This is not a comprehensive list of every jacket we tested, and we’ve removed discontinued jackets and those that did not fit our testing criteria.Cotopaxi’s Fuego Max (men’s, women’s), introduced in fall 2025, is a puffier and warmer version of the Fuego, with wider baffles. We think our upgrade pick is warmer, more heavy-duty, and more premium-feeling, and it’s around the same price. One of Cotopaxi’s biggest draws is its unique colors and designs, and in this category we thought the Fuego Max offered less-inspiring options than the regular Fuego.The synthetic-filled Patagonia Nano Puff Jacket, available in men’s and women’s sizes, is popular and widely accepted as setting the standard in fit. It allows unconstricted motion without bunching or binding, and the shoulder seams and sleeve lengths fall to appropriate lengths, so you can order your standard US size with confidence in fit. But unfortunately this option remains underwhelming in warmth when compared with the competition, and it’s not as flexible or comfortable as our synthetic-fill pick.The Decathlon Simond MT500 Down Puffer Jacket curiously offers hooded and nonhooded versions for men but only a hooded version for women. It has similar specs as the REI 650 Down Jacket, with 660 fill-power RDS-certified down insulation and a 30-denier nylon outer. During our testing, it was warm and comfy, and it matched the REI 650 Down Jacket in just about every way. It also had a tougher-feeling outer. We still prefer REI’s 650 Down Jacket, though, because it offers a wider range of colors and sizing; plus it can easily be tried on in-store. Decathlon is a European company, and its sizing runs roughly one size smaller than that of its US counterparts.When we tested in 2023, the women’s Eddie Bauer CirrusLite Down Jacket leaked moisture through the seams, even in a light rain shower. The down clumped when it got wet and didn’t recover, and the jacket fabric was nearly see-through, allowing for an oddly unbalanced look with the clumpy down. The cuffs aren’t lined, and the coat felt restrictive across the chest and shoulders — even for our petite testers — which made layering difficult. The men’s version performed better, however. We plan to retest this jacket in the future.Like our top pick, the Forloh ThermoNeutral Down Hooded Jacket (men’s, women’s) has 800 fill-power down and PFAS-free waterproofing. It’s also the only jacket we tested that’s sourced and made entirely in the United States. Its 40-denier nylon outer is, on paper, tougher than our pick’s 20-denier outer. That extra fabric makes it heavier — it weighs 20 ounces versus our pick’s 12 ounces. It also has a hefty price tag.The Mountain Hardwear Ghost Whisperer is very lightweight and packable, weighing around 8 ounces (weight can vary according to a jacket’s size, and ours was a men’s medium). Its 800-fill down is RDS certified, like our top pick’s, but it’s less insulating and warm than the other jackets we liked because of its smaller baffling, which results in more stitching for wind and cold to sneak through.Beautifully fitted, the Helly Hansen Verglas Down Insulator Jacket (men’s, women’s) is exceptionally warm for its weight and easily packs into its own hand-warmer pocket. Those pockets function beautifully as hand warmers, but they didn’t have adequate room for storage — even a cell phone and car keys fit uncomfortably. Some of our readers also noted down escaping after just one season of wear.The North Face 1996 Retro Nuptse Jacket (men’s, women’s) is a thick and fashion-forward jacket much like its vest counterpart, and it’s one of the warmest jackets we tested. Our shorter tester (5-foot-5, wearing a women’s small) enjoyed the boxy, cropped fit of this jacket. But Kyle (6 feet, wearing a men’s medium) found that it wasn’t long enough to keep the cold and wind away from his lower back. It also doesn’t come with an insulated hood, which other similarly priced jackets offer, and this can be indispensable on frigid, windy days.The Outdoor Research Transcendent Down Jacket (available in men’s non-hooded and hooded; women’s non-hooded, hooded, and plus-size hoodie) is an excellent jacket, comparable in fit and look to the more expensive Patagnonia Down Sweater. It uses 800-fill RDS down and has fleece-lined pockets (an advantage over the Patagonia), but it lacks a crucial feature: water resistance. It wetted out much faster than other jackets in wet conditions (wetting out is when water soaks through the outer fabric and into the down, reducing its insulating power). Having said that, if you’re in a dry climate, it’s a great all-around jacket.The Patagonia Micro Puff Hoody (men’s, women’s) is a good attempt at solving the age-old issue of light, packable warmth versus waterproofing. This jacket does manage to serve the same functions as the Nano Puff — at a fraction of the weight — and we found it to be almost waterproof (thanks, DWR!). Unfortunately, the stitching seams that hold the PrimaLoft insulation in place are still, at the end of the day, stitched. This means that water was able to bead through at each of these holes. Our testers also took issue with the crinkly feel of the outer material.The Patagonia Fitz Roy Down Hoody (men’s, women’s) proved there is such a thing as too warm. Day-to-day functions caused testers to overheat, fluctuating between sweating and freezing. The Fitz Roy Down Hoody is not intended for indoor or commuter use.After trying the D21 Recycled Down Jacket on, it’s clear that Mission Workshop put a lot of thought into it. This jacket has a lot going for it: a sturdy, two-way front zipper, large handwarmer pockets, two chest pockets, a mesh internal pocket, a cinchable insulated hood, and 750 fill-power recycled down. It’s quite a bit more expensive than our upgrade pick, which we think is a better value due to features like its premium-feeling outer fabric and fleece-lined hand-warmer pockets.Uniqlo’s Ultra Light Down Jacket was a previous budget pick in this guide, before the REI Co-op 650 Down Jacket. If you’re looking to spend under $100 on a jacket, we’ve liked previous versions in the past. We decided not to test it again this year because its availability is unpredictable, and Uniqlo doesn’t mention the down’s sourcing.
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