Down jackets are popular all over the world. They come in a variety of styles and colors and can be worn comfortably by men and women. Most people know that a down jacket is made from real feathers, but there is much more to understand about down jackets before you head out to buy one.

People prefer down jackets because they tend to be warmer that fiber jackets, then can be compacted more to make storage easy and down feathers are generally more able to withstand water than fiber. When you are comparing fiber to down, or when you are just trying to decide between different kinds of down jackets, you should take the time to become completely familiar with down and know exactly what you are buying when you do decide to make the investment.

Why Choose Down Over Fiber?

When comparing down jackets to fiber-insulated jackets, durability and functionality are two important factors. The feathers in a down jacket generally last up to five times longer than fiber stuffing. A down jacket can keep someone warm for up to 20 years, while fiber begins to break down and become essentially useless after an average of four years.

Down from a goose

Fiber tends to lose a lot of its insulating properties when it gets wet. Since winter jackets are generally worn in conditions where the can get extremely wet, fiber’s inability to withstand moisture can become extremely inconvenient. Down will stay twice as warm as fiber, even when the materials are equally as saturated with water.

The reason that down is able to keep you warmer than fiber is the perfect construction of the down feather for resisting moisture. Down retains a lot of air between feathers, and the small hair-like extensions that come off of each feather are able to fill in the gaps with additional support. When the down gets wet, it is able to absorb the water easier than fibers. Water also tends to run off feathers, which allows a down jacket to shed water better than fiber.

Down Content

Consumers need to read the label on down jackets before making their purchase. A down jacket is never 100 percent pure down feathers. The down itself is referred to as down clusters. Mixed in with the clusters are smaller feathers that can degrade the down’s ability to retain heat.

When you read a down jacket label, you will notice that it has ratings such as 80/20 or 90/10 on it. Those are percentages. The first number is the percentage of down clusters in the insulation mix, and the second number is the percentage of small feathers in the mix. The relationship between the down cluster percentage and the ability of the jacket to retain heat is direct. A down jacket with a high down cluster percentage is going to keep you warmer than one with a lower cluster percentage. In terms of warmth, a 90/10 jacket is a better investment than an 80/20 coat.

Jacket Construction

Consumers looking for a down jacket that will offer the greatest amount of warmth will want to look at how the jacket is constructed. You may be familiar with the down jackets that look like they are made out of tubes of down. That type of construction is called a stitch-through jacket. This means that the jacket seams are stitched through the jacket. While this helps to make the jacket lighter and more convenient for hiking and other outdoor activities, it also creates cold spots in the jacket that can make it uncomfortable.

To get a down jacket that offers a solid wall of protection from the elements, you will want to get a jacket that is made using the box wall method. Two outer layers of material are used to create a shell that holds the down as a continuous wall of down. These types of down jackets tend to retain body heat better and will keep you warmer.

Another aspect of down jackets that people sometimes do not consider is whether or not the jacket cut is gender specific. Down jackets for males have a different insulation pattern than jackets designed for females. Once again, it is important to check the label before buying a down jacket to be sure you are getting the right cut.

Arctic expedition. They use down jackets from Canada Goose.

People that buy down jackets tend to be active outdoors. One design feature that your down jacket needs to have if you intend to be active is referred to as a scoop. This is a feature that ensures that your jacket will keep your entire body warm even if you are raising your arms above your head.

Finally, when you are buying a down jacket, you should look for one that offers the ability to customize the fit to help keep you as warm as possible. Down jackets with Velcro hems and pull-strings to adjust things like the collar, hood and cuffs will work to keep you warm at all times.

Convenience

The criteria you would use to decide between down and fiber comes down to how you intend to use your jacket. Down jackets tend to be more expensive that fiber jackets, but the added investment can make sense if your situation requires a jacket that can be easily packed for travel.

People who travel to colder climates, camp in cold areas or hike in cold climates need to invest in a down jacket because of the convenience down offers when packed. Because down feathers use air as one of its primary warming elements, that means that there is a significant amount of room between feathers. Down jackets can be compressed more than fiber jackets, which makes down easier to pack in suitcases and backpacks. Down can also spring back after being unpacked quicker than fiber.

The advantage that a down jacket has over a fiber jacket is the perfect construction of the goose feather that is the primary insulating material in a down jacket. Goose feathers are able to be compressed into a much smaller area than an equivalent volume of insulating fiber. It allows you to pack your down jacket into the smallest backpack to take with you on your hiking trip into the mountains.

Wicking

Body moisture wicking is the process of removing moisture from your body and allowing to evaporate. A down jacket is extremely adept at wicking while a fiber jacket is unable to match the wicking ability of a down jacket.

The wicking feature of a down jacket offers two advantages over fiber jackets. Wicking body moisture and allowing it to evaporate away will keep you much more comfortable than fiber jackets that retain your moisture. In areas with extreme cold, wicking can remove moisture from your body that could otherwise cause disease or freeze and create areas of exposed skin that could be in danger of frostbite.

Durable Water Repellent

There are several different kinds of materials that can be used to make a down jacket such as nylon or polyester. The fabric you choose depends on the design and look that you want. But when you choose your down jacket, remember that water can degrade the ability for the down to keep you warm. A down jacket does resist water better than a fiber jacket, but it is still affected by moisture. That is why your down jacket should be coated with Durable Water Repellent, or DWR, to give an added layer of water protection.

But don’t let anyone tell you that a coating such as DWR is infallible. Adding DWR to nylon creates a lightweight, warm and attractive down jacket, but seams in any jacket cannot be coated for protection. That is why the box wall method is the preferred construction design of a good down jacket. The box wall method reduces the amount of seams that can cause weak points in the water resistance of the jacket’s surface.

Down jackets come in a variety of designs and colors to fit into any hiking, camping or general winter clothing combination. Using a down jacket has several advantages over fiber insulated winter coats. When you compare down jackets to fiber jackets, you will see why down jackets are the better investment.