Buying a down jacket – everything you need to know

Advantages and disadvantages of down

Padded jackets are available in different materials, but down has the best heat-to-weight ratio. It also offers a better heat regulation than synthetic materials. This means that temperature fluctuations are less noticeable. Synthetic materials are easier to care for, but they weigh more and if you want the same thermal performance, the packing size will be bigger. If you need a warm jacket that is small and easy to store, then a down jacket is the best choice.

One disadvantage of down is that when it gets wet, it loses its insulating properties. This is why down isn’t always the optimal choice when it rains or when travelling in humid regions.  If you do not want to use animal products, then down jackets or other products with down should be avoided. All down products in our range comply with the ‘Responsible Down Standard’ (RDS) and therefore do not contain live-plucked down.

Tips on the mixing ratio of down to feathers and CUIN (fill power)

We usually talk about down jackets, however, they’re not just made from down, they also contain feathers. These don’t keep you warm, but ensure dimensional stability. You can’t completely do without them, but the higher the down percentage, the warmer your down jacket will be. A good ratio of down to feathers is 80 to 20. A down jacket with a ratio of 90 to 10 will be a very high quality product. The maximum is currently a mixing ratio of 97/3.

In addition to the mixing ratio, the quality of the down also plays an important role. The loft is called CUIN (fill power). The CUIN value indicates how quickly the down bounces back to its original volume after being compressed. A down jacket should have at least 550 CUIN. Good quality down has a fill power of at least 800 CUIN. At 900 CUIN, the down jacket is extremely high quality. As a general rule, the higher the CUIN value, the warmer the jacket is, because the down is more bulky and thus traps more air for insulation. The price of the product usually increases with the quality of the down.

Better quality down insulates better. To achieve the same thermal rating, a down jacket with 800 CUIN needs less down than a jacket with 550 CUIN. With high-quality down, you can also save weight and volume.

Key details for down jackets

The right outer material for down

The outer material of the down jacket also determines the weight of the jacket. There are few down jackets with a waterproof outer fabric. These jackets are usually worn as outer jackets, without an additional waterproof jacket on top. Due to the membrane and the robust outer fabric, waterproof down jackets are quite heavy and do not do justice to the light down. They are also difficult to pack down small.

Generally speaking, down jackets are made of very light and fine outer fabrics. Because the down should not penetrate through the fabric from the inside, the outer fabrics are strong and are therefore also wind repellent or windproof. However, because of the quilted seams, a feather or down can make its way out the jacket from time to time. It’s no problem – don’t pull it out, just push it back in. Due to the quilted seams, the fabric is no longer completely sealed, and the wind can get through at these points. If you wear the down jacket primarily as a second layer, i.e. wear a waterproof hard shell jacket over it, then the down jacket does not have to be waterproof. Different layers allow you to adapt your clothing layer by layer depending on the temperature.

Really thick down jackets are usually worn in severe sub-zero temperatures. At these temperatures, it no longer rains, but fine snow falls when it rains. Therefore, these jackets do not have to be waterproof, the impregnated outer fabric (DWR) keeps the snow off. At zero degrees and wet snow, it’s worth putting on a waterproof jacket.

So it’s worth thinking about the conditions and activities you’d mainly like to wear the jacket.

Tips for caring for and cleaning down jackets

It is important that you take care of your down jacket properly. This ensures that its function is maintained for as long as possible. We offer a comprehensive care and cleaning service.

If you would like to wash your down jacket yourself, the following tips will help:

• Shake the down jacket regularly. This loosens the down and thus maintains the insulation performance. If the down clumps together, it reduces the insulation performance.

• Before washing, close all the zips and turn the jacket inside out. Then wash the jacket according to the instructions on the care label. In most cases, this means using down detergent at a low temperature on a gentle cycle. Avoid fabric softener at all costs. Then, ideally, dry it in a tumble dryer. Put about three tennis balls in the drum. They ensure that the down does not clump together during drying. Also take the down jacket out from time to time and shake it to further separate the down.

• If the down jacket gets wet when you are out and about and you don’t have a tumble dryer to dry it, hang it up or lay it flat. However, shake it repeatedly to separate the down.

• Store the down jacket in a dry place, away from direct sunlight. It’s best to hang it on a hanger so that the down doesn’t clump together.