Walking Boots

Peak Performance Helium Utlity FLO Jacket | Review

A light and puffy down jacket that's made from leftover fabrics. Here's how it performed during our tests

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). In this review, I’ll explain some of the processes that have gone into it and will delve into its performance too.

Sustainability

In 2023, the Scandinavian brand launched a sustainability report outlining its priorities for the future and one of its big commitments was towards implementing more circular processes. In fact, it made a commitment to being a fully circular business by 2030.

Will using the Peak Performance Helium Utility FLO on an autumn campout. Photos: Dave Macfarlane

As part of this, the brand says that it is focussed on making products stand the test of time and it has implemented extensive repair processes along with resale options. In Sweden, customers are able to buy pre-loved garments from the Peak Performance website (plans are apparently in place to expand this to other countries), while in Benelux, Denmark and Germany they offer repairs through their partnership with the United Repair Centre. Small scale repairs are also carried out in some of its stores.

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 down is 90% duck down and 10% feather, giving it a decent thermal performance. The jacket certainly feels quite lofty and warm. I used it on a cold trip to the Lake District and found it to be pleasantly warm when hiking in it. It did, however, feel a little cold to wear when I wasn’t moving and I found myself wanting a thicker layer at times.

As expected from a down jacket, I found that the fill lost its thermal performance once it got wet. I’m not sure Peak Performance have used a specific hydrophobic down treatment here and have only added a water resistant coating to the shell fabrics. As such, I decided to add some Nikwax myself and this did up the wet weather performance.

Fit and Features

I’m 5 foot 10 and have a regular build. I usually wear a medium, which is the size I tried this in. For me, the fit was spot on and I really liked the cut. Some mid weight jackets can feel a little tight at my armpits but that wasn’t the case with this and I actually found I could wear a medium-thick fleece underneath it without issues. I particularly liked that the collar runs quite high and locks in warmth around your chin.

The hood holds well thanks to the bungee cord adjustment. Although I wasn’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 and they’re all looped which, to me, is a bit unusual and also a touch flawed as it creates the risk of branches or your climbing gear snagging or getting tangled.

Then there are the zipper tabs which I found can whip around in strong winds. OK they make using the zips with gloved hands a bit easier but they could definitely be smaller and still easy to use.

The jacket can be stuffed into the left handwarmer pocket. There’s a pocket on the left arm which is ideal for a lift pass and also the right size for a smartphone.

How it Compares

It’s not the warmest mid-weight jacket I’ve tried. If you want something a bit warmer but still the same weight, I’d recommend looking into the Salomon Elixir Ultra Down. If you’re looking for something cheaper but still as warm then the Montane Featherlite or Rab Microlight Alpine would be a good bet.

Verdict

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.

There are warmer, lighter jackets out there and I really don’t like the flappy details, but it’s a solid performer that will serve well enough for things like winter hiking, ski touring and for those chillier summer evenings at camp.

Pros: Made from fabric that would otherwise be wasted, unique design, comfortable fit
Cons: Not the warmest in its category, some unnecessary details