Best Overall Down Jacket

Rab Electron Pro

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Weight: 16.1 oz | Fill: Recycled 800-fill European goose down, Nikwax treated, RDS certified

The Rab Electron Pro will keep you warm and cozy on backcountry ski trips or while layering up during stop-and-go winter activities. Rab stuffed this jacket with 800-fill, Nikwax-treated hydrophobic down. While no down jacket can replace a hardshell jacket or rain jacket, the Electron Pro fights the elements the best of any we tested. This highly functional cold-weather workhorse fits really well and was a favorite to wear during most activities among all our testers. It also has a bunch of great adjustability and versatile features: an adjustable and pinchable waist hem, a helmet-compatible brimmed hood, elastic hood cinch cords with velcro on the back for micro-adjustments, and the hand pockets sit high and go deep so you can use them with a climbing harness or while wearing a hip belt. It has elastic strips sewn into the underside of the wrist cuffs that allow plenty of stretch without leaving a large elastic wristband exposed to the elements.

Compared to some of the other down jackets we tested, the Electron Pro is pretty heavy and doesn’t pack down very small. It packs into an included stuff sack, but that stuff sack isn’t the smallest and you have to keep track of it when the jacket isn’t packed away. It also doesn’t have internal drop pockets, where we like to stash our gloves. But if you’re looking for an all-around awesome jacket that will keep you very warm without adding too much weight, look no further. If you want plenty of warmth but are planning to wear an outer shell, we also love the warm Feathered Friends Eos and the cozy The North Face Summit Breithorn.

Read more:Rab Electron Pro review

Best Value Down Jacket for Everyday Use

REI Co-op 650 Down

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Weight: 10.1 oz | Fill: 650-fill down, RDS certified

The REI Co-op 650 Down costs much less than many of the other jackets we tested, yet it has most of the same great features as jackets that cost twice as much. This model is high quality, very comfortable, and lightweight. It’s versatile enough to wear around town and keep wearing on the trail. Plus, it’s comfortable enough that you won’t want to take it off when you’re done with it all. It weighs a mere 10.1 ounces, making it one of the lightest jackets in this review. This is a simple jacket and doesn’t have too many extra features, but that simplicity makes it a great option for everyday wear and keeps the price extremely affordable. It also comes in the most sizes of any jacket we tested, so any body shape will be able to find a size that fits — from small through 3XL, as well as L Tall, XL Tall, and XXL Tall.

Despite the 650 Down‘s overall high performance, this isn’t the warmest jacket we tested. It’s also one of the only down jackets that doesn’t have a hood — though there is a hooded version of this jacket. While it’s pretty lightweight, it also doesn’t have any packability features. We simply used the drop-in pocket as a stow spot, which works great, but this jacket doesn’t have a dedicated stuff sack or double-sided zipper pocket for packing it away. And despite the lack of a stuff sack, it’s plenty packable. If affordability and performance are at the top of your list, there’s no jacket we’d recommend more for everyday wear at a reasonable price.

Read more:REI Co-op 650 Down review

An Affordable Alpine Jacket

Rab Microlight Alpine

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Weight: 14.9 oz | Fill: Recycled 700-fill down, Nikwax treated, RDS certified

The Rab Microlight Alpine is our top pick for an affordable jacket with all the features you’d need in a true alpine jacket. This jacket is weather-resistant, warm, and incredibly comfortable. The 700-fill recycled down insulation has a hydrophobic coating, and the shell material resists soaking through longer than many other puffies. It’s warm enough to wear in cold conditions and has an excellent cinch cord adjustable hood to seal in heat around your head. The hood also has a sewn-in visor to keep snow out of your eyes, and there’s a cozy knit zipper garage inside to protect your chin when wearing the hood all day.

The Microlight Alpine isn’t the most portable jacket, however. At 14.9 ounces for a men’s small, this is heavier than many other jackets. While it’s easier to pack this jacket into its separate stuff sack, it’s also easier to lose a stuff sack when it isn’t integrated into a pocket of the jacket, and it adds some extra weight. But this model fits really well, is warm and weather-resistant enough for any alpine adventure, and is more affordable than most of the other top performers. If you don’t need the adventure-focused features, the affordable REI 650 and the comfortable Patagonia Down Sweater Hoody are two of our favorite everyday jackets.

Read more:Rab Microlight Alpine review

Good Value on a Very Limited Budget

Wantdo Packable Down Hoody

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Weight: 10.6 oz | Fill: 90% duck down, RDS certified

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. Whether you’re heading to work or out for a day spent playing outside, a small and light insulation layer like this one is an excellent option to carry. It’s easy to take with you anywhere you go, just in case. And it costs less than an average lift ticket, so it’s hard to pass this deal up.

Though it’s light, packable, and affordable, the Wantdo doesn’t have the same premium features you’d 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 with gloves on. It’s also one of the least warm jackets we tested. But for this price, we couldn’t not recommend this model for folks living in mild climates or who need a down jacket irregularly. If you plan on wearing your puffy a lot, we think spending a little more for a better-performing jacket like the REI 650 is well worth it.

Ultracomfortable Warmth

The North Face Summit Breithorn Hoodie

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Weight: 15.2 oz | Fill: 800 fill ProDown, water-repellent, RDS certified

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 models overall and has tons of unique features that make it a pleasure to wear. It has supple lining material that’s some of the softest feeling fabric against your skin. The wrist cuffs are some of the most 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 the most pockets of any model we tested — seven! They include two zippered hand pockets, a zippered external chest pocket, two internal stretch mesh pockets, and two slip-in pockets behind those stretch mesh pockets.

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. It’s also rather expensive. However, this 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.

Read more:The North Face Summit Breithorn Hoodie review

Best For Ultralight Adventures

Mountain Hardwear Ghost Whisperer/2

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Weight: 8.3 oz | Fill: 800-fill goose down, RDS certified

The Mountain Hardwear Ghost Whisperer/2 is the best down jacket when weight saving is your top priority. At 8.3 ounces for a men’s small, 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. The athletic fit accommodates broader shoulders, allowing for easy overhead movement, and it breathes better than many jackets, so you can keep wearing it as you move faster. Layering a light fleece underneath proved easy, and the jacket’s tailored fit keeps it from feeling bulky while you’re active.

The Ghost Whisperer/2 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. Overall, this jacket’s packability and incredible overall performance make it a great option for anyone looking for an ultralight puffy jacket for adventuring. If you’re not heading out on an ice climbing expedition, the more casual MontBell Superior Down is another lightweight contender that’s more casual in its fit and costs a lot less.

Read more:Mountain Hardwear Ghost Whisperer/2 review

Best Insulated Jacket for Men

Patagonia DAS Light Hoody

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Weight: 12.31 oz |Fill: PlumaFill 100% recycled polyester

If you’d prefer to skip the feathers, the Patagonia DAS Light Hoody is a top-notch alternative to a down-filled jacket. This synthetic coat offers excellent warmth and weather protection. It is lightweight and built with 10D nylon ripstop Pertex Quantum, along with a DWR finish. When hit with precipitation, water beads up on the exterior and doesn’t penetrate to the innermost layers. We loved wearing this jacket as it was comfortable and moved well with us. Whether we were hiking or running errands around town, this jacket kept us cozy. Should it not be enough on its own to keep you warm, the loose cut allows for layering underneath. Weighing in at just 12.31 ounces, this coat is filled with PlumaFill 100% recycled polyester. It boasts three zippered pockets, an adjustable hem, and a cinchable helmet-compatible hood. Whether you’re headed out on a bike ride or taking your dog for a stroll, this is one of the best insulated jackets on the market.

For high-output activities, this jacket might be too warm. While wearing the DAS Hoody, we got a little sweaty and had to use the dual zippers to dry off. Though it can fit inside the left-hand pocket, it is very difficult to do so. We preferred to just stuff it in our backpacks instead of messing with this feature. Additionally, this jacket isn’t the most budget-friendly. Instead, we recommend the Amazon Essentials Lightweight Puffer for a wallet-happy, decent insulated jacket.

Read more:Patagonia DAS Light Hoody review

Compare Products

select up to 5 products to compare

Score	Product	Price
83	Rab Electron Pro Best Overall Down Jacket	$345
81	The North Face Summit Breithorn Hoodie Ultracomfortable Warmth	$380
79	Rab Microlight Alpine An Affordable Alpine Jacket	$295
75	Mountain Hardwear Ghost Whisperer/2 Best For Ultralight Adventures	$360
72	Patagonia Down Sweater Hoody	$329
69	Arc’teryx Cerium Hoody	$400
68	REI Co-op 650 Down Best Value Down Jacket for Everyday Use	$129
68	Feathered Friends Eos	$409
65	Marmot Highlander Hoody	$250
63	MontBell Superior Down	$249
58	Fjallraven Expedition Pack Hood	$275
57	Cotopaxi Fuego Hooded	$295
56	Columbia Delta Ridge Hooded	$180
56	Outdoor Research Helium Down Hoodie	$299
55	Wantdo Packable Down Hoody Good Value on a Very Limited Budget	$66
55	Rokka and Rolla Ultra Lightweight Puffer	$169

Why Trust WebProCare

For this review, we identified the key metrics essential to grading any down jacket. Then, we created a rigorous set of tests to perform in the field and in the test lab to test each of these metrics on their own. Since 2010, we’ve purchased the most interesting, most compelling jackets and pushed them to their limits around the world, climbing, hiking, skiing, camping, 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.

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. While wearing each jacket in the field, we paid attention to which were the most comfortable and assessed how each felt on our bare skin. We took every model to the lab, spraying water on every jacket and rubbing it in to assess water resistance and putting each against a fan to find out how wind resistant they are. We weighed every jacket and packed them into their pockets and stuff sacks. We wore them during sweaty activities like hiking and keeping up with the dog to learn how breathable they are.

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 for keeping 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?

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, 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 or 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.

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.

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 performs well and doesn’t break the bank is the REI Co-op 650 Down. This jacket balances price with comfort and versatility better than most.

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 performances in everyday situations and, therefore, high value.

The Rab Microlight Alpine 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 both offer 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.

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, it’s also outperformed by less expensive models in every metric. Unless you require that little fossilized logo on your puffy, we think there are better-value items available.

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.

A jacket’s warmth relates to the size of the baffles and the fill power. Simply put, the puffier a jacket looks, the warmer it likely is. But it gets more complicated than that. 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 the sixty seconds, the amount of space filled is considered the fill. So, 600 cubic inches of down equals 600-fill. 900-fill down is about as good as it gets. Most of the jackets in this review have 800-fill power down.

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 is warmer. So, a higher fill-power jacket will be puffier but weigh less and be warmer than a lower fill-power jacket.

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 down.

The Arc’teryx Cerium Hoody is stuffed with 850-fill down. This jacket is almost as warm as the Feathered Friends Eos. But it doesn’t have quite as much loft and isn’t quite as thick, so it isn’t as warm. 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 Rab Electron Pro and The North Face Summit Breithorn Hoodie both use 800-fill down — and a lot of it — to insulate you. 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 Feathered Friends Eos or Arc’teryx Cerium Hoody, mostly because they contain more down and are actually warmer than these higher-fill power jackets.

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 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, though, and the result of these features is a very warm jacket.

The loft of a jacket makes up part of a jacket’s warmth, while the cut and adjustability make up another portion. Slim, thermally efficient jackets and those with a longer hemline tend to be warmer. The Mountain Hardwear Ghost Whisperer/2 isn’t the warmest jacket, but it’s pretty warm considering how little it weighs. The trim, thermally efficient fit certainly has something to do with this jacket punching above its weight class in terms of warmth.

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.

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 most comfortable jackets 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.

The The North Face Summit Breithorn Hoodie and Rab Microlight Alpine were each almost as comfortable as the Rab Electron and Patagonia Down Sweater. The Summit Breithorn Hoodie has stretchy and 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 fits really well, has a comfortable knit zipper garage to prevent your chin from chafing in cold conditions, and has a similar feeling fabric to the other most comfortable jackets.

An ideal-fitting jacket mimics the body’s shape so that it moves as we do but also features enough space large enough 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 as well 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.

We found slimmer fitting jackets like the Mountain Hardwear Ghost Whisperer/2 fit really well over a thin baselayer or short sleeve shirt, but if you plan to layer thicker fleeces underneath, you might want to size one size up. 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 particular model also had the shortest sleeves of any jacket in our review, and allowed for the least range of motion overall.

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.

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.

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/2, at 8.3 ounces in a size small, 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 use the Ghost Whisperer as the only warm layer we carry while backpacking, and you can’t do better than this jacket if ultralight packability is your top concern.

The Feathered Friends Eos is one of the best jackets you can get for warmth in an extremely portable package. This jacket weighs only 11.3 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/2 and didn’t even compare to the Eos in terms of warmth.

The Rab Electron Pro and The North Face Summit Breithorn Hoodie are two of the heaviest jackets in the lineup. These jackets each weigh about a pound and are examples of how warmth and weight are often a tradeoff. Though the Ghost Whisperer/2 is warm for its weight, it only weighs half as much as the Electron Pro — but isn’t nearly as warm as that ultra-thick jacket.

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.

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.

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 sets 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.

The Feathered Friends Eos, Rab Electron Pro, Rab Microlight Alpine, Wantdo Packable, Arc’teryx Cerium, Rokka and Rolla Lightweight 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.

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 Outdoor Research Helium Down Hoodie, Marmot Highlander Hoody, Mountain Hardwear Ghost Whisperer/2, Patagonia Down Sweater Hoody, 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/2 into its own pocket — and especially challenging to close the zipper.

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.

Wearing a down jacket in the rain will quickly make you realize why all jackets aren’t made of 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 claimed to have better water resistance and faster drying times than untreated down. Evaluating the hydrophobic quality of these treated downs is difficult. 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.

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 Marmot Highlander also has water-resistant treated down insulation. However, it didn’t perform as well when we put water directly on the fabric and rubbed it with our hands. 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.

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.

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.

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.

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, Rab Microlight Alpine, Arc’teryx Cerium Hoody, and Feathered Friends Eos stood out the most for their wind blocking properties.

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/2 is a perfect example of this. This ultralight jacket vents heat better than the thicker and warmer down jackets we tested.

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 the thinner insulating material under the armpits helped with breathability.

The Rab Electron Pro was the only jacket with two-way zippers to aid in ventilation. This model allows you to unzip the jacket from the top, bottom, or both at the same time, which helps a ton with breathability.

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. While down doesn’t compare to a highly breathable fleece, we found both of these jackets are breathable enough while hiking, biking, and generally moving around.

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.

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/2 has 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. A larger size would solve the minor problems our male testers had with pushing up the arms.

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.