Down coats
A down jacket is (literally!) light as a feather, while keeping you wonderfully warm. How is that possible? Well, down provides lightweight insulation. In fact, there is no other material with a better weight-to-heat ratio! A down jacket is therefore ideal on cold days. By the way, this kind of jacket is very comfortable to wear: your body heat is regulated while the jacket is also very breathable. So no clammy feeling! The only downside: a lightweight down jacket is not waterproof. But in dry weather, it’s a real winner.
Insulating down jacket: perfect for extreme cold
Suffering from the cold is not an option when you wear an insulating down jacket. A good technical down jacket retains your body heat effectively while remaining lightweight and highly breathable. However, if heavy rain is expected, wear your down jacket as an additional insulating layer under a hardshell jacket. Down absorbs moisture very easily, and a wet jacket becomes heavy and loses its ability to keep you warm.
Want to know how well your down jacket insulates? Look at the fill power, measured in cubic inches (cuin). This is a reliable indicator of down quality. Jackets with a fill power of 800+ cuin guarantee top-quality insulation. Keep in mind, though, that a high fill power does not automatically mean a warmer jacket—the down percentage also plays a crucial role.
Types of down: ratio of down to feathers
If you want a jacket that retains as much body heat as possible, check the down percentage. This figure indicates the proportion of down versus feathers. A ratio of 80% down to 20% feathers is considered good quality. For maximum protection in extreme cold, opt for a jacket with an even higher down ratio. A 90% down and 10% feather mix is ideal in these conditions.
FAQ – frequently asked questions about down jackets
A down jacket has a filling of down feathers to keep you warm – hence its light weight. Feathers are also added to the down to give a bit more weight to the stuffing. If (more than) 80% down (feathers) is used, it is considered to have a quality ratio.
The down itself usually comes from ducks or geese. Does that make it an animal-unfriendly product? Not if you buy your down jacket from A.S.Adventure. We do not sell anything from suppliers that pluck the down from live animals. So what is used? Down recycled from other products or down feathers from free-roaming animals that lose some of their down naturally. In short, it’s responsible down!
Now comes the bad news: no, a down jacket can never be completely waterproof. But there’s still some good news: a down jacket does repel water. This means that a down jacket does allow you to hike (for a short time) in light rain. But a down jacket is no match for a real downpour. The down feathers easily absorb moisture, making them heavy and causing them to lose their insulating capacity.
The water-repellent layer of your down jacket should be renewed regularly, by the way. This ensures that the down is less likely to absorb water, keeping you protected even in humid conditions! So make sure you take the time to take care of your down jacket.
Good question! It’s best not to just throw a down jacket in the washing machine with ‘normal’ detergent. Preferably, you should even clean the detergent tray to remove any residual detergent. Always use a special detergent suitable for down. This is how you can really clean your jacket without compromising its technical performance. Do you also want to make your down jacket waterproof again? Then wash it one more time with an impregnating agent for down.
Down is not only wonderfully warm and lightweight, it is also surprisingly sustainable. Comparative life-cycle studies show that natural down has up to 18 times less environmental impact than comparable synthetic insulation, in terms of health, ecosystems, resources, energy use, and climate.
Because down provides so much warmth per gram, less material is needed than with synthetic alternatives, further reducing its ecological footprint. Proper care, keeping it dry, washing only when necessary, and occasionally refreshing the water-repellent outer layer, ensures that a down jacket or sleeping bag lasts for many years, keeping the impact per year of use low.
Do note, however, that synthetic outer layers have their own environmental impact. Always choose high-quality products from transparent and ethical sources.
Choose from our many top brands
At A.S.Adventure you will find an extensive range of down jackets for women, men and children. Choose from our many top brands - like Jack Wolfskin, Fjällräven, Columbia and Mountain Hardwear - and find the down jacket for you next adventure.
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