womens black fleece zip jacket:Down vs. Synthetic

A major consideration when searching for your winter coat is what sort of insulation it should have. The main options here are going to be down vs. synthetic.

Down

If you’re worried about being cold and want a lightweight option, down is likely your best pick. Down filling provides the best warmth to weight ratio, and is incredibly easy to pack into small volume. The major drawback for down is that is doesn’t insulate nearly as well if damp,can be prone to incorrect washing, and is a more expensive choice. However, a lack of performance in wet weather could be potentially mitigated by selecting a jacket that has an outer membrane (basically a barrier for moisture), and water repellent down does help. As a rule, in severely cold weather, the air is quite dry, and down is going to be the best option for the wearer.

There’s two primary measures to consider when looking to purchase a down jacket: fill power and fill weight.

Fill power is an indicator of down quality. Specifically, it is a measurement of volume. The number you see, 900 for example, is the amount of cubic inches one ounce of down occupies when placed in a graduated cylinder and compressed by a standardized weight. Simply put, higher fill power down is lighter, has more loft, and therefore warmer for its weight relative to a lower fill power down. Six ounces of 900 fill down is warmer and more compressible than six ounces of 600 fill down.

The fill weight is the amount of down insulation used in the parka (basically how thick the jacket is). So a jacket with 8 ounces of 650 fill will be warmer than a jacket with two ounces of 800 fill, even though it uses lower quality down. These two numbers, the fill power and fill weight, can together give you a reasonable idea about how warm a particular product is.

Bottom line

In choosing your jacket insulation, you should consider whether:

low weight and compression are your priorities,

you travel in cold, dry conditions or shield your jacket from moisture,

you are willing to pay a bit more up front,

If you agreed with these, you’ll want down insulation.

Shop Down Jackets

Synthetic

Synthetic insulation is a man-made material that mimics down by trapping air between it’s fibres. Synthetic works by allowing tons of ultra-thin fibers of polyester to intertwine and create dense, warmth-trapping air pockets. Synthetic insulation is temperamental than down and the fibers are able to maintain their shape, even after long-term use. Synthetic materials can generally withstand a significant amount of exposure to moisture without losing any real ability to insulate, a huge bonus for soggy winter weather. In general, Jackets with synthetic padding can be washed easily, and are cheaper to buy, making them an attractive choice. The drawback here is that a synthetic jacket does not provide the same level of insulation as a down option, pound for pounds, and it takes up a little more space when packing.