Feather down jacket

It’s freezing outside, but you still want to enjoy outdoor adventures. The solution? A feathered down jacket. These women’s and men’s jackets are exceptionally warm thanks to their feather down filling that creates a barrier to protect you from the cold. They are one of the best winter purchases you can make. Whether you love hiking, exploring snow-covered trails or just want to feel warm outdoors, feather down jackets are ideal. We have an excellent range of men’s and women’s down jackets, including a warm parka style and men’s coats. Our natural down jacket is perfect for keeping you warm and comfortable whether you’re Christmas shopping or exploring arctic trails.

This type of technical jacket has a distinctive quilted puffy design and are filled with the down feathers of waterfowl, typically geese and ducks. While a bird’s outer feathers are stiff with sharp quills and provide a protective water-repellent coating, down is soft and fluffy. It is found underneath the bird’s outer feathers, which they use to keep themselves warm. The feather down is compressed into small pockets or baffles to trap warm air and body heat. Trapping heat in this way creates a thermal barrier to protect you from the cold.

One notable drawback of feather down is that it cannot perform when wet. While it delivers unrivalled warmth in cold, dry conditions, it will stop providing warmth and insulation once wet. It also takes a long time to completely dry. In wet weather, switching to a synthetic warm jacket, hooded down jacket or waterproof jacket is an excellent option. Even when it rains, these will keep you warm (although not as warm as down).

You will often hear the term ‘fill power’ when it comes to down jackets. This refers to the quality of the down and the coat’s warmth-to-weight ratio. While fill power can range from around 300 to over 900, a high fill power indicates a greater loft (fluffiness of the down) and insulating capabilities. As a result, the jacket needs less feather down to provide the same warmth. This gives it a high warmth-to-weight ratio, especially compared to a synthetic down jacket. The higher the ratio, the warmer and lighter the jacket is. As a guide, if you want a jacket that’s packable and provides light warmth, look for one with 650 fill power. You can then either level up or down, depending on your needs.

All the feather down we use in our kids, men’s and women’s jackets is certified for Responsible Down Standard (RDS). We only use down from farms that guarantee birds’ welfare and do not use live-plucking or force-feeding practices.

Whether you plan to wear it for outdoor adventures or casual everyday use, a light down jacket has many benefits. For example:

• Exceptionally warm: this extreme cold jacket is incredibly warm thanks to its down acting as a natural insulator. However, many of our down jackets also feature insulating technologies such as Omni-Heat™ Infinity Technology, which reflects and traps your body heat.
• Water repellency: feather down isn’t waterproof. However, our Omni-Tech™ technology creates a water and stain-repellent layer so liquids can penetrate the jacket fabric.
• Great durability: with the right care, feather down jackets can last for many years (possibly even decades). However, they are higher maintenance than many other types of winter jacket, especially when it comes to washing and storing. Only use a down-specific or mild detergent and thoroughly dry the jacket before storing.
• Packability: thanks to their lightweight material, they are extremely lightweight and very compressible. You can easily carry them with you on hikes or, better still, fold them up and stuff them into a pouch or straight into your bag.
• Versatility: feather down jackets are very versatile. They come in a multitude of colours and styles, including our sleeveless down jacket, making it easy to find the right fit.

Get adventure-ready by heading over to our latest sale and discount offers for great deals on your favourite items. Also, check out our handy guides on the best outdoor clothing and accessories. Whether you prefer real feather down or synthetics, our coats provide the warmth you need for any outdoor winter adventure.

• Down Quality
• Down or Synthetic
• Benefits of Down Jacket
• Choose Down Jacket