7. La Sportiva Lumina 200

Price: £300
Weight: 250g
Best for: fast hiking, high aerobic outdoor activities
What we liked: light and packable, good sustainability credentials, great warmth-to-weight ratio
What we didn’t like: not much adjustment, some down leakage at the seams

La Sportiva can be commended here for using both a 100% recycled liner and a 100% recycled shell too. The Lumina 200 is 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.

And the performance? We loved how light and packable it is and appreciated the amount of articulation at the arms which allowed for a full range of movement during our tests. Our sample was pre-production so we didn’t get to try the full 1000 fill power down but all signs are good for the finished article.

The Pertex Quantum fabric – which uses Diamond Fuse technology – is impressive. It looks and feels very light – almost in a flimsy way – but actually it’s a lot stronger than meets the eye. 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.

Read our full La Sportiva Lumina 200 review.

Buy the La Sportiva Lumina 200: £300 at Alpinetrek.co.uk

8. Montane Anti-Freeze

Price: £135 (sale)
Weight: 360g
Best for: hiking, hillwalking, three-season use, casual wear
What we liked: good warmth-to-weight ratio, thoughtful design details, innovative technology
What we didn’t like: some down leakage

Montane has delivered a well-rounded down jacket here: warm enough for typical UK autumn and shoulder-season use, comfortable to wear and thoughtfully designed for movement in the hills. The new water-resistant down treatment does, so far, seem to offer something in damp conditions. It won’t shrug off relentless rain and will still eventually absorb moisture – synthetic fills remain the more dependable option for prolonged wet weather – but, from our tests, it seems to hold its own on misty, drizzly days and when layered under a shell.

“In the field, it has repelled rain really nicely and worked well when worn underneath a waterproof jacket,” said OM editor Will who used in on a windy campout in the Lake District. “Despite facing up to some atrocious conditions in it, and also working up a bit of a sweat, it hasn’t ever felt like the jacket has majorly lost its loft and ability to insulate.”

Overall, this is a solid mid-range performer offered at a sensible price. It feels light, packs small and comes with a well-judged feature set. The only real drawback is that we noticed some down leakage from it, which slightly lets down an otherwise very capable jacket.

Check out our full Montane Anti-Freeze Jacket review.

Buy the Montane Anti-Freeze Hooded Jacket:  £135 (sale) Ellis-brigham.com 

9. Arc’teryx Thorium SV

Price: £440 (sale)
Weight: 695g
Best for: cold hikes, casual use
What we liked: durable and protective fabrics
What we didn’t like: heavy, quite boxy

“This has become a go-to jacket for very cold days for me – and cold days with a bit of moisture too.” said Will. “It’s a touch too heavy for days where it might be in and out of my backpack, but it’s totally ideal for those relentlessly challenging ones where you want something to properly bolt down in.”

What impressed us during our tests with this jacket was its wind and water resistance. Across the hood and shoulders it uses Gore’s Infinium fabric which, while not waterproof, does bring a lot of rain resistance to the table. We found we could wear the jacket through drizzly conditions without the whole thing getting wet through and cold within an instant. 

It’s also very lofty and cosy, with a lot of down feathers packed into it and a thermally efficient box wall baffle construction. As Will said, there’s a downside though and that’s the fact that this is a pretty heavy garment, coming in at just below 700g. 

Read our full Arc’teryx Thorium SV review.

Buy the Arc’teryx Thorium SV: £440 (sale) at Ellis-brigham.co.uk

10. Fjällräven Expedition Pack Down Anorak

Price: £205 (sale)
Weight: 518g
Best for: Camping, hiking
What we liked: Responsibly sourced down, recycled fabrics, PFC-free
What we didn’t like: Warmth-to-weight ratio isn’t great

Our tester took this for a long-distance hike in the Lake District a couple of years ago and still wears it regularly. It’s a women’s-specific down anorak designed to deliver a lot of warmth without taking up much space in your pack, and it has some excellent eco credentials.

It uses high-quality 700-fill power down, giving it an excellent warmth-to-weight ratio that makes it a versatile option for cold-weather use across a range of activities. In dry, chilly conditions it works well as an outer layer, while the relatively streamlined cut means it can also be layered under a shell when extra protection is needed.

Sustainability is a clear focus in the latest version. Both the outer fabric and lining are made from 100% recycled nylon, with a PFC-free water-repellent treatment applied to the face fabric for added moisture resistance. The down insulation itself is fully traceable and ethically sourced, backed by Fjällräven’s Down Promise – widely regarded as one of the most robust responsible-down standards in the outdoor industry.

The pullover anorak design may not suit everyone, but it brings some real advantages. While you give up the ease of a full-length zip, you gain improved insulation across the core, helping to retain warmth where it matters most. The large kangaroo-style front pocket is genuinely useful, and the jacket also features a snug baffled hood and a slightly longer cut for better overall coverage.

Selected for our Greener Gear Guide – read our full Fjällräven Expedition Pack Down Anorak review.

Buy the Fjällräven Pack Down Anorak: £205 (sale) at Ellis-brigham.com

11. Peak Performance Helium Utility FLO Jacket

Price: £290
Weight: 375g
Best for: trail hiking, everyday and campsite use 
What we liked: made from leftover fabrics, unique design, comfortable fit
What we didn’t like: not the warmest in its category, some unnecessary details

First launched over 10 years ago, the Helium down jacket has been revamped and relaunched and, as part of Peak Performance’s commitment to circularity, it’s now made from leftover fabrics (hence the name FLO which stands for from leftover fabrics). 

As well as using leftover fabrics, the Peak Performance Helium Utility FLO jacket is free from eco hazardous chemicals and uses a responsibly sourced down fill that can be traced using a site called Track My Down. The jacket certainly feels quite lofty and warm. We used it on a cold trip to the Lake District and found it to be pleasantly warm when hiking. It did, however, feel a little cold to wear when we weren’t moving and we found ourselves wanting a thicker layer at times.

The hood holds well thanks to the bungee cord adjustment. Although we weren’t able to try this with a climbing helmet, it did seem like it would fit comfortably under one. There are also bungees with toggles on the cuffs and at the waist. The jacket can be stuffed into the left handwarmer pocket too, and there’s a pocket on the left arm which is ideal for a lift pass or smartphone. 

With its simple plastic components that aren’t embedded in the jacket and easy to remove zip, you can tell that Peak Performance have made this with repairability in mind. Also, the fact that its shell and liner fabrics are all made from the same material suggests that they’ve made it to be easy to recycle at the end of its life. So, credit to Peak Performance for their sustainability efforts and not just on this specific jacket but with their whole commitment to circularity.

Here’s our full Peak Performance Helium Utlity FLO Jacket Review. 

Buy the Peak Performance Helium jacket: £290 at Peakperformance.com

12. Jack Wolfskin Passamani

Price: £140 (sale)
Weight: 490g
Best for: hiking, backpacking, hillwalking, everyday wear
What we liked: tough feeling, good value, soft to the touch, reliable performer, very comfy
What we didn’t like: not the warmest or the lightest on the list

Jack Wolfskin’s Passamani Down Jacket sits firmly in that broad middle ground of down insulation: not an ultra-lightweight, minimalist piece aimed at fast-and-light missions, but not a bulky winter belay jacket either. Instead, it’s positioned as an active insulating layer that can handle hill use, shoulder-season conditions, and everyday wear without feeling overly technical.

It uses 700 fill power down, treated with Allied Down’s ExpeDry technology. The idea behind ExpeDry is that each down cluster is treated (…with gold particles) in a way that reduces how readily it holds onto moisture. In practice, that means the jacket resists dampness better than untreated down and recovers loft more quickly if it does get wet. It’s not a miracle solution, and there’s still a threshold where persistent rain will overwhelm it, but in typical UK hill conditions – light drizzle, mist, and intermittent showers – it performs reassuringly well.

OM tester Will said, “I’ve worn the Passamani both as an outer layer in light rain and underneath a waterproof shell in sustained wet weather. It sheds light precipitation competently, and when worn under a shell it continues to insulate well even after I’ve built up a bit of sweat on the climbs. So far, I haven’t noticed any degradation in loft or warmth since I started using it.”

Read our full Jack Wolfskin Passamani review.

Buy the Jack Wolfskin Passamani Down Jacket:  £140 (sale) Jack-wolfskin.co.uk 

13. Klättermusen Ra Hooded Jacket

Price: £450
Weight: 896g
Best for: mountaineering, winter hillwalking, everyday cold-weather use
What we liked: responsibly sourced recycled insulation, excellent warmth and toughness, well-designed hood
What we didn’t like on the heavier, bulkier side, and there’s no obvious water-repellent treatment applied to the down

From first impressions right through to real-world use, this jacket feels every bit a premium piece of kit. The attention to detail is immediately obvious, and it’s clear that Swedish brand Klättermusen has put serious thought into both materials and construction. Subtle but clever features elevate the overall design, such as the magnetic closure on the storm flap, which makes fastening the jacket quick and fuss-free even with gloves on.

The insulation is impressive, with 130g of recycled down delivering reliable warmth in cold conditions. This is reinforced by 25g of PrimaLoft synthetic insulation in key high-wear and moisture-prone areas, helping to improve durability and performance when the weather turns rough. Despite its substantial build, the jacket can still be packed away into its own chest pocket, making it easier to stash when not in use – though it does make for quite a bulky package,

“I’m consistently impressed by Klättermusen’s gear,” says Outdoors Magic editor Will. “This jacket feels exceptionally well made, and that quality translates directly into performance. I’ve found it more than warm enough for typical UK winter conditions. The hood stands out in particular – it adjusts really well and the mouldable peak is something that’s hugely useful in wind and spindrift. I also found it tougher than you’d expect for a down jacket.”

Fit-wise, Will reports that sizing is spot on. “I’m 5ft 10in and the medium fits exactly as I’d want it to, with enough space for a midlayer underneath. I wouldn’t feel the need to size up or down.”

Buy the Klättermusen Ra Hooded Jacket: £450 at Klattermusen.com

How To Choose a Down Jacket

The best down jackets will strike a perfect balance between warmth, weight, breathability, packability and wet weather performance. A good down filled jacket will also have a long lifespan and ideally won’t cost you an arm and a leg either – though in most cases they can be quite expensive.

Down itself is a layer of fine plumage found under the tougher outer feathers of ducks and geese. We find that the best down insulation tends to be goose down as it’s more thermally efficient than duck down. Because of this, goose down is usually more expensive. Interestingly, we’re recently seeing some brands are now turning to down from muscovy ducks. This, it’s claimed, has an extremely high fill power with less density than goose down, resulting in a better warmth-to-weight. It’s a new development and we’re watching this with interest.

What Fill Power Should You Look For?

If you’re looking to buy a down jacket, it’s worth checking the fill power when measuring the quality of down insulation. The higher the number, the better the quality. The best down jackets tend to have a fill power of over 750. A fill power of 900 or higher is premium.

Related: Best Gifts for Hikers

The best down jackets usually have a box wall baffle construction to lower the risk of heat escaping through any stitching. That said, this design does usually result in a slightly puffier and heavier jacket than down jackets with stitched-through baffles. Patagonia’s Nano Puff jacket is an example of a stitched through jacket that is very popular. On this page, the Rab Mythic Ultra shows an example of a jacket with box wall baffles.

Down can be rendered ineffective if it gets wet, as its loft collapses, reducing its insulating power. Therefore waterproof down jackets or water resistant ones are extremely useful. Some will come with a durable water repellent coating (DWR) to repel water, but you can also add this yourself. Nikwax, Grangers and Storm Care make treatments that can be applied at home.

Some Key Terms Related to Down Jackets

Warmth-to-weight ratio: this refers to the balance a jacket strikes between weight and warmth. The best jackets will be very warm but also very light and that balance can be hard to hit. The jackets on this page that hit the mark there include the Peak Performance Helium and the Rab Mythic Ultra.

RDS: This means Responsible Down Sourcing. It’s a certification that down has been procured through methods that prioritise the welfare of the animals and the environment.

PFC-free DWR: Down loses its capacity to insulate when it gets wet and because of this some companies will add a water repellent coating to their down jackets. In the past, these coatings have contained PFCs which are bad for the environment, but these days more and more brands are using alternatives that are non-hazardous.

Fill power: This refers to the thermal efficiency of the down fill. The lower the number the lower the efficiency. Anything upwards of 700 tends to indicate good thermal efficiency.

Fill weight: This gives an indication of the volume of down fill that has been used. It is usually measured in gsm (grams per square meter). A higher gsm tends to signify a warmer jacket, though fill power and the jacket’s overall design are a big part of the equation too.

For more on what makes the best down jacket, including the synthetic jackets versus down jackets question, plus our guide to ethical down, check out our full down and synthetic jackets buyer’s guide.

How to Wash and Reproof a Down Jacket

Here’a a useful guide we put together that explains exactly how should wash a down jacket – and why it’s so important towards the longevity and performance of your garment.

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