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What makes down jackets warmer compared to other kinds of jackets?

Whether heading to work, hiking winter trails, or enjoying a winter walk, you’ll want to feel protected from the cold. This means you need a high-quality jacket. A down jacket from Columbia Sportswear® can make all the difference to your comfort during winter adventures. Thanks to their high-performance insulation, down jackets will keep you warm as toast, even in ice-cold temperatures. Their durable construction and light and fluffy fill also make them highly compressible. When not in use, you have the option of folding it up and stuffing it in your backpack. It's incredibly versatile. It will keep you exceptionally warm and cosy without adding extra weight.

These coats are available in a host of styles, lengths, and colours with insulation features. You can choose the perfect level of warmth depending on your needs. And if you don’t want natural down feathers, synthetic down jackets also offer great warmth. But why are down jackets warmer than other coats? Read on to find out.

What is down insulation and how does it work?

There’s nothing quite like down to keep you warm in the freezing cold. In fact, there really isn’t anything quite like it. But what is down and why is it such an effective insulator?

Down is the soft and fluffy material underneath ducks' and geese's exterior feathers. The birds use down to keep themselves warm and insulated. Down traps warm air, which is why a down jacket feels so warm. Columbia Sportswear® and most other leading brands use RDS-approved down, which prioritises animal welfare across the down supply chain. Down is a superb insulator, thanks to the fluffiness or loft of the down, creating thousands of little air pockets that trap and retain heat while also letting the fabric breathe. Not surprisingly, thanks to this airy insulation, down jackets have an excellent warmth-to-weight ratio, making them much more lightweight than other jackets of a similar warmth. While many other materials try to imitate down, such as the insulation found in synthetic jackets, nothing can trap the amount of heat that down can.

Our down jackets are available in two types of insulation: natural down and synthetic, and three levels of warmth. Along with the exceptional warmth and insulation provided by down, we also offer jackets with our innovative Omni-Heat™ Reflective technology. It uses cleverly positioned silver dots to reflect and retain body heat for enhanced warmth.

What is fill power in down jackets?

Fill power reflects the quality of the down and is measured by the number of cubic inches an ounce of down creates at its full loft or fluffiness. In other words, it represents the fluffiness or loft of the down and its insulating capabilities. The more air pockets in the down, the higher the fill power. This means the jacket is more insulating for its weight. For example, a 600 down fill power rating means that one ounce of down covers 600 cubic inches. Fill power ratings range from 300 to over 900.

How warm are synthetic jackets?

Synthetic jackets resemble the appearance of down jackets but use engineered polyester fibres instead of natural down. They mimic the heat-trapping qualities of down but have bulkier and heavier construction. Synthetic jackets are very warm and offer better wind resistance than many other kinds of jackets, especially wool and fleece. But they can’t compete with the exceptional warmth of down. However, they do have the edge in wet weather. Where down cannot insulate once wet, synthetic insulation’s water-resistant properties mean it won’t lose any warmth.

As our guide shows, down jackets' remarkable insulating powers mean that the bitterly cold weather won’t stop you from enjoying the great outdoors. In dry, cold conditions, down jackets stand out as one of the warmest jackets available. Browse our extensive range of down jackets, from hooded and recycled options to sleeveless and light down jackets, to find your perfect fit.