This down jacket, the La Sportiva Lumina 200, makes it into our Greener Gear Guide for this year. Why? Well, it was for a number of things that, collectively, impressed us.

First of all, La Sportiva can be commended for using both a 100% recycled liner and a 100% recycled shell too. It’s also free from any intentionally added PFAS chemicals meaning it avoids the long-lasting environmental pollutants that can be found in some water-repellent treatments.

What’s more, it comes with a simple repair kit; a small touch that not only extends the jacket’s life, but also helps to promote the message of repair over replacement. This, we think, is something that’s just as important as the materials themselves when it comes to reducing a product’s overall environmental footprint.

Pros
✔ Very light and packable
✔ Good sustainability credentials
✔ Good warmth-to-weight ratio

Cons
✘ Not much adjustment
✘ Some down leakage at the seams.

Performance

La Sportiva claim that this has ‘likely the best warmth-to-weight ratio of any down jacket in the world’. It uses 125g of 1000 cu/in Italian down (90%) and feathers (10%) all housed in 100% recycled polyamide. The total weight of the jacket is 250g.

A bit of a disclaimer here: I haven’t managed to properly test this jacket out in the conditions or situations that it’s made for. La Sportiva call it a jacket for lightweight warmth during alpine missions, but the coldest conditions I’ve managed to put it through so far have been during a summer wild camp in the Lake District.

I did at least have some takeaways from that experience. First of all, the Lumina 200 definitely is very light and packable. Stuffed into its compression bag it’s about the size of a small cabbage and it’s barely noticeable when carried in a pack or clipped onto a harness. During my campout, the evening temperature was about 12 degrees and there was quite a nippy wind coming down from the fells. I was wearing it just over a t-shirt and, at first, it kept me cosily warm, but after an hour or so of being sat still, enjoying the closing of the day, I did start to get a little bit chilly and I turned in a little earlier than I had thought I’d need to.

From this experience then, I’d say that this is a down jacket that’s best suited to those situations when your blood has been pumping but you still need warmth. It’s not really something for stationary moments – even during cool summer evenings. If I was going to use this as my main insulation during an evening campout again, I think I’d pair it with a light fleece underneath.

The Pertex Quantum fabric – which uses Diamond Fuse technology (unique diamond-shaped filaments that lock together to create a smooth, snag-resistant surface – is impressive. I’ve experienced this fabric with a number of different products now and I rate it highly. It looks and feels very light – almost in a flimsy way – but actually it’s a lot stronger than meets the eye. OK, if you were to plough through a bramble bush in this you’d be playing with fire (and would probably have to call upon the repair kit), but it comes across as being strong enough to withstand repeated abrasion from the straps of a backpack or from coming into contact with some rough rock while you’re scrambling.

One of the main drawbacks I’ve found with the La Sportiva Lumina 200 Down Jacket is with down feather leakage. I’ve noticed quite a few feathers escaping from this, mainly at the seams. While this is fairly common, it’s still problematic as it will gradually compromise the jacket’s warmth.

Details

It has elastic cuffs, which I’ve found I can pull a reasonably chunky pair of gloves through, and the hood has an elastic rim. There’s no other adjustment on the hood, so while it fits comfortably under a helmet, you can’t really cinch it in close when the wind is really blowing. The hem also doesn’t have any adjustment which isn’t ideal if you want to really seal in the warmth. Details like that have obviously been omitted to keep the overall weight of the jacket down.

Other details? Just the zipped handwarmer pockets, and then La Sportiva detailing on the right hand shoulder.

Fit

I tried this in a US M / EU L. I’m 5 foot 10 and usually wear a UK size Medium. For me, the fit is great and I wouldn’t want to size up or down. I can wear a light fleece comfortably underneath it and the articulation has always felt good.

Verdict

So, all in all, it’s fair to say that the La Sportiva Lumina 200 is impressive. While the issue with down leakage is a genuine concern, its warmth-to-weight ratio, environmental credentials and that light but tough Pertex Quantum shell do make it stand out from the crowd.

Price: £270
Weight: 250g

Buy the La Sportiva Lumina 200:  *Available soon*