Table of Contents
一、 Basics Knowledge of Down Clothing
二、 How to Choose a Down Jacket
- Down Content and Down Filling of Down Jacket
- Fill Power of the Down Jacket
- Down Jacket Fabric
- Functional Design
- Portable
- Ethics
- Price
A good quality down jacket is one of the best choices for winter. The warmth of down is still unmatched on the market. However, with so many types and qualities of down jackets on the market, it can be hard to choose the right one. This guide will explain in detail how to choose the right down jacket for your needs and help you stay warm and stylish in the cold weather.
一、Basics Knowledge of Down Clothing
1. Down vs Feather
Down comes mainly from the abdomens of ducks and geese and has excellent warmth and lightness. Feather has a rough, hard stalk that provides better support but is heavier and less warm than down. When choosing a down jacket, choose down as the main fill. Goose down is higher quality, more expensive than duck down, and provides better warmth.
2. Types of Down
Goose Down: Goose Down is divided into white goose down and gray goose down. There is no significant difference in warmth and comfort. However, white goose down is more suitable for light fabrics. Goose’s down has long threads, large downs, and greater fluffiness, the greater the fluffiness, the better the quality of the down jacket. And goose down has less smell. The usage time can reach more than 15 years.
Duck Down: Duck Down also has white duck down and gray duck down, the same color difference. Duck down is affordable. It is slightly less warm than goose down, but is inexpensive and lasts about 10 years. Although not as warm as goose down, duck down is not less warm. Duck down jackets still dominate the market.
Your choice of down material is a decision of personal preference, budget, and environment.
3. Down Source
High-quality down usually comes from water fowl in cold regions, such as Hungarian goose down, Canadian duck down, etc. These downs have better warmth due to the cold growing environment.
二、How to Choose a Down Jacket
Our down jacket is not full of down. It is full of down and feathers in a certain proportion of common filling. So we must first understand the down jacket content and down filling.
1. Down Content and Down Filling of Down
Down Content: Refers to the percentage of down in the fill material. More down means more warmth. For example, a 90% down jacket means that 90% of the fill is down and 10% is feather. If you compare down jackets of the same size, the higher the down content, the better the warmth.
Down Filling: Refers to the weight in grams of all the down that fills the down jacket. Higher fillings provide better warmth but add weight. So you need to balance warmth and comfort when choosing.
2. Fill Power of the Down Jacket
Fill power refers to the volume of down per ounce (about 30 grams) under certain conditions, usually between 500-900. The higher the FP, the better the warmth. Regarding warmth, the higher the FP, the warmer. It also means that the down is of higher quality.
The key to trapping air in a down jacket is its FP.
- 500-600 FP for mild cold (between -5° and 0°).
- 600-700 FP for regular cold areas (between -20° and -5°).
- 650-750 FP, suitable for cold areas (between -30° and -15°), is a thick down jacket.
- 800 or more FP, suitable for extremely cold areas (between -50° and -20°), suitable for special extreme uses, and generally one-piece models.
3. Down Jacket Fabric
Down jacket fabric must have waterproof, windproof, and anti-down drilling functions. To avoid down wet lumps, the warmth of performance is reduced. Fabric down proof poor or sewing needle eye is too large down jacket, will be the more through the thin. Common fabrics include PTFE and cotton PU coating.
When a down jacket gets wet, it will shrink into a ball, and the fluffiness and warmth will decrease dramatically. This is the biggest disadvantage of down compared to other warm materials, so choosing the down jacket fabric is also very important.
4. Functional Design
The hood design, number of pockets, fit level, and quilting of the down jacket all affect its warmth and practicality. A detachable hood increases flexibility, and horizontal quilting is warmer than square quilting. It is easier to tuck in because of its texture than plaid, which is more fashionable because it shapes the waist better. There are also battery-heated down jackets that are tested and proven for warmth and safety. At Liling Clothing, we can customize them for you.
5. Portable
Packable down jackets are becoming more popular, whether it is ordinary traveling or hiking, this design is more convenient to carry. And all of our down jackets come with a packing bag, which is easy to carry.
6. Ethics
Although the practice of live plucking has been around for a long time, some companies still follow the humane practice of no live plucking. If you’re a humanitarian, choose a brand that adheres to responsible standards – Patagonia and Canada Goose are two brands that have always adhered to humanitarianism in the manufacture of their products. There’s also Liling Clothing, which also adheres to humanitarianism by eliminating live plucking and other inhumane practices.
7. Price
Down jackets are one of the best investments in outdoor gear. They keep you warm and last a long time. A good down jacket will keep you warm for at least 10 years, as long as you wear it every day and care for it properly.
With this guide, I hope you can find a down jacket that is both warm and stylish to keep you warm this winter.