How to choose a down jacket: useful tips and trends for 2023–2024

Miscellaneous / by admin / November 19, 2023

A winter jacket can be both practical and beautiful.

Initially, a down jacket is a quilted jacket filled with goose or duck feathers. The “filling” creates air pockets inside, due to which outerwear retains heat. Moreover, it is down that is used, and not contour and flight feathers, hence the name.

But now this is what they call any jacket with filling, so a synthetic padding jacket is also a down jacket.

How to choose a down jacket

There are several characteristics that are worth paying attention to.

Decide on the length

Jackets come in any length - from cropped to the waist to a quilted coat to the floor. When choosing, you should first of all use common sense. Much will depend on how and where you plan to wear the down jacket and whether you have other outerwear for other occasions.

For example, a cropped model is more of a piece for fashion photography than a utilitarian outerwear item. It is still better to protect the lower back in winter. So it’s better to choose a more authentic option. If, for example, you travel in poorly heated public transport, it makes sense to look at down jackets that cover the buttocks, even if you sit down in the jacket. If your city is cold and windy, a long coat is perfect. Moreover, it is better to focus on options in which the clasp reaches to the very bottom. Otherwise, the wind will throw the floors open, which won't do much good. This applies to both men and women. Men's jackets are often made short, but if you don't plan to wear them with ski pants, it's still better to cover your butt.

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However, if it is not very cold in your city, and you are frost-resistant, then you can select the length based only on aesthetic properties. The same is true if you have enough other outerwear and you can wear a down jacket not every day, but as needed. Let's say you already have a long coat and a mid-thigh parka. In this case, the down jacket can be short. It’s just not what you’ll wear in severe frosts.

But length is also important in terms of beauty. With trousers, options of any length will work well, although the classic is mid-thigh and above. If you often wear skirts or dresses, it is considered harmonious when the outerwear completely covers the skirt or it peeks out a little.

Find the perfect upper material

The down jacket must be waterproof and windproof. Therefore, synthetic fabrics are usually used for the top - polyester, polyamide, nylon, microfiber. Sometimes mixed fabrics with the addition of cotton and synthetics or eco-leather are used as the top layer.

The properties of materials may vary slightly in wear resistance and some other qualities. But not so much that it would be very noticeable to an unsophisticated consumer wearing a sock. So you should focus on tactile sensations and appearance - buy what you like.

Explore Fillers

This is extremely important in order not to freeze, not to get tired and not to overpay. Because if your winter is −5 ℃, you don’t have to buy a down jacket that will withstand the Arctic winter. But if it’s frosty in your city, it makes sense to find a jacket that will keep you warm even at −30 ℃.

The classic filling for a down jacket is down, which is quite warm. But more often they use a mixture of down and feathers. Feathers create additional volume and make the item cheaper. The ratio of down and feathers determines how warm the jacket will be - the more down, the better.

Down and feathers can be heavier than synthetic materials, especially if moisture gets into the filling. In addition, if the jacket is not cut very well, then the down sometimes gets into clumps, and the feathers come out. And such models also take longer to dry after washing and can provoke allergies.

The alternative is synthetic materials. There are many of them: synthetic fluff, holofiber, isosoft, thinsulate. They are lightweight and dry quickly. Thinsulate is considered the warmest - it is used for clothing for polar explorers.

Often the tags of down jackets indicate the approximate temperature for which they are designed. But this is not the ultimate truth, because a lot depends on a person’s personal frost resistance.

It is also important how the down jacket is stuffed, so it is worth feeling it. The filler should be evenly distributed and present over the entire area of the product, and not clump.

The filler also affects the cost of the product - for example, synthetic fluff and holofiber are cheaper than isosoft. And synthetic Thinsulate is considered the most expensive. A product made from eider down will be more expensive than one made from goose and duck down. But if you take the price of the jacket as a whole, this is not always relevant information. Obviously, a down jacket with synthetic down from the mass market costs less than a feather jacket from a company that specializes in outerwear. At the same time, a jacket with feather filling can be cheaper than one with synthetic filling. Plus, pricing is also influenced by the brand, model, country of production and many other factors. So in the real world you just have to choose from what is available what suits both price and quality.

Look at the stitch

Down jackets are often quilted. This allows the down and feathers not to fall to the belt, but to lie in their “chambers”. Stitching can also give a jacket a more interesting look. Thus, infrequent horizontal stitching makes the item more sporty. Diamond quilting is more elegant, if you can apply that word to a jacket. But it’s worth remembering: the finer the stitch, the less warm the item can be, since less filler will fit into each cell.

However, this is not relevant for synthetic insulation, which is produced not in granules, but in a single sheet. They come without any stitching at all.

Select finish and color

The fittings are made of plastic and metal. The first one is more fragile, but it does not cool down in the cold (although it may collapse from it). Metal is more durable, but touching it in cold weather will be uncomfortable.

Utilitarian details also include the hood and the fur around it. Fur here is not a simple decoration; when the hood is on, it must protect and warm the face.

Other details are decorative. Down jackets can be with or without a belt, with buttons or rivets, have pockets in non-standard places, and some other elements. Here you can already rely on your taste.

Same as when choosing colors. But remember that in winter the sun sets early, it gets bright late, and a dark down jacket makes you invisible to drivers. So if you're choosing a black or gray jacket, it's a good idea to consider reflective elements.

What down jackets are trending in winter - 2023/2024

Made from eco-leather

A leather down jacket looks unusual and stylish. Even if it has a sporty cut, the model looks a little more elegant than a regular jacket. Therefore, even with simple jeans the image will be interesting.

What to buy

Women's eco-leather down jacket from Zarina, 5,319 rubles →
Women's eco-leather cropped down jacket with a hood from Befree, 5,864 rubles →
Women's down jacket made of eco-leather with a stand-up collar from Suara Femme, 6,000 rubles →
Men's cropped down jacket made of eco-leather from O’stin, 6,999 rubles →
Men's down jacket made of eco-leather with a stand-up collar from Befree, 6,047 rubles →
Men's down jacket made of eco-leather with a hood from Winterra, 14,390 rubles →

Volumetric

Down jackets with the effect of being wrapped in a huge quilt have not disappeared from trends. Perhaps because the models are so comfortable that it is difficult to refuse them. Although short, voluminous down jackets are also quite relevant.

What to buy

Women's down jacket with pockets from Winterra, 14,300 rubles →
Women's long down jacket from Finn Flare, 24,649 rubles →
Women's down jacket with a high collar from Top Top, 27,990 rubles →
Women's down jacket with a belt from Baon, 27,999 rubles →
Men's quilted down jacket from Finn Flare, 31,499 rubles →
Men's long down jacket from Kappa, 12,699 rubles →
Men's down jacket with magnetic clasp from Shu, 24,999 rubles →

Printed

A bright down jacket will help brighten up gray winter days and stand out in the crowd. But with its colors will have to be reckoned with when choosing other clothes.

What to buy

Women's down jacket with abstract prints from Finn Flare, 16,800 rubles →
Women's cropped down jacket with prints from Tom Tailor, 17,599 rubles →
Women's down jacket with tie print from Modress, 21,300 rubles →
Women's cropped down jacket with checkered print from Fila, 5,799 rubles →
Men's cropped down jacket with abstract prints from Befree, 5,938 rubles →
Men's down jacket with multi-colored prints from Termit, 7,299 rubles →
Men's down jacket with a check print from Bazioni, 19,990 rubles →

With an unusual design

A down jacket that doesn't look like a down jacket is what you need to be fashionable and stand out from the crowd. It can be cut like a classic coat, or have a futuristic shape, or look like a kimono. But with non-standard models there is a risk that they will warm worse due to the cut. For example, a cutout on the chest will require warm large scarf, while the classic one is usually fastened right up to the neck. Evaluate the prospects before purchasing so as not to freeze.

What to buy

Women's down jacket with turn-down collar from Love Republic, 15,999 rubles →
Women's down jacket in the form of a trench coat from the Snow Queen, 14,490 rubles →
Women's down jacket with an asymmetric hem from the Snow Queen, 13,240 rubles →
Women's down jacket without a collar from Sabrina Scala, 27,990 rubles →

Combined

The top layer of such a down jacket is made of materials traditional for this clothing in combination with non-traditional ones. It could be fur, suede and something similar. But keep in mind that non-standard fabrics have other properties: for example, they can get wet in the rain and snow. So it's a spectacular solution, but not that practical.

What to buy

Women's down jacket with fur collar from 2Mood, 15,990 rubles →
Women's down jacket with faux fur trim from Lime, 11,999 rubles →
Women's down jacket with textile inserts from the Snow Queen, 11,990 rubles →
Women's down jacket with faux sheepskin trim from the Snow Queen, 15,490 rubles →

Short

Your grandma won't approve, but short down jackets are still trendy. True, it is better that this item is not the only one in the wardrobe, because fashion clothes changes, and your health will be useful for years to come.

What to buy

Women's cropped down jacket from United Colors of Benetton, 14,999 rubles →
Women's cropped down jacket with stand-up collar from 12storeez, 29,980 rubles →
Women's cropped down jacket with straps from Baon, 13,999 rubles →
Women's cropped down jacket with pockets from Angelo Bonetti, 22,950 rubles →