Best Down Jackets for Backpacking in 2026

Rab Mythic G for Men | Women’s (Best for four season conditions)

Recommended RRP: $550
Weight: 9.8 ounces for men | 8.9 ounces for women
Filling weight: 4.5 ounces for men | 4 ounces of women
Fill percentage: 46 percent men | 45 percent women
Fill: 1000 fill goose down
Size range: S – XXL men | XS – XL women

Over the years, Rab has consistently created durable, stylish garments with functionality and fit in mind. The Rab Mythic G is a remarkably warm mid-fit layer packed with ethically sourced down.

Is this jacket incredibly expensive? Yes. Does it have an equally amazing warmth-to-weight ratio, courtesy of ultra-premium 1000-fill down and an innovative heat-reflective lining? Also yes. The price is steep, but consider the fact that this jacket has the warmth of a four-season layer for the weight of a reasonably light three-season jacket.

Materials and features

1000-fill goose down is as high as it gets, and a generous four-ounce fill ensures this jacket has plenty of room. The shell and lining are made of 7d Atmos ripstop fabric; The 7D fabric is very thin, so this would be one of those baby capes you would need, especially considering the price.

The Mythic G also incorporates Thermo Ionic Lining (TILT) technology in its lining, a heat-reflective film that reflects your body heat back to you, increasing warmth without significantly increasing the weight or volume of the jacket.

A stiff brim hood, adjustable hem, and elastic cuffs maximize the warmth of this jacket. It has two zippered handwarmer pockets and articulated sleeves to preserve your range of motion even when you’re bundled up.

Advantages: Very warm; thermal lining adapted to the body; excellent heat-to-weight ratio
Cons: Incredibly expensive; warmer than most hikers will need; Durability issues due to ultralight 7d fabric

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Montbell Plasma 1000 Men’s Down Jacket | Women’s (Super Ultralight Down Jacket)

Best down jackets for backpacking: Montbell Plasma 1000

Recommended RRP: $300
Weight: 4.9 ounces for men | 4.2 ounces for women
Filling weight: 1.6 ounces for men | 1.3 ounces of women
Fill percentage: 33 percent men | 31 percent women
Fill: 1000 fillings
Size range: S – XXL men | S-XL women

Simply put, the Montbell Plasma 1000 is one of the best down jackets on the market. It uses 1,000 fill of down, which is almost unheard of since it weighs only five ounces for the men’s version. It is perfect for fast and light backpackers. And despite being made from such ultralight materials, Zach’s Plasma (he tested the warmer Alpine version, but it uses the same 7d fabric) proved to be surprisingly durable. It’s ridden over 3,500 miles of trail and is still going strong.

Carl “Professor” Stanfield also tried the Plasma (the summer weight version we featured on this list). Despite weighing so little, the professor rated this jacket as one of the warmest he had ever worn.

Read our review of the Montbell Plasma 1000 down jacket.

Materials and features

Montbell isn’t the only company to use a discontinuous quilting pattern instead of standard tube-shaped baffle chambers, but it executes it quite well: its stitch quilting interrupts downward migration and minimizes the number of sewn seams.

Ultra-premium 1000-fill down is hard to come by and has the best warmth-to-weight ratio out there. The ultralight 7D ripstop nylon shell fabric with DWR treatment seals the deal, making this jacket weigh 4.9 ounces for the men’s version and 4.2 for the women’s version. At $300 each, these jackets are pretty much middle of the road price-wise.

Montbell also makes a slightly heavier and warmer garment. Alpine version of the Plasma 1000 that weighs about half a pound. However, this quarter-pound version stands out from the crowd for its light weight, despite which it still works well as a standalone insulating layer. The jacket has been updated in recent years to include features like an adjustable hood and hem, elastic cuffs, and two zippered hand pockets without really increasing the weight penalty.

Advantages: Excellent warmth-to-weight ratio; very light; quilting pattern designed to minimize downward migration; good longevity if you protect it.
Cons: A very fine shell fabric will need to be cared for; limited size range; probably not warm enough for shoulder season excursions

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REI Co-op 650 Down Jacket Men’s | Women’s (Best budget down jacket)

Best Down Jackets for Backpacking: REI Co-op 650 Down Jacket

Recommended RRP: $130
Weight: 10.9 ounces for men | 10.2 ounces for women
Filling weight: Not officially reported; We’ve seen reports of 3.5 oz or 3.2 oz for the men’s version online, which would put the fill percentage around 31 percent.
Fill: 650 filling
Size range: S – XXXL (plus tall sizes) for men | XS – XXXL women

The REI 650 Down Jacket is a great option if you are on a budget. It costs between half and a third of most other jackets on this list, but it comes from a brand we trust and uses durable, bluesign-approved materials (more sustainable, basically). There’s no magic here: it’s cheaper because it uses more basic materials, not because the manufacturer took shortcuts. \

Despite all the inflation over the last 12 months, this jacket has not increased in price since this listing was updated last year.

Materials and features

A budget jacket that doesn’t last long isn’t really cheap, so quality of workmanship and materials were important considerations when choosing the best budget hiking jacket. This jacket’s 20d recycled ripstop nylon shell (upgraded from the less durable taffeta in the previous version) is more durable and abrasion-resistant than some on this list, giving you a little more confidence in its longevity. The outer fabric is windproof and, thanks to the PFC-free DWR treatment, water resistant.

650 fill is about the lowest fill power you would want in a backpacker-friendly garment. You need more to achieve the same volume as heavier down, which means the resulting garment will be heavier. Other than that, there’s nothing inherently wrong with 650 fill, and this jacket is very warm and lofty.

It still has zippered hand pockets and two interior pockets, plus REI finally added an adjustable hem in the latest update. This midlayer also has a wider size range and more color options than most of the other puffers on the list.

A quick note: the previous version of the 650 down jacket could be stored in its own pocket, but the new version lacks the two-way zipper necessary to do so.

Finally, don’t forget to take into account REI’s generous profitability and dividend policy; the former means you won’t accidentally spend $130 on a jacket you hate, and the latter essentially reduces the price (for co-op members) by 10%.

Advantages: Affordable; relatively thick front fabric; reasonable weight; Well-known brand with a generous return policy, good variety of sizes and colors.
Cons: It’s not the lightest on the list; can no longer be stored completely in its own pocket

We have to admit that most of the jackets on this list are very expensive. Check out these additional recommendations for budget bloaters.

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Zpacks down jacket (Best Ultralight Down Jacket)

Best Down Jackets for Backpacking: Zpacks Down Jacket

Recommended RRP: $375
Weight: 6.8 ounces (unisex)
Filling weight: 3.4 ounces (unisex)
Fill percentage: 50 percent
Fill: 900 fill real duck down
Size range: S – XXL

The Zpacks down jacket isn’t the lightest on this list in absolute terms (check out the Montbell Plasma for that honor), but unlike the previous one, this is a suitable three-season jacket. An unprecedented 50% of the jacket’s total weight is dedicated to down insulation, making this garment suitable for the wide range of conditions most hikers expect to encounter..

Materials and features

We’d expect such a lightweight jacket to have lightweight features, but the Zpacks Down Jacket is not: it has an adjustable hood and hem, two handwarmer pockets plus an internal zippered chest pocket (can be used to keep small electronics warm during the day or as a jacket pouch when not in use), and elastic wrists to help seal out drafts.

The jacket uses Muscovy duck down, which is said to have better lifting and heat retention properties than goose down, and a PFC-free Ventum ripstop nylon shell/lining. The fit is somewhat relaxed (suitable for layering underneath if desired).

Advantages: Very light; uses high-end real duck down; internal zippered chest pocket
Cons: Limited size options on the smaller end; on the expensive side

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Why should you trust us?

Because we are incredibly smart, of course! Attractive too. (Not to mention extremely humble).

But if that’s not enough to impress you, there’s also the fact that everyone who contributed to this article is an experienced hiker with thousands of miles of trails under their belt. We’re gearheads who love to put our gear to the test on long and short trails, and we’ve tested dozens of puffies in search of cozier days in the backcountry.

Plus, we do our best to stay connected to the trail community’s gear preferences (we’re definitely those obnoxious people on the trail who always want to know what everyone else is wearing). That means our picks for the best down jackets for backpacking aren’t just our opinions. They are based on years of feedback from the hiking community.

To everyone in the comments section: we’re listening to you too. Thanks to everyone who commented on the list. We have incorporated many of your suggestions and requests into the list.

Backpacking competence and skill personified.

Rachel Shoemaker and Alexander “GPS” Brown contributed to this list.

Cover image: Graphic design by Chris Helm.