A down jacket has multiple uses on a hiking or backpacking gear list. It can be used as an insulating midlayer on its own or under a shell, as a warm outer jacket when you're less active in camp, or as an adjunct to your sleeping bag/quilt at night. For hiking or backpacking, some down jackets better meet hikers' needs than others in terms of warmth-to-weight ratio, hood design, durability, and cost. With these factors in mind, here are the best three-season down jackets that we recommend across a variety of price points. Be sure to check out our feature recommendations below, so you can choose the right jacket for your needs.

1. Patagonia Down Sweater Hoodie

The Patagonia Down Sweater Hoodie is a lightweight down jacket available in both men's and women's models. It is lightweight and windproof with a 100% recycled polyester ripstop shell and 800-fill-power goose down. The hood is adjustable (rear-only) so you can cinch it down to fit your head, and it has elastic wrist cuffs. It has two zippered side pockets and an internal chest pocket, which is good for keeping your smartphone warm. It stuffs into its chest pocket, making it easy to pack away when you're not using it. Weighing 14.8 oz (men's medium), it's on the heavy side, but is a good choice if sustainability is a priority. A solid choice with useful features. 

2. Feathered Friends EOS Jacket

The Feathered Friends Eos Down Jacket is insulated with 900 fill power goose down that's available in both men's and women's models. The Eos weighs 11.8 ounces (335g). It features a low-profile dual drawstring hood and a zippered chest pocket, in addition to two handwarmer pockets, Lycra wrist cuffs, and elastic hem adjustment. With a Pertex Quantum Shell and sewn-thru construction, it's lightweight enough to be used as a mid-layer under a shell but also makes a warm outer layer when worn over a fleece or heavier baselayer. The Eos also makes a good adjunct to a quilt or hoodless sleeping bag, if you want more upper-body insulation and a draft-free hood. Expensive, but definitely a premium jacket with an excellent hood. 

3. Arc’teryx Cerium Down Hoodie

The Arc'Teryx Cerium Down Hoodie is a lightweight down jacket available in men's and women's models. It's made with a 15d recycled nylon outer fabric insulated with 850 fill power down and augmented with synthetic insulation in moisture-prone areas such as the cuffs, armpits, and shoulders. The hood is helmet-compatible, but it has a rear drawstring volume adjustment, while the wrists close with elastic cuffs. Weighing 11.9 ounces (337g), the jacket has an internal chest pocket and two zippered side pockets, with a drawcord-adjustable drop hem helping to seal out drafts. The fit runs slim for layering under a shell. It's a good choice if you're worried about moisture build-up in the mid-layer of a down jacket. The degree of synthetic insulation in this jacket is unique. 

4. Katabatic Gear Tarn Jacket

The Katabatic Gear Tarn Jacket is an ultralight down jacket that punches above its weight. Weighing 10.6 oz, it is insulated with 850 fill power hydrophobic ExperDry down and made with a 20d Pertex Quantum Ripstop shell and a silky feeling 20d Pertex Quantum Tafetta liner. Available in a wide range of sizes, including an XXL, it has zippered handwarmer pockets and internal drop pockets. It has an adjustable volume hood and hem, elasticated cuffs, and a chin guard, which is useful for hikers sporting beards! While partially sewn-through, the Tarn has an internal box wall construction on top of the hood and shoulders, with no external stitch lines, increasing water resistance, heat retention, and durability. See the SectionHiker review.  A woman's model is also available. Ultralight and ultra puffy. This jacket is highly recommended by thru-hikers for its warmth and compressibility 

5. REI Magma 850 Down Hoodie

The REI Magma 850 Down Hoodie is an 850 fill-power goose down jacket available in men's and women's models that are specifically designed for hikers and backpackers. Weighing 13.1 oz, the goose down is treated with a water-resistant formula to repel water and dry fast. The jacket has zippered hand and chest pockets, positioned to work with a pack's hipbelt, and rolled-forward shoulder seams to prevent chafing under pack straps. The shell is a tough Pertex Diamond Fuse abrasion-resistant fabric, with body-mapped baffles providing warmth where it's needed and reduced bulk where it's not. The down-filled hood with rear adjustment lets you fine-tune the fit, and tightly quilted underarm gussets reduce bulk and improve range of motion if using trekking poles. It includes elastic wrist cuffs and a hem adjustment. You can stuff the jacket into the left side pocket for easy packing. Read the SectionHiker Review. REI really went to town for hikers with this excellent design!

6. Mountain Hardwear Ghost Whisperer Down Hoody

The Mountain Hardwear Ghost Whisperer Down Hoody is an ultralight down jacket available for men and women. It's insulated with 800 fill-power down insulation and has an ultralight 10d recycled ripstop shell fabric with a DWR finish. Weighing 8.8 oz, the first baffle at both cuffs is filled with synthetic insulation to prevent cuffs from wetting out. The hood has a rear cinch with elastic binding to seal in warmth. The jacket has two zippered hand warmer pockets and a drawcord hem adjustment to prevent drafts from below. Its highly packable design stuffs into its own hand pocket with an internal carabiner clip loop.

7. Outdoor Research Helium Down Hoodie

The Outdoor Research Helium Down Hoodie is a lightweight down jacket available in men's and women's models. It features 800 fill power down insulation and a 15d Pertex Quantum shell. In an interesting twist, the hood and shoulders are made with 30D waterproof Pertex Shield for added moisture protection. The jacket has five pockets: two drop pockets on the inside, two side zippered pockets, and a zippered chest pocket. The hood has a rear volume adjuster, elastic wrist cuffs, and there is a drawcord hem. While the jacket is a bit heavy at 15.4 oz, we like the extra functionality and storage it offers, which suits cooler temperatures. If you like pockets, this is the jacket for you. 

8. Montbell Ex Light Down Anorak

The Montbell Ex Light Down Anorak is a unisex ultralight down pullover insulated with 900 fill power goose down with a 7-denier ballistic nylon ripstop shell. Weighing just 7.6 oz, it has a fully adjustable 2-way hood with a fully insulated tunnel pocket to keep your hands nice and warm. While this highly compressible garment packs down small, it will keep you toasty warm when worn by itself as an outer layer or layered under a shell. It doesn't have any zippered pockets but you'll be amazed by how warm the jacket is. Read the SectionHiker Ex Light Down Anorak Review. This has been my main warmth layer for the past six years and makes a great adjunct to my sleep system when the weather turns cooler. 

9. LL Bean UL 850 Down Jacket

The LL Bean UL 850 Down Jacket is a lightweight down jacket available in men's and women's models. It is insulated with 850 fill power DownTek PFC-Free water repellent down and comes with a soft Pertex Quantum nylon shell. Weighing 16 oz (450g), it has an adjustable hood (neck toggles), two zippered hand pockets, one zippered chest pocket, and one interior stash pocket with elasticized cuffs and a drawcord hem to seal out cold drafts. In addition, the left pocket serves as a stowaway pocket with two zipper pulls. This is a great jacket if you hike in cold and windy conditions and want a snug and technical hood with good controls. 

10. Cotopaxi Fuego Hooded Down Jacket

The Cotopaxi Fiego Hooded Down Jacket is a lightweight down jacket weighing 13 oz (367g)and available in men's and women's models. It's insulated with 800 fill power goose down and features a colorful 20d ripstop nylon shell with numerous color combinations. Elastic binding around the hood and cuffs seal out the cold, while a drawcord waist protects your waist. The jacket has 2 interior stash pockets, 2 zippered hand pockets, and stuffs into a pocket for transport. Good features and the most amazing color combinations. 

Down Hoodie and Jacket Buying Guide

Down Hoodies, Jackets, Sweaters, Anoraks, and Parkas

Manufacturer product names are applied inconsistently to lighter-weight down hoodies and jackets. In general, hoodies, sweaters, and anoraks weigh under one pound. Look for ones with hoods, as they provide the most head and neck insulation. When it comes to jackets, some are lightweight and some are heavier, designed for winter use in harsh conditions. You really have to look at the overall jacket weight to determine which is which. Anything up to or slightly over 16 oz will be good for transitional weather in spring or autumn down to freezing by itself or layered under a shell, while heavier jackets will be more appropriate for winter use. Parkas are almost always intended for very cold winter conditions and are too warm for active use when hiking.

Sewn Thru vs Baffled Construction

With very few exceptions, lightweight down jackets and hoodies use sewn-through construction rather than box-baffled construction because it is less expensive and labor-intensive to manufacture. With sewn-through construction, the front and back of the jacket are sewn together, creating a pocket that prevents the down insulation from shifting. However, warm air can leak through the needle holes, making the jacket slightly cooler. This is not the case with a box-baffled design, which is more prevalent on premium down parkas intended for colder temperatures.

Hood Adjustment

The hoods on many lightweight or ultralight down hoodies and jackets are quite rudimentary, with elasticized hood openings that may be too large to prevent cold drafts from entering around your ears. It depends on your head size and the specific jacket. Hoods that are 1-way adjustable have volume controls in the back that let you shrink the size of the hood to provide a better fit. Hoods with 2-way adjustability go a step further and add neck cords that let you size the opening to fit your face and block out drafts. Two-way adjustability is pretty rare on lightweight down jackets and hoodies, but it's a premium feature worth looking for.

Down Fill Power

Down fill powers, such as 700, 800, 850, or 900, measure the effectiveness and compressibility of down insulation – the higher the better. Now, 900- or 950-fill-power down is primo stuff and can add a lot of cost to a jacket while keeping it very lightweight, since it takes less down by weight to keep you warm. You can get the same warmth with a lower grade of down, like 800 or 850, but it takes more of it to keep you warm and adds a bit of weight to the jacket. However, don't dismiss 700 fill-power down jackets, especially if they include synthetic insulation in moisture-prone areas. The warmth difference isn't that significant, and while they'll be a bit heavier, they're ideal in wet climates.

Down Fill Weight

The fill weight of a down jacket or hoodie measures the amount of down it has, by weight. While this can be informative, a jacket's actual warmth depends on both the amount of insulation and its design, which makes it hard to compare jackets with different styles. Most lightweight jacket manufacturers don't document the amount of down in their jackets, which can make it hard to tell which will be warmer in active use.

Waterproof Down

Some manufacturers use down in their jackets that has been coated with a chemical formulation, called DownTek or Nikwax, to make it more moisture-resistant and help it dry faster when it gets damp or wet. Honestly, the jury is still out on whether these treatments make any difference to the insulation performance of the down. Some manufacturers believe it degrades insulation value, and others use it because it's considered a desirable feature by prospective customers.

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