Down and Insulated Jackets

Filson Featherweight Down Jacket | Review

Not only is the Filson Featherweight Down Jacket warm and very comfortable, but it’s also extremely robust.

Why We Chose The Filson Featherweight: Heavy duty, mega warm, quality materials.

This isn’t really one of those jackets that you carry in your hiking daypack ‘just in-case’ you’ll need it. Instead, it’s the kind of one that you put on because it’s in the minuses outside and you need something to hunker down in all-day-long. It’s a wear-all-day.

It’s a bit of an oxymoron, but this is one heavy-duty down jacket, one that isn’t going to rip on any branches, that’s for sure. And that’s all thanks to its tough but still slightly stretchy nylon ripstop shell and even tougher nylon and cotton overlays on the hood, shoulders and handwarmer pockets. There aren’t many examples of down jackets with overlays like this out there, but we like what Filson have done – it might not be that packable, but it’s certainly built to last.

As for the insulation, it’s a traceable and ethically-sourced goose down with an 850 fill power, and that all signifies high thermal efficiency and just all round quality. It certainly feels very, very lofty and snug. That’s in part thanks to the amount of down fill, but also to the size of the baffles – they’re huge. A picky downside is that these appear to use a stitched-through construction than a box wall one, meaning there will be a risk of a bit of heat loss through the seams. Still, it’s a super warm jacket, be sure of that.

Huge baffles packed with 850 fill power down. Photo: Chris Johnson

The elasticated hood makes for a neat fit, but isn't adjustable. Photo: Chris Johnson

A small zipped pocket is tucked out of the way inside the jacket to keep your valuables safe. Photo: Chris Johnson

The cuffs are elasticated, and they have enough stretch to allow you to pull the jacket on without removing your gloves. The hem and the hood are also elasticated, but bear in mind that there’s no adjustment on the latter.

“It’s a bit of an oxymoron, but this is one heavy-duty down jacket, one that isn’t going to rip on any branches.”

Smaller things worth nothing include the cotton moleskin-lined handwarmer pockets which have popper closures, the two-way adjustable main zip and the small zipped pocket on the inside which is ideal for storing a phone in to defend its battery life from the cold outside.

And a final note on the fit. With Filson, it’s usually worth sizing down as they tend to make things big.

All-in-all, this is another banger from Filson, as you’d expect from a brand with outdoor heritage that goes back all the way to 1897.

This jacket has been built to last the everything you’re able to put it through in the outdoors. Photo: Chris Johnson

Tester’s Verdict

Will Renwick, Outdoors Magic Editor

“This is quite simply, a very warm jacket. One of the warmest I’ve tested this season. It’s also very lofty so feels very comfortable and snug to wear. I’ve tested this out in very cold conditions in both Norway and Wales and have certainly been impressed. There was one occasion in Norway where I was bushwhacking through a forest in this and it was well up for the task. As I say in the video above, you don’t need to worry too much about catching this on any rough stuff.

“It is heavy for a down jacket though, and I wouldn’t really see myself carrying it in a backpack to use as and when. It’s one to wear when you know you need constant warmth all-day-long.

“The note above about the jacket’s fit is definitely worth bearing in mind. I tried this in a size S and found it was fairly generous in volume – even though I’m usually a men’s M and can sometimes get away with an L!”