[Closed] Warm down jacket reccomendations please

Is a warm down jacket the opposite of a warm up jacket? 🤔

Rab Valiance has a waterproof shell over the jacket, so ok for using in the rain.

https://rab.equipment/uk/valiance-jacket

Bit more expensive than Decathlon though....

I've not got the one you link to, but have got a similar one from Decathlon, it's a cracking jacket, would heartily recommend it.
https://www.decathlon.co.uk/p/forclaz-700-men-s-down-hiking-jacket/_/R-p-12077

Any thin synthetic down jacket will be ideal. The north face thermoball ones are good

Don't think I'd bother with down for walking the dog, as you need to be careful not getting it wet or making sure you dry it properly. Down is mainly good because of warmth/weight ratio and packing down so small.

Montane Prism is a good synthetic insulated jacket. Or flux if you want warmer.

Alpkit Ohiro would be a better choice, their warmest synthetic jacket

https://alpkit.com/products/0hiro-mens

i find the fjern stuff on sports pursuit very well made for the price

Isobaa used to do a down style jacket with merino in, that was apparently more resilient to rain. Out of Stock at the moment though

I've got a Montane Icarus. Synthetic but feels like down. Very nice jacket.

As petec said the fjern super husly is insanely cheap for how warm it is.
I use it as my jacket after open water swimming and its awesome

I have exactly the same coat @lunge links to. I think it’s a bargain.

Bit of a Montane brand tart here but damaged my down jacket and took a punt on the Decathlon one on impulse whilst in store.  Would happily replace it with another.

I have a Rab Cirrus flex which is perfect when I'm in a car park getting my bike ready on cold mornings. Picked it up one black friday when (I think) Go Outdoors had a 20% of everything sale.

If you don't need it to pack small & light and you are likely to get damp (and possibly sweaty if actually walking), then really do consider the synthetic alternatives. They are very good these days (they can be almost as warm for the same weight and packability) and you really don't *need* feather. And the Decathlon equivalent costs 25% less.

Rab microlight-vest gilet under my waterproof coat is my staple with a jumper when cold. Wearing it now. It fits under almost any coat. it wasn't cheap, but on a price-per-wear basis, and the savings on central heating, it must have paid for itself!

I would replace mine in a heartbeat

I have a few of the items from the Decathlon Simond range and they are all excellent.
The Alpinism waterproof trousers are good for dog walking duties and helpfully double up as a decent pair of ski pants.
Also the Simond smart wool socks are worth a punt!

https://outlet.arcteryx.com/gb/en/shop/mens/atom-lt-hoody

Arctery Atom Lt from their outlet store. Warm and windproof.

Another vote for the Alpkit 0hiro from me. Great value and really is extremely warm. It's easily as warm as my old Rag neutrino down jacket but far more practical when things get damp.

The best praise I can give it is that it kept me warm at Murrayfield (easily the coldest place on earth) in February watching a dour penalties only loss to Wales!

Down is silly for dog walking in this country, has to be kept dry and doesn't like being washed, which is rubbish when a friendly muddy dog decides to say hello with his paws.

I have a North Face Down Gilet, Patagonia Down Jacket and a Alpkit Synthetic jacket.  The Alpkit gets worn about almost daily between October and March walking my mutt with a variety of layers underneath.  It has to be very very cold for to use either of the other two.

Down is silly for dog walking in this country, has to be kept dry

The op does say he has a shell for when it's raining.

That Atcteryx is more of a mid layer to keep you warm when going up hill and expending a bit of energy, won't be particularly warm on the dog walk.

Just as this referenced dog walking and so it’s a coat that’ll get wet / possibly muddy and needs pockets for pop bags / a torch (if in the dark), keys and a phone etc - I wouldn’t bother spending a fortune.

I picked up a jacket from Mountian Warrhouse for about £60 that’s waterproof and really quite warm and has a hood on it. I’ve been out in pouring rain in it and just into minus temperatures and it’s been ace so far for the money. If pouring with rain I also stick on waterproof trousers I got from an army surplus / camping place in Bristol and stay completely dry.

Thanks for all the ideas! Lots to look at this evening!

I do 8-10 miles a day with my mutt, I operate really warm and hate goretex/membrane jackets as they never do what they say on the label.

My favourite jackets is this;
https://www.varusteleka.com/en/product/sarma-windproof-smock/34637

Because it has loads of pockets for gloves/poo bags/torch/keys/phone etc and breathes well. Bit of added wax in winter and a Snugpack Poncho carried in one of the pockets on longer big hill walks in case of heavy rain.

If it's cold and grotty I wear a Montane Hydrogen
https://www.montane.com/mens-c1/montane-hydrogen-extreme-jacket-p833

I also have an original ~20year old NorthFace Nuptse that is great, and a newer MK2 Nuptse that isnt anywhere near as good - both are too warm for dog stomps.

Trousers are Fjallraven with a bit of extra wax in winter.

I'd go for a cheap Decathlon one. In fact I did. Some bright orange foreclaz one a couple of years ago. Now relegated to back of car duty as I managed to make a hole in it when trimming the apple tree. Taped up with a bit of gaffer tape so a bit tatty to wear out, but perfect when I've forgotten a warm jacket. Packs down nice and small as well.

Only gefative is that it has no drawcord around the waste.

I have North Face version of that Rab Jacket, I got it from a TNF outlet Black Friday sale a few years ago. If I'm honest, it's too warm for all but the coldest of days so end up walking with it unzipped.

If I remember correctly, it was about £200, half price with another 20% off because of BF.

Edit, hood has one of those daft fur edges, removable so not that bad.

I won't bother buying down the next time around. As I've gotten older I am more aware of the suffering that these animals go through for our benefit.
Yes down is warm, but do you need it in the UK?

The answer is different jackets for different conditions.

Down is great for those really cold days. I have a cheap Decathlon jacket and an expensive Arcteryx one. The Arcteryx one is lighter but they’re similar in terms of warmth so I wouldn’t spend loads unless packability / weight was important.

I have a synthetic jacket (Montane Prism) which isn’t as warm but works well for mildly +- drizzly days. It’s not waterproof but it’s waterproof enough.

And then a hard shell for really wet days either alone / in combination with a down one.

I've a Rab electron, lovely and warm for dog walks, doesn't often get too warm.

The pertex dwr is terrible though, wets ous instantly, so if super cold and raining I put a light waterproof on top.

If I was buying again I'd get one of the better fjern ones from sports pursuits which look like really good value.

I think that you should only buy what you can try on. Some jackets fit and some don't. Put a blindfold on, drive to a store, try on lots of options. Maybe not in that order though.

I'm another one who after many years of down v synthetic would now only use synthetic on most general use occasions like dog walking type stuff. I still have a down jacket for those very occasional lightweight bivis, but for everything else synthetic jackets are now warm enough and more practical. if you're happy wearing a grubby down jacket ok but maybe buy a black one to hide the dirty collar and cuffs that show up pretty much straight away. You can stick a synthetic in the washer with some specialist cleaner, a down jacket needs careful cleaning, either sending off to a specialist cleaner or I used to hand wash in the bath and then take to the launderette to tumble dry. Down just isn't worth the hassle anymore IMO, unless it has a special application.

Bookmarked.
I like the idea of the one @RustyNissanPrairie links to.

i find the fjern stuff on sports pursuit very well made for the price

Another vote for Fjern. I bought the Breen from Sports Pursuit and I love it. £60 in sale. Really good quality. Nicely fitted so a waterproof will go over the top. Synthetic down, shower proof, armpit panels for extra breathability (I do get hot when doing anything more than a gentle stroll!) Toasty.

I think you have to sign up to SP to see the deals, but it's free and I didn't get spammed when I did.

https://www.sportpursuit.com/catalog/product/view/id/1091363

Bookmarked.
I like the idea of the one @RustyNissanPrairie links to.

It's been a great jacket, has done a lot of Lakeland walks, the huge pockets mean you don't need a rucksack - a cheap hardshell (I use a poncho) in case it rains stuffed into the chest or bottom pockets still leaves room for a thin fleace, hat gloves, water bottle etc.

The material isn't as good as Fjallraven G1000 - the thread count isn't as high/fine. Waxing it works for a light shower but it wets out quicker than Fjallraven. However it is a third of the cost!

It breathes well and has under arm pit zips and the main zip can be unzipped but buttoned for heat management.

I unpicked a few of the velcro tabs to make it a bit less tatical!

Good jacket - decent price

Anyone with a Fjern comment on if it sheds much? I recently bought a Kilpi from SP but it sheds quite a lot and also has a stitching defect so thinking I might be finding out how good their return policy is, I suspect not very

SP lists the Fjern as using RDS down but just looked on RDS website list of approved manufacturers and they aren't on there...

My fjern hasn't shed at all

Sorry you are looking at the down ones, not sure as mine is synthetic

Decathlon +1

Mine has a hood, and is now on it's 6th winter, still looks like new despite fairly regular washing. Get's used for walking, working outside, bikepacking, pretty much live in it for 3 months of the year!

i recently got a hagloffs lim essens down jacket from gaynors. at 100 quid it was half price and it's bloody lovley. it weighs less than a LS merino baselayer!

I received my one of these this morning:
https://galibier.cc/product/colombiere-insulated-jacket/

I had the grey one. Fits a treat but I can’t comment on performance yet - not allowed to have it until Xmas ☹️

The north face thermoball ones are good

Really not. The insulation is in the form of tiny balls which means to keep in in place, TNF has to use a quilted-type, stitch through construction which, in turn, means lots of stitch likes which reduced warmth - there's no insulation in that area - and also lets wind in.

Down's big pro is warmth to weight and packability which you don't need for dog walking. I'd get pretty much any synthetic-filled, down-type jacket as numerous others have said, though not Thermoball. The Alpkit stuff is as good as anything else out there ine and a nice balance of price and quality.

SP lists the Fjern as using RDS down but just looked on RDS website list of approved manufacturers and they aren’t on there…

Fjern is SP's in-house brand, kind of their equivalent of Wiggle and DHB, though it has it own 'brand website', presumably so they can legitimately claim that the RRP on the SP site is correct. Good value and using decent components. No idea who actually makes it for them.

A lot of chat about down failing when wet and not easy to wash.

Things have moved on now and you can buy hydrophobic down (Rab do it and other starting to)

And you can wash jackets in your washing machine if you use the right stuff and dry it properly afterwards. Harder with sleeping bags due to the size

Things have moved on now and you can buy hydrophobic down (Rab do it and other starting to)

Yes you can, but having deliberately soaked several of them, I can tell you that it still doesn't work as well when wet as a half-decent synthetic fill like Primaloft and it will only recover around 90% of its oft if you wash it normally. It's a great 'just in case' technology, but for something that's going to be regularly exposed to damp and dogs, synthetic's still a better option unless you live somewhere very cold and dry.

If you're actually moving and warm, and you don't need to carry it as spare, fleece still wins for me.

Both down and synthetic fill jackets are just not as breathable in my experience.

Paramo would be my choice. Pretty tough - I used to winter climb in it - plus they will repair it should it be damaged. I've been out in my jacket today, bloomin' warm at 5C and raining.

Down is fine, I wouldn't use it in rain but then if it's raining it's too warm for down. Most modern shell materials will handle light drizzle for a time so if you get caught out it won't suddenly turn to a sodden clumpy mass as many seem to think. Like anything high quality you need to use some care in its use.

synthetic insulated jackets can breath better because the fabric of down jackets, especially the light ones, is very tightly woven to keep the feathers in.

i would say, that for walking the dog a synthetic jacket is better. not to mention that the uk is a pretty damp place and synthetics are better in these conditions.

Snugpak. British. Loved by squaddies. The sleeka is a portable duvet and has great dog walking pockets. Comes with its own stuff sack.

I’ve only just come across this company, one of the platers was wearing this jacket, and I asked him who made it. For the intended purpose, I’d say this would be perfect, waterproof, highly visible after dark, and fleece-lined; just needs a light fleece underneath.
https://www.provizsports.com/en-gb/reflect360-mens-outdoor-fleece-lined-jacket.html

I rather like the fact that they do such a wide range of clothing with visibility after dark as a primary feature, and they do a down jacket with the same technology.

The proviz stuff isn't very breathable I think.
at least the reflect 360 gilet I have is like wearing a bin bag

The proviz stuff isn’t very breathable I think.

Yep, bin bag fabric.

I have a TNF Ice parka. It is too warm if anything. It is ideal if you knew you were going to have to stand outside all night in very cold temperatures. It is waterproof too. But a brisk walk brings on a sweat. It is ideal for pre-dawn car de-icing, and to know that you have it so you never need to worry about going out in any weather, but I think you are far better off with a synthetic Belay Jacket type thing. I also have a Haglofs Barrier Jacket and while it is nowhere near as warm as the TNF one, it is up to 90% of the weather, and your shell over the top would see you right for the other 10%.

Sports shoes dot com have 40% off some Montane jackets atm. Hydrogen Extreme might fit the bill for the OP. Of course the one I'm after (Pertex/pile smock) is only 10% off, bah...

The proviz stuff isn’t very breathable I think.

How hot and sweaty are you going to get taking the dog for a walk?
More active activities I can understand.

I recently for this from Albion their new Zoa jacket. really surprised how warm it is even on super fold days i stay really warm.

https://www.albioncycling.com/product/zoa-jacket-black/