Your insulating midlayer is a key component of your backpacking setup, and rarely should you hit the trail without an insulation layer wedged in your pack. Here are our top picks for the best down jackets for backpacking from our gear review team, editors, and writers, as well as our tips for choosing and caring for a down jacket for backpacking. We considered features like weight, warmth, materials, and fill power to identify top-performing midlayers for every type of hiker.
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Insulated jackets, commonly known as puffies, are usually filled with either natural goose or duck down or with some form of synthetic polyester insulation. Both have their pros and cons. Down is much more expensive than synthetic fill and doesn’t retain loft when it gets wet. However, it is loftier on average than synthetic fill, has a better warmth-to-weight ratio, and is highly compressible.
Choose a down puffy if you’re trying to go ultralight and want superior warmth and next-to-skin softness for a fraction of the bulk.
Choose synthetic if you’re on a budget or anticipate needing your jacket a lot in wet conditions.
Beyond a few basic recommendations (listed below), your down jacket choice is up to personal preference. For fit, aim for a slim-to-medium style to save weight and bulk. This middle-ground sizing allows the jacket to be layered over base layers as well as under rain gear.
As far as fill weight goes, consider the climates you’ll be hiking through and whether you run warm or cold. Will you be spending multiple nights camped in the alpine zone? Hiking through chilly shoulder season conditions? Opt for a heftier option. You can always send it back or trade it out if it’s too much.
Remember that you will occasionally be hiking in this layer, so it should allow freedom of movement without being too bulky and leaving excess air space to heat up. Keep durability in mind as well. If this is your thru-hiking puffy, you’ll want the insulation and face fabric to have some protection against dampness, as well as some level of abrasion resistance.
This layer will spend a lot of time smushed into your pack. Take it out of your pack during breaks or on town days, shake it out, and let it air dry in the sun. This will help keep the insulation lofted (maintaining insulating properties) and prevent clumping.
Launder it at least once per season with down wash in a front-loading washing machine (the agitators of top-loading machines don’t always play nice with delicate gear), then tumble dry on the lowest setting with a few tennis balls to re-loft the down.
Some down jackets have a durable water repellent (DWR) coating on the shell fabric, which helps protect the insulation from moisture. This coating will wear off over time, but you can use an after-market treatment to re-up the jacket’s DWR coating.
Avoid sweating in your down jacket or wearing it without at least one layer of clothing between it and your skin, as body oils can reduce loft over time. Down doesn’t like getting wet — it makes it clump — so keep your jacket in a waterproof bag inside your pack during rainstorms.
Why are down jackets so soul-crushingly expensive?
You can read more about our number-one budget down puffy pick below (spoiler alert, it’s the Decathlon Forclaz Trek 100), but our list definitely skews toward more expensive/higher-end puffies.
It’s a list of the best down jackets on the market, and we think our picks truly are the cream of the crop — but for those who don’t need the cream of the crop, just a half-decent puffy to keep them from freezing during their thru-hike, here are a few more budget recommendations. Bide your time and shop the sales for even better prices.
Also, check out our list of the best synthetic jackets for backpacking; synthetic insulation is much less expensive than down, but it’s also heavier.
These are simply guidelines but should narrow down a pretty packed field.
Weight: Under 14 ounces.
Fill power: At least 750 fill.
Percent fill: Weight of down divided by weight of total garment = percent fill. The higher the better.
Treatment: Treated down may protect your insulation, as will a DWR-treated shell. Different brands have varying names for their treatment for both insulation and fabrics. However, some feel that treating down doesn’t improve its performance enough to be worth it.
Pockets: Should be placed high enough to be accessible under a hip belt. Zippered side pockets are best; a chest pocket doesn’t hurt either.
Hood: Optional, but a hood is nice as it prevents drafts from blowing down the back of your neck. Increases warmth, weight, and price.
Ethics and sustainability: Look for recycled materials in the shell fabric, PFC-free DWR treatments, and Responsible Down Standard (RDS)-certified down.
Here are our favorite down jackets for the year, specifically for backpackers. They have a variety of fits, fill powers, and features, but are all lightweight, warm, and packable for long treks.
-Maggie Slepian
MSRP: $409
Total Weight: 11.8 ounces men’s | 11.1 ounces women’s
Fill Weight: 4 ounces men’s | 3.7 ounces women’s
Percent Fill: 34 percent men’s | 33 percent women’s
Fill: 900-plus-fill goose down
Size range: XS – XXL men’s | XXS – XXL women’s
This light, super packable jacket from the Seattle-based company is as versatile as it gets. It can layer over or under, is packed with insanely lofted 900-fill down, and is made in Canada and the US. The fit is slimmer than others on this list, so keep that in mind when figuring out sizing. It works well as an active layer and doesn’t feel bulky under a pack.
We’ve long wanted to see a chest pocket or an inner pocket on the Eos in addition to the two zippered handwarmer pockets, and in Feathered Friends delivered with the addition of both a chest pocket and an adjustable drawstring component on the jacket’s deep hood. These updates, combined with durable Pertex Quantum face fabric and 3.7 ounces of premium-quality down, give this jacket top marks. Feathered Friends recently expanded sizing and color options for both the men’s and women’s Eos as well. –Editors
Note: The Eos is frequently out of stock, so if you’re looking to add this to your collection, just sign up for the notification.
Feathered Friends is famous for thoughtful designs, premium materials, and outstanding attention to detail. The Eos is no exception. Some four ounces of extra-fluffy 900+ fill down give this jacket plenty of loft and warmth, while the windproof, 20D Pertex Quantum nylon exterior provides durable protection and water resistance thanks to a DWR finish.
Unlike most jackets, the Eos uses Lycra, rather than elastic, to seal out drafts at the cuff. The jacket also features an adjustable hood and hem and two zippered hand pockets. For storing small items, it has a handy (and very cunningly concealed) zippered chest pocket.
Pros: High-quality down; deep, adjustable hood; warm; windproof; chest pocket; made in the USA.
Cons: Frequently sold out; expensive; slim fit makes layering tough.
For a similar made-in-US ultralight down jacket, check out the Western Mountaineering Flash hooded down jacket.
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MSRP: $275 men’s | $260 women’s
Weight: 8.6 ounces men’s | 7.3 ounces women’s
Fill Weight: 2.5 ounces men’s | 1.9 ounces women’s
Percent Fill: 29 percent men’s | 26 percent women’s
Fill: 800-fill down
Size range: S – XXL men’s | S – XL women’s
The Montbell Superior Down Parka is one of the best values for a down jacket. While it’s not the cheapest option on this list, $260 – $275 for an 800 fill-power down jacket with hood and pockets that weighs 7.3 oz is quite a good deal. Basically, it’s the Ghost Whisperer, but more than $100 cheaper. The square baffles keep the down in place, and the high collar protects from drafts. I’ve also had the Montbell Plasma Jacket, which is lighter and more expensive, but the Superior Down Parka is more versatile. –Megan McGowan
Two-and-a-half ounces of 800-fill down and ultralight 10D ripstop nylon shell fabric keep the weight down in the Superior Down Parka. The quilting pattern stops down migration in its tracks, but we’re leery of all those extra seams, which can create cold spots and also represent potential future failure points. The jacket features an adjustable hood and hem, elastic cuffs, and two zippered side pockets.
Pros: Great price for the weight and quality; quilting functionally eliminates down migration.
Cons: Lots of sewn-through seams reduce warmth and durability; not a whole lot of insulation (functionally limited to mild conditions).
For more information, please visit custom down jackets.
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MSRP: $400
Weight: 11.8 ounces men’s | 10.2 ounces women’s
Fill Weight (Down)*: 4 ounces men’s | 3.2 ounces women’s
Fill: 850-fill goose down/Coreloft polyester fibers
Size range: XS – XXXL men’s | XXS – XXL women’s
*Total fill weight (including synthetic) not reported
Our reviewer originally nominated the Arc’teryx Cerium SL for this list after thru-hiking the PCT with it. Sadly, that jacket is no longer widely available, but we still recommend that you check out the slightly heavier (but still awesome) Cerium. “It uses Down Composite Mapping, which places synthetic insulation in the ‘high use’ areas (cuffs, armpits, top of the shoulders, and facial area),” wrote Carl Stanfield of the Cerium SL in . “Everywhere else uses 850 fill-power goose down, which does a solid job keeping you warm out on the trail.”
The beefed-up Cerium still uses Down Composite mapping and keeps the weight reasonable at 11.8 ounces for a men’s medium while featuring a more durable 15D shell fabric.
850-fill goose down supplies the bulk of this jacket’s insulation, but Arc’teryx made the ingenious move to use their in-house synthetic Coreloft insulation in the armpits, cuffs, and hood — areas that are highly vulnerable to moisture.
If you’ve ever cringed internally when your armpits started sweating in your down puffy or when you accidentally wetted the cuff while collecting water, you can appreciate the value of a little synthetic insulation in these areas.
The Cerium was upgraded to a stronger 15D ripstop nylon shell, which is a bitstronger than the former 10D model. Yes, this jacket is expensive, but it’s surprisingly hardy — just be sure to protect it from snags.
The shell has a DWR treatment to protect it from light moisture, while the nylon liner feels buttery-soft against your skin. The adjustable storm hood snugs down well and has better coverage than most, while elastic cuffs and an adjustable hem further cut down on drafts. The Cerium packs down into a baby stuff sack that comes with the jacket. The jacket has two zippered hand pockets.
For a loftier / more durable (but substantially heavier) version of this jacket, check out the 18-ounce Arc’teryx Thorium.
Pros: Areas of synthetic fill protect against moisture damage; very lightweight and packable; great hood.
Cons: Expensive; thin shell fabric can be prone to snagging.
During cool camps, cold nights, and crisp mid-day rest stops, I retain my body heat with a puffy jacket containing down or synthetic insulation. If I expect nighttime temperatures below about 30 degrees, or long camps with temperatures below about 40 degrees, I will add insulated pants to my kit.
Down- and synthetic-filled garments are far more thermally efficient (i.e. warmth per weight) than synthetic or merino fleece, making them the ultimate “stop” pieces. Both garments make my Core 13, a 13-item collection of backpacking clothing that can mixed-and-matched to create appropriate systems for any set of 3-season conditions.
Unlike sleeping bags, down- and synthetic-filled jackets and pants are not assigned temperature ratings, making it difficult to determine and compare their insulating value. Instead the best indications of warmth are:
For down, “fill weight” (e.g. 75 grams) and “fill power” (e.g. 800-fill, meaning that 1 oz of down will fill 800 cubic inches of volume). The more down and the higher the quality the down, the warmer the jacket or pants will be, assuming identical construction and sizing.
For synthetics, the weight of the insulation per square area, e.g. 60 g/m2. However, this information is not entirely reliable since synthetic insulations vary in their short- and long-term thermal efficiency. Unfortuantely, the ideal measurement — the insulation’s clo value per its weight — is rarely published.
Down and synthetics both have pros and cons. Down is:
Synthetics are:
In specific regard to the issue of moisture sensitivity, I want to point out that synthetic insulations are absolutely not “warm when wet” like is often claimed. Moreover, down is so much more thermally efficient that even moisture-degraded down will be as warm for its weight as dry synthetic insulation. Finally, I’ve never had my down insulation get truly wet. Damp from high humidity, yes, but never wet from, say, having worn it in the rain or fording a river — that’s what my rain jacket and pack liner are for.
With the introduction of water-resistant down a few years ago, synthetics lost much of their wet-weather advantage. So now it’s mostly a cost and ethical consideration.
With few exceptions my preference is down. It’s the superior insulation, especially as one who tends to backpack in dry environments and as someone who can justify their purchases with extensive use. And, equally important, down is a better long-term investment — my heavily-used down pieces are almost as warm now as they were when new, whereas my synthetic-fill pieces are limp, lifeless, and needing replacement after just a season of daily use.
My sole consideration in an insulated garment is its warmth relative to its weight, i.e. its thermal efficiency. It need not be capable of much — basically, I just want to be able to stand around or sleep in these pieces without getting cold.
The jacket and pants should be built slightly oversized, so that they fit comfortably when worn over a hiking shirt and mid-layer, or underwear and hiking pants. It doesn’t happen often, but keep room for a 3-season shell jacket and pants too, if you’re ever desperately cold. The jacket and pants should seal off drafts in the torso area, so the jacket should be mid-butt (requiring a lady-like hourglass cut so it doesn’t bunch up at the waist) and the pants should rise nearly to the belly-button. Thumb loops, such as those on the Sierra Designs Elite DriDown Hoody, help keep wrists and hands warm.
I avoid features that add weight without warmth like fleece-lined pockets, unnecessarily heavy zippers, stretchy underarm panels or arm cuffs, and hood and waist cinch cords and locks that are no substitute for good design.
Wispy 10- or 20-denier shell fabrics are ideal. Ignore the claims that these fabrics are “water-resistant” — when new, that’s being generous, and long-term it’s downright disingenuous. Heavier fabrics are more durable, but little durability is actually needed for this application. Waterproof-breathable fabrics are much heavier, and ironically their poor breathability leads to the insulation getting wet from trapped perspiration.
Normal low temperatures on my backpacking trips are in the 30’s and 40’s, with a rare summer night in the 50’s. For these conditions, I find that an insulated jacket with a hood and about 3.5 oz (100 grams) of 800-fill down is about perfect. A well executed jacket with these specs will weigh about 10-12 oz. With lower-grade down fill (e.g. 700-fill) and/or less thermally efficient construction (e.g. fleece-lined pockets), the garment will weigh more.
For consistently warmer weather, consider a jacket with less insulation and/or without a hood, like the Patagonia Ultralight Down Jacket. For consistently colder weather, look for a jacket with more insulation and perhaps even baffled (not sewn-through) construction, such as the Sierra Designs Baffled DriDown Parka.
There is a lot of competition for the title of best insulated jacket, partly because many manufacturers use essentially the same shell fabrics, insulations, and/or Asian sewing factories. While the 8-oz Mountain Hardwear Hooded Ghost Whisperer — which has a hood and 80 grams of 800-fill water-resistant down — is often listed as a top contender, I’d rather carry an extra few ounces in the form of the 11-oz Western Mountaineering Flash XR Jacket or 11-oz Patagonia Ultralight Down Hoody in order to have 25-50 percent more down insulation, which is the primary driver of the jacket’s warmth.
If you wish to go the synthetic route, look at the beautifully minimalist Patagonia Nano Puff Hoody and Rab Strata Hoodie.
Shopping for insulated pants is easy: there are few worthy options. For pure 3-season backpacking, the Western Mountaineering Flash Pants and the Montbell Superior Down Pants leave little room for improvement, each containing 2 oz of premium down and weighing less than 8 oz total.
If you wish to own just one pair of insulated pants and if you need them to serve winter-duty as well, however, I would encourage investing weight in full-length or three-quarter-length leg zippers, which make the pants easy to put on and take off while still wearing big winter boots (i.e. ski boots, mountaineering boots, snowshoe boots). At 12.5 oz, the Western Mountaineering Flight Pants would be my top pick. For a synthetic, consider the Arc’teryx Atom LT Insulated Pant, which are an ounce lighter but not as warm as the WM pants.
Synthetic-insulated pants will be heavier than comparably warm down pants, but they will be less expensive. But even if even the aforementioned Arc’teryx Atom pants are too pricey, look for the “long” version of the military’s M-65 insulated pant on eBay or a local military surplus store. For less than $20 with shipping, they are the hands-down best value.
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