The Best Down Jackets

Reviewed by FromSagetoSnow

Toughness unheard of in a down jacket coupled with smart features and class-leading weight savings earn a place in my mountaineering kit for Black Diamond's Vision Down Parka. The Vision Down Parka can bring that extra degree of safety when Mother Nature attacks.

The Black Vision Down Parka was the winner of the 2020 Backcountry Magazine Editors’ Choice Award. According to Black Diamond: "the Black Diamond Vision Down Parka is our warmest insulated jacket for the coldest conditions and biggest objectives on your hit list." Ever been cold? I mean REALLY cold. Not just the cold that gets you saying, "Holy @#it, it's cold," but the cold that makes it hard to even make words with your lips. The cold that makes your chap-stick feel like hard plastic. The cold that makes you question your idiotic choices in hobbies.

Read more: Black Diamond Vision Down Parka review (1)

Reviewed by Wade In The Water

The Danvers is an ultralight pullover that can be use by anyone as either a mid or top layer. It's minimalist, highly packable, and its 850 FP DownTek water-repellent down will help keep you warm without any added bulk or restriction of movement.

  Preface I received this Big Agnes Danvers Pullover for the purpose of this review.  It arrived with minimal packaging, which I like. We all need to do what we can to reduce our impact on the environment.   About Big Agnes Big Agnes has been around for about twenty years. Should you require it, their outstanding customer service could not possibly be improved upon. Their stated goal is to produce the best gear possible to help folks get outside and chase their dreams. I think they stand true to that goal.

Read more: Big Agnes Danvers Pullover review (1)

Featured review by Kyle

This jacket is truly a study in craftsmanship by the designers at Patagonia. First of of all, it is INCREDIBLY LIGHTWEIGHT. Every time I go to pick it up, this fact strikes me. I also own the Men's Phantom Jacket by Mountain Hardwear in large, which is also VERY lightweight and 800-fill down, however, this jacket (although the same size i.e. large), is much longer and has a down hood as well, and somehow the Fitz Roy Hoody amazes me more. It's GREAT as a raincoat, as water and snow just bead and slide right off it.

Read more: Patagonia Fitz Roy Down Hoody reviews (4)

Featured review by Andrew F.

A super light and deceptively warm down sweater. Moderately roomy cut allows some layering underneath. In keeping with the jacket's absurdly light weight, the nylon is extremely light, and zippers feel almost fragile. Does exactly what it is intended to do, and should be a keeper.

These are my initial impressions of this down sweater, a new purchase. I'll have to wear it more to assess some aspects of how it performs. So far, I'm very pleased with it. The Weight: This jacket is so light that it barely registers on a digital hand scale. My size XL is clearly under 8 ounces.  that's for a hooded down sweater. Awesome. and, a jacket this low profile fits easily under a shell.   The Fit: The jacket is cut medium. I would not call it fitted, and it is not billowy or overly roomy.

Read more: Mountain Hardwear Ghost Whisperer Hooded Down Jacket reviews (3)

Featured review by JAW

I love Marmot gear, but the quality control on the Zeus jacket appears to be a problem (I've seen similar problems to mine posted elsewhere). Mine has several empty, or nearly empty down compartments along the inside of each arm that create very noticeable cold spots - big ones. What I essentially have is a double layer uninsulated nylon windbreaker over large areas of both arms - not good. I live in Bozeman, Montana, and work and play in the mountains and need a good puff coat that I can count on to keep me warm.

Read more: Marmot Zeus Jacket reviews (3)

Featured review by Ashnicole

Warm, cozy, one of my favorite pieces of gear.

I bought the women's Phantom Jacket last winter because I needed a beefier insulated jacket for my winter backpacking trips. I am always in search of items that are not only of excellent quality, but also don't unnecessarily compromise space or weight in my pack. This jacket compresses very well, and is super light! That being said, it's amazingly warm. I have easily taken this jacket down to 0-degree temperatures, with a mid and base layer and been comfortable.   While the collar on the jacket is pretty tall, and very soft on the inside, I do, however, wish this jacket had a hood.

Read more: Mountain Hardwear Phantom Jacket reviews (10)

Featured review by James

The Thorium AR does exactly what it intends to, which is keep you very very warm and comfortable for a low weight penalty. Buy this jacket if you want a near a perfect insulation layer for weather below -5°C (23°F) that packs small and feels like wearing a cloud.

First things first, this jacket excels at its intended use. If it's cold but dry, it's great. If it's wet or the wind picks up you WILL need a shell over it (down + water = bad, it isn't incredibly wind resistant). It's designed to be worn over a baselayer and under a shell, during low to no activity. If you're huffing up a mountain you'll need to take it off and rely on your shell and baselayer. It's designed to keep you warm when you stop for a break, make camp, or are in -25C/-13F and below.

Read more: Arc'teryx Thorium Hoody reviews (3)

Featured review by 1lonewolf

After buying many parkas I bit the bullet and bought this one. I like the others, but when I opened the box the day it arrived I WAS IN SHOCK. This parka is a beast and I wished I had found one years ago. It has everything that a parka should have, some things are in excess but like everything that is made west of the Pond it's built big, tough, and doesn't say sorry.

I am very happy with this parka, and at least I now own a coat that is the real deal. I have spent a lot of cash on parkas, just trying to get it right, I have been that cold I have had ice build up on my chest, frostbite, snow blind and more. So I have done a lot of research into my equipment and because of all of the above. This parka is no fashion statement, it's a valuable tool to help you get the job done and go home alive. It's not about looking pretty. It is very warm and well made.

Read more: Canada Goose Snow Mantra Parka reviews (17)

Featured review by Bill S

Gerry is a well-known brand that has been making outdoor clothing for more than seven decades. This jacket is well made and is being sold at a very good price.

Weight: 0.6 p/0.3 kg = 9.6 oz/300g Down fill: 650 Some of us “Old Greybeards” who became acquainted with the outdoors many decades ago made use of army surplus leftovers from WWII. This gear tended to be very heavy and didn’t always meet our needs. As the troops returned home, some of them started small family shops that created high quality gear that was lighter than the army gear and would work for our treks into the woods and hills which we lived near. Sometimes when we made expeditions to far away parts of the world One of these small family shops was started by Gerry Cunningham in Boulder, Colorado, right in the Rockies.

Read more: Gerry Sweater Down Jacket reviews (4)

Featured review by Andrew F.

The Peak XV is a full-featured winter down parka that is built for abuse. I say that because in addition to being stuffed with 850 fill power down, it has an outer shell that is heavy and sturdy (keep in mind this is the jacket as purchased in 2012; it’s still sold but has probably changed some over time). The jacket is extremely warm and durable. On the downside, it only has limited room for layering, and the baffles in the sleeves allow more shifting and possible cold spots than I would have liked.

INTRO/UPDATE: When I first reviewed this jacket, it was a preliminary look without having worn it. That was several years ago. I have now worn the jacket on a number of winter trips and in very cold weather. I‘m going to insert updated observations at various points in italics rather than completely rewriting the review. INTRO: As noted, I have not yet used the jacket but wanted to provide some basic information. This will replace the down jacket I use to stay warm when I'm sitting still on winter trips in Northern New England and New York State.

Read more: Eddie Bauer First Ascent Peak XV Down Jacket reviews (7)