Favorite Down Jacket Brands

[Stanford Guitar]

I'm really liking RAB and Berghaus down jackets. RAB has great warm and water repellant technology in its down line and Berghaus has great fitting, almost tailored jackets.

How about you?

 

[nvilletele]

I don't know much about brands for such jackets.

All I can say, as a big fan of the band Yes, is that . . . I get up, I get down.

 

[Guitarteach]

Climbed many very big icy mountains in Berghaus gear.

Mountain Equipment is very good too. My down jacket I have here right now is best part of 30 years old and still lofts like new.

 

[Stanford Guitar]

Climbed many very big icy mountains in Berghaus gear.

Mountain Equipment is very good too. My down jacket I have here right now is best part of 30 years old and still lofts like new.

Seems like the British designed outdoor apparel, in general, are thoughtful designs and just perform well.

 

[omahaaudio]

I'm really liking RAB and Berghaus down jackets. RAB has great warm and water repellant technology in its down line and Berghaus has great fitting, almost tailored jackets.

How about you?

REI's house brand.

 

[Vibroluxer]

I like the Baxter State Parks coat. Loads of down and it's quite heavy but it keeps me very warm.

 

[Greenmachine]

In Montreal Canada Goose was the brand to have.

 

[tattypicker]

Alpkit if it’s available where you are.

 

[johnnylaw]

Western Mountaineering.
Big bux, but really well thought out build for those prioritizing the performance per gram calculus.

 

[stxrus]

I had a down jacket from Burlington Coat Factory that was very nice. I don’t remember the name but it had an embroidered stylized flying goose for a logo

 

[985plowboy]

Never owned a down jacket. We don’t see cold enough temperatures for it to be a necessity.

I had a down sleeping bag once.
It was military surplus and probably from the 50’s. My grandfather gave it to me as he was done camping and I was in the early days of the hobby.
It was really lumpy in some spots and really cold in others.
Pretty sure the government contracted manufacturers just threw a handful of whole chickens into the liner and sewed it up.

 

[KC]

Western Mountaineering is just the best -- if you can afford it. Montbell is also very, very good at a lower price aunt. The expedition-grade North Face stuff is also great, though they make a lot of urban style coats as well. But what you see around town, here in the mountains, is the Patagonia down sweater, generally in sky blue or red.

 

[Greggorios]

I've had insulated coats, parkas, vests etc. from Patagonia, Mountain Hardware and Marmot. All top notch. I still have a couple pieces that are over 25 years old each and they've held together and continue to do the job. I really like some of the quality synthetic insulation like Primaloft. Very warm, light weight and don't "snow feathers".

 

[Guitarteach]

Seems like the British designed outdoor apparel, in general, are thoughtful designs and just perform well.

A lot of UK brands are old and designed for mountaineering.

There is a lot of ‘outdoor fashion’ down clothing these days… would tear or split at the first sight of a crampon or ice axe.

 

[Blue Bill]

From the "get off my lawn" department: When I was your age, the down jackets with the exposed baffle stitches, were considered cheap crap, the protective cover layer is missing. Any little tear or puncture, and you're leaking feathers. Some evil marketing genius figured out how to make this "poor kid's jacket" into something fashionable. Kinda like the satin finish on guitars; it's not "satin", they just skip the polishing and save a bunch of labor cost. OK, rant over, I feel better.

 

[Flaneur]

Yeah, my Mountain Equipment downie is perhaps 40 years old. Longer than the modern cut and still crammed full of goose down. Pockets were a bit puny, then- just patch type, sewn on top. A couple of those sticky repairs, from the '90s, probably need renewing.....

Rab made their reputation with down sleeping bags and jackets. My 30 year old bag is pure quality. I recommend both brands.

 

[Stanford Guitar]

How about Feathered Friends?

 

[Flaneur]

Of course, one of the reasons down jackets can last so long, is because they are too warm, for lots of applications. Synthetic insulation and water-repellent fabric technologies have improved a great deal, over the decades.
I went for a walk at dusk, today, in minus 10 degree, dry weather. A thin, synthetic jacket was perfectly acceptable, without the bulk.

 

[guitar_paul1]

I have a fluffy orange Eddie Bauer, but the only reason it has lasted 15 years is that I put a long canvas shell over it to protect it. Very fragile but it lofts well and is good to -30° F.
It was super cheap after repeated discounts.

 

[Fenderdad1950]

Still using my Sierra Designs after 20 years