The 6 Best Down Jackets for Women

Best Overall Down Jacket for Women

Rab Neutrino Pro - Women's

Down fill: 800-fill European goose down, hydrophobic Nikwax | Weight: 19.9 oz (size L)

If you're seeking the absolute warmest down jacket in this category, the Rab Neutrino Pro remains a peak performer, year after year. Just shy of an expedition parka, this thickly-filled puffy features premium hydrophobic 800-fill goose down, extra-wide baffles, and a weather-resistant shell, providing extra protection from even the coldest storms. Comparatively, the cloud-like Feathered Friends Eos sports an impressive 900+ fill down. However, the Neutrino takes the biscuit for its greater fill weight and its superior ability to handle damp conditions. The Neutrino is also cut longer than comparable jackets, with added coverage in all the right places and adjustability everywhere we wanted it.

Unless you live in a cold place, the Neutrino Pro might just be too much for your needs. Our testers found it so warm that we don't necessarily recommend it for folks living in a mild or even a moderate climate. The Stio Hometown Hooded is slightly less lofty, less technical, and significantly cheaper. Similar to the Neutrino, it employs hydrophobic 800-fill down and a water-resistant shell — though the quality, design, and cut fall short, particularly when on the move. The superior Neutrino is more weather resistant and the cleverly designed sleeves allow for better movement, especially for activities like ice climbing and mountaineering, keeping you comfortable while moving in extreme temperatures. If we had to nitpick, many of our testers wished the Neutrino's hood had a toggle adjustment rather than a velcro strap to get a better, snug fit. Nevertheless, if you want a jacket that can keep you warm, cozy, and dry no matter where you roam, the Neutrino Pro is that jacket.

Read more: Rab Neutrino Pro review

Best Value Down Jacket for Women

Marmot Highlander Hoody - Women's

Down fill: 700-fill, treated with Down Defender | Weight: 13.9 oz (size L)

The Marmot Highlander is like your stylish yet low-maintenance friend who's down for anything but in jacket form. We happily donned the Highlander for a wide range of activities, from coffee shop hopping to snowy hikes and fat-tire biking. The soft, malleable exterior and casual, relaxed fit make it enjoyable to wear for just about anything out in the cold — as long as it doesn't start raining. (If you're looking for better weather protection, look to a jacket like the Rab Microlight Alpine.) The Highlander comes with a few sneaky technical features and packs very well into the chest pocket, but it's low-key enough that you could wear it for a holiday stroll or to the office without looking like you're about to head out on a mountaineering expedition.

There is much to love about the affordable Highlander, but our testers weren't impressed by its water repellency, or rather, complete lack thereof. The exterior lacks treatment and does not offer added material to block moisture. For another flattering down jacket with high breathability and a bit more water resistance, check out the Mammut Broad Peak IN we tested. The Highlander is also vulnerable to letting in cold gusts with its lower loft, hip-length hem, and lack of hood adjustment. However, these same downfalls also make the Highlander a breathable jacket that we can keep on for activities without working up too much of a sweat. Perhaps most of all, we love the vibrant combinations that add a pop of color to this jacket, that's easy to wear and, overall, easy to like.

Read more: Marmot Highlander review

A Great Casual Budget-Friendly Option

REI Co-op 650 - Women's

Down fill: 650-fill down | Weight: 11.1 oz (size L)

The simple but effective REI 650 Down has the warmth of a classic down jacket without the bells and whistles that often make them so expensive. This hip-length jacket's wide, comfortable fit is ideal for laidback pursuits and everyday wear. Decidedly casual, the 650 Down is lightweight, compressible, and offers reasonable protection from the chill of a mild winter. This jacket is well-suited for cozying up during fall evenings, and its relaxed fit easily layers over a thick sweatshirt or fleece for added warmth when you need it. The high neck has decent coverage when zipped up and plenty of room to move in without it bunching or pulling.

With no hood and a short hem, the 650 Down doesn't quite cut it on sub-zero or stormy winter days. For another lightweight budget-minded option with a hood, check out the Rokka and Rolla. The exterior of the 650 Down is not ripstop, and it tends to shed down through the lining more than some of its competitors in the long term. Though it lacks the technical features to earn a space in our pack for backcountry adventures, it has just the right coziness and price to make it a great choice for travel, commuting, and meandering around town in a moderate winter climate. Another casual option that we enjoyed wearing is the Cotopaxi Fuego, which has fun colors that mimic the Alpenglow and has a similar cut to the REI 650, but with a hood.

Read more: REI Co-op 650 Down review

Good Value on a Very Limited Budget

Wantdo Packable Down Hoody - Women's

Down fill: 90% down duck | Weight: 8.8 oz (size S)

Performance outerwear is typically prohibitively expensive. The Wantdo Packable Down Hoody - Women's aims to change that, as a basic, simple, and wallet-friendly down jacket that will do the trick for occasional cold outings. Claiming to be fully windproof and water resistant, in practice the Wantdo actually comes fairly close. It does an upstanding job of blocking the elements, especially water and wet precipitation. Moisture beads up and doesn't soak into the exterior fabric, not even through the seams. Though it has a boxy — and for some, unflattering — fit, the Wantdo comes in an inclusive size range (XS to 3XL), a wide variety of colors, and doesn't inhibit movement.

During testing, the Wantdo performed well in certain metrics, but some notable flaws decreased its performance in others. The water repellency works extremely well, but a bit too well on the inside, trapping perspiration. While the Wantdo's square cut makes this jacket a better, less restrictive fit for most, it lacks adjustability. If you're after a more lifestyle-oriented budget down jacket with a slimmer cut, check out the Lock and Love Ultralight. Our main gripe with the Wantdo, though, is with the sleeves. They're a couple of inches too short for most of our testers, frequently sliding back and exposing wrists to the cold. If you can live with these shortcomings, we think you'll find the Wantdo is a decent down jacket for milder climates or less frequent use.

Read more: Wantdo Packable Down Hoody Review

Best Ultralight Down Jacket

Mountain Hardwear Ghost Whisperer Hoody - Women's

Down fill: 800-fill RDS-certified Down | Weight: 8.3 oz (size L)

For those of us who love to know precisely how many ounces our pack weighs, the Mountain Hardwear Ghost Whisperer is a dreamy addition to your cold weather kit. This ultralight down jacket is thinner than most other jackets we tested, but at just 8.3 ounces in size large, it's also the lightest. It still packs impressive warmth for active insulation into a featherweight, no-frills jacket designed for mountain missions. Its elastic-rimmed hood fits effortlessly over most beanies or a helmet, allowing the Ghost Whisperer to shave weight and forgo an adjustment tab. With narrow baffles and less insulation, it's also one of the most breathable models in our lineup, perfect for throwing on during a climb, to warm up during a ski tour, or for a quick walk to a yoga class.

As you might expect, certain features are sacrificed to reach this shockingly low weight. The Ghost Whisperer has no chest pocket, just a single hem adjustment cord, and is made of delicate 10-denier outer material. It also lacks some of the arm mobility features we see in other activity-specific models, occasionally leaving our wrists exposed to the cold as we reach. Still, when every ounce counts, we'll gladly pack the Ghost Whisperer. If you're after something light and packable but much cheaper, the Rokka and Rolla is a budget option that weighs in at just 8.5 ounces in size small. For a superior warmth-to-weight package in a truly cozy down jacket, check out the Feathered Friends Eos, which clocks in at a modest 10.3 ounces (size small) and is generously filled with 900+ fill power down.

Read more: Mountain Hardwear Ghost Whisperer review

Best Synthetic Puffy Jacket for Women

Patagonia DAS Light Hoody - Women's

Fill 65g Plumafill | Weight: 11.5 oz

If you're looking for an alternative to down for sub-zero adventures, Patagonia DAS Light Hoody has been a top-performing synthetic insulated jacket for our testers for many years running. The unique, baffle-free design adds mobility and a generous fit, making it one of the more comfortable insulated jackets on the market. The cavernous hood easily accommodates a helmet or bulky beanie, and the light and airy Plumafill insulation provides a lot of warmth, even when the going gets wet. The DAS is undoubtedly well-suited as a belay jacket for climbers, but it's equally as cozy for strolling around town. Heavy precipitation –- from rain to sleet to fresh snowflakes –- beads off of this jacket. The synthetic insulation keeps its loft and keeps us warm and dry in a range of conditions.

After all our testing, we don't have many gripes about the DAS Light. That said, the outer fabric is notably fragile; it unfortunately sliced easily with contact with a sharp snowboard edge. Due to the lack of baffles, this is a problem, as all of the insulation could theoretically work its way out through one hole. At just 10 denier, the outer fabric helps keep the overall weight down but is less durable than other models we tested. Even with the thin exterior, we didn't find this jacket particularly breathable. On the other hand, it blocks wind and precipitation excellently thanks to the Pertex Quantum fabric. Though the jacket is relatively packable for its size, we had trouble actually getting it to fit into its packing pocket. Another warm, synthetic option we recommend that's a bit more affordable is the Columbia Heavenly Hoody. But if you're searching for an incredibly cozy, lofty, and weather-resistant jacket, the DAS is a great pick.

Read more: Patagonia DAS Light Hoody review

Compare Products

Compare select up to 5 products to compare

	Score	Product	Price
	88	Rab Neutrino Pro - Women's Best Overall Down Jacket for Women	$400
	79	Stio Hometown Hooded - Women's	$329
	77	L.L. Bean Ultralight 850 - Women's	$269
	76	Arc'teryx Cerium Hoody - Women's	$400
	76	Feathered Friends Eos - Women's	$409
	74	Mountain Hardwear Ghost Whisperer Hoody - Women's Best Ultralight Down Jacket	$360
	72	The North Face Summit Breithorn Hoodie - Women's	$430
	70	Mammut Broad Peak IN Hooded - Women's	$349
	69	Marmot Highlander Hoody - Women's Best Value Down Jacket for Women	$250
	69	Rab Microlight Alpine Jacket - Women's	$295
	63	REI Co-op 650 - Women's A Great Casual Budget-Friendly Option	$129
	62	Patagonia Down Sweater Hoody - Women's	$329
	60	Cotopaxi Fuego Hooded - Women's	$295
	58	Outdoor Research Helium Down - Women's	$299
	57	Wantdo Packable Down Hoody - Women's Good Value on a Very Limited Budget	$64
	50	Lock and Love Ultra-Light Packable - Women's	$59
	49	Rokka and Rolla Ultra-Light Hoody - Women's	$75

How We Test Women's Down Jackets

Every season, we spend hours searching the market for updated models and exciting new products to test. We then purchase each contender and put them through our rigorous battery of field and lab testing. We wore them skiing, climbing, snowshoeing, camping, backpacking, and hiking, as well as running errands, walking the dog, touring foreign cities, and meeting friends for coffee. We test how they fit and feel on different women's bodies, how well they move, and how breathable they are. We evaluate their warmth, their wind and water resistance, and all the features they have. We wore these jackets for months on end and subjected them to countless lab tests to tease apart even the most minute differences.

We tested each jacket across 5 different metrics:

• Warmth (30% of overall weighting)

• Comfort (30% weighting)

• Portability (15% weighting)

• Weather Resistance (15% weighting)

• Breathability (10% weighting)

For more on our testing process, check out our How We Test article.

Why Trust GearLab

This in-depth women's review is brought to you by a team of top GearLab testers. Senior Review Editor Maggie Nichols grew up in the sub-zero winters of the upper Midwest and has over 15 years of experience as a backcountry guide. Currently living in the Sierra Nevada foothills, she pushes her gear to its limits in freezing fall camping trips and deeply snowy winters. An avid traveler, Maggie loves visiting some seriously cold places around the world, including getting married in Iceland in the winter and spending her honeymoon visiting Svalbard. She is an expert on what goes into a high-quality and warm jacket that'll perform throughout the seasons. In addition, Maggie recruited many of her friends and family to help test and provide feedback on these jackets. Maggie has been working for GearLab since 2016, testing dozens of categories of adventure gear across the globe on expeditions from Oregon to Alabama and Japan to Norway.

Joining the testing team is freelance contributor Kaylee Walden. Kaylee, a born and raised Montanan, has spent the better part of the past decade guiding expeditions in Alaska, leading backcountry skiing trips in southwest Colorado, and teaching avalanche courses at around 10,000 feet — all very cold environments. From the summit of Denali to spending time digging into the nuances of the snowpack, down is her omnipresent and necessary companion. As a lover of the cold, she knows the importance of a down jacket truly having your back and the hallmarks of quality that make them durable, cozy, and protective from the elements.

Most recently, Sara James joins this review team, bringing her experience as an expert paddler, multi-day adventure lover and long-term gear tester for Gear Lab. Sara has spent countless nights sleeping out in the backcountry, including self-supported multi-day river trips and extended ski tours across the California Sierras. On rivers or mountains, in town or traveling, Sara almost always has a down jacket on hand.

Analysis and Test Results

While we can't subject every jacket to years of wear and tear before sharing our findings, we do our best to use them extensively and abuse them in ways that mimic how you'd treat your favorite down jacket. Each model is given an overall score that reflects its performance relative to others in our tests. In the sections below, we dive deep into our five testing metrics and get nitty-gritty with the performance of these coats.

What's the Best Value?

Down jackets come with a wide range of price tags, features, and functions that we can help you match to your lifestyle and your budget. Our top pick that landed right at the intersection of quality, versatility, and value is the Marmot Highlander. If you're hunting for an option that performs well across the board and costs less than many others, we'd also recommend the Rab Microlight Alpine. It has the right combination of adjustability, packability, and layerable warmth that make it a great choice for most winter days. If those are still a bit out of your price range and you just need a down layer for light or infrequent use, the REI 650 Down is a warm jacket that we enjoy for casual wear.

For those looking for a highly packable down jacket on an extra tight budget, check out the Lock & Love, Rokka and Rolla, and Wantdo jackets, all with very affordable price tags. On the other end of the spectrum, if you're a hardcore expeditioner who loves to backcountry ski, scale big mountains, and perhaps occasionally camp in the snow, the extra warmth, comfort, coverage, durability, and technical features of the Rab Neutrino Pro are well worth the extra investment, and has kept us cozier than any other option for years now.

Warmth

The most important aspect of any down jacket is that it keeps you warm, which is why we gave it the highest weight of all our testing metrics. We tested the warmth of each model in trying conditions like snowstorms, predawn mountain mornings, and late nights in the high desert winter. We noted their insulation type and thickness, as well as how warm it felt in similar conditions. We considered their layering ability — both underneath and over top of other garments as part of a comprehensive cold-weather layering system. We noted adjustability factors and points of heat loss. We also compared the warmth of each jacket in different wind conditions to see what they're built to withstand.

One common misconception about down jackets is that higher fill power numbers equal a warmer or higher quality jacket — so a 900+ fill power model would be warmer than a 650-fill power coat. In reality, the higher fill power number actually refers to the space between down filaments, or loft. It's actually the spaces between insulating fibers that keep you warm — not the fibers themselves. By using a higher fill power down, a jacket can offer more warmth compared to a jacket of the same thickness with a lower fill power. However, a thickly-filled puffy jacket insulated with 650-fill down can end up feeling warmer than a thinly filled jacket utilizing 900-fill down.

The warmest jacket we tested is also the thickest — the Rab Neutrino Pro. This seriously cushy puffy jacket is filled to the max with 800-fill power hydrophobic goose down. But even this impressive construction doesn't tell the full story. The Neutrino Pro is packed with details and features that further contribute to its exceptional warmth. It's a long jacket with a long drop hem that you can cinch tight over your backside. It has a thick, puffy hood with a wire-stiffened brim and volume adjustment that works well over beanies, a bare head, or a helmet. The fleece-lined pockets and brushed chin guard help keep you feeling extra cozy. The Neutrino is one of just two models we tested with Velcro adjustable cuffs for true wrist protection in any condition.

The Arc'teryx Cerium isn't as thick as other jackets that scored high marks in warmth and has an impressive warmth-to-weight ratio. A medium-thickness jacket with 850-fill down, the Cerium manages to pack a lot of additional warmth in a slimmer, more streamlined package. It also has synthetic insulation in key areas of moisture buildup to help you stay warm even if certain parts of you get a little wet. Updated for last season with better zippers and a roomier fit, the Cerium is a great option for a daily driver jacket in cold winter climates, especially for activities.

The Feathered Friends Eos is another very warm jacket and is thickly insulated with the highest fill power down of any model we tested — 900+. This coat is less technical than others but has great coverage, elastic cuffs, and an adjustable hem and hood that all add warmth. It's super cozy and lofty, and quickly became a go-to option among our testing team when heading out around town on extra cold days. The North Face Summit Breithorn is another notably warm model, with wide baffles that are thickly filled with 800-fill ProDown. Its slim line fit, long torso with a drop hem, and stretch-knit cuffs help to seal in the warmth to your body.

The Stio Hometown Hooded and L.L.Bean Ultralight 850 also performed well in this metric, boasting 800 and 850-fill, respectively. The Hometown has large baffles that have a medium amount of down within them, while the Ultralight's medium baffles are more fully filled than the Hometown hooded. Both jackets have thick draft flaps behind the central zippers. The Hometown hooded offers that extra bit of warmth thanks to its extended wrist cuffs, longer cut with adjustable hem, fleece-lined pockets, and chin guard, all helping to protect you from the chilliest of winter storms.

Comfort

Since we all have differently shaped and proportioned bodies, we enlisted as many friends as we could to help us evaluate the fit and comfort of each jacket. We looked at their shape and noted how much or how little space was left inside. We put them over bulky underthings like thick fleeces and under shells to see if it was easy and if we could still move freely. We played, climbed, and skied in them, taking note of whether they raised up and exposed our midriffs or wrists to the cold. We wore them over bare skin to see how the material felt. We looked at their additional features like pockets and adjustability. And we wore them for a bunch of different kinds of pursuits to see where they performed at their best.

The most comfortable jackets we tested are the Rab Neutrino Pro, Feathered Friends Eos, and Stio Hometown. Each of these jackets has soft interiors to add to their puffiness and make us feel like we're wearing clouds. The Neutrino Pro has some excellent mobility designs baked into this jacket that no other model in our lineup can match. Twisted sleeve baffles facilitate arm movements without exposing our wrists or torsos. This means that whether we're on an ice climbing expedition or giving underdogs on the swing set, the Neutrino Pro stays put and doesn't restrict our movements. The Eos and Hometown don't have these mobility-enhancing features but do have just the right combination of length, soft fabric, and adjustability that our whole testing team loved how it feels to wear. The Neutrino Pro and Hometown both sport fleece-lined pockets and chin guards, which are bonus features during those extra cold days.

The North Face Summit Breithorn has an exceptionally slim cut that may put some people off this jacket at first. However, some of our testers chose to size up in this jacket and found the resulting fit to be very comfortable, offering a full-body hug as you zip it up. The raglan sleeve design supports a great range of uninhibited movement — and if it does get damp, the slim-fit Summit Breithorn is much more comfortable to pair with a rain shell than many other jackets that are thicker and bulkier.

The Arc'teryx Cerium isn't quite as “cushy” as some others we tested, but it is still a comfortable jacket to wear. Its small underarm gussets help with range of motion for less-restricted movement. The Cerium also features one of the thickest lining materials of our test jackets (20D fabric), so the down quills don't poke through so readily. The Patagonia Down Sweater offers classic comfort for everyday use. Their latest version runs narrower through the hips than previous versions, but once we found the right size, we enjoyed the easy comfort of this simple casual jacket. Its elastic cuff is sewn comfortably inside the cuff, and a tall chin turns it into a balaclava-style hood. It also has five total pockets (three of which are internal) and comes with two repair patches.

When it comes to casual comfort, we also enjoy wearing the L.L. Bean Ultralight 850, which packs in a ton of warmth whilst retaining some style thanks to its slightly fitted cut and the highlight trim that comes with some of its color options. This jacket easily packs into its own pocket, making it a great companion for travel. The Mountain Hardwear Ghost Whisperer is decently comfortable, in part because it's a thin, ultralight model. Even without mobility-specific features, we enjoyed the feel of this jacket and almost forgot it was on -– especially for high-output activities.

The Marmot Highlander is another favorite for comfort, with a soft, malleable, and cushy exterior that makes this jacket enjoyable to wear. It has a stylish, hip-length cut and a well-sized hood and works perfectly as a mid-layer under a shell. This jacket was among the most versatile of models we tested and could easily –- and comfortably –- take us from activities to a night on the town. Look good, feel good, as they say, and we enjoyed how this down hoody added a pop of color to every outing.

Portability

Starting with the basics of portability, we weighed every model to compare them together. We then stuffed them into their designated pockets or stuff sacks, timing how long this took our tester. We also clipped them to our backpacks and stuffed them in our suitcases to see how easy they were to tote around. We considered their overall size and shape as we packed them away. We looked at the materials they're made of — including their down quality — to gauge how well they'll stand up to being packed and unpacked over years of adventures and outings. And we asked our testing team the crucial question: In what circumstances would you bring this jacket?

Taking the proverbial cake in this metric is the ultralight Mountain Hardwear Ghost Whisperer. This seriously impressive jacket weighs just 8.3 ounces in a size large, and packs down into its own pocket, giving you a package smaller than a 16-ounce can, to carry or clip to your harness or backpack. When even fractions of an ounce matter, the Ghost Whisperer is the ideal “just in case” layer for instances where you don't want to pack a bulky, heavy jacket, like backpacking or on a spring vacation.

The The North Face Breithorn Hoody was the only jacket that we tested that could be packed quicker than the Ghost Whisperer, thanks to its impressively compactable fill as well as its exceptionally large stuff pocket. The dimensions of this stuff pocket are particularly well designed, giving it a very large opening, which further helps you to stash away this jacket in a flash. This jacket weighs a fair bit more than the ultralight Ghost Whisperer but is still an excellent and portable option when you need added warmth that still packs away handily. One of our testers took the Breithorn on a two-week journey through Japan in early springtime and found it was an ideal layer for mountain snow while still stashing away easily to take the bullet train.

The Lock & Love, Rokka and Rolla, and WantDo all received high marks in the portability department. All are lightweight and extremely packable, and all three pack into stuff sacks that come with them. The lightest of the three is the Rokka and Rolla, which weighs in at an impressive 8.5 ounces (in size small) and still provides acceptable warmth and weather protection on mild winter days.

The L.L. Bean Ultralight would be more accurately described as a medium-weight jacket when compared to some of the true ultralight offerings available, like the Ghost Whisperer. However, the L.L. Bean jacket was easier than most to stash away in its designated stow pocket than most, and we particularly appreciated how easy it was to close the zipper compared to some of the more fiddly models. In addition, there is a tab for you to clip the resulting package onto your backpack for ease of transport.

The Arc'teryx Cerium and Feathered Friends Eos may not be ultralight, but they both weigh less than their levels of warmth and extended coverage might suggest. In size small, they weigh 10.2 and 10.3 ounces, respectively. The Eos manages this combination of supreme thickness and low weight by using extremely high loft down — 900+ fill power, for the best warmth-to-weight ratio of any jacket we tested. The Cerium also uses high loft down (850-fill) but is thinner and densely packed, sticking to the warmer side of average rather than shooting for intense cold usage.

The Mammut Broad Peak IN Hooded also impressed us with its low weight and high packability, conveniently stowing into a hand pocket. It packs down into a very svelte package, quickly regains loft, and provides pretty outstanding active insulation for a low weight of 11.6 ounces in size small. While the REI 650 Down is among the lightest of all jackets we tested at 9.9 ounces, it has an unfair advantage due to its short hem length and lack of a hood. The updated version now sports a properly designed stuff pocket with a dual-sided zipper to help keep it contained.

Weather Resistance

Though down jackets aren't designed to block all wind and precipitation, they sometimes have to face it when we're stuck without a waterproof shell. A solidly protective down jacket should have at least a modest level of water repellency and wind resistance. We checked these jackets' moisture-stopping properties by wearing them through wet snow storms outside and spraying them with water — even rubbing it into the fabric — in the lab. We tested each jacket's ability to withstand high winds by heading into the mountains on blustery days and got granular by testing them all for weak points in front of a high-powered fan. We considered fabric technologies and treatments that help resist the elements. We also looked at certain features that can offer additional protection, like adjustable cuffs, hood brims, cinchable hoods and hems, and longer bottoms.

The Rab Neutrino Pro performed impressively in this metric and is our favorite companion when the weather gets ugly. The well-stuffed baffles meant we didn't feel the wind chill even on the most blustery days. In addition, the adjustable hood, cuffs, and hem help to seal any cold breezes out of this cozy jacket. Furthermore, when the weather gets wet, the Neutrino Pertex Quantum Pro shell outperformed all the other jackets in our lineup, both in the field and during our in-house lab tests, beading the water away.

Many of the other jackets we tested also use (slightly inferior) standard Pertex Quantum. Although not as water-resistant as the Pro version, it does deliver a notable performance. The exteriors of the Mammut Broad Peak, Feathered Friends Eos, Rab Microlight Alpine, L.L.Bean Ultralight 850, and Outdoor Research Helium Down all use this material. When sprayed with water, the droplets beaded off these jackets, and even when fluid was poured on a targeted spot, none of these jackets felt damp on the inside.

Most of the jackets we tested have a hydrophobic DWR treatment applied to them. Taking things a step further, the Rab Neutrino Pro, The North Face Summit Breithorn, Marmot Highlander, Stio Hometown Hooded, and Cotopaxi Fuego all are stuffed with down that's been treated through various methods to be water-resistant. This means if the jackets do get soaked, the down will absorb less water and help these jackets maintain their insulation properties.

The Arc'teryx Cerium exceeded our expectations in this metric. The 15D Arato ripstop nylon did an impressive job stopping the wind from whipping through even the baffle seams of this jacket. It's adjustable at key points (like the hem and hood volume) with elastic at the cuffs and hood rim to keep you protected without having to tighten too much. The DWR finish also did an excellent job repelling water throughout all our testing. The Cerium is also one of just a few down jackets in our lineup to strategically replace down with synthetic insulation (which retains its loft — and, therefore, its warmth — when wet) in key areas to keep you warm even in trying conditions. The Mountain Hardwear Ghost Whisperer also features smartly placed synthetic insulation for the first couple of baffles at the cuffs and in the hood. This helps keep your jacket from wetting out for the rest of the day if you're shoveling snow, alpine climbing, having snowball fights, or digging snow pits in the backcountry.

The Outdoor Research Helium Down prioritizes weather resistance in other ways. This lightweight jacket also uses thicker 15D x 30D Pertex Quantum fabric on the outside for added wind protection. Along the tops of the sleeves, shoulders, and back, as well as on the hood, the Helium Down utilizes Diamond Fuse technology (designed to be waterproof) to keep you dry. And for good measure, the whole jacket is coated with DWR treatment. The Wantdo Packable Down Hoody is coated with a waterproof material, and even in extended storms and shower tests, would not let any moisture come through.

The L.L.Bean Ultralight 850 also boasts a pertex quantum shell with a DWR finish. In our testing, we noted that the area around the logo was inclined to absorb more water than its competitors. This jacket stood up well in our wind testing, with the adjustable hood helping us to get a snug fit and protecting us from the elements.

Breathability

Down jackets are not typically designed to be highly breathable because their primary function is to provide warmth by trapping air between the feathers. However, one of the core principles of getting outside safely in the winter is to regulate your body temperature — both in the cold and as you work up a sweat. Whether you're wrangling toddlers at the park or scaling a wall of ice, it's important that your sweat doesn't ultimately make you colder when you inevitably stop moving. We tested the breathability of each jacket by wearing them during reasonably sweaty endeavors like skiing, climbing, hiking, and brisk walks. We considered features that aid ventilation, like two-way zippers, armpit vents, and cuffs that can be pushed up your arms.

In general, thinner jackets that aren't as warm are more breathable. The Mountain Hardwear Ghost Whisperer is one such jacket. This ultralight layer vents excess body heat more easily than other thicker or warmer options. It also has elastic lining inside the cuffs, allowing us to push the sleeves of this lightweight jacket up our wrists. On the other hand, some models employ breathability features to help when you really need them. The Arc'teryx Cerium has slightly thinner insulation in the underarm area, which may make a small difference, but not anything truly amazing that we noticed during our testing.

As baffle seams often become a point of heat loss (especially over time), many manufacturers sew thinner baffles onto the sides of their jackets to assist in moderating body temperature without including overt heat loss features. The Rab Microlight Alpine, Patagonia Down Sweater, and The North Face Breithorn all employ this strategy. While it doesn't have any specific features, the soft and more permeable exterior of the Marmot Highlander also makes it nicely breathable for getting after it in cold conditions.

The Rab Neutrino Pro and Mammut Broad Peak both have a two-way main zipper, which can be useful for venting your core without loosening the jacket around your shoulders. We also found that the large pockets on the L.L.Bean Ultralight and The North Face Summit Breithorn were helpful features for venting when we got too hot.

Conclusion

There's an overwhelming amount of down jackets on the market to choose from, designed for specific use or everyday wear. Some are better in the backcountry, while others are more adept around town. Most are a significant investment, and our aim is to help you make a selection you'll be happy with for years to come. It's our goal to help you narrow down the search to the optimal choice for your particular climate, budget, and lifestyle. By considering all of the nuances of the above jackets, our intent is to give you a nudge in the right direction. We hope that our research, comprehensive testing, and thorough analysis of this year's best down jackets will help you zero in on which one is precisely the best fit for you.