men's ultralight down jacket:HOW TO PICK YOURMACPAC PUFFER JACKET

It’s starting to get cold out there… so now is the time to start thinking about how you’re going to keep warm when the chill really sets in.

Whether you’re simply wanting something to keep you cosy on your morning commute and weekend walks, or if you’re after a high performance jacket to battle the elements on your winter expeditions, there are a number of things you should consider before investing in a new jacket.

Pick Your Puffer How-To Guide

Choose Your Insulation – Synthetic or Down?

Measuring Warmth

Outer Material

Which Puffer Jacket is best for me?

Walking through Christchurch kitted out with Macpac Halo Puffer Jackets

Walking through Christchurch kitted out with Macpac Halo Puffer Jackets

Choose Your Insulation – Synthetic or Down?

Commonly referred to as a puffer jacket – insulated jackets are either filled with duck or goose down, or with a synthetic insulator such as PrimaLoft®. Each has its benefits, and here at Macpac we use both for different reasons.

High quality down offers the best warmth-to-weight ratio. It’s the perfect insulator for puffer jackets and sleeping bags alike because it can easily be compressed into small spaces for packing, and has the unique ability to trap body heat in pockets of air. One thing to keep in mind with down is that it doesn’t perform well when it gets wet – the plumules clump together and lose their ability to loft (puff up) when they’re wet. In an attempt to solve this problem, water-resistant down has entered the market. We use – HyperDry™ down – in several of our insulated products. Although still not completely waterproof, this down is specifically treated to provide greater water resistance and faster drying times than traditional down. You can find HyperDry™ down in our Sundowner (mens & womens) and Supanova (mens & womens) down jackets.

While down is often considered the ultimate insulator, there are alternatives such as PrimaLoft®. This ultra-fine polyester microfiber blend is incredibly soft, light and packable. Similar to down, it will keep you warm by trapping heat in its millions of tiny air pockets. It also retains most of its insulating capability when wet, so it is able to continue keeping you warm. If ease-of-care is important to you, it’s worth considering a synthetic option such as our Pulsar Jacket (mens & womens) – garments like this – although not as ‘warm’ as down – are incredibly easy to care for, and still provide an excellent level of insulation. It’s important to keep in mind that unlike traditional down jackets, synthetic ‘puffer jackets’ aren’t overly compressible.