Best Down Coats

No other insulating material comes close to the warmth-to-weight ratio of down.down coats It comes from waterfowl (primarily ducks and geese) that have developed clusters of fine feathers underneath their waterproof outer feathers for insulation in the cold, wet environments where they live.down coats The key to a down jacket’s warmth-to-weight ratio is its fill power, a measure of the quality and insulating efficiency of the down in a particular product; higher fill powers are typically more lightweight, compressible, and warm for their weight.

The Montbell Alpine Light Down Jacket is a great example of an ultralight, high-performance down jacket.down coats It has a good mix of quality down, a durable shell fabric and thoughtful features that set it apart from other jackets in its class.down coats For instance, it has a drawcord hem adjustment to keep the cold air out and cinch around your waist, graduated wrist cuffs for a comfortable fit and a customizable hood. It also has a breathable membrane to block moisture and help with ventilation when you get too hot.

While it doesn’t have a windproof shell, the Montbell Alpine Down Jacket is very packable and easy to wear as an insulated midlayer under your waterproof layer in bad weather or when you need extra warmth during strenuous activities.down coats And it’s backed by REI’s solid return program within a year for REI members and 90 days for nonmembers.down coats

The lightweight category is the smallest, but a healthy number of our picks fall into it.down coats We generally consider designs with 3 to 4 ounces of low-midrange-fill-power down in this category, which can keep you comfortably warm (with appropriate clothing) down into the teens Fahrenheit.

Midweight down jackets are great for brisk fall and spring outings, winter hiking and skiing, or as a light-duty snow layer.down coats Jackets like the Rab Microlight Alpine or Patagonia Fitz Roy pack a healthy amount of high-quality, 800-fill-power down in their shells to provide excellent warmth for their size and weight.

If you’re going to be using your down jacket in wet conditions, make sure it’s waterproof or treated with a DWR coating.down coats Otherwise, the moisture will degrade its insulating properties over time to the point of being useless.

Goose down is the gold standard; it’s highly compressible, very warm for its weight, and when treated with care, fairly durable.down coats However, it’s expensive. Duck down is less expensive, but it’s not as compressible and doesn’t hold up as well to moisture. Synthetic-fill jackets, on the other hand, retain their insulating properties much better when wet and tend to be a bit more affordable than goose down.