hiking insulated-jackets

The Nano-Air Light Hybrid Hoody blends 40g FullRange insulation at the front with breathable R1 Air fleece on the back and sides for exceptional mobility and breathability during high-output activities. It isn’t especially warm on its own and offers limited weather protection, so it shines as a breathable midlayer for cool, dry conditions rather than a standalone warmth piece.

The Nano-Air Light Hybrid Hoody is a lightweight, highly breathable insulated layer intended for high-output activities like running and uphill skinning. It excels in breathability and mobility as a layering piece, but isn’t very warm or weather-resistant as a standalone outer layer.

An ultra-light, highly breathable insulated jacket designed for active use. It excels in breathability, comfort, and packability, making it ideal as a layering piece for hiking and climbing. It offers limited warmth and modest durability, so it’s not a stand-alone winter layer.

The Patera Parka is a knee-length, women’s waterproof insulated jacket built for on-the-go winter use. It pairs Gore-Tex protection with Down Composite Mapping for warmth and breathability, delivering a light, versatile layer that handles wet conditions, city commuting, and light winter hikes, though the hood tightening is a bit fiddly and it remains an expensive option.

The Stormshadow Parka is Patagonia’s premium Gore-Tex, 700-fill down insulated parka designed for very cold, stormy winters. It delivers top-tier warmth and weather protection with refined details and a luxurious feel, but it’s bulky and expensive, best suited for severe conditions rather than high-movement activity. In everyday wear, it remains extremely comfortable and durable.

The Arc'teryx Atom Hoody for women is a soft, lightweight insulated jacket with a helmet-compatible hood. It excels in comfort and breathability and serves well as a versatile midlayer or standalone piece in milder cold, though it’s thin for very cold days and not the strongest wind shield.

The Arc’teryx Atom Hoody is a versatile synthetic midlayer that balances warmth, breathability, and mobility for backcountry and everyday wear. It excels in comfort and fit with stretchy side panels and soft fabric, but its warmth and weather protection aren’t top-tier, so it’s best as an active, all-rounder layer under a shell or for shoulder-season use.

The Arc'teryx Atom Hoody is a lightweight, breathable insulated mid-layer designed for high-output winter activities. It uses Coreloft Compact insulation with stretch fleece side panels for mobility and breathability, though it's not the warmest option and lacks a stash pocket; best as an active mid-layer rather than a standalone outer layer.

The Arc’teryx Atom AR Hoody for women is an exceptionally warm insulated jacket built for cold conditions, with heavy Coreloft insulation and a wind- and weather-resistant shell. It excels in warmth and comfort but is bulky and less breathable, with small hand pockets; best suited for long cold expeditions, alpine missions, and resort winter activities rather than high-output use.

The Atom AR Hoody is one of the warmest insulated jackets tested, built with dense Coreloft insulation to trap heat while still fitting well for layering. It excels as a warmth layer for cold days, skiing, or belay duties due to its comfortable fit and weather-sealing, but it's heavy and not highly breathable, and the price is steep for a non-waterproof shell.

The Proton Hoody is a high-performing synthetic insulated layer designed for active cold-weather use, delivering warm, breathable warmth with soft, quiet fabric and excellent mobility. It shines in movement-heavy activities like hiking and climbing, but its air-permeable shell means wind protection is limited and it’s not the most packable option.

Warm, breathable, and incredibly cozy, the Proton AR Hoody offers standout warmth for winter recreation with a mobile, durable fabric. It’s not waterproof and comes with a high price tag, with fit varying by tester, but the helmet-compatible hood and craftsmanship help it excel for cold, active winter days.

The Cerium Hoody is a versatile mid-weight down jacket that blends warmth, mobility, and packability for cold mountain days and everyday wear. It uses high-loft 850-fill down with synthetic insulation in moisture-prone areas, a DWR-treated shell, and a helmet-compatible hood, delivering strong warmth-to-weight and adjustable features, though it carries a premium price and a relatively thin exterior.

The Cerium LT Hoody from Arc'teryx delivers exceptional warmth for its weight, using 850-fill down and a lightweight shell to create a compact, highly packable jacket. It functions well as both an outer layer and a mid-layer under a shell, with a comfortable fit and excellent compressibility, but its high price and uneven performance in wet conditions limit its practicality.

The Arc'teryx Cerium Hoody is a lightweight, warm down jacket that delivers an excellent warmth-to-weight ratio thanks to 850-fill down and a streamlined fit, making it versatile as a midlayer or standalone piece for shoulder-season and backcountry use. Its thin 15D shell and trim silhouette keep weight down, but durability and weather protection are modest, so it shines when layered under a shell and kept out of heavy rain. While pricey and with a trim fit that limits bulky layering, it remains a top choice for weight-conscious backcountry travelers seeking warmth without bulk.

The Atom SL Hood is an ultralight insulated jacket designed for continuous movement in cool, alpine conditions. It offers exceptional lightness and breathability with great mobility, making it well-suited for running, scrambling, and hiking, but it’s not very warm and provides limited weather protection, so it’s best as a wind-layer rather than a stand-alone cold-weather piece.

The Nano Puff Hoody for Women is a lightweight insulated jacket that provides decent warmth and weather resistance for everyday use. It isn’t a technical layer and lacks mobility-oriented features or portability that would justify the high price, and it can feel heavy for very lightweight missions while being challenging to compress into its own pocket. The hood is well-fitted and versatile for everyday wear.

The Patagonia Nano Puff Hoody delivers reliable synthetic warmth with 60-gram PrimaLoft insulation and stays fairly warm even when damp. It's lightweight and versatile for a range of activities—from casual wear to extended backpacking and winter climbs—though it's not the most packable and the outer fabric isn't highly weatherproof in prolonged rain unless you pair it with a shell.

Versatile lightweight synthetic insulated jacket suitable as a midlayer or casual outer layer for town-to-trail use. It offers improved shoulder mobility and a polished look, but warmth is moderate for the weight and it isn't highly breathable or compact for high-output backcountry.

Ultralight and incredibly compressible insulated jacket that delivers warmth for its weight and packs down to a pocket-sized package. It’s a go-to for long-distance trail runs, backpacking, and layering around town, with excellent breathability and packability, though it isn’t the warmest option and offers limited wind resistance; it also lacks many features such as cinch cords and has a snug fit through the chest.

The Micro Puff Hoody is an ultralight synthetic insulated jacket that blends down-like warmth with exceptional packability, ideal for fast-and-light alpine missions. It trades durability and weather resistance for weight savings and a minimalist feature set, so it's best as a lightweight midlayer rather than a rugged all-in-one piece.

The Patagonia Down Sweater Hoody is a solid midweight down jacket that balances warmth and everyday versatility. It uses 800-fill down, a balaclava-style hood, and a recycled ripstop nylon shell with a DWR finish, making it easy to layer under a shell for mild to moderate winter days. It offers reliable warmth and hood coverage with practical pockets, but movement coverage is average and the cuffs are loose.

The Patagonia Down Sweater Hoody is a versatile, warm, everyday-friendly insulated jacket that doubles as a backcountry workhorse thanks to its cozy feel, packability, and durable, recycled-face fabric. It’s heavier than some performance puffies and offers limited weather protection in wet conditions, but its comfort, styling, and layer-ready warmth make it a strong all-around option for casual wear and light outdoor use.

The Fitz Roy Down Hoody is a midweight insulated jacket that balances warmth and weight for weight-conscious cold-weather activities like alpine climbing and ski touring. It offers sleeping-bag-like comfort with a soft shell and protective hood, but misses a two-way zipper and longer hem, and its 20D face fabric isn’t as durable or weather-resistant as some rivals, limiting use in extended winter conditions.

The Fitz Roy Hooded Down Jacket from Patagonia delivers exceptional warmth with 800-fill goose down and a long, layer-friendly cut that's ideal for cold, stationary moments in the mountains. It's heavy and bulky, designed as a belay or outer-layer to wear when you’re not actively moving, with ample pockets and a durable build, but it's less ideal for high-output activity.

The DAS Light Hoody is a lightweight synthetic insulated jacket with PlumaFill insulation that offers strong weather resistance and warmth for mountain adventures. It is packable, helmet-friendly with a storm-ready hood, and performs well for ski touring and cold-weather climbing, but it trades breathability for protection and comes at a premium price.

The DAS Light Hoody is a warm, weather-protective insulated jacket built around a wind- and water-resistant shell with 65 g PlumaFill insulation. It’s lightweight and packable with a generous hood and long coverage, making it a strong four-season choice for skiing, climbing, and outdoor adventures. Drawbacks include a fragile shell and limited breathability, and it doesn’t compress fully into its pocket as claimed.

Patagonia's DAS Light Hoody is a top-tier synthetic insulated jacket designed for alpine climbing, delivering excellent warmth-to-weight, weather protection, and durability in harsh mountain conditions. It features a helmet-compatible hood, two-way front zipper, and chest pocket, with 65g PlumaFill insulation and a durable Pertex Quantum Pro shell; however, breathability is limited and it comes at a high price, making it less suitable for casual wear or high-output activities.

The Jackson Glacier is a down-insulated hybrid jacket with a weatherproof outer shell, delivering strong warmth and wind/water protection for urban winter wear. It offers comfortable fit, mobility, and durable construction for daily commutes and city-friendly use, but its shorter length and lack of wrist cinches limit warmth in very cold or pushing conditions.

The Jackson Glacier Women's parka from Patagonia is a warm, lightweight insulated jacket with a slim profile thanks to no-sew baffles and high-loft recycled down. It provides strong weather resistance and comfortable warmth with a smooth lining and well-placed pockets, though the hood and collar can be awkward when fully zipped. Overall, it’s a stylish, sustainable option for cold, wet conditions, with some fit quirks to consider.

The Patagonia Jackson Glacier is a warm, comfortable midrange winter parka with solid weather protection thanks to a 2-layer H2No membrane. It fits like a tailored jacket, offers balanced warmth for temps around freezing, but its storage is sparse and it wets out in heavy rain; overall it’s a strong value for milder winter conditions.

The Thorium Hoody is Arc'teryx's durable midweight down jacket designed as a standalone outer layer for sub-freezing conditions. It's heavy and not packable, but it delivers excellent warmth and features—such as a long hem, helmet-compatible StormHood, five pockets, and a two-way zipper—that suit serious winter use like mountaineering, backcountry skiing, and snow camping.

The Arc’teryx Thorium AR Hoody for women is a rugged, comfortable down-insulated jacket built for dry outdoor use. It delivers strong warmth for its weight and solid durability, with practical features like a durable plastic zipper and a dedicated stuff sack; however, it can be slow to dry in wet conditions and is best used in dry climates.

The Arc'teryx Macai is an extremely warm ski jacket built with a Gore-Tex shell and down/synthetic insulation. It excels in warmth and weather protection, with high-quality construction and a sleek, comfortable fit, but it comes at a premium price and has limited ventilation and features for the price.

The Arc’teryx Macai is a premium insulated resort ski jacket built around a 3-layer Gore-Tex shell with lofty down and synthetic insulation for exceptional warmth and weather protection. It excels for cold, dry resort days and can double as casual winter wear, but its breathability is limited and it’s a high-priced option, making it less ideal for high-output activities or milder conditions.