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Ever heard of the onion method? It’s the best way to stay warm in cold weather and involves carefully layering up (like, you guessed it, an onion) in order to trap heat and stay cosy even in freezing temperatures. One of the key elements of any layering system is a good down jacket. These offer the almost perfect combination of being both lightweight and extremely warm, and are ideal worn over a base layer and under a waterproof jacket in bad weather, or on their own as a warm outer layer on cold, drier days.
Down jackets usually use duck or goose down (the fluffy stuff found under a bird’s feathers) to create a stuffed middle layer known as "loft", designed to trap heat. "Down" is a bit of an umbrella term and also includes insulated jackets that use synthetic down instead of animal down – we’ll look at the benefits of both below, as well as the ethical issues attached to some down production. We’ve included great options for both men and women, although many men’s down jackets are effectively unisex. All our picks are water-resistant to different extents, and we’ve included a jacket for every budget – whether you've got £35 or £350 to spend, you'll find something here that fits the bill.
How to buy the right down jacket for you
Which is better: natural down or synthetic insulation?
The main differences between jackets stuffed with down and synthetic insulation are that down is usually lighter, can feel bulkier and is warmer. If you want a mid-layer for high-intensity activities such as hiking and skiing, where you’ll heat up pretty fast, a synthetic jacket is probably a better option. If you’re looking for a seriously warm jacket for very cold weather, go for animal down. There is, however, an animal-welfare issue with the production of some down jackets – if you’re keen to buy an ethically made down jacket, then we’ll cover everything you need to know a little further down the page.
You’ll see jackets filled with natural down labelled with "fill power"– this is a measure of the fluffiness of the loft. The higher the number, the better quality the down (and, usually, the lighter the jacket); we’d recommend plumping for something with 700 fill power or above.
Does down have any, um, downsides?
In short, yes. Most are completely useless when wet, and this means that they can quickly turn from heat-retaining lifesavers to water-logged lumps in heavy downpours. On a day in the hills with changeable weather conditions, you don’t want to worry that a sudden downpour could catch you and reduce your comfy jacket to a feathery pulp. The solution is to either pack a waterproof shell to pop over the top, or pick a down jacket that can withstand a sudden shower (or, ideally, both).
Down jackets are increasingly water resistant (all of the ones on our list offer some level of water repellency), so they’ll take a light rainfall without losing too much heat. We’d also recommend regularly using something like Nikwax Down Proof to re-waterproof your jacket. If you want a jacket that’ll keep you warm even when it gets wet, then synthetic insulation is far more water repellent than animal down.
What’s the deal with ethical down?
The cheapest down is harvested from live (and sometimes force-fed) animals, a cruel and unnecessary act. You’ll see other down jackets labelled "humanely harvested", which means the down is a by-product of food production. Ethically traced down is more expensive.
Synthetic down jackets avoid the problem altogether – traditionally they just haven’t been as good as those made with animal down, but this is improving rapidly. If you’re in the market to buy one good-quality jacket, we’d recommend picking something either synthetic insulation or a company using humane, traceable down – Patagonia has a great track record of ensuring its down is ethically sourced, and Canada Goose’s down is humane and traceable.
Are there any other features I should look out for?
Useful design elements to look out for include a hood and a drawstring waist, which are both useful for retaining body warmth. If you don't need a hood, then bear in mind that most manufacturers will have a hoodless version in their range that will save you a few quid. It's also worth checking how many external and internal pockets there are before you splash out.
The best down jackets to buy
1. Patagonia Nano Puff jacket for men and women: A brilliant down jacket – and one for the ethically minded
Price:£170
Probably our favourite jacket of the bunch, the Nano Puff is jam-packed with smart features. It’s stuffed with a water-repellent PrimaLoft Gold synthetic filling that is partly made with recycled materials, and it performs brilliantly in pretty much any conditions – the synthetic filling retains heat very well even when wet, unlike down. The polyester shell is tougher than that of most other insulated jackets, yet the Nano Puff is still very lightweight and compresses neatly into its own chest pocket for easy portability. It gets top marks in the ethical stakes – no down is used and Patagonia promote fair labour and environmental responsibility in their factories. It certainly helps that the Nano Puff’s styling is spot on, too: it looks and feels fantastic, and the slim, comfortable fit really hits the mark.
Key specs – Fill power: n/a; Main material: PrimaLoft® Gold Insulation Eco; Weight: 284g; Water resistant? Yes; Pockets: 3
2. Sherpa Nangpala hooded down jacket for women: The best jacket for hiking
Price:£200
The Nangpala is designed to keep you snug even if you’re out trekking on its namesake, the Nangpa La glacial pass in the Khumbu. It’s a beautifully designed and cut jacket – we especially like the hood, which adds crucial extra warmth and cinches down to fit nicely around your face. The handy internal mesh pockets are brilliant, too. As the jacket is filled with a mix of goose down and synthetic PrimaLoft, it combines the best of both worlds retaining the warmth of down but boasting the improved water resistance of synthetic insulation. The smart design means that the Nangpala is at home on a mountainside as it is on the city streets.
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Sherpa Adventure Gear Men's Nangpala Hooded Jacket, Rathee/Korsani Green, Medium
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Sherpa Adventure Gear Women's Nangpala Hooded Jacket, Rathee/Yuu, Large
Key specs – Fill power: 750; Main material: 70% goose down, 30% PrimaLoft fibres; Weight: 400g; Water resistant? Yes; Pockets: 4
3. Rab Microlight Alpine jacket for men and women: The best down jacket for climbers
Price:£190
Every peak-obsessed British climber with a rope on their back is usually also sporting a grimy but much-loved Rab down jacket. Rab was founded in Sheffield, one of the spiritual homes of UK climbing, and the company has applied its know-how to creating lightweight down layers, perfect for popping on and off quickly when climbing or wearing under a waterproof shell on winter hikes. The Microlight is a good all-rounder from the Rab stable, and is light, warm, very breathable and available in a clutch of different colours. We'd recommend that women try both the men's and women's versions to see which cut fits best – in our experience the men's version makes for a brilliant unisex jacket. If you’re after a synthetic jacket then we recommend you try the similar Nimbus (£150).
Key specs – Fill power: 750; Main material: Hydrophobic goose down; Weight: 430g; Water resistant? Yes; Pockets: 3
4. Mountain Warehouse Featherweight down jacket for men: A brilliant down jacket for under £50
Price:£50
An effective, fuss-free down jacket for less than £50? Mountain Warehouse has stepped up beautifully to the challenge with the Featherweight. Simple, well filled and light enough to stuff into a pack-away bag, it still delivers on warmth. The nylon outer felt like one of the thinnest we tested, though, and is rather plasticky compared to some of the more expensive jackets on test. However the Featherweight is ideal if you’re after a reliable, affordable down for dog walks, winter weekenders or to pop under a raincoat in everyday life. The generous cut means it’s also a great choice for taller guys.
Buy the Mountain Warehouse Featherweight from Mountain Warehouse
Key specs – Fill power: N/A; Main material: 90% down, 10% feathers; Weight: N/A; Water resistant? Yes; Pockets: 2
5. Canada Goose Brookvale down jacket for men and women: The best option for seriously cold conditions
Price:£425
Eye-wateringly expensive it may be, but the Brookvale is a seriously plush and high-performing coat. If you can afford to spend serious money on a down jacket, then it’s an excellent choice that should last you forever if you take good care of it. Canada Goose specialise in warm clothing for extremely cold temperatures and the Brookvale is definitely the thickest and best padded jacket on our list, working well as a standalone winter jacket and as an outer layer for snowsports as well as for insulation, and the outer shell is effectively water-repellent. The down used is humanely sourced, too. If you’d rather dump the hood, then you can pick up the Brookvale jacket for around £50 less.
Buy the Canada Goose Brookvale for Men at Selfridges
Buy the Canada Goose Brookvale for Women at Selfridges
Key specs – Fill power: 750; Main material: White duck down; Weight: 527g; Water resistant? Yes; Pockets: 3
6. Hi Gear Men’s Alpinist Packlite jacket for men (and women): The best cheap down jacket
Price:£35
The cheapest entry on our list still boasts a fill power to rival jackets at ten times the price. The Alpinist also looks fantastic – we like the iron-grey colour, the well-fitting hood and the hem draw cord, which you can cinch in to trap warmth. It doesn’t just look good, though: the Alpinist is impressively lightweight, and stuffs into its own pocket for easy carrying. It only repels water in light rain – if you’re caught in a storm you’ll need a waterproof jacket – but if you’re after a portable down jacket for travelling, climbing and for layering up for walking or hiking, there’s no need to spend more. A women’s version is available for £50, but we still prefer the male cut for the cheaper price.
Buy the Hi Gear Men's Packlite Alpinist from Go Outdoors
Key specs – Fill power: 700; Main material: 90% duck down, 10% feather; Weight: N/A; Water resistant? Yes; Pockets: 2