What Is A Synthetic Down Jacket

Last updated december 2019.

What is a synthetic down jacket.

Synthetic insulation is an exciting area for fabric technology right now and is seeing constant progress and innovation as manufacturers try to emulate the warmth to weight ratio that we get from down products by using featherless technology. The back is extra stretchy and filled with polartec alpha another synthetic insulation that s highly breathable this helps with that sweaty back issue you might. Some manufacturers make sleeping bags and jackets with a combination of water resistant down and synthetic insulation. The answer largely depends on what environment you re venturing into and what activities you ll be undertaking.

Down vs synthetic jackets. If you re venturing into potentially cold conditions give down a strong look unless you think there s a risk of excessive rain and moisture. Patagonia micro puff hoody 299 weight. Our range of men s synthetic insulated jackets offers an alternative to down insulation.

Prices and links have also been updated. Goose down is used on the upper section of the jacket to provide maximum warmth while the lower region is filled with synthetic primaloft gold which is also water resistant. A jacket with synthetic insulation is also a better option if you are often hiking in wet weather rain granular wet snow etc as it provides better warmth than a down jacket in such conditions. Let s take a quick look at each.

In some cases the two types of insulations are blended together throughout the sleeping. For multi day backpacking trips your sleeping bag can be a literal life saver. Expensive for a synthetic jacket and has a thin shell. We ve updated our guide of the best synthetic down jackets with the 13 best picks for winter 2020.

Outdoor research august 26 2020. Synthetic down has traditionally been regarded as a cheaper less effective alternative to the real thing but thanks to advances in technology synthetics have come into their own rivaling goose down in many areas and even. Down vs synthetic sleeping bags. Few synthetic jackets if any have received the hoopla of the micro puff from patagonia.

Warm light packable and resistant to moisture. This is not an issue per se as quality jackets that use synthetic insulation will last for a long time as it is and they. For all other conditions a down jacket is a better choice as it is lighter for the same warmth and packs smaller. Whilst regular down jackets fold under wet conditions synthetics tend to be much higher performing in that regard.

I have owned several synthetic down jackets and they have served me well. With proper care quality down jackets will outlast synthetic jackets by a long shot. Best imitation of a down jacket 4. Not all insulation is created equal and deciding to kit yourself out for a specific adventure with down or synthetic insulation is a question we each ask ourselves over and over again.

This hybrid construction can provide the benefits of both materials while limiting each material s imperfections.