Down Insulated Vests

Featured review by Antti Oksanen

I have found this vest very warm and it can be used on many different situations. I live in Finland, and this winter it has been extremely cold, the temperature has dropped below -25 C. But with Pumori Fleece and Nuptse vest under my TNF Mountain jacket it was feeling fine. And the Nuptse is a good vest to be used on brakes etc. In -5 C you can ski with only a T-shirt or some base layer under your shell jacket, but when you stop it gets very cold very fast. In those situations I have found the Nuptse Vest to be very good when dressed over your shell jacket.

Read more: The North Face Nuptse Vest reviews (7)

Reviewed by Adam Jepson

This is a great vest for everyday use, but is also durable enough to use in many outdoor activities. Made from light and fluffy 800 fill down, this vest keeps your core warm and can pack down smaller than a softball.

Because Patagonia makes gear that's out of my price range, I either have to save up some money for a while to get what I want, or I have to wait for things to go on sale (or sometimes both). At $179 MSRP, this vest was way out of my price range until last year when my local gear shop had a promotion. I own a Patagonia fleece (here's the review: https://www.trailspace.com/gear/patagonia/synchilla-snap-t/#review32187) and it's lasted for over 10 years so I was confident in purchasing this vest.

Read more: Patagonia Down Sweater Vest review (1)

Reviewed by Mike Mineart

The is a good quality down vest that is available at a very reasonable price that I wouldn't hesitate to recommend to anyone looking to pick up a down vest to put in their pack.

I have been very focused on reducing the base weight of my pack and one area that I made a lot of changes to was what insulating layers I would bring for my summer hikes in the Sierras. My upper layer of clothes now consists of a base wicking shirt, a pullover lightweight fleece, a wind shirt, a down vest (the subject of this review), and my lightweight rain parka. With this collection of clothes I can handle anything I could encounter in the Sierras during July and August. For my down insulating layer I first considered bringing a down Patagonia jacket that I own that has served me well, but it weighed 12.5 oz's and with my focus on weight I went looking see what I could do to reduce that weight without breaking the bank.

Read more: REI Down Vest review (1)

Reviewed by Tnt

I like owning winter gear and use my gear to the extreme so I know how good the clothing is and how well it performs. The less clothing you need to stay warm the better. This is a very warm vest. You feel the warmth right away when you put it on. It does behave like any other down product though. Pros: Lightweight Very warm (600 down fill) Inside chest pocket, very big Two front handwarmer pockets Good style with the bi puffyness Con: Feathers occasionally pokes and comes out of the vest Loses its puffyness after washing (I think you could prevent this if you took it to the drycleaners) Overall I like this vest very much but can't stand the fact that I'm losing some of the warmth when I see a feather come out.

Read more: Marmot Guides Down Vest review (1)

Reviewed by Chris Myers

Great for layering! Montbell’s UL Down Vest is a great addition to a layering system that will help keep you warm while weighing about the same as your average t-shirt. It is not the top of the class, but for the price, weight savings, and effectiveness, I say it is a good choice.

I have had my vest for over 2 years now. It went with me on the first 1,000 miles of the AT and on several overnight and weekend trips locally. If I am not wearing it I have it rolled up and in the stuff sack that was included with it. I do my best to take care of all my gear and may go a bit OCD with it sometimes. This tends to lead to my gear lasting a very long time. This vest is available for men and women in a variety of colors and sizes. It has a ripstop ballistic nylon shell and 800 fill power goose down.

Read more: MontBell Superior Down Vest review (1)

Reviewed by Montana Ski And Sail

Well fitting super light core insulator.

This vest is 800 fill with a lighter ripstop shell with dwr finish. It has  two internal dump pockets, (great for gloves or something you want to keep warm or dry out) and two fleece lined zippered hand pockets (down on the outside of the hands when inserted.) It has a drawstring hem with cord locks and a 3 inch fleece lined collar. I got a medium and the fit is snug (5.10  175 lbs) but the larger arm holes alow lighter layering underneath without restriction. The larger arm holes also allow great armpit venting and this makes it a great layering piece.

Read more: MontBell Alpine Light Down Vest review (1)

Reviewed by 300winmag

A good 800 fill goose down vest with DriDown DWR treatment.

I first bought an Eddie Bauer First Ascent light down jacket five years ago and have been very happy with it. I've used it for hunting, skiing (a lot), and winter backcountry hiking as well as around town (see my avatar). I decided I needed a vest that would be warmer than my 300 weight fleece vest so I bought the EB First Ascent mainly because I wanted DWR on all my down garments going forward and I trust First Ascent quality. This vest has DriDown DWR treatment on the down which is what I have been looking for.

Read more: Eddie Bauer Downlight StormDown Vest review (1)

Reviewed by Buffdaddy

Eddie Bauer's First Ascent has slowly but surely over the last 2 years built itself a quality line of outerwear that competes very nicely with Patagonia, Marmot, and Mountain Hardwear. Although it may not achieve the cool status of The North Face and doubt you will see young people on High School and College Campuses sporting their gear. But I think in terms of quality and price point it competes very nicely with the above brands.  Speaking of quality gear I'm reviewing their Downlight Vest which is  essentially their Downlight Sweater minus the sleeves (surprise!).

Read more: Eddie Bauer First Ascent Downlight Vest review (1)

Featured review by Alicia MacLeay

I love my Mountain Hardwear Phantom Vest! It’s lightweight, making it a good choice for outings when I want to bring along some core insulation, but don’t need a fully insulated jacket. I tend to have a cold thermostat when resting or sleeping, but heat up quickly as long as I’m moving. The Phantom Vest finds the perfect balance.

While it’s lightweight and not too bulky, the 800-fill down keeps me plenty warm while riding cold, windy chairlifts in places like New England and Colorado, without overheating me on the runs down. And due to its weight and small compressed size it also makes a good just-in-case layer for backpacking or hiking in cold weather or for wearing around camp on cold evenings. I have my vest in shark (a very dark grey-black color) and while the vest is obviously a technical outdoors piece, I don’t feel conspicuous wearing it around town during Maine winters, though it is a bit puffy.

Read more: Mountain Hardwear Phantom Vest reviews (2)