Are Expensive Down Jackets a Waste of Money?
Are Expensive Down Jackets a Waste of Money?
In this video, I compare a cheap down jacket to an expensive one. You can get cheap down jackets starting from 50$, but expensive ones can cost several hundred dollars. I’ve been using both of them for quite a while now, so I wanted to share my own experience. To sum up, I think it isn’t worth it to invest in a super high-quality one unless you go hiking in winter very often. But if you do, then they’re definitely worth it.
▼ GEAR USED IN VIDEO (affiliate links)
Decathlon Forclaz MT100 Down Jacket ➜ (Decathlon: https://www.decathlon.com/products/forclaz-mt100-hooded-down-puffer-jacket-167571?variant=32494250360894)
Outdoor Vitals Novapro Down Jacket ➜ (Outdoor Vitals: https://www.avantlink.com/click.php?tool_type=cl&merchant_id=7e589116-9b06-4f1d-beee-aa18820b0454&website_id=00f5b60f-5b24-479f-ab2d-8d5328a2ac5a&url=https%3A%2F%2Foutdoorvitals.com%2Fproducts%2Fnovapro)
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▼ OTHER GEAR I USE (affiliate links)
Outdoor Vitals CS40 Ultralight Backpack ➜ (Outdoor Vitals: https://www.avantlink.com/click.php?tool_type=cl&merchant_id=7e589116-9b06-4f1d-beee-aa18820b0454&website_id=00f5b60f-5b24-479f-ab2d-8d5328a2ac5a&url=https%3A%2F%2Foutdoorvitals.com%2Fproducts%2Fcs40-ultralight-backpack)
Outdoor Vitals Fortius 2P Ultralight Tent ➜ (Outdoor Vitals: https://www.avantlink.com/click.php?tool_type=cl&merchant_id=7e589116-9b06-4f1d-beee-aa18820b0454&website_id=00f5b60f-5b24-479f-ab2d-8d5328a2ac5a&url=https%3A%2F%2Foutdoorvitals.com%2Fproducts%2Ffortius-2p-trekking-pole-backpacking-tent)
Outdoor Vitals Stormloft 0F Quilt ➜ (Outdoor Vitals: https://www.avantlink.com/click.php?tool_type=cl&merchant_id=7e589116-9b06-4f1d-beee-aa18820b0454&website_id=00f5b60f-5b24-479f-ab2d-8d5328a2ac5a&url=https%3A%2F%2Foutdoorvitals.com%2Fproducts%2Fupdate-stormloft-0-30-f-down-topquilt-sleeping-bag)
Nemo Tensor Insulated Sleeping Pad ➜ (Amazon: https://amzn.to/3RJhVw9
)
Stoic Nykroppa Synthetic Camp Slippers ➜ (Bergfreunde: https://www.bergfreunde.eu/stoic-nykroppa-slippers/)
Smartwool Merino Wool Socks ➜ (Amazon: https://amzn.to/4anHY3h)
Darn Tough Merino Wool Socks ➜ (Amazon: https://amzn.to/3GJnnsm)
▼ TABLE OF CONTENTS
00:00 – Intro
01:00 – Insulation
02:50 – Materials
04:13 – Features
05:18 – Final Verdict
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▼ AFFILIATE DISCLOSURE
In some of our videos, we sometimes use affiliate links. If you purchase something after clicking our affiliate links, we might get a small commission from the total purchase, at no additional cost for you. We participate in the Amazon Associates affiliate program and other affiliate programs.
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Cinematic Suspense Series Episode 008 by Sascha Ende
Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/7669-cinematic-suspense-series-episode-008
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Expensive jackets are really a waste of money. We just pay for the brand name
Sam’s lunch has a 650 loft Eddie Bauer down jackets for males and females for only $35! While we both have more expensive puffy jackets my wife and I love the Eddie Bauers for running around town and outdoors in slightly milder weather. We don’t get much weather below freezing where we live.
polyamide is commonly known as nylon
Nylon was just the name patented by DuPont long ago in galaxy far far away
Hey, great video. Enjoyed it.
Ive owned two of the MT100 jackets, one with a hood and another without.
I found the hoodless version a better option for me as I felt it provided better coverage around the neck/ chin area. Maybe it ws just my body shape, but i found the hooded version to be really loose around the same area so the cold air got in! Wearing a snood fixed this but I still think drawstrings etc would have been good.
The hoodless version I found was better utilised as a layer underneath a soft or hard shell jacket, as opposed to being the main outer layer.
I now wear a Montane Featherlight down jacket and the improvement is quite a bit. It feels much warmer, more durable and has way more features. Plus I got it for £80 second hand.
The upshot for me was that the Decathlon jacket was a good buy, considering the price. But no one should expect a top drawer jacket, because it isnt a top drawer price! For me personally, I’d rather spend more and ultimately get better quality.
As a bike packer ive been using the 100 for theee years now. Its still going strong. I wear a rain shell over it in wet weather. Would never waste money on the expensive one.
Poor birds
Hey, can i use decathlon for 3/4 years.
Nylon is a trade name and the actual material is the polyamide. The same material used in both jackets.
Is that the monutain Saentis trail in Switzerland?
Great comparison points
I feel like this wasn’t a great idea for a comparison. He’s comparing a down jacket that has twice the amount of insulation weight, and one that is waterproof, and one that is not. It’s not really fair to the Decathlon because they’re 2 different jackets for 2 different uses. I use my super light weight down jacket for weather between 40-55 °F, or 4-13 °C. I don’t want it to have twice the insulation, although I wouldn’t complain if it was waterproof. They’re just 2 different products even if they are both jackets. With that being said, the video was great. Super well done, and I think you did a great job covering all the important topics for comparison. 😊
Most hiking gear is ridiculously over designed and overpriced for what it actually gets used for; which is to walk from the parking lot to the visitor centre gift shop. But hey, marketing.
I just bought an LL Bean Wind Challenger down ski parka for $340. It is almost identical in baffle construction pattern to the Outdoor Vitals Nova Pro jacket shown here with many features like a helmet compatible hood, front and rear hood drawstrings, pit zips, 2 inside pockets and 4 outside pockets if you count the little ski pass pocket on the left arm. Yeah, a bit pricey, especially for a 650 fill goose down p[arka but it has DownTec DWR treated down and very high build quality. Ll Bean always gives you good quality garments. As got he 650 down fill for me this is a SKI parka, not intended for winter backpacking. 650 fill down compresses less than say 800 fill down which I like when sitting in a chair lift or wearing a day pack. That better "loft under compression" is what I want.
FYI Polyamide is nylon. Nylon is basically a trademark name that eventually just got generalized. Like how all facial tissues are Kleenex now.
The only thing I don’t like about the decathlon jacket is the size/fit. I normally wear medium but because how short the torso is, I almost feel like I have to wear XL. I really don’t like it whenever I lift up my arms, my stomach is exposed or even leaning over my back becomes exposed to the cold. I’m always fighting with it.
You can see how the outdoor vitals has more coverage and room to move around in. Like how it should be! Especially when you’re hiking.
Love that you make the point that you don’t often need a jacket that warm – more isn’t always more!. Don’t forget the importance of fit – a thinner jacket that fits you better may keep you warmer!
Wear 2 cheap ones problem solved, walk to mcdonalds
I’m a tool guy. My outdoor equipment from the trail to the kitchen to the shelter is a tool that magnifies the experiences. A long way to say. Buy the tool that is best for the job at hand. I bought at Costco a 16 oz hooded down jacket that does the job I bought it for. Why buy more tool than you need?
you said similar warmth, but one has twice as much down of a slightly higher loft quality.
What a great vid!!! Very useful, straight to the point! Thanks a bunch!! Best!
(I wish there was a video like this for EVERY product on the market…)
Feathered Friends – Made in Vancouver, Canada and Seattle, USA of imported materials. Repatriating textile manufacturing is never going to happen, but textile finishing can still be found locally.
Cheap clothes = garbage, expensive clothes helps nature, because you use them a long time.
Uniqlo has a nice 750 down jacket for 80€
10 month later the Decathlon went from $49 to $99 (double in price in less than a year) Yikes
The blue one is much better fitting.
Footwear is the only matter worth spending top dollar on for back country work *(and socks)* as everything else is still a guessing game #hunting_and_trapping most of this outerwear simply is not rugged enough but yes true to say "crazy high performance" as basically doesn’t weigh anything and still gets the job done on the glacier. What might help your viewer is if you were to explain the difference between *"The Approach"* and *"Summiting"* meaning the hike *TO* the Mountain where the temperature outside might be 60 degrees and warm versus the hike *UP* the mountain where at peak i experienced 60 miles an hour wind combined with well below freezing temperatures so quite the extremes is an understatement although one common denominator was sweating profusely until the summit actually so #wicking is what always mattered most for me anyways just a thought 😊😊
I never use down. Useless when damp.
Water repelent and free enviroment pollution. The down jackets are insulation layer. If caught in rain or snow, repelent or not you will get soaked anyway.
I like a Buffalo Belay jacket.
Expensive jackets are really a waste of money. We just pay for the brand name
Yes they are. Just like the most of the overpriced stuff today.
Is there a medium range price point jacket because I’m poor and I love to hike I’ve been backpacking with a huge snowboarding jacket for years and it is bulky
Hey everyone! I wanted to let you know that together with my wife, we make these minimalistic hiking posters for various thru-hiking trails. You can check them out over here ➜ https://trailgoals.com/ (10% discount code: oscarhikes)
In conclusion, buy both. OK, lol.
you would have to compare it to the mt500 or above, for 50bucks more you get much lower temps and better insulation.
your expensive jacket is cheaper than Arc’teryx
Not at all. Good down are really good. There is a massive difference, if you are able to understand things and do not care just of brands and fashion. No way very cheap thing are equal to expensive ones, if the factory knows where to put money.
Got it. So you’re saying to buy two of the cheaper jackets and nicwash, then layer them.
i want the blue one… 😉
I just got a MT 500 just the other day. 1. I was completely blown away how light it was but 2. after testing in well below 32f degrees with my normal layering I was most impressed with how warm it was. It was so light I was afraid it wouldn’t work. But my old school monster down north face is always there for when it truly get polar.
Decathlon
Expences for childless.
You can make any down jacket you have the best by just using it as a layer under a super thin wind & rain shell.
I would never spend the money of a down jacket that is meant to be the exterior layer. They are not what I would or many others would call back country durable.
Down is not feathers… Your jacket has a mix, should be listed somewhere. %feathers compared to down. Loft in cuin should be listed somewhere. You only mentioned filweight. Warmth is fillweight multiplied by Cuin, the number doesn’t mean anything but it works to compare the warmth of down jackets. High loft, or high cuin is usually more down and less feathers but a higher percentage of feathers means a more durable product as the feathers somewhat protect the down.
the smartphone down jacket really got me, great content man
Wow, your buying a thing to not use it, it’s worthless. Buy the cheapper one and use it till the end 😅
Great job getting in-depth with the review. I was recently introduced to Decathlon after moving to Spain from the US. I’ve been very surprised with how inexpensive their gear is. It’s so much cheaper that it makes wonder if there are quality issues with the products and how they source their components. But I must admit, I’ve been pretty happy with the items I have purchased from them.
Rule for me: Keep down equipment in a dry bag, and go for wool if it’s raining or you’re sweaty.
Spray with water proofing spray
I don’t even like down jackets because the weight and pack size vs a similarly styled synthetic of comparable quality is negligible and if it gets wet you’re screwed. I have a Rab Cirrus Alpine jacket and wouldn’t trade it for a down jacket of any price. It’s very well made, as light and compact as I need it to be, and it’ll still keep me warm if it gets wet.
Per the link in the description, I don’t think $250 for a down jacket is "a lot", though, and it’s on sale right now for $190. $170 if you’re an OV member. $250 is a good price. $190 is great and $170 is killer.