona Trail, as well as loads of other backpacking trips.
To evaluate each, we wore every jacket back to back, in the same conditions on the same day, and assessed which kept us the warmest while also inspecting which jackets had extra insulation in areas prone to heat loss. We paid attention to which were the most comfortable and assessed how each felt on our bare skin. We sprayed them with water and put each against a fan to probe their weather resistance. We weighed them, packed them, sweated in them, and wore them for months of testing.
We tested every jacket across 5 mutually exclusive metrics to take a deep dive into the performance of each model. Here are our testing metrics for down jackets and a few considerations for each:
Warmth(30% of overall weight): How warm and cozy is this jacket? How thick and lofty is the down? Will it keep me warm and protected in various winter conditions?
Comfort(30% weight): How does this jacket feels against my skin? How is the fit? Is it restrictive when I move? Does it have extra features that add comfort, like fleece lining?
Portability(15% weight): How much does this jacket weigh? How packable is it? Is this light enough to carry in my pack into the backcountry or throw in a suitcase? Does it pack into its own pocket? Does it come with a stuff sack? Can it hold up to being frequently compressed?
Weather Resistance(15% weight) Does this jacket protect me from wind? Does it repel snow and light rain? How well does the hood work to keep out the elements?
Breathability(10% weight): Can I use this jacket while running, hiking, biking, skiing, or climbing without overheating? Does it have any ventilation features that help manage heat during high-output activities?
We did extensive in-field testing to find the best down jackets.
Credit: Sam Schild
Why Trust GearLab
Our in-depth men's down jacket testing is headed up by Sam Schild, a backpacker, trail runner, and mountain biker based in Colorado. He has backpacked the Pacific Crest Trail, Continental Divide Trail, Appalachian Trail, Grand Enchantment Trail, Arizona Trail, and Colorado Trail (three times!), along with countless other outdoor adventures, long and short, in every season. Sam is joined by a panel of expert gear testers, including James Lucas, Buck Yedor, and Adam Paashaus. Growing up in New England, James's appreciation for quality insulation started young. After graduating from college, he worked for Yosemite Search and Rescue, where he saw firsthand that having the right outerwear can be the difference between a pleasant day out in the mountains and needing a rescue. Over the years, James has tested gear in the Atlas Mountains of Morocco, the boulders of Rocky Mountain National Park, and his home in Boulder, Colorado. Adam has been an active member of the outdoor community for many years. His passion for helping others find the right gear for their adventures started in 2001 when he started working in the retail side of the industry. He's had his hands on more jackets than he can count and knows how to help folks find the right jacket for them.
Testing wind resistance using a fan.
Testing the Marmot Highlander on a cold snowy day in the mountains.
The North Face Summit Breithorn Hoodie weighs 15.2 ounces in men's small.
We tested these jackets in the field and the lab, on everyday adventures and epic backcountry missions.
Analysis and Test Results
All the finalists in our lineup underwent our extensive, side-by-side testing that includes everything that makes up a great down jacket. We chose each contender based on exhaustive research on innovation, quality, and popularity, as well as countless other factors that make a top-quality down jacket. We aim to give you practical and thorough information so you can make the right purchasing decision for your needs.
What's the Best Value?
Spending hundreds of dollars every season to have the latest innovation adds up quickly. In our testing, we consistently find that value often comes with a higher price tag, but not always. Our top pick for a high-value jacket that doesn't break the bank is the Decathlon Forclaz MT100 Hooded. This jacket is lightweight and just warm enough for mild winter climates. It's highly packable and very comfortable, making it a great option for backpacking and traveling.
The Forclaz MT100 is an exceptional value for backpackers.
Credit: Sam Schild
The REI Co-op 650 Down balances comfort and versatility better than most. It's often on sale, in which case you might even be able to buy it for less than the Forclaz MT100. The 650 Down is also one of the only hoodless models in our lineup, a design that some people prefer.
The REI 650 is one of the best values for a casual down jacket.
Credit: Sam Schild
The Wantdo Packable Down Hoody also offers incredible value. This jacket comes at a startlingly low price — less than half as much as the REI 650 costs. It's not as warm as many other models and doesn't perform as well overall, but that low price does make this an awesome value. While not as inexpensive as the Wantdo Down Hoody, the Rokka and Rolla Ultra Lightweight Puffer and Columbia Delta Ridge Hooded are also notable for their low price, reasonable performance in everyday situations, and, therefore, high value.
The Wantdo Packable Hoody is a small fraction of the cost of most jackets we tested.
Credit: Sam Schild
As the name suggests, the REI Co-op Magma 850 is stuffed with 850-fill down insulation, yet it costs less than many models filled with 700-800 fill-power down. While this model isn't as inexpensive as the Wantdo, REI 650, or MT100, it's still a stellar deal for a jacket with such high fill-power down insulation.
The REI Magma 850 is an excellent value for an 850-fill down jacket.
Credit: Sam Schild
The Stio Pinion Hooded is a great value for a super versatile down jacket. This model is one of the most comfortable jackets we've worn, and overall, it performed about as well as the best down jackets we tested. The Pinion costs less than all of the other top-performing models – other than the Magma 850, of course – making it a killer deal.
The Stio Pinion Hooded is a great value because it's very comfortable yet costs less than all the other highest-scoring jackets we tested.
Credit: Sam Schild
The Rab Microlight Alpine, which costs only slightly more than the Stio Pinion, is another great value option for those who need more from their jacket. This coat offers incredible weather resistance and everything else you'd want for a true alpine insulation piece at a very competitive price.
In the same price range as the Microlight Alpine, the Marmot Highlander and MontBell Superior Down are both a great value. We think jackets in this price range are a great choice since they're usually well-made using high-quality materials in a no-frills way that keeps costs low.
The Rab Microlight Alpine is a great value for a weather-resistant, adventure-ready down jacket.
Credit: Sam Schild
Some jackets are just too expensive for what they are. One of those jackets is the Arc'teryx Cerium Hoody. While it's a great jacket in many regards, less expensive models outperformed it in almost every metric. Unless you require that little fossilized logo on your puffy, we think there are better-value items available.
Even though it's a well-designed jacket, there are better options than the Cerium when it comes time to weigh price versus performance.
Credit: Sam Schild
Warmth
Simply put, down jackets are designed to keep you warm. That's what they're designed to do. We assessed every model's warmth in extreme winter conditions — snowstorms, early morning mountain ascents, and long winter nights backpacking in the winter desert. We made note of the type of down insulation of each jacket and measured the thickness, and we wore every jacket during side-by-side testing to assess which ones actually kept us warmer in the same conditions.
We looked at how well you can layer underneath and on top of each jacket, and we looked at how well these jackets can cinch down to seal in your body's heat. Although they don't come with temperature ratings like sleeping bags, these jackets offer good-to-adequate standalone warmth down to freezing temperatures. They can also help you stay warm in lower temperatures when used as part of a layering system.
Testing the warmth of The North Face Summit Breithorn Hoodie on a crisp winter day.
Credit: Sam Schild
A jacket's warmth relates to the size of the baffles, fill power, and fill weight. Simply put, the puffier a jacket looks, the warmer it likely is. But, of course, it's not quite that simple. Down's fill quality, or fill power, is determined by filling a cylindrical container with one ounce of down and then compressing it for a minute. After sixty seconds, the amount of space filled is considered the fill. For example, 600 cubic inches of down equals 600 fill power. A jacket with 900-fill-power down is about as good as it gets.
Fill weight is literally the weight of the down used in the jacket. A 900-fill-power jacket will be warmer than a 600-fill-power model with the same fill weight because that higher fill power provides more warmth for the weight.
The Rab Microlight Alpine, with its 700-fill down insulation, is a great layer for morning outdoor chores like shoveling.
Credit: Sam Schild
The warmth of a jacket is then determined not only by the quality of the fill but also by the amount of it. Higher quality down means more loft per ounce of down, and more loft means warmer. So, a jacket with a higher fill power will be puffier, weigh less, and still be warmer than a jacket with a lower fill power. Jackets using a lower fill power sacrifice weight and compressibility but can still provide a warmth-to-weight ratio that outperforms synthetic insulation jackets.
The Feathered Friends Eos, with 900+ fill power goose down, has the highest fill power and highest quality down of any jacket we tested. (Goose down is more insulating than duck down.) This jacket is very warm considering the weight, and this is because it's thickly stuffed with high-quality 900+ fill-power down.
The Feathered Friends Eos has 900+ fill power down, which is the reason it's so warm.
Credit: Sam Schild
The REI Co-op Magma 850 Hoodie, Arc'teryx Cerium Hoody, and L.L. Bean Ultralight 850 Hooded are each stuffed with 850-fill-power down. These models have nearly as high of a down-to-feather ratio as the Eos's 900 fill power and are nearly as warm. The Magma 850 has slightly more fill weight than the Eos, but it isn't warmer because its down isn't quite as high quality. It's still plenty warm but requires more down to create the same warmth as the Eos, hence the higher weight. The L.L. Bean 850 is also about as warm as the Eos, but like the Magma 850, it requires more fill weight to achieve the same level of warmth. The Cerium doesn't have quite as much loft and isn't quite as thick as the Eos, so it isn't as warm.
The L.L. Bean Ultralight's 850-fill-power down and large, thick baffles make it a very warm jacket.
Credit: Sam Schild
The Rab Electron Pro and The North Face Summit Breithorn both use 800-fill down and a lot of it. Because these models are both so thickly filled, they are impressively warm, even compared to models with higher fill-power down. They both weigh significantly more than the Eos, Cerium Hoody, L.L. Bean Ultralight, and Magma 850 mostly because they contain more down and are actually warmer than these higher-fill-power jackets.
The Rab Electron Pro has a lot of 800-fill down insulation stuffed into every large baffle, making for a very warm jacket.
Credit: Sam Schild
The Jones Re-Up Recycled uses 750-fill down and massive, lofty baffles to keep you insulated in cold and snowy conditions. This jacket is about as warm as the Rab Electron Pro and TNF Summit Breithorn. Since it uses 750-fill down, the Re-Up has nearly as high a down-to-feathers ratio as these other ultra-warm models. It's also one of the only models that use recycled down.
The Jones Re-Up uses recycled 750-fill-power down to keep you cozy and warm in cold temperatures.
Credit: Sam Schild
Most companies produce lighter, less expensive down jackets by using sewn-through baffle construction. The baffles, the cavities between the stitching, hold the down in place, keeping it from sinking or clumping. Sewn-through baffle construction involves sewing the outer fabric to the inner fabric, creating a horizontal or occasionally square baffle. The size of the baffles varies between jackets, and square baffles tend to be lighter, thinner, and less expensive. However, sewn-through baffles create thin spots at the seams where there's no down, and warm air can escape. Some companies use different methods for sewing baffles, but the sewn-through method tends to be the most common.
The Columbia Delta Ridge Hooded jacket has welded baffles to eliminate cold spots as well as a thermally reflective lining to bounce your body heat back at you.
The Columbia Delta Ridge Hooded has a thermally reflective lining to bounce your body heat back at you.
Columbia Delta Ridge Hooded uses welded baffle seams and a thermally reflective lining to create a remarkably warm jacket
The Columbia Delta Ridge Hooded jacket has welded seams to create the baffles. This means there aren't tiny holes from stitching the baffles, though there are still thin spots where the two layers of fabric are bonded. This jacket also has a thermally reflective lining that bounces your body heat back at you. The result of these features is a very warm jacket.
The Mountain Hardwear Stretchdown Hoody also uses welded baffles. This jacket is stuffed with a whole lot of 600-fill-power down, and it's nearly as puffy as the Electron Pro and Summit Breithorn Hoodie. The welded baffles, combined with all that down, make this model very warm.
The Stretchdown is stuffed with tons of 600-fill-power down and uses welded seams to reduce cold spots.
Credit: Sam Schild
Similar to the Columbia Delta Ridge, the Camel Crown Packable Puffer also uses a thermally reflective lining material to increase the jacket's overall warmth. However, the thermally reflective material is only on the top half of the jacket. Unfortunately, this doesn't really increase the warmth as much as we'd hope.
The Camel Crown Puffer only has thermally reflective lining material on the top half of the jacket, so it doesn't make it much warmer.
Credit: Sam Schild
The loft of a jacket contributes to part of its warmth, while the cut and adjustability contribute another portion. Slim, thermally efficient jackets and those with a longer hemline tend to be warmer. The Mountain Hardwear Ghost Whisperer isn't the warmest jacket, but it's pretty warm, considering how little it weighs. The trim and thermally efficient fit certainly contribute to this jacket's warmth. Similarly, the Rab Microlight Alpine has a trim, alpine fit that helps trap as much heat in as possible.
Responsibly Sourced Down
In the past few years, most companies have started using certified Responsibly Sourced Down. Harvesting down from ducks and geese can be a cruel process. To be RDS-certified , the animals must be treated compassionately.
The only jacket in this lineup that isn't RDS-certified is the MontBell Superior Down. According to MontBell's website, they source their down from the meat industry. So, while those feathers aren't plucked off of live birds, they aren't RDS-certified. You can make your own judgments on the ethical implications here.
The Mountain Hardwear Ghost Whisperer isn't the warmest jacket, but it does have a high warmth-to-weight ratio.
Credit: Sam Schild
Comfort
If a jacket isn't comfortable to wear, then are you even going to use it? Probably not. We tested comfort by assessing the fit of each jacket on different body shapes and the feeling of the fabric against our skin.
We took careful note of how high-touch areas, such as the inside of the hood and the top of the zipper, felt against our bare skin. We also assessed how well each jacket fit, noting any restrictions to the movements you'd make during activities like climbing, chasing the kids at the park, commuting by bike, or even skiing.
The Rad Electron Pro is a super comfortable jacket to throw on between soaks in a hot spring.
Credit: Sam Schild
The Mountain Hardwear Stretchdown Hoody is one of the most comfortable jackets we've ever worn. This jacket uses a comfortable stretchy material that feels almost cotton-like. The fabric is not only soft, but since it stretches, it doesn't restrict your movement in any way, making it extra comfortable.
The Mountain Hardwear Stretchdown features a soft and elastic material that allows you maximum mobility for comfort during any activity.
Credit: Sam Schild
The next most comfortable models were the Rab Electron Pro and Patagonia Down Sweater Hoody. Both of these jackets have an extremely comfortable fabric feel against your bare skin. The Electron Pro has some of the most comfortable wrist cuffs and knit fabric on the inside of the hood, which makes it that much more comfortable. The Down Sweater doesn't have any extra comfortable features built in, but the fit for the men's version is about as close to perfect as we found. This awesome fit, paired with the softest fabric of any we tested, makes this jacket a joy to wear all day long.
Our testers agree that the Patagonia Down Sweater Hoody is one of the best-fitting jackets available.
Credit: Sam Schild
The Summit Breithorn Hoodie is also incredibly comfortable. It has stretchy, soft-knit wrist cuffs and a knit edge along the outside seam of the hood, where it can rub against your cheeks. The Rab Microlight also fits really well. It features a knit zipper garage to prevent your chin from chafing in cold conditions and has a fabric that is similar to the other most comfortable jackets.
Testing the range of motion in the Feathered Friends Eos.
Credit: Sam Schild
Men's vs. Women's Down Jacket Fit
This seems obvious when we write it down, but just because the men's version of a jacket fits men really well doesn't mean that the women's version is going to fit women as well. All our male testers found the fit of the Marmot Highlander was too boxy to be very comfortable, and the Patagonia Down Sweater Hoody fit so well that it nearly earned a perfect score in our comfort metric. On the other hand, our female testers of down jackets for women found the opposite was true of the fit of these jackets. Our lady testing team found that the women's Marmot Highlander fit nearly perfectly, while the women's Patagonia Down Sweater Hoodyjust didn't fit right. So, just because we're saying a particular men's jacket fits really well, that doesn't mean the corresponding women's version will fit as well.
As a final note, all bodies are different, and we can't possibly assess how well any jacket will fit everyone, no matter how many testers we have wear these jackets.
The Stio Pinion Hooded and Rab Microlight Alpine were each almost as comfortable as the Rab Electron and Patagonia Down Sweater. The Stio Pinion Hooded has some of the softest face fabric we've ever had the pleasure of wearing. It's also slightly looser fitting — but not too loose — in a way that allows for maximum range of motion. It's so comfortable that we often forget we're even wearing this jacket.
The Stio Pinion Hooded has an ultra-soft face fabric and allows for maximum range of motion.
Credit: Sam Schild
An ideal-fitting jacket mimics the body's shape so that it moves as we do but also features enough space to wear a layer beneath it. Sleeve length and the shape through the shoulders, upper back, and chest also affect comfort. We want jackets ready for ice climbing, backpacking, hiking, skiing, scrambling, or any activity where we are likely to be moving our arms about and swinging them over our heads. Most of the jackets we tested work well as part of a layering system and as a standalone piece. Sometimes, you'll use a down jacket as a mid-layer, and sometimes, a down jacket serves as your outer layer with a fleece mid-layer underneath.
The Mountain Hardwear Ghost Whisperer allows for good range of motion, but we found it runs slightly slimmer than some jackets.
Credit: Sam Schild
We found slimmer fitting jackets like the Mountain Hardwear Ghost Whisperer fit really well over a thin baselayer or short sleeve shirt, but if you plan to layer thicker fleeces underneath, you might want to get a size larger than you normally would. This isn't an issue, but it is worth noting.
The same is the case with the Rokka and Rolla Ultra Lightweight Puffer--if you want to wear this over anything more than a T-shirt, we recommend getting a size larger than you normally wear. This model also had the shortest sleeves of any jacket in our review and allowed for the least range of motion overall.
The Rokka and Rolla Ultra Lightweight Puffer doesn't weigh a lot, but it also fits the smallest of all the jackets we tested.
Credit: Sam Schild
The Decathlon Forclaz MT100 fits really well – similar to the Ghost Whisperer – but it runs a full-size small, so be sure to size up with this one. We were debating whether to buy a men's Medium or a Small with this model. If we'd chosen a size Small, it wouldn't have fit.
The Decathlon Forclaz MT100 runs quite small, so be sure to get a size bigger than you normally would.
Credit: Sam Schild
Portability
While portability barely matters when you're wearing a jacket close to home, the higher, further, and steeper you venture, the more every ounce matters. In the backcountry, we prioritize weight to conserve energy and allow us to get farther up the mountain. Thus, a jacket's portability is a crucial consideration for backpackers, travelers, climbers, and anyone else who plans to carry the jacket in their pack at least some of the time.
Packability is important with a down jacket, because sometimes you won't need to wear it.
Credit: Sam Schild
In general, down is the best insulation material for packability since it is very compressible, but some down jackets are still more portable than others. To test portability, we weighed every jacket. We packed and unpacked each model repeatedly to see how well the fabrics held up over extended use and assessed which ones packed away the easiest.
The size and weight of every jacket varied, as did how well they stuffed into their included stuff sack or stash pocket.
Credit: Sam Schild
Generally, down fill power, the type or weight of the fabric, the amount of down, and the number of features all affect the weight and portability of a down jacket. Using higher fill power down translates to a higher loft with less filling, so higher fill power jackets tend to be lighter (or at least warmer) but more expensive. Similarly, thinner fabric can make a jacket lighter, but that thinner fabric can compromise durability. Lastly, to save weight, some models include fewer features or simply use less down. A jacket with chest pockets, burly zippers, multiple drawcords, and tons of down packed into every baffle is going to weigh more than a jacket with two hand pockets, thin baffles, and little else.
The Mountain Hardwear Ghost Whisperer, at 8.3 ounces in a size medium, is the most portable jacket we tested. This model doesn't have any hood adjustment features and only has two zippered hand pockets. But, it packs into its own pocket and is light enough that we never hesitated to pack it just in case. We have used the Ghost Whisperer as the only warm layer we carry while backpacking for 1000s of miles on multiple long-distance thru-hikes, and you can't do better than this jacket if ultralight packability is your top concern.
The Mountain Hardwear Ghost Whisperer Hoody weighs a mere 8.3 ounces.
Credit: Sam Schild
The Feathered Friends Eos is one of the best jackets you can get for warmth in an extremely portable package. This jacket weighs only 11.8 ounces yet is almost as warm as the warmest jackets we tested. The MontBell Superior Down weighs a mere 8.7 ounces, too, but we found this jacket wasn't nearly as warm as the Ghost Whisperer and didn't even compare to the Eos in terms of warmth.
Every jacket varied in weight and packed size, so depending on your needs you should get a more or less packable option.
Credit: Sam Schild
The Decathlon Forclaz MT100 is also quite portable. It weighs 10.3 ounces for a men's size Medium, which isn't much heavier than the Montbell or Ghost Whisperer. The MT100 is an excellent choice for backpacking, travel, or other occasions where saving weight and packability are priorities.
A size medium Decathlon MT100 weighs a mere 10.3 ounces.
Credit: Sam Schild
The Rab Electron Pro, TNF Summit Breithorn, and Mountain Hardwear Stretchdown Hoody are some of the heaviest jackets in the lineup. These jackets weigh about a pound and are examples of how warmth and weight are often a tradeoff. Though the Ghost Whisperer is warm for its weight (it weighs half as much as the Electron Pro), it isn't nearly as warm as these ultra-thick jackets.
The Wantdo Packable and Rokka and Rolla Puffer are light in your pack and on your pocketbook. These jackets weigh 10.6 and 9.2 ounces, respectively, though we worry about the long-term durability of these budget options. They're also not nearly as warm, and we end up carrying more layers when taking these jackets into seriously cold places, which negates any weight savings we get from them. But if mild climates are your gig, their weight savings may suit you well.
The Mountain Hardwear Ghost Whisperer practically disappears inside your bag when you don't need to have it on.
Credit: Sam Schild
Except in extremely cold conditions, strenuous activity causes overheating in down jackets. That means your puffy will spend a lot of time in your pack when you're backpacking, skiing, or hiking. The superior compressibility of down jackets versus synthetic ones is significant. More importantly, down's durability is greater than synthetic insulation, which degrades and loses its re-lofting ability over time. Taking weight and stuffability into account, our total scores for the portability metric are shown below. The MH Ghost Whisperer and Montbell jackets are the most portable, while the Fjallraven Expedition and Mountain Hardwear Stretchdown Hoody are some of the heaviest and least packable models we tested.
Most of the jackets in our review use high-quality down that remains lofty, compression after compression. The size and how easily they pack away set the different jackets apart. Most models we tested stuff down into an internal pocket, while others come with a stuff sack to pack it away.
No more stuff sacks?
Rab recently polled their customer base and found that many people were not using the stuff sacks they included with their jackets. To reduce waste, Rab decided to stop including stuff sacks with many coats in their lineup, including the Electron Pro and Microlight Alpine we tested for this review. You can purchase a stuff sack directly from their website if you really want one.
The Feathered Friends Eos, Wantdo Packable, Arc'teryx Cerium, Rokka and Rolla Lightweight Puffer, Camel Crown Packable Puffer, and MontBell Superior pack into a stuff sack. While we found it easier to pack a down jacket into a separate stuff sack than into its own pocket, we don't love having to keep track of a stuff sack while we're wearing the coat.
The MontBell packs down into a reasonable size and includes a separate stuff sack.
Credit: James Lucas
A stowaway pocket with a reversible zipper cuts down on extra weight and material. It also means there's no stuff sack to lose. The jackets that pack into their own pocket are the REI Co-op Magma 850 Hoodie, Outdoor Research Helium Down Hoodie, Marmot Highlander Hoody, Jones Re-Up Recycled, L.L. Bean Ultralight 850 Hooded, Decathlon Forclaz MT100, Mountain Hardwear Ghost Whisperer, Patagonia Down Sweater Hoody, Stio Pinion Hooded, and The North Face Summit Breithorn Hoodie. In general, we found it slightly more difficult to pack away jackets into an integrated stuff sack pocket than it was to pack jackets into a separate stuff sack. It's particularly difficult to pack the Ghost Whisperer into its own pocket — and especially challenging to close the zipper.
The Ghost Whisperer packs small into its pocket, but it is hard to close the zipper.
Credit: Chris McNamara
Weather Resistance
While you shouldn't rely on a down jacket to stay dry, we'd like to stay dry enough in a light mist or when it's snowing. It's also very important that a down jacket blocks the wind because if the wind can cut through your jacket, it isn't going to keep you warm. We measured water and wind resistance for these reasons.
We gauged the weather resistance of each jacket against the other down jackets in our testing lineup, keeping the rest of the outdoor apparel wardrobe out of the comparison. When we discuss the quality of a jacket's water resistance, we compare it to other down jackets and not to truly water-resistant options like rain jackets.
Wearing a down jacket in the rain will quickly make you realize why all jackets aren't made of this lightweight insulation. Down fails to insulate when wet, and wearing a down jacket in a storm can go from uncomfortable to dangerous as down takes a painfully long time to dry and re-loft when saturated. Fortunately, designers have several strategies for negating this vulnerability.
Drydown, ProDown, Downtec, and other “hydrophobic down” all claim to have better water resistance and faster drying times than untreated down. Evaluating the hydrophobic quality of these treated downs is difficult, though. Even after soaking jackets in the shower, we found it difficult to isolate the waterproofness of the down from other factors that add to each jacket's water resistance. However, we have found that down with a hydrophobic treatment seems to stay drier for longer.
The Rab Microlight Alpine has a robust DWR coating and hydrophobic treated down for extra weather resistance.
Credit: Sam Schild
A great choice for wet weather, the Rab Microlight Alpine combines a water-resistant Pertex microlight shell fabric with an impressive DWR coating, Nikwax-treated down, and a brimmed hood that deflects rain. While not waterproof, this down jacket works well in wet climates. The warmer and heavier-duty Rab Electron Pro sports the same waterproofing technology, performs about the same in wetter conditions, and has an even more protective hood.
The Stio Pinion Hooded features a water-resistant recycled shell material and hydrophilic down insulation to maximum weather protection.
Credit: Sam Schild
The Marmot Highlander and Stio Pinion Hooded also have water-resistant treated down insulation. The Pinion performed well in our water spray test. Very little water penetrated the recycled Pertex Quantum shadow shell material. The HyperDRY hydrophic down provides insurance for when the shell material wets out. The Highlander, on the other hand, didn't perform as well when we put water directly on the fabric and rubbed it with our hands.
The Ghost Whisperer has reasonable weather protection but is so thin that it won't last very long in trying conditions.
Credit: Chris McNamara
The TNF Summit Breithorn has down that's been treated with a water-repellent coating, and this jacket's shell material performed better than the Highlander in our spray and rub test as well.
Testing the water resistance of the TNF Summit Breithorn.
Credit: Sam Schild
The REI Magma 850 and L.L. Bean Ultralight 850 also insulate with down that's been treated to be water-resistant. The Magma uses a bluesign-approved DWR treatment to add waterproofing to the 850-fill-power down, while the L.L. Bean Ultralight uses a DownTek water-repellent down.
The L.L. Bean Ultralight uses Downtek water-resistant down insulation, so even if the DWR coating on the shell wets out, the down will stay dry for longer.
Credit: Sam Schild
The Outdoor Research Helium Down Hoodie is also relatively weather resistant. It has a more waterproof material on the hood and the tops of the shoulders. This keeps water off while the rest of the jacket remains breathable.
The Summit Breithorn is one of several models stuffed with water-repellent down that resists becoming soaked for longer.
Credit: Sam Schild
Remember that most folks aren't looking at down products for their water-resistance properties. This is not their intended purpose, nor is any down jacket truly waterproof. We stress warmth as the top priority when selecting a puffy. However, a down jacket should be weather-resistant enough to protect you when it snows.
Durable Water Repellent Treatments
The chemical coating of a durable water-repellent (DWR) treatment causes water to bead and roll off the treated material. Out of the box, DWR-treated models effectively keep the down dry and lofty in light rain. Unfortunately, these chemicals lose their effectiveness as the jacket is worn. Everyday use exposes the shell fabric to dirt and oils, causing spots on the jacket to “wet out,” especially on the back of the neck and shoulders. Regular cleaning prolongs the DWR treatment, and you can reapply DWR treatments with a product like Nikwax.
While using these jackets for everyday activities gives you a sense of how well each jacket blocks the wind, we also created a repeatable lab test to measure wind resistance. Using a fan set to high, we placed every jacket on top of the fan to feel how much air passed through.
We tested every jacket's wind resistance in the lab, as well as in the field.
Credit: Sam Schild
Most of the jackets in our lineup did an excellent job blocking the wind blowing through our test fan, but the Rab Electron Pro, The North Face Summit Breithorn, Mountain Hardwear Stretchdown Hoody, L.L. Bean Ultralight 850 Hooded, Rab Microlight Alpine, Arc'teryx Cerium Hoody, and Feathered Friends Eos stood out the most for their wind blocking properties.
The Feathered Friends Eos does a great job of blocking wind.
Credit: Sam Schild
Breathabilty
While you want a jacket to keep you warm, when you're working hard outside, you don't want to overheat, either. For this reason, it's important that a down jacket is breathable enough so you don't work up a sweat when your body is working harder. Whether you're chasing your dog (who is finally going to catch that squirrel) or on that final push to reach the summit, a breathable jacket is key. We tested the breathability of these jackets by wearing every one during high-output activities. We wore them biking, running, snowboarding, skiing, and climbing. We considered ventilation features that help regulate your core temperature when moving fast, such as armpit vents, sleeves that can easily be pushed up, and two-way zippers.
Thinner jackets don't keep you as warm, but they're also typically more breathable. If a jacket has less down, by definition, there is less insulating material that will trap your body heat. The Mountain Hardwear Ghost Whisperer is a perfect example of this. This ultralight jacket vents heat better than the thicker and warmer down jackets we tested.
We regularly wear the Mountain Hardwear Ghost Whisperer as an insulating layer while hiking.
Credit: Sam Schild
The Arc'teryx Cerium has thinner synthetic insulation under the arms and on the top of the shoulders. While the overall performance of this jacket in terms of breathability didn't blow us out of the water, we did find that the thinner insulating material under the armpits helped with breathability.
The Arc'teryx Cerium Hoody has thinner synthetic insulation under the arms and on the tops of the shoulders to resist moisture from your sweat and the elements.
Credit: Sam Schild
The Rab Electron Pro and Mountain Hardwear Stretchdown Hoody are the only jackets with two-way zippers to aid in ventilation. This design allows you to unzip the jacket from the top, bottom, or both at the same time, which helps a ton with breathability.
The Rab Electron Pro has dual zippers that allow you to vent the bottom of the jacket while leaving it zipped around your neck.
Credit: Sam Schild
The Stretchdown Hoody and Electron Pro are both very warm, so even though they have better ventilation options than most other models, you need that extra ventilation if you're going to be wearing these jackets during high-output activities. Even with the two-way zipper, they'll likely be too warm for uphill sports, but at least they won't flap in the wind as you sweat your way up the mountain.
The Stretchdown Hoody's two-way zipper lets you vent your core without entirely unzipping the jacket.
Credit: Sam Schild
Many manufacturers also sew thinner baffles into high-heat areas to aid in breathability. The Patagonia Down Sweater and Rab Microlight Alpine both have smaller baffles in the armpit area for this reason. The Stio Pinion Hooded alternates between wider and thinner baffles through the garment to allow for more breathability. While down doesn't compare to a highly breathable fleece, we found these jackets are breathable enough while hiking, biking, and generally moving around.
The Patagonia Down Sweater has thinner baffles under the arms for breathability.
Credit: Sam Schild
Another great way to vent a jacket is to push up the sleeves. The Rab Electron Pro has the most stretch in the wrists, and it accomplishes this with a pair of triangle-shaped elastic pieces. This allows the wrists to be tighter but stretch farther than your average wrist cuff.
The wrist cuffs on the Rab Electron Pro feature two elastic pieces for extra stretch.
Credit: Sam Schild
The Mountain Hardwear Stretchdown Hoody has stretch cuffs as well. And since the entire jacket is stretchy, you can push the sleeves all the way up to your biceps. The soft stretch material also doesn't get as clammy as other jackets made with slippery, ultralight materials. This makes the jacket feel less like wearing a rain jacket in a sauna, and we love that.
The Mountain Hardwear Stretchdown breathes better than many jackets, and the shell material doesn't feel clammy when you sweat.
Credit: Sam Schild
While it's pretty easy to push the sleeves up on most of these jackets, a few were too tight to push them up as far. The Mountain Hardwear Ghost Whisperer and Decathlon Forclaz MT100 have tighter arms, and we weren't able to push the sleeves up as far, especially with a fleece underneath it. As a side note, this is directly contradictory to the findings from our women's down jacket testers and almost certainly correlates with relative forearm circumference.
If we were to size up on any of these men's jackets, we would do so with the Ghost Whisperer and the MT100 (perhaps even two sizes up with the MT100). A larger size would solve the minor problems our male testers had with pushing up the arms.
The Arc'teryx Cerium Hoody performed about as well as the competition but is one of the most expensive jacket in the lineup.
Credit: Sam Schild
Conclusion
Having a warm, insulating jacket is an essential part of any cold-weather layering system. Making the right decision when purchasing a down jacket can seem like a daunting task. We aim to guide you through the jargon to let you know which jackets are the warmest, most comfortable, portable, weather-resistant, and breathable so you can make an informed decision. We hope our in-depth breakdown of these down jackets will help you decide which one will work best for you. As down jackets keep getting lighter and warmer, we'll continue to stay on top of new developments and present our findings here.
—Sam Schild, James Lucas, Buck Yedor, and Adam Paashaus
