When it involves staying heat in chilly climate, some of the essential layers is an insulated jacket. In the previous, conventional down (feather) jackets dominated the market, however because of advances in cloth know-how, artificial insulation is now one other best choice. Synthetic down jackets provide heat and breathability at a extra inexpensive value – plus artificial holds up higher towards moist climate.
In this weblog publish, we’ve rounded up the very best girls’s artificial down jackets. We hope you discover the very best down-alternative jacket on your cash that can hold you heat irrespective of the place you’re going or what out of doors exercise you’re pursuing!
Best Women’s Synthetic Down Jackets At A Glance
Best Women’s Synthetic Down Jackets Comparison Table
See the comparability desk under for a fast abstract of every of the highest girls’s artificial jackets. You can click on on the columns to type by what’s most essential to you.
Bearfoot Theory Reader Favorite
Patagonia Nano Puff Hoodie
Key Features:
- Weight: 10.8 ounces
- Insulation: 60-g PrimaLoft Gold Eco 100%
- Outer cloth created from recycled ripstop polyester
- Price: $279
Check value: Patagonia | REI | Backcountry
Great for: all however the coldest climate, windy circumstances, crossover from on a regular basis put on to out of doors actions, hanging out at camp, snowboarding mid-layer
Pros: versatile for day-to-day put on and out of doors actions, tried & examined jacket that has been in the marketplace for years, packs down into its chest pocket & simply compressible
Cons: cloth is inclined to tears and snags, stitching permits for water to seep in throughout prolonged durations of rain
The Patagonia Nano Puff Hoodie is one among my private favourite girls’s artificial down jackets and likewise the most well-liked jacket amongst Bearfoot Theory readers. The Nano Puff was one of many first-ever artificial jackets in the marketplace and it continues to be a best-seller yr after yr – with good purpose. The Nano Puff is the right crossover jacket – simply worn across the campfire, tossed in your pack for a hike, or simply operating errands round city. It’s light-weight, extremely compressible, and will get the job finished in all however the coldest of climate. It’s additionally the right layering jacket beneath an outer shell due to how skinny it’s.
The draw back of the Nano Puff is that the material is inclined to tears and snags – take warning if you’re sporting this jacket on overgrown hikes or whereas climbing. The Nano Puff additionally is available in a non-hooded model.
Our Personal Favorite
Arc’teryx Atom Heavyweight Insulated Hoody (FKA Atom AR)
Great for: 3-season mountaineering, snowboarding mid-layer, windy circumstances, day hikes and backpacking journeys
Pros: sturdy towards harsh use, modern design, zipped hand and chest pockets, extraordinarily comfy liner and shell cloth, cinched hood retains you heat and guarded in windy circumstances
Cons: costly funding, not essentially the most breathable jacket, not designed to pack down into its pocket and doesn’t include a stuff sack
Note: The Atom Heavyweight Hoody was beforehand named the Atom AR Hoody.
A flexible artificial down jacket that works nice as a layer or as an outer shell, the Arc’teryx Atom Heavyweight Insulated Hoody is heat, breathable, and wind and rain-resistant. This is my private favourite artificial down jacket that comes with me on most adventures.
Thanks to the redesigned Tyono™ 30 face cloth, the Atom Heavyweight has an abrasion-resistant shell. Yep, abrasion-resistant – meaning it can save you that emergency duct tape for when you really want it as a result of this artificial down jacket is designed to arise towards scrapes and scratches within the backcountry.
Best Synthetic Down Jacket for Summer Day Hikes
Arc’teryx Atom Insulated Hoodie
Key Features:
- Weight: 10.9 oz
- Insulation: 40g Coreloft Compact (core solely)
- Price: $260
Great for: summer season hikes, gentle climates, utilizing as a layering piece in cooler climate, windy circumstances
Pros: some of the light-weight jackets on our checklist, could be worn on longer hikes with out overheating, zippered hand pockets, holds up nicely towards the wind, breathable cloth
Cons: costly funding for restricted heat, not designed to pack down into its pocket and doesn’t include a stuff sack
The Atom Insulated Hoodie is a superb addition to Arc’teryx’s tremendous standard Atom collection. This is essentially the most light-weight Atom jacket accessible, a full 3oz lighter than the Atom Heavyweight above. The customary Atom has reasonable insulation within the core with fleece on the edges and minimal to no insulation alongside the arms. It supplies a bit of bit of heat with out being overkill and is nice for windy days and gentle climates.
I wore the usual Atom whereas backpacking in Sequoia National Park and likewise whereas on the seaside on the California Coast. The hood isn’t insulated, but it surely helps block the wind nicely. Because it’s not that heat, I wouldn’t depend on it for chilly nights, however as a result of generally I’ll layer it below a heavier jacket once I’m hanging out at camp within the evenings. There can also be a hoodless model accessible.
Best Ultralight Synthetic Jacket for Backpacking
Enlightened Equipment Torrid APEX Jacket
Key Features:
- Weight: Starting at 7.75 ounces
- Insulation: Climashield APEX
- Made within the USA
- Price: $185
Check value: Enlightened Equipment
Great for: ultralight backpacking, tossing in your daypack for emergencies, 3-season use
Pros: very light-weight artificial down jacket, could be personalized to your private wants with 16 shade choices and three totally different weights of cloth, zippered and insulated hand pockets
Cons: fundamental match building, small hood, customized jacket takes 8-10 weeks to reach, not excellent for every day put on
Enlightened Equipment makes tremendous high-quality gear and their Women’s Torrid APEX Jacket isn’t any outlier. It presents heat, wind-resistance, and moisture-repellency multi function ultralight package deal. The purpose why we love this jacket is that it’s half the load of different artificial jackets on this checklist, making it a standout for ultralight backpacking and thru-hikes the place each ounce counts. At $185, it’s additionally one of many best-value artificial down jackets in the marketplace for a way light-weight it’s.
For match, the APEX artificial down jacket is designed to be barely outsized to accommodate layers and it has raglan-style sleeves which creates a wider underarm space to permit for optimum motion. Reviewers observe that that match can really feel odd – it’s not tapered or tailor-made and doesn’t have all of the bells and whistles as different artificial jackets on the market. While this jacket wouldn’t be our first alternative for on a regular basis put on, it’s a high performer if weight is your #1 precedence.
Best Value Synthetic Down Jacket
REI Co-op Flash Insulated Hybrid Hoodie
Key Features:
- Weight: 12.7 ounces
- Insulation: 60g PrimaLoft Silver Eco Insulation
- Price: $179
Check value: REI
Great for: every day put on, street journeys and journey, windy circumstances, 3-season mountaineering use, snowboarding mid-layer
Pros: holds up nicely towards windy and moist circumstances, packs down small into its left-hand pocket, versatile for on a regular basis put on and out of doors adventures
Cons: jacket runs quick – when you’ve got a protracted torso, this might not be the jacket for you
The REI Co-op Flash Insulated Hybrid Hoodie is a superb fundamental artificial down jacket that’s light-weight, tremendous compact, and versatile sufficient for the paths or metropolis put on. The 60g Primaloft Silver Eco artificial insulation is created from 100% postconsumer recycled content material in a Fair Trade Certified™ manufacturing unit, which promotes protected working circumstances and sustainable livelihoods. The ripstop nylon shell has been handled with DWR to repel rain and this jacket holds up nicely in moist climate. We suggest utilizing it as a standalone jacket for cool days on the path or out on the town.
Best Eco-friendly Synthetic Down Jacket
Cotopaxi Teca Calido Reversible Hooded Jacket
Key Features:
- Weight: 13.2 oz
- Insulation: 60g recycled polyester
- Price: $150
Check value: Cotopaxi | REI | Backcountry
Great for: individuals who don’t want a technical jacket, quick hikes, vacationers, 3-season use
Pros: most sustainable possibility (100% repurposed cloth, 100% recycled polyester insulation), absolutely reversible (shade block to strong), packs down into chest pocket, zippered hand pockets
Cons: runs small (order a measurement up to have the ability to layer!)
If you might be on the lookout for an eco-friendly girls’s artificial down jacket, look no additional than the Cotopaxi Teca Calido Hooded Jacket. The outer shell is made from 100% repurposed cloth and the insulation is from 100% recycled polyester – plus Cotopaxi is a Certified B Corp and provides again 1% of its annual income to battle world poverty.
The jacket itself is absolutely reversible, with cute shade blocking on one aspect and strong shade on the opposite. With tons of pockets (on each side of the jacket), it’s extraordinarily useful and a fantastic worth purchase that colorfully stands out among the many sea of ladies’s artificial down jackets.
Best Synthetic Down Jacket for Extreme Cold Weather
Rab Nebula Pro Synthetic Insulated Jacket
Key Features:
- Weight: 1 lb 4.8 oz
- Insulation: 53g/m² recycled 30D nylon
- Made with recycled supplies
- Price: $230
Check Price: Moosejaw
Great for: winter hikes and out of doors actions, individuals who reside in chilly climate climates, snowboarding mid-layer on tremendous chilly days, mountaineering
Pros: warmest artificial down jacket on our checklist however nonetheless comparatively light-weight, zippered hand pockets, not a ton of bulk for a way insulated it’s
Cons: a lot heavier and bulkier than different jackets on the checklist, 1-season use
If you might be on the lookout for the very best chilly climate artificial jacket, look no additional than the Rab Nebula Pro Synthetic Jacket. It’s good for mountaineering in temperatures under 30F and it retains you tremendous heat with out that heavy-jacket really feel.
If you sometimes keep away from chilly climate, this jacket could also be overkill. But you may’t beat the warmth-to-weight ratio if you happen to’re on the lookout for a comfy, winter artificial down jacket!
Best Synthetic Jacket for Wet Climates
Patagonia Radalie Insulated Jacket
Key Features:
- Weight: 15 oz
- Insulation: 150g Thermogreen polyester fibers
- Jacket shell is made from 100% recycled nylon
- Price: $179
Great for: individuals who reside in chilly, wet climates, moist and windy circumstances
Pros: DWR water resistant end, stand-up collar provide further heat, handwarmer pockets
Cons: not absolutely waterproof
While not absolutely waterproof, the Patagonia Radalie Insulated Jacket is designed with a DWR water resistant end, making it a fantastic alternative for drizzly or moist climates. It additionally has a number of different nice options to maintain you heat like a stand-up collar to guard your subsequent, handwarmer pockets, and insulated zippers to stop rain and chilly from seeping by.
If you desire a absolutely waterproof set-up, pair this – or any jacket on this checklist – with a light-weight rain shell.
Down vs Synthetic Jackets: Benefits of Alternative Materials
You could have heard that goose or duck down is the superior materials on the subject of heat out of doors gear. Many jackets, sleeping baggage, camp booties, and different gear necessities are stuffed with down insulation as a result of it’s heat, mild, and packable.
However, there are situations the place artificial supplies have a number of benefits over down.
1. Synthetic down doesn’t soak up moisture as quickly as down
When down will get moist, its skill to maintain you heat is drastically lowered. Some firms fight this by treating the jacket shell with a water resistant coating, however this isn’t a fix-all answer.
Synthetic down jackets, however, carry out a lot better in rain and snow and can proceed to offer heat even when damp or moist.
2. Synthetic down jackets dry quicker than down
When down will get moist, it takes a very long time for it to dry and the general insulating properties of the jacket really considerably lower. On the opposite hand, when artificial down will get moist, it dries out a lot quicker with none long-term unfavorable insulating results.
3. Synthetic down could be extra inexpensive
Down jackets can value upwards of a number of hundred {dollars} whereas fundamental artificial down jackets are typically extra inexpensive. Of course, some artificial insulating down jackets are nonetheless fairly dear, however they’re additionally as high-performing (if no more) than their down counterparts.
4. Synthetic down doesn’t worsen allergic reactions
For some individuals, down can worsen allergic reactions. This is as a result of mud mites love to cover out in down feathers and so they can provoke quite a lot of allergy signs in some individuals together with sneezing, coughing, runny nostril, itchy eyes, and extra.
Switching to an artificial down jacket can get rid of these allergy signs.
5. Many artificial down jackets are made with recycled supplies
We attempt to be as eco-conscious as we are able to and probably the greatest methods to assist a extra sustainable attire business is by shopping for merchandise that make the most of recycled supplies (if you want new gear). Many artificial down jackets just like the Cotopaxi Teca Calido Reversible Hooded Jacket are created from post-consumer recycled fibers. Utilizing recycled supplies prevents supplies from going right into a landfill and reduces the necessity to manufacture new fibers, which is commonly power and water-intensive.
6. Synthetic down is vegan-friendly
I’ve made the change to a plant-based weight-reduction plan, and since have realized in regards to the moral considerations round utilizing animals to provide out of doors gear. That’s why we’re doing our greatest to suggest vegan-friendly merchandise each time attainable.
I hope this publish on the very best artificial down jackets for ladies helps you discover the very best jacket on your favourite cold-weather actions – possibly we’ve even satisfied you {that a} artificial vs down jacket is the easiest way to go!
Related Blog Posts:
What’s your favourite girls’s artificial down jacket and what actions do you put on it for? Tell us within the feedback under!
