Down jackets are a winter staple however are useful year-round in sure climates. They supply top-level heat whereas packing down pretty small. However with so many choices available on the market, it may be exhausting to decide on.
Our group of testers donned dozens of down jackets within the parts at work and exploring the outside. We examined these outer layers whereas mountain climbing, backcountry snowboarding and splitboarding, snowmobiling, operating errands round city, shoveling snow, tenting, mountain climbing, searching, and extra. Whereas there isn’t an ideal jacket for each single exercise, we’ve discovered quite a lot of the very best down jackets for girls to maintain you heat all season.
Although we principally give attention to jackets with pure down fill on this information, there are additionally some artificial fill choices which are very heat and packable. To grasp how these two varieties of insulation differ, in addition to different particulars about down jacket development, try our buyer’s guide, FAQ, and comparison chart decrease within the article.
This assortment of layers options useful hip-length puffy jackets. In case you’re focused on lengthier jackets and parkas for on a regular basis use, learn our girls’s winter jackets purchaser’s information. In any other case, preserve scrolling by way of our prime picks of ladies’s down jackets for 2024.
Editor’s Be aware: We up to date our Finest Ladies’s Down Jacket information on January 25, 2024, to incorporate the brand new and awarded Jones Ladies’s Re-Up Down Recycled Hoodie and the Rab Women’s Mythic Alpine Down Jacket.
The Finest Ladies’s Down Jackets of 2024
Finest General Ladies’s Down Jacket
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Weight
360 g -
Fill
750 FP down -
Waterproof
No however PFC-free DWR water resistance -
Finest use
Backcountry splitboarding, mountaineering, backpacking, climbing -
Key options
Adjustable hood, elastic wrist cuffs, adjustable and elastic waist band, stuffs into inner chest pocket
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5 pockets -
Very sturdy -
Sustainable benchmark design
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Water-proof however look elsewhere for full waterproofness -
Would like to have a comfy fleece lining contained in the chin guard
Finest Price range Down Jacket for Ladies
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Weight
289 g -
Fill
800 FP down -
Waterproof
No. Includes a DWR therapy to repel water off floor -
Finest use
Dry to mildly moist winter circumstances, normal put on, mountain climbing, tenting -
Key options
Two inside stash pockets (for goggles or gloves), packs into its chest pocket and has carabiner clip-in loop, zippered chest pocket, hand pockets with zip closures, Accountable Down Normal (RDS) licensed, 50% recycled ripstop polyester shell
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Nice match -
Stretch facet panels improve total vary of movement, consolation, and breathability -
Hood-free (lessens bulk)
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Not waterproof -
Some women could be on the lookout for a bulkier, cozier possibility for on a regular basis use
Runner-Up Finest Ladies’s Down Jacket
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Weight
286 g -
Fill
900 FP goose down -
Waterproof
No however cloth has fluorocarbon-free DWR for water resistance -
Finest use
resort and backcountry snowboarding, mountaineering, backpacking, climbing -
Key options
Down handled with Nikwax fluorocarbon-free hydrophobic end, included stuff sack, pull cords on hem
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Extraordinarily heat -
Tremendous well-built and robust -
Uber comfortable chin guard for face
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Solely two pockets -
No hood adjustment
Leanest All-Round Ladies’s Down Jacket
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Weight
371 g -
Fill
800 FP down (RDS licensed by Management Union) -
Waterproof
No. Waterproof shell and liner with PFC-free DWR end -
Finest use
Dry to mildly moist winter circumstances, on a regular basis, round city -
Key options
Inside chest pocket doubles as a stuff sack with carabiner loop, two zippered hand pockets and drop-in inside pockets, mounted hood
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Good quantity of stretch for motion -
Light-weight -
Actually comfortable liner inside chin guard
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Not waterproof -
DWR end just isn’t fluorocarbon-free
Stretchiest Down Jacket
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Weight
396 g -
Fill
700 FP down -
Waterproof
No. However the Q.Protect goose down resists moisture -
Finest use
Dry to mildly moist winter circumstances, climbing, biking, shoveling snow, on a regular basis -
Key options
Fabrication removes the necessity for stitching and glue, chest pocket, two zippered hand pockets, mounted hood, RDS licensed down, fluorine-free water resistance therapy on down
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Wonderful freedom of motion because of stitch-free design -
Sturdy face cloth is pliable and comfortable
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Not waterproof -
Hood is streamlined which may very well be a disadvantage for some
Finest Waterproof Down Jacket for Ladies
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Weight
682 g -
Fill
700 FP down -
Waterproof
Sure. Goose down options Nikwax fluorocarbon-free hydrophobic end. Interior and outer cloth is handled for waterproofness and options totally taped seams. Plus there’s artificial insulation within the hood and across the cuffs. -
Finest use
Dry to the wettest coastal winter circumstances, engaged on the snowmobile and trailer, chilly campouts, touring outdoors in blizzard or gusty circumstances -
Key options
Absolutely taped seams, helmet appropriate and insulated mounted hood, drawstring twine for hood rim and back-of-hood for total snugness, broad Velcro wrist cuff closures, plus YKK zippers used on entrance, two hand pockets, and inner chest pocket
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Extraordinarily heat -
Tremendous sturdy face cloth -
Blocks wind and water like a superhero
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Not as athletic-fitting as different down jackets -
Pricier possibility
Finest Non-Artificial Down Various
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Weight
558 g -
Fill
Wool -
Waterproof
No. Water-repellent -
Finest use
Dry to mildly moist winter circumstances, on a regular basis use, freeride snowboarding, and snowboarding -
Key options
PFC-free, Truthful Put on licensed, local weather impartial, two-way entrance zipper, wrist gaiters, one inside chest pocket, two massive exterior hand pockets, additional zippered pocket on arm for ski go or keys, insulated mounted hood, drawstring twine on again of hood snugs up the match
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Windproof -
4 pockets -
Down different
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Not essentially the most packable -
Pricier selection
Better of the Relaxation
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Weight
216 g -
Fill
850+ FP down -
Waterproof
No. However the down and face cloth are DWR-treated to forestall moisture absorption -
Finest use
Dry to reasonably moist winter circumstances, searching within the mountains, backpacking, backcountry snowboarding, snowboarding (particularly whereas going slower and educating the kiddos) -
Key options
DWR-treated down, left-hand pocket doubles as stuff sack, mounted hood, YKK zippers, adjustable hood with drawstring alongside hem and in heart again for total tightening
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Extraordinarily heat -
Very quiet cloth
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Pricier selection -
DWR therapy just isn’t eco-friendly
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Weight
205 g -
Fill
850 FP down (plus artificial insulation in spots the place moisture builds) -
Waterproof
No. Moisture-resistant outer cloth handled with DWR -
Finest use
Dry to mildly moist winter circumstances, backcountry snowboarding, splitboarding, ski mountaineering, plus ice, alpine, and mountain climbing -
Key options
Artificial insulation positioned the place moisture accumulates, down insulated and stuck hood that matches over helmet, contains stuff sack, two hand pockets which are zippered, minimal zippers scale back bulk (but have by no means damaged in a number of years)
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Ultralight technical design -
Extremely compressible
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Not waterproof -
No inside pockets -
Feathers can typically sneak out
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Weight
306 g -
Fill
650 FP down -
Waterproof
No. DWR-treated to repel moisture off floor -
Finest use
Dry to mildly moist winter circumstances, on a regular basis, tenting, mountain climbing -
Key options
Two zippered hand pockets, recycled nylon taffeta shell cloth, Bluesign licensed nylon taffeta liner, RDS licensed
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Consists of plus sizes in 1X, 2X, and 3X -
Wind-resistant
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No hood -
These feathers sneak out of the seams
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Weight
600 g -
Fill
700 FP down (plus artificial fill within the tops of the shoulders) -
Waterproof
No. Waterproof -
Finest use
Dry to mildly moist winter circumstances, crusing, ski touring, resort snowboarding, on a regular basis -
Key options
Bluesign-approved supplies, 53% recycled polyester shell and lining, 85% recycled polyester insulation in tops of shoulders and wrist cuffs, wrist gaiters with thumb loops, mounted hood, RDS licensed
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Dimension vary is from XS to XXXL -
Wind- and water resistant -
Lofty
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Heavier jacket -
Barely longer design in comparison with our different choices — a con for some -
Not a streamlined-looking silhouette
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Weight
397 g -
Fill
800 FP down -
Waterproof
No. Handled with DWR -
Finest use
Dry to mildly moist winter circumstances, informal, layering beneath a rain coat -
Key options
Two inside stash pockets, two zippered hand pockets, jacket stuffs into its personal pocket, mounted hood, adjustable drawcord waist
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Enjoyable coloration choices -
Sheds gentle precipitation -
Excellent for cooler circumstances whenever you don’t wish to overheat
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Little too boxy for some -
Not superb for excessive winter use -
Lack of chest pocket
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Weight
377 g -
Fill
700 FP down -
Waterproof
No. However the down is handled for water resistance -
Finest use
Dry to mildly moist winter circumstances, on a regular basis, tenting, mountain climbing, layering beneath ski shell -
Key options
Two zippered hand pockets
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Wind resistance -
A number of inside chest pockets
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Not waterproof -
Shoulder and bust space may be comfortable with layers beneath
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Weight
685 g -
Fill
700 FP down -
Waterproof
No. Options DWR therapy on face cloth -
Finest use
Dry to mildly moist winter circumstances, on a regular basis informal put on -
Key options
RDS-certified, stowable (non-insulated) hood, two zippered hand pockets, jacket stows in right-hand pocket
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Hood may be stashed into collar (it’s not detachable) -
Traditional broad baffle and retro aesthetic
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Match just isn’t as athletic as different jackets -
DWR therapy and cloth usually are not recycled or chemical-free -
Simply stains so watch out
Down Jackets for Ladies Comparability Chart
Scroll proper to view the entire columns: Value, Weight, Fill, Waterproof, Finest Use.
How We Examined Ladies’s Down Jackets
Our GearJunkie crew has examined and reviewed dozens of ladies’s down jackets in a variety of cold-weather circumstances throughout the nation. For this information, we examined the advantageous particulars of every down jacket, together with consolation, performance, safety from the weather, ease of use, and magnificence. We additionally strongly thought-about the most well-liked, extremely acclaimed, well-made, and size-inclusive girls’s down jackets throughout worth factors.
All through the West and Rocky Mountains, we’ve cruised on our bikes, walked in blizzards, sat on park benches, cheered on cross-country ski races, and shoveled our rigs out of powder piles. Now we have used these down jackets for farming, searching, tenting, backcountry exploration, mountaineering, mountain climbing, and mountain climbing. Our main assessments have been in Colorado’s Gunnison Valley — one of many coldest, snowiest locations in the US.
Main the testing for the women’ down jacket information are GearJunkie Senior Editor Morgan Tilton and contributor Meghan LaHatte. Tilton has been snowboarding and snowboarding for greater than three a long time. Past dwelling in a winter wonderland for greater than half the yr, she backcountry excursions, laps the resort, drives a backcountry snowmobile, hits the Nordic trails, and does skimo races. Whereas dwelling within the frigid ski city of Crested Butte, Tilton has put these down jackets by way of the last word take a look at whereas snowboarding, shoveling, backpacking, and different actions.
Meghan LaHatte has resided on the Western Slope of Colorado for the previous 5 years. With this has come lengthy and grueling winters, so she is aware of the significance of a strong down jacket. LaHatte’s assessments of those jackets included chilly walks together with her canine, tenting within the desert, and transitioning into her ski boots on the resort.
Whereas a single jacket possible received’t meet all of an individual’s wants, this complete record supplies choices with distinctive specialties and flexibility. We’re assured these are the very best girls’s down jackets of the yr.
Purchaser’s Information: How one can Select the Finest Ladies’s Down Jacket
When deciding the very best down jacket to fit your wants, contemplate the local weather, development, fill sort, and energy. Additionally, take into consideration the appliance and whenever you’ll be sporting the jacket.
Down insulation is created from goose or duck plumage, a pure undercoat beneath feathers. This conventional jacket fill is understood for being light-weight and compressible whereas sustaining heat attributable to intricate clusters that seize air and physique warmth.
In frigid circumstances, an insulated down jacket is ideal for sporting after a fitness center exercise, earlier than you step right into a frigid automotive, and for operating errands. Some down jackets are extra water- and wind-resistant than others based mostly on how the floor cloth or fill has been chemically handled. Down fill that’s chemically handled for water resistance known as hydrophobic down, so the down absorbs much less water and dries sooner.
Among the many choices, technical down jackets are sometimes light-weight and constructed with tremendous sturdy supplies, so that they’re extra tenacious in opposition to the encompassing terrain and dynamic exercise, in addition to packable. The value tag can typically be larger than different informal down jackets.
A reliable and easy-to-pack down jacket (or an artificial fill jacket) is just about a requisite for tenting in excessive alpine or desert climates, backcountry journeys like backpacking, alpine or rock or mountain climbing, and backcountry splitboarding or snowboarding.
Beefier down jackets function the next down fill, so that they’re hotter, which is great for winter tenting, emergencies, or arctic circumstances.
In case you’re on the lookout for a down jacket with extra bulk, size, and heat, try our girls’s winter jackets purchaser’s information. That record contains parka-style coats and silhouettes which are oriented for extra informal winter days.
Down versus Artificial
You might be questioning if you happen to even want a down jacket. Down is extremely insulating and heat. It’s additionally very gentle. The downsides of down are a lack of insulation when moist and an lack of ability to dry quick. In the long term, it additionally requires particular cleansing.
Artificial insulation, alternatively, is created from polyester fibers and is designed to mimic down clusters and properties with a number of key variations. In case you examine two equal-weight jackets, down is hotter than this different. However artificial insulation retains heat even when moist. It’s additionally simpler to scrub and often comes at a cheaper price level.
- Professionals of down: glorious warmth-to-weight ratio, consolation, compressibility, light-weight, excessive inherent heat
- Cons of down: lack of ability to insulate when moist, harder to scrub, pricier
Some down jacket designs have a hybrid fill — they combine artificial fill into areas the place moisture tends to gather like over the shoulders and across the wrist cuffs. That features the Outdoor Research Coldfront Down Hoodie and the Arc’teryx Cerium Hoody. And in a really distinctive strategy, the Ortovox Swisswool Zinal Jacket makes use of sustainably sourced wool for insulation as a substitute of down.
Inside artificial jackets, energetic insulation is one other progressive subcategory to know. These technical clothes are designed to dump additional warmth and dry quick, so that you don’t must take away the jacket throughout vigorous exercise. However these layers additionally have to be sturdy, heat, and wind-resistant. They in the end received’t be as heat as an easy down jacket. It’s a tough steadiness.
Down Fill
Down fill energy measures the loft and high quality of the down. To calculate fill, a one-ounce pattern of down is compressed in a cylinder. Usually talking, the upper the quantity, the upper the standard and hotter the jacket — although the fill energy isn’t the one variable affecting a jacket’s heat.
However the larger the fill high quality, the much less down is required to create the identical heat. It is because it’s in a position to entice extra air and heat inside the jacket. Increased fill energy — round 800 to 900 — is extra compressible, loftier, extra light-weight, and pricier.
Fill energy scores vary from 400 to 900 and even larger. A lot of the jackets on this record are within the 800-fill vary, with a number of clocking in above or under. Usually, the standard will increase with the fill quantity:
- 400-500: honest high quality
- 600: good high quality
- 700: nice high quality
- 800: glorious high quality
- 900 and above: highest high quality
The opposite factor to contemplate when choosing the right down jacket for you is fill weight.
Fill Energy versus Fill Weight
A down jacket’s fill energy is the down’s high quality and quantity of loft. You’ll see jackets labeled as 600-fill or 800-fill, for example. The fill weight, which is measured in ounces, displays the density or quantity of that down stuffed contained in the jacket. (Be aware: fill weight differs from the jacket’s total weight.)
So when two 700-fill jackets have totally different weights, we all know the heavier one is hotter.
Alternatively, if two down jackets weigh the identical with totally different fill energy (reminiscent of two 15-ounce jackets with 650 fill and 800 fill), the upper fill jacket goes to be much less cumbersome, lighter, and extra compressible.
It’s additionally trickier to match jackets with differing fill energy. However basically, the decrease the fill energy, the much less loft and heat are supplied.
Water Resistance and Hydrophobic Down
Down doesn’t carry out nicely when moist. And this is likely one of the locations artificial jackets are inclined to win out. To catch up, there was a rising use of hydrophobic down, which has developed over the previous decade.
Primarily, the down feathers are coated in a water resistant polymer. It nonetheless doesn’t match the water resistance of synthetics. However for gentle precipitation, hydrophobic down can’t be beat.
The face cloth of some down jackets is handled with DWR to assist block gentle moisture, too, which may be eco-friendly formulation or chemical compounds which are poisonous to the setting. Jackets may have sealed seams to dam moisture.
Waterproofness
Many down jackets usually are not waterproof, however some supply a level of water resistance, which works advantageous in dryer winter climates — the place the snow water equal (learn: the quantity of liquid water within the snow) is decrease. If severe rain is within the forecast, although, it’s greatest to pair these jackets with a stable raincoat.
There are 4 normal snow climates: coastal, transitional, intermountain, and continental. Usually, the nearer you’re to the coast, the extra precipitation you’ll expertise and the water content material can be larger within the snow — it’ll be wetter and heavier!
In distinction, the snow in continental climates is dryer, lighter, and accumulates much less in comparison with the coast. That contains a lot of the Rocky Mountains, reminiscent of in Colorado. Intermountain areas and ranges present traits of each and transitional areas are just like the coast however with much less rain and snow.
Examples in line with the Utah Avalanche Center:
- Coastal (wettest): California, Washington, Oregon, coastal Alaska, and coastal British Columbia
- Transitional (reasonably moist): Areas and focused places in Montana, northern Idaho, and Oregon
- Intermountain (mildly moist): Utah’s Wasatch Vary, most of Idaho, Montana, and parts of Northeast Oregon and Southwest Colorado
- Continental (principally dry): Colorado, Wyoming, New Mexico, inside Alaska, and inside British Columbia
Supplies
Other than the insulation sort and different development parts, it is very important contemplate the fabric varieties of a down jacket. Many out of doors firms implement totally different cloth varieties for the inside and exterior materials. These supplies are inclined to have various levels of softness, stiffness, noise ranges, and coatings. We’ll dive into some specifics under.
Inside Materials
The inside liner of a down jacket serves many functions: offering additional consolation, insulation, and moisture administration. Some frequent supplies utilized in these inside parts are nylon, polyester, and different down-proof materials.
- Nylon: Nylon is a clean, light-weight cloth generally utilized in down jacket interiors. It helps preserve the wearer dry by wicking away moisture with out compromising insulation
- Polyester: Sturdy, comfortable, and typically product of recycled supplies, polyester is a frequent materials used within the inside liner of a down jacket
- Down-Proof Materials: Increased-end down jackets will typically have a liner product of tightly woven materials that forestall any feathers from poking by way of the liner and escaping
Inside materials are persistently much less strong than these used for the outside. They’re much softer and extra malleable. As a result of they’re uncovered to fewer parts and abrasion, they will afford to be silky clean and thinner. In case your down jacket’s liner was composed of stiffer supplies it definitely could be much less snug.
Exterior Materials
Exterior materials make up the outer face of a down jacket. The layer serves one of the necessary functions in the case of development: It protects the insulation and person from parts like rain, snow, wind, and sleet. You’ll discover that exterior materials sometimes have totally different feels, appears to be like, stitching, and sound.
Very similar to inside materials, a down jacket’s shell supplies are sometimes created from nylon and polyester. Nonetheless, they’re typically handled with finishes like DWR (sturdy water repellent) or different coatings to make them hydrophobic- and stain-resistant.
In case you discover that your down jacket’s shell sounds crunchy, the noise could also be attributable to a few elements. The shell materials may very well be made with a stiffer nylon cloth and when given added therapies, it may be a bit noisy or scratchy. Usually down jackets made with premium supplies are much less noisy attributable to their finer development, softer hand really feel, and suppleness. An instance of this quiet design may be discovered within the KUIU Super Down Ultra Hooded Jacket.
General, supplies could make or break a down jacket, however you’ll be able to belief the entire jackets we’ve listed below are well-constructed, sturdy, and constructed to final.
Collar and Hood
An ergonomic collar and hood are vital options for safeguarding your face, head, ears, neck, and hair in opposition to solar, snow, sleet, hail, wind, or rain. Pulling up a hood will help the physique retain warmth in chilly circumstances whereas shielding you from the weather.
Jacket collars fluctuate in peak and ideally have an inside chin guard that feels snug in opposition to the face, a key part on a windy day. Hoods on down jackets are sometimes insulated and stuck quite than detachable or non-insulated, which you’ll see on life-style parka designs. Sure designs have an elastic cinch within the again to comfortable up the general match or one alongside the hood’s hem.
Occasional hood designs are non-insulated or function a inflexible brim to assist preserve moisture away from the face. The North Face Nuptse Down Jacket has each, in addition to a singular packable (non-removable) hood — it rolls down and stuffs into the collar.
Sleeve Cuffs and Pockets
On most girls’s down jackets, the sleeve cuffs have a streamlined elastic wrist cuff that stretches whenever you slide your fingers by way of, that means it’s simpler to drag the jacket on earlier than you place in your gloves. A handful have a large Velcro strap to tighten down the closure when you pull the jacket on.
The lower of cuffs is usually straight throughout on the wrist, so the arm size is useful and never cumbersome.
Only a few down jackets function wrist gaiters with thumbholes for additional hand heat, however the Ortovox Swisswool Zinal Jacket does.
Most jackets embrace two exterior hand pockets with zip closures. Typically, there’s at the least one inside chest pocket with a zipper closure, which may be nice for chambering a bank card, ID, or key. It’s all the time a plus when these inside pockets are made with buttery comfortable supplies, in order that your fingers keep snug whereas tucked inside. The Outdoor Research Coldfront Down Hoodie has some ultrasoft polyester-lined pockets that saved our fingers cozy whereas dealing with the chilly.
Some down jackets even have an inside self-stow pocket for simple packing and compressibility. Merely flip the pocket or pouch inside out, after which roll or press the jacket into the pocket. Usually there can be a closure — a zipper, button, or drawstring — that you should utilize to safe your coat inside itself. This function particularly stood out within the Eddie Bauer MicroTherm 2.0 Down Jacket.
Match and Dimension
Ladies’s down jackets are usually both trim with a streamlined match or they are often roomier, puffier, and boxier with a extra relaxed silhouette. Many supplies supply a little bit of flexibility or a ton of stretch for a variety of motion. Not many down jackets seem like a marshmallow lately — even the thickest jackets have articulation and magnificence.
Each choices may be snug. A roomier jacket is healthier if you happen to plan to put on a bunch of layers beneath your jacket. You possibly can nonetheless add layers beneath a fitted model however you would possibly wish to contemplate sizing up, as a result of typically the arm, shoulder, or chest areas can get too comfortable with a midlayer or two beneath.
Dimension-wise, every producer has its personal dimension charts. Remember to take your private measurements and match them up with the scale charts, which may differ throughout manufacturers.
Some firms present extra dimension inclusivity with broader choices. That features Out of doors Analysis with a dimension run of XS to XXXL. The North Face has sizes XS to XXL, and Eddie Bauer affords a dimension vary of XS to XXL together with common, petite, tall, and plus choices. Everybody’s physique is exclusive, so examine the trade and return coverage before you purchase.
Weight and Compressibility
A down jacket’s weight and compressibility may be an necessary variable for cargo house and airline journey in addition to storage and closet house. In any other case, a jacket used for on a regular basis errands and social occasions will usually weigh greater than a light-weight technical down jacket made for athletic pursuits. Having a light-weight design for an on a regular basis jacket is usually much less of a precedence as a result of the consolation, ergonomics, and excessive heat elements are a very powerful.
The longer a jacket is, the extra it would weigh and the extra space it would take up. The heavier a jacket is, the hotter will probably be (learn extra about fill weight above). In case you don’t want a heat winter jacket constructed for arctic circumstances and want one for milder winter temperatures that hover above or round freezing, then the jacket will almost definitely weigh much less.
The lightest down jackets vary from the 850+ KUIU Super Down Ultra Hooded Jacket at a mere 216 g and the 290 g Arc’teryx Cerium Hoody to the 590 g Outdoor Research Coldfront Down Hoodie and Rab Valiance Waterproof Down Jacket, which is 682 g. The vast majority of our favourite down jackets sit round 300 to 400 g.
Finally, don’t compromise a jacket’s security or consolation options and enough heat to drop grams.
Like a sleeping bag, some down jackets conveniently include a stuff sack to help with compressibility and packing. This can assist defend and safe your down jacket in your carry-on, backpack, or duffel. The Patagonia Down Sweater Hoody contains an inside stuff sack with a latch to connect a carabiner or your keys.
Whereas it may be tremendous handy to place your down jacket in a stuff sack, we wouldn’t advocate it for long-term storage. This may trigger injury to the down and reduce its lifetime of loftiness and insulation skills.
When eager about compressibility, it’s necessary to acknowledge that weight and compressibility sometimes don’t correlate. An insulated jacket’s means to compress is often depending on its insulation and materials varieties. Even when a pure down jacket is heavier than an artificial, it would nonetheless most likely compress a bit higher as a result of the pure loftiness down supplies. A better fill energy will all the time compress higher than considered one of a decrease.
Temperature Score
The temperature score of a down jacket refers back to the vary of temperatures that the down jacket is designed to carry out in. In different phrases, preserve the wearer heat. It’s necessary to notice that there isn’t a common measuring software for temperature scores. Many firms make the most of numerous sliding scales, instruments, and labels to assist shoppers perceive the efficiency vary.
Some producers use a particular quantity or diploma to explain their down jacket’s temperature score. For instance, the Eddie Bauer MicroTherm 2.0 has a digitized temperature score of -5°F. Which means, the jacket may be comfortably worn in temperatures as little as -5 when doing reasonable actions. Nonetheless, particular diploma temperature scores ought to be handled extra as a suggestion than a tough and quick rule – everybody tends to have numerous private preferences and regulate their physique temperatures otherwise. Wind chill can be an element, as is sweat.
Different firms have particular circumstances listed or sliding scales to replicate their temperature scores. An instance of that is the Nuptse Down Jacket from The North Face. On their “heat” sliding scale of 1 to three, that design is taken into account a 3, that means it’s the warmest providing from the model.
Temperature scores will also be a superb guideline for a way you need to layer together with your down jacket. Jackets with larger temperature scores can perform nicely with lighter layers beneath, that means much less bulk. Nonetheless, they might be toastier on hotter fall and spring days. Alternatively, jackets with decrease temperature scores would possibly require a thicker base layer or extra midlayers on chillier days, however ought to be snug when the temps are milder.
In case you’re on the lookout for a down jacket with a particular temperature score, it’s greatest to seek the advice of the producer’s specs and contemplate elements past simply the temperature score, such because the jacket’s fill energy, insulation quantity, and total design too.
Windproofness and Resistance
In case you dwell in a windy local weather or are planning on touring to a gusty place like Chicago, it’s necessary to buy a down jacket that has windproofness or wind resistance.
Windproofness is achieved by way of a down jacket’s exterior supplies and coatings. Tightly woven nylon and polyester shells create a barrier that protects the person from wind. Denser materials and windproof coatings are superb if you happen to’ll be larger up within the alpine or within the midwest the place the wind may be extremely unpredictable.
Top-of-the-line-insulated jackets for wind resistance on this information is the Arc’teryx Cerium Hoody, because of its particular nylon shell. Our testers wore it in some chilly slams with out feeling any wind penetrate its floor.
Breathability
Down jackets are constructed to be toasty heat, so breathability looks as if an oxymoron. It may be exhausting to search out one which’s breathable with out sacrificing the insulation. With trendy textile and designs, manufacturers are creating hybrid puffers which are a tad extra breathable and appropriate for extra energetic use.
Breathable down jackets are ones that make the most of mesh zones close to the waist, armpits, and again. These sections of material enable air to journey to these components of the physique that sometimes generate essentially the most warmth and moisture. The Eddie Bauer MicroTherm 2.0 Down Jacket has these vents within the armpits, making it a breathable possibility.
One other approach that designers can add a little bit of breathability to a down jacket is with two-way zippers. This additionally permits for a extra customizable match, as a result of you’ll be able to preserve both your higher or decrease torso insulated. This software is extremely helpful for climbers belaying on the crag or needing to chill off on the summit of an alpine climb. We beloved the two-way zippers on the Mountain Hardwear Stretchdown Hoody that may very well be adjusted for optimum airflow.
Size and Zippers
The size of ladies’s down jackets sometimes reaches the hips however can attain a bit additional, under the hips, which impacts the general heat and safety from the weather.
Our testers felt that the Cotopaxi Fuego Hooded Down Jacket got here to simply the best size on the hips with out limiting any kind of motion or sacrificing heat.
Down jackets sometimes use a single one-way zipper within the entrance and zippered exterior hand pockets. To assist comfortable up the match, the very best hip-length down jackets for girls often have a streamlined drawstring twine that may be simply tightened and loosened, which will help forestall gusts or snowflakes from scurrying up into the jacket.
The Ortovox Swisswool Zinal Jacket is among the many few down jackets with a two-way entrance zipper, which helps with harness compatibility.
Eco-Pleasant and Recycled Supplies
Past responsibly sourced down, just like the ethically-sourced Superior World Traceable Down within the Patagonia Down Sweater Hoody, down jackets have a chance to incorporate a bunch of eco-friendly design traits.
Some jackets are created with PFC-free DWR therapies for the outside or down. That features the Mountain Hardwear Stretchdown Hoody, which employs a fluorine-free water resistance therapy on down fill. The Rab Valiance Waterproof Down Jacket likewise includes a Nikwax fluorocarbon-free hydrophobic end on its down fill.
Different designs are made with recycled supplies from recycled right down to recycled polyester or implement recycled down or a recycled inside cloth liner. The Patagonia Down Sweater Hoody has 100% recycled ripstop polyester shell and liner. The Eddie Bauer MicroTherm 2.0 implements a 20-denier ripstop polyester that’s windproof and 50% recycled. The REI Co-op 650 Down Jacket makes use of a recycled nylon taffeta shell cloth. In its hybrid design, the Outdoor Research Coldfront Down Hoodie even makes use of 85% recycled polyester insulation in tops of shoulders and wrist cuffs.
Some jackets additionally assure Truthful Commerce stitching, Bluesign, local weather impartial, or OEKO-TEX Licensed materials.
Responsibly Sourced Down and Traceability
Out of doors business manufacturers have made an effort to supply down ethically with out animal cruelty and create transparency within the international provide chain. Varied certifications exist, however the most typical is the Accountable Down Normal and World Traceable Down Normal. With out assembly such requirements, animal abuse can turn out to be a part of the availability chain. Artificial selections can set some people comfy.
Nonetheless, new applications will help you perceive the place your jacket’s down is sourced from. The ALLIED Feather & Down TrackMyDown program permits customers to hint their down merchandise again to the origin of the fill.
Winner of a 2019 ISPO Gold Award, the TrackMyDown program supplies detailed info on the supply of your jacket’s down feathers, together with the nation of origin, the provider, and the farms the place the birds had been raised. Clients may view info on the standard of their down, together with the fill energy and the cleanliness of the fabric. Merely sort in your lot quantity (discovered in your down jacket’s cling tag) and press enter.
Whereas there are some unbelievable sustainable, eco-conscious down jackets on this information, we will’t assist however commend the efforts of Patagonia with their World Traceable Down Normal and Recycled Down program that reuses bedding, pillows, and different feather based mostly merchandise present in landfills. The Patagonia Down Sweater Hoody makes use of recycled supplies and 100% virgin goose down that meets the World Down Normal.
Do you have to select to go together with an insulated jacket made with non-traditional pure supplies, we advocate the Ortovox Swisswool Zinal Jacket, which has a wool-based fill.
As we’ve talked about, artificial fill can typically be a safer selection for customers who’re out in moist climate. If it’s chilly and dry, down is perfect regardless of the next price. We embrace each artificial fill and down fill choices on this information.
How one can Layer
If you wish to benefit from your down jacket’s highly effective insulating properties, it’s good to dial in a layering system. One of the best down jackets ought to be roomy sufficient that you could correctly layer beneath to maintain you heat and cozy on bone-chilling days.
Begin with a moisture-wicking base layer to maintain your pores and skin dry and heat. Select a material like merino wool or fleece that matches snugly to your physique. This layer ought to be close-fitting however not so tight that it restricts any motion. The extra breathable the layer, the higher. Keep away from any cotton supplies, which don’t dry nicely as soon as moist. Your down jacket ought to be doing the majority of the warming work, so be sure you don’t overdo it.
Your down jacket may be handled as an insulating layer or your shell layer, relying on the local weather and the design. In case you’ll be heading into any kind of moisture like rain, snow, or sleet you then’ll most likely wish to add a water-proof shell. In case you don’t want a shell, your down jacket ought to do the trick to maintain you heat and dry.
If you would like additional heat, you’ll be able to all the time add an insulating puffy vest or midlayer sweater over your base layer and beneath the down jacket.
Keep in mind, the important thing to layering is to discover a steadiness between heat and mobility. Too many layers can prohibit your motion and make you’re feeling stiff, whereas too few layers can depart you feeling chilly. By layering to your wants, you’ll be able to keep heat and cozy in your down jacket it doesn’t matter what the winter climate brings.
Value
Our most financial decide on this information is the REI Co-op 650 Down Jacket ($129).
At full worth, the costliest down jackets on our record are among the many warmest and supply essentially the most protection in opposition to the weather. These sometimes sit within the $300 vary just like the KUIU Super Down Ultra Hooded Jacket ($319), The North Face Nuptse Down Jacket ($330), and the Patagonia Down Sweater Hoody ($329).
Reaching an excellent larger worth is the Rab Valiance Jacket ($395), the wool-filled Ortovox Swisswool Zinal Jacket ($400), and the Arc’teryx Cerium Hoody ($400).
An enormous number of heat down jackets exist between these two worth marks. Most of our favourite down jackets are within the $200-300 vary: Outdoor Research Coldfront Down Hoodie ($279), Marmot Women’s Highlander Jacket ($225), and the Cotopaxi Fuego Hooded Down Jacket ($295). Additionally the Mountain Hardwear Stretchdown Hoody ($300), and our favourite finances decide, the Eddie Bauer MicroTherm 2.0 ($249).
As fill energy and fill weight improve, the heat will increase, and also you’ll see the worth of a jacket go up. That’s one purpose why tremendous light-weight, sturdy, technical cold-weather jackets are pricy. Jackets which are dearer additionally function extra technical design options, supplies which are extra strong in opposition to a variety of climate circumstances and supplies, in addition to high-end sustainable supplies.
FAQ
After you be taught the several types of winter jackets, you would possibly must get considered one of every! This information focuses on heat, useful, well-made selections for being outdoors throughout on a regular basis commutes, errands, and informal exercise. They’ll defend you in your bike experience to the submit workplace, strolling the canines, or going to and from the Nordic heart or fitness center.
Right here’s how winter jackets as a complete are every a bit totally different:
Down Jackets
- Present heat — some are hotter than others
- Good for dry, chilly circumstances and drier snow
- Some designs are fashionable and tailor-made to on a regular basis use, whereas athletic-oriented designs are nice for winter actions like mountain climbing
- Size can attain the hip, knee, or ankle (to be taught extra about winter jackets which are longer than hip size, try our girls’s winter jackets purchaser’s information)
- Instance: Patagonia Down Sweater Hoody
Artificial Jackets
- Heat outer layer — will also be layered beneath a water-proof non-insulated shell
- Fitted to moist environments
- A good selection for actions like snowboarding or snowboarding in very chilly circumstances
- Artificial jackets will also be referred to as insulated shells
- Instance: Norrona Trollveggen PrimaLoft100 Zip Hood
Energetic Insulation Jackets
- Light-weight, streamlined, athletic jacket that’s breathable but insulated
- Good for cardio exercise like Nordic snowboarding or operating
- Some designs are hybrid with two varieties of seen materials strategically positioned
- Usually have panels of artificial insulation however are extra breathable than full artificial jackets
- Instance: Helly Hansen LifaLoft Hybrid Insulator Jacket
Shells
- Waterproof or water resistant and block wind
- These jackets are most frequently not insulated
- Supply extra vary of movement than insulated artificial jackets
- Nice for high-output cardio exercise like shoveling, backcountry snowmobiling, or powder snowboarding
- To make clear, an artificial jacket is usually referred to as an insulated shell
- Instance: Ortovox 3L Guardian Shell Jacket
3-in-1 Jackets
- A water-resistant or water resistant shell zips right into a separate jacket liner
- The inside jacket may very well be a fleece, artificial fill, or down fill
- You possibly can put on the 2 jackets individually or collectively
- Good finances possibility
- Instance: Columbia Bugaboo II Fleece 3-in-1 Interchange Jacket
One of the best down jacket to purchase relies on how technical you need your down jacket to be and the way heat or water resistant you want it to be. Take an in depth have a look at the product particulars for every down jacket in our information to see if it’s a superb match to your supposed use.
Usually and for on a regular basis informal use in chilly circumstances, the most effective girls’s down jackets that reigned supreme in our testing was the Patagonia Down Sweater Hoody, however we additionally included a runner-up (the Eddie Bauer MicroTherm 2.0 Down Jacket). However a single jacket isn’t going to completely match and please everybody. You merely can’t go fallacious with both of those for on a regular basis use and journey.
Usually, a down puffy is an ideal layer so as to add to your backpacking pack, whether or not it’s for day mountain climbing or backpacking — except you count on a ton of moisture then contemplate an artificial possibility.
In case you’re shopping for a puffy particularly for backpacking, you’ll additionally wish to be sure that it really works together with your different layers, is snug to put on with a pack, and might pack down small.
Down jackets are designed to be insulating and heat. Nonetheless, you need to nonetheless depart somewhat room for layering. That being mentioned, you don’t desire a jacket to be too large. In that case, the airspace between your physique, the within of the jacket, and the insulation is wasted house and also you’ll lose warmth.
If a jacket is just too small, you received’t have pretty much as good of a variety of movement — important, particularly when participating in high-output actions within the chilly — or be capable of layer a lot beneath.
We advocate checking every model’s sizing information (which is exclusive to every and really single model) to make sure that you get the best-fitting jacket doable.
The best fill energy, 900, can be going to be the warmest. The vast majority of down jackets we examined (and a superb reflection of what’s available on the market) had been 650-fill to 800-fill.
Our down jackets vary in worth from $129, the 650-fill REI Co-op 650 Down Jacket, to the 700-fill Rab Valiance Waterproof Down Jacket ($415). For a reliable, long-lasting, and cozy jacket that blocks the weather and retains us protected, that worth vary isn’t too dangerous even on the excessive finish.
Fill energy scores vary from 400 to 900 and even larger. A lot of the jackets on this record are within the 650- to 800-fill vary, with a number of clocking in above or under. Usually, the standard will increase with the fill quantity:
- 400-500: honest high quality
- 600: good high quality
- 700: nice high quality
- 800: glorious high quality
- 900 and above: highest high quality
The 900-fill down might be overkill, except you’re touring to arctic or excessive alpine environments in winter.
The upper the fill energy, the upper the worth can be. You’ll wish to weigh worth but in addition utilization. Do you frequent chilly locations and want a high quality jacket? Do you run chilly? Then contemplate investing in a higher-fill down possibility, like 700-fill Rab Valiance Waterproof Down Jacket or 800-fill Patagonia Down Sweater Hoody.
Additionally contemplate that not all down jackets are the identical stage of windproofness or water resistance, which may affect your total heat relying on the circumstances the place you’ll be. Some jackets are additionally loftier than others and higher for stationary actions like standing on the sled hill versus dynamic heat-producing actions like alpine climbing.
That mentioned, if you happen to’re deciding between two jackets and one is far larger in worth, all the time examine the fill energy. Most well-made down jackets we personal are between 650- and 700-down fill. As we talked about, the quantity of fill energy you want will depend on the place you’ll be adventuring — how chilly will probably be — and whether or not or not the exercise is sedentary. However it doesn’t damage to have an 800-fill to your coldest adventures.
Sure! Down jackets are an incredible insulating piece to put on underneath your ski shell when you’re shredding the mountain.
For snowboarding and snowboarding, we advocate sporting a lighter-weight down jacket with a mid-level down fill (assume a 600-700 down fill). This fashion you don’t get too chilly, and might simply stow it away in your pack if temps heat up.
We advocate the Marmot Women’s Highlander Jacket to pair underneath your ski or snowboard shell attributable to its light-weight supplies and athletic match.
To ensure the longevity and high quality of your down jacket, it’s necessary to know learn how to correctly retailer it when it’s not in use. Whether or not you’re heading someplace tropical for a number of weeks, packing up your winter garb, or preparing for an enormous transfer, listed below are some recommendations on learn how to retailer your down jacket correctly.
When storing your down jacket, we advocate putting it in an uncompressed breathable storage bag or hanging it on a large hanger in a dry, well-ventilated room. Be sure you don’t compress your down jacket for lengthy durations of time as this may trigger it to lose its loftiness and insulation properties. To even additional enhance your jacket’s lifespan, strive fluffing out the jacket by giving it a number of shakes periodically.
We get it, it occurs. You’re out on a hike within the winter and snag your sleeve on a department or possibly your cat thought your model new down jacket was a scratching submit. Don’t fret, as a result of down jackets are straightforward to restore if the rip isn’t too massive.
Merely head to your native gear retailer and seize a down jacket restore equipment. Usually these kits embrace a particular jacket tape that goes proper over the opening, or a patch and small bottle of clear cloth glue. Be sure you clear the world of the coat of any grime, oils or particles that would forestall the adhesive from working to its greatest potential.
If the rip is out of your restore limits, examine the producer’s guarantee coverage. Many firms like Patagonia and Cotopaxi will assess the injury of your jacket and repair or substitute it for little to no additional price.
We discovered the very best down jackets of 2023. From ultralight backpacking jackets to budget-friendly on a regular basis puffy jackets, we’ve acquired you lined.
We examined the very best winter boots for girls of 2024, from winter mountain climbing boots to extra-warm snow boots. Our prime picks embrace Sorel, Timberland, and extra!