The best down jackets for your next outdoor adventure

After reviewing myriad down jackets, the Montbell Plasma 1000 Alpine Down Parka emerged as the top pick for 2021. Montbell combined some of the world’s thinnest nylon and lightest down to create an ultra-lightweight masterpiece for those looking to get the warmest jacket at the lightest weight — a sure pick for alpine mountaineers, backcountry skiers, and long-distance backpackers.

Weighing in at a scant 8.4 ounces, the Plasma 1000 Alpine Down Parka is one of the very lightest on the market. The jacket’s shell is made from 7D Ballistic Airlight nylon ripstop with a water-repellant finish and uses a proprietary sewing pattern to minimize heat loss and reduce seam weight. The jacket is exceptionally compressible and reduces to 5.3 by 7.6 inches. The helmet-compatible hood features two-way adjustability and the hem is also adjustable. The jacket sports elasticized cuffs and two hand-warming pockets.

If you’re looking for a warm, artfully crafted, and exceptionally light down parka for cold weather activities like climbing, skiing, or backpacking, the Plasma 1000 Alpine Down Parka is hard to beat.

We were shocked to find a decent entry-level down parka for around $80, and that jacket is the Decathlon Forclaz Trek 100. So what do you get from this French company’s budget down jacket? A fairly lightweight, packable, wind- and water-resistant jacket that stuffs into its own left-hand pocket. The jacket sports quality YKK zippers and elasticized cuffs. The main fabric is 15D 100 percent polyamide with 90 percent grey duck-down fill, and it’s stitched together well. We didn’t like that the hood isn’t adjustable, and the jacket lacks interior dump pockets and also lacks a chest pocket.

For an 800 power-down filled jacket weighing 10.2 ounces, you just can’t beat the price. It doesn’t have all the features we like, but it doesn’t break the bank either. For most people just getting into camping and backpacking, this will work just fine.

It’s no secret that I’ve been a fan of Patagonia’s outdoor gear for decades. Their gear is always well-built, thoughtfully designed, and backed by a no-shit lifetime warranty. When I needed a new midweight down jacket for climbing Mount Rainier last summer, this is what I bought. Simply designed, the Down Sweater Hoody has everything you need — warmth, functionality, and compressibility — and nothing you don’t.

Cut for an athletic frame, this jacket allows the wearer great freedom of movement (doesn’t ride up when you raise your arms overhead). The fully adjustable and climbing helmet-compatible hood allows for good visibility while keeping your head warm. The elastic cuffs, conchable hood, adjustable hem, and zipper baffle ensure warmth stays in and cold stays out. Patagonia also pays attention to the little details like putting microfleece at the point where the jacket material meets your chin when fully zipped for additional comfort.

When you need one down jacket that can be used for multiple applications, the Patagonia Down Sweater Hoody is a sure bet. It’s exceptionally versatile, made from quality materials, and backed by Patagonia’s lifetime guarantee. It’s a solid choice for climbing, alpine mountaineering, backpacking, skiing, and chilling après-ski.

When every gram counts and you’re looking to minimize the space a jacket takes in your pack, there’s no beating the Mountain Hardwear Ghost Whisperer UL. We had to look twice when we read the specs that this jacket weighed in at a scant 6.7 ounces. Mountain Hardwear achieved this by using 1,000 power down filling and 5x7D ripstop nylon.

While it’s light, the shell is also thin, so you’ll want to take extra care when wearing this jacket and avoid snags and sparks from any campfires. We’ve also read some complaints about the long-term durability of the jacket. While we liked the minimal weight of the jacket, we felt it was missing some key features like interior stash pockets, chest pockets, and an adjustable hood. The hood also wasn’t super helmet-compatible.

Otherwise, the shell is DWR finished so it will repel some water and give some protection from the wind. The jacket is highly packable and stuffs into its own hand pocket, which also has a carabiner loop. We noted that the pocket zipper isn’t a two-sided reversible zipper, which makes closing the stuff sack a challenge. The cuffs are elasticized, but the jacket also is lacking an adjustable hem to keep the wind out.

If you are the type who cuts the handle off of your toothbrush to save grams in your backpack, then this is the jacket for you. Hands down, it’s the lightest we’ve seen.

The brand Jack Wolfskin has been around Europe for decades, and they’re just recently introducing their line of outdoor clothing to US markets. Being unfamiliar with the brand, I really didn’t know quite what to expect when I received their DNA Tundra Hoody. I have to say I was pleasantly surprised.

While it wasn’t the lightest or most compressible jacket I reviewed, at $199.99, this jacket is worth a look. First off, the jacket is fairly warm for a lightweight down coat, and built out of quality materials to include YKK zippers with extended pull tabs for use with gloves. You can stuff the jacket into either of the two hand pockets, but the pocket zippers lack double-sided zipper pulls to facilitate zipping the stuffed pocket closed (I hope version 2.0 gets this upgrade).

I tested the jacket in some pretty breezy and cold conditions (23-degrees Fahrenheit and 15 mph wind) and it cut the wind and kept me warm. The jacket hood will (barely) fit over a climbing helmet, but movement is restricted with the jacket zipped, and the hood is not adjustable. The hem also lacks a drawcord to keep the wind out.

The DNA Tundra hoody is a good entry-level down jacket that’s affordably priced. This isn’t the jacket for climbers and alpinists, but it will take care of you if you are camping, hiking or backpacking or just want a warm, lightweight jacket for kicking around town.

Named after the highest peak in the lower 48 states, Mount Whitney, the Sierra Designs Whitney hoodie is designed to meet all the cold weather challenges of its namesake. I’ve owned Sierra Designs tents and sleeping bags over the years and was really impressed with the attention to detail put into this 800-fill hydrophobic DriDown jacket that keeps you warm and toasty when the temps plummet.

This mid-grade jacket has many of the features of premium-grade down jackets at half the price. The Whitney hoody has two zippered hand pockets, and an external zippered chest pocket. Light and packable, the entire jacket stuffs down into the left hand pocket into a mass about the size of a grapefruit. The left hand pocket has a double sided zipper that enables you to easily close and open the zipper while the jacket is stuffed, an oversight on many down jackets. The overstuffed helmet compatible hood and high collar help keep cold winds at bay. I do wish the hood was adjustable. It’s a bit voluminous when not wearing a helmet. The jacket’s hem has an adjustable bungee drawstring with cord lock. Unique to the jackets I reviewed, the sleeves have an elastic gaiter a few inches up from the cuff on the inside of the sleeve to help limit heat loss, which is a thoughtful detail.

The more I wear this jacket, the more I like it — and at around $160, it’s a deal.

If you are going to Everest or Antarctica, this is the down jacket for you. For the premium price tag, it’s better to think of this coat as a key piece of survival gear and not a jacket. In terms of engineering, construction, and fit, the Grade VII Parka is one of the most technical garments Patagonia has ever designed. Famed mountaineer Steve House advised Patagonia on the development of the jacket.

The Grade VII Parka is completely baffled and filled with 800 fill power down to ensure maximum loft and minimal shifting or settling. Instead of stitching the baffles, Patagonia glued them to eliminate needle holes (points of cold air and water entry). The fully-baffled adjustable hood, once donned, will increase the apparent size of your head by a factor of two and is ridiculously warm.

The handwarmer pockets are baffled and are designed with a stiffened edge to ease entry with gloved hands, and the front zipper has double draft tubes to minimize air passage through the zipper and seal in warm air. The jacket has two exterior chest pockets, and four large dump pockets (two on each side) with mesh bottoms to stow damp socks or water bottles. The side baffles are elasticized to help the wearer see their feet and climbing harness, and the low-cut drop tail bottom hem is adjustable to keep the cold out and your butt warm.

This jacket is overkill for most people. If you are going to climb big, cold mountains or trek across the poles, this is the coat you’ll want. It is very expensive, but, as my climbing mentor once said, “You can buy a $20 piece of gear if you have a $20 life.” This garment is intended to keep you alive in the most extreme conditions on the planet.