Outdoor Research Helium Down Hooded Jacket

Some of these down jackets can compress to the size of a water bottle, while others are bulkier — influenced by the fill, face fabric, and overall design. The activities you do while wearing your down jacket will influence the type of fit you need. Some jackets are more streamlined, while others are roomier, boxier, or longer. The Comprehensive Sustainability Score is a scoring system developed by Lola Digital Media that strives to give consumers a clear picture of the way their purchase impacts the environment. For example, both the Montbell Superior Down Parka and the Dark Peak NESSH have an 800-fill power.

Experience the technical 800-fill down jacket that will revolutionize your expectations for durable lightweight warmth. The Trango is a very warm down jacket which manages to pack in as much insulation as possible without being too bulky or heavy. Whether you’re heading to cold snowy places, or just want something extra snug for bouldering or belaying, it’s real… Whether you’re heading to cold snowy places, or just want something extra snug for bouldering or belaying, it’s really, really good, says…

FEATURES of the Outdoor Research Women’s Helium Down Jacket Water resistant Wind resistant Durable Lightweight External chest pocket Single separating center front zipper Brushed tricot… Outdoor Research Men’s Helium Down Jacket – Cascade – in stock now. FEATURES of the Outdoor Research Men’s Helium Down Jacket Water resistant Wind resistant Durable Lightweight External chest pocket Single separating center front zipper Brushed tricot…

Same great quality at a lower price — perfect for your next adventure. Get the latest gear guides, gear analysis, faqs and trip plans delivered to your inbox once a week. I realize it adds a small bit of weight, but I think it’s well worth it to have the ability to sit without having to hike the garment up, and to be able to ventilate when it gets warmer. I also “discovered” LLBean down sweater a couple of years ago.

The Flexidown IN carries a slim, against-the-body fit, which is great for running but not great for layering under. And true to its active pursuits DNA, you get two hand pockets — and that’s it. I usually roll my jackets into their own hoods, but this one doesn’t have one.

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If you’ll mostly wear it around town, something like the budget-friendly Decathlon Forclaz will keep you warm for less than $100. Super lightweight down jackets typically come with a premium price tag, but the investment can be worthwhile for recreationists with limited space looking to trim ounces. Recycled down, a recycled shell, and a recycled lining quietly combine to make a Microlight Alpine that feels and performs like the original. It’s not an ultralight contender, but it’s also not a jacket meant to just go to the grocery store and back. The jacket sports a neutral fit, an interior accessory pocket, and a range of toggles on the hood, hem, and neck. It’s a solid, no-frills coat made by a brand that knows winter.

There are also two zippered side pockets and a hem adjustment. A new and improved model is due to drop this autumn that has a drawcord hood face adjustment and a chest zipper. Many of us find ourselves trying to stay warm and reasonably dry while exerting in wind and light precipitation more often than we’re trying to stay dry in heavy rain. In the small field of versatile shell jackets described as “hybrid”—because they’re made with more than one type of fabric—OR’s new Helium Hybrid Hooded Jacket ups the ante.

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The durable nature of the fabric adds a fairly significant amount of weight and in turn, at 15.5 ounces, this isn’t the lightest jacket we tested. If weight is a huge concern for you, there are lighter and more compressible options. However, not having to constantly worry about tearing your jacket offers peace of mind not often had with insulating layers.

If you’ll be in a really wet environment, a synthetic down jacket might be a better choice. A jacket’s fill power is the down’s quality and amount of loft. You’ll see jackets labeled as 600-fill or 800-fill, for instance.

I hope it will help you to take final decision for Outdoor Research Helium Ii Tm Jacket. The Transcendent’s array of useful features makes it a great choice as a belay jacket. It fits over the helmet just fine, but makes the collar and neck a bit tight. The Transcendent Down Hoody is constructed of durable ripstop polyester and sewn through baffles containing 650 fill-power down.

It’s a bit much to expect a down jacket to be good in the rain, but the Helium does pretty well in this regard, which is a selling point for UK use. • On a long mountain bike ride, I got caught in a violent thunderstorm and downpour for 20 minutes of wind-driven, hard rain and hail, riding downhill; I rode with the hood up . After the storm passed, my base layers under the jacket were only damp from sweat—the rain hadn’t penetrated it. The jacket not only cut the wind, it breathed well enough that my base layer was nearly dry when I got home. The down insulation in our men’s Cirruslite hooded puffy jacket is responsibly-sourced with Responsible Down Standard -certified down insulation.

The fit on this puffy is on the large and bulky side of things. The waterproof panels on the shoulders and hood give the coat an extra puffy look. The torso is a little longer than your average jacket which is ideal for maximizing your coverage and the ability to layer over other layers and your climbing harness. The shoulders have an athletic fit and don’t seriously impede overhead movement. Down insulation is historically horrible at dealing with wet conditions.

Plus, Dark Peak uses those designs and materials in a very thoughtful way. The fit is a good compromise between athletic and roomy, so it’s great for layering under a big shell or with a midlayer underneath. A durable water repellent coating on the outer is a standard but also welcome addition, and a pair of wrist gaiters with thumb loops make a unique, comfy, and useful addition. Tucker spent his childhood falling in love with the outdoors surrounding Lake Tahoe.

Two zippered chest pockets add some utility, and while there’s no two-way zipper, the hand pockets are nice and high to accommodate a harness. Overall, the jacket excels in warmth and comfort — so much so, you’d be excused for wearing it away from the granite. The all new Helium Down Collection takes durable lightweight warmth to an entirely new level.

So the brand, per usual, strikes the best available balance between outright performance and social and environmental sustainability. What made the original Ghost Whisperer an editor favorite and brand icon, the Ghost Whisperer UL ($375) has in spades — or feathers, rather. Shaving off 2.2 ounces may not sound like much until you realize that’s a 25% reduction in weight (the Ghost Whisperer/2 tips the scales at 8.8 ounces, while the UL comes in at 6.67 ounces). This article includes the best down jackets for men and women.