I've tested the best down jackets for women all over the world - even in summer, these are the 6 I recommend for warmth, comfort and style
Layers are key to staying warm and comfortable, whatever the season, and I reach for one of these down jackets every time
You don't have to be a mountaineer to appreciate one of the best down jackets. On a windy coastal walk or in the pub garden post-walk after the sun has gone, zipping up one of these lightweight jackets and feeling the warmth spread across your upper body is blissful.
As an outdoors writer and avid hiker, I know this feeling all too well. I've tested many of the best down jackets on the market. Every year, I cover around 500 miles in my walking shoes, exploring trails in the UK and taking hiking holidays abroad. In that time, I've learnt that a good down jacket can be the difference between enjoying your time outdoors and a cold, miserable day you want to forget.
I've used my experience to create this guide to the very best down jackets for women, collating options for every price bracket and walking style, from the likes of Columbia, The North Face, Fjällräven, and more.
The quick list
The Rab Women's Microlight Alpine Down Jacket has it all. It's warm, breathable, water-resistant and stylish. It's hard to find anything not to like about this down jacket, which is made with 90% recycled content for sustainability credits. From the drop tail to the snug hood, it keeps me cosy without making me sweaty and is always my first choice for everything from mountain hikes to chilly school runs.
The Columbia Arctic Crest Down Hooded Jacket is one of the lightest I've tested, yet it still does an impressive job of keeping me toasty in low temperatures. Down jackets can take a little more effort to care for, but this one repels dirt as well as water for easy care. On top of all that, it's one of the most stylish down jackets around, though the fit may be too slim for some.
The Montane Alpine 850 Nano uses non-toxic gold particles to improve the insulating power of this impossibly lightweight jacket. I don't totally understand the technology, but after a lot of use, I know it makes the jacket delightfully warm, and means it dries in a flash if I get caught in a shower. But the best part? It packs away into a tiny stuff sack in the pocket, so I never hesitate to bring it along on a hike or a city break.
I feel like the queen of the mountains when I'm wearing Fjällräven's stylish Expedition Pack Down Anorak – even if I'm just wearing it to the supermarket. This gorgeous retro-styled jacket is versatile, warm and built to last for years. Even though it's the bulkiest jacket on this list, it's still light enough that I've worn it on lots of mountain hikes and woodland walks thanks to the half-zip and side zips, which help me regulate my temperature. Plus I just love how it looks with a pair of jeans for casual city strolls.
Whether you're planning on testing your limits on the trails or just want to stay comfortable on country walks, you never have to get caught out by the weather with this jacket. I love that it has no hood, which makes it easier to layer with a rain jacket for hiking, and I've even used it as my warm layer for ski trips. It uses a blend of duck down and feathers, which isn't quite as warm as pure down, but it's straightforward and reliable.
The North Face Summit Breithorn Down Jacket is the most technical down jacket I've tested, and it really shines for alpine expeditions, but that doesn't discount it from daily use, which is why you see so many North Face jackets on the high street. With exceptional warmth, breathability and a slim-fitting design, it's ideal whether you want to move fast at higher altitudes without getting sweaty or just want to stay cosy for a winter dog walk.
The best down jackets for women, tried and tested by a true hiker
The best down jacket overall
The Rab Microlight Alpine Women's Down Jacket is my absolute favourite down jacket. It's easily earned a top spot among the best down jackets for women, thanks to its stylish protection.
I've tested two variations of this jacket over the past five years, and it's kept me warm during snow in Yosemite National Park, on an 11-day trek in the Himalayas, and through multiple UK winters. But, I've also worn it on regular walking trails in the UK and even on the school run. It's so versatile, owing to its shower-proof and down combination that makes it suitable for almost all weather conditions - even as the temperature rises.
Small details like the snug hood and soft chin guard that protects my skin, all the way down to the drop tail that keeps my bum warm make this is refreshingly well-thought-out jacket designed with women in mind. It's not too bulky, either, so you can easily fit a fleece under it or a proper raincoat over the top, should you need to.
It's one of the prettier down jackets I've tested, too, which means I'm often grabbing it for weekends away, and I wear it around the city as often as I wear it on the trail.
Read my full review of the Rab Microlight Alpine Women's Down Jacket here
The best down jacket for style
If you don't want to sacrifice style just to make sure you're protected from the weather, I totally get it - and I can't recommend the Columbia Arctic Crest Down Hooded Jacket enough. It's easily one of the nicest looking women's down jackets around.
It may look more fashion than function, but it's more than capable of keeping a cold wind at bay thanks to a clever process called biomimicry. This imitates the way a polar bear's fur keeps it warm. Like a lot of down jackets on this list, it has been treated to repel a light rain, but the treatment also means it repels dirst and stains, which makes it super easy to care for - and a must-have in the white colourway. It also comes in black.
Unlike a lot of other jackets that are built for mountain conditions, this one is slim-fitting, so it's flattering, but it could be a little too tight around the hips for anyone with more of an hourglass shape or who plans to layer this on top of a fleece. A little stretch in the hem could go a long way here towards making it a perfect jacket.
Read my full review of the Columbia Arctic Crest Down Hooded Jacket here
The best down jacket for travel
As an avid hiker and travel writer, I'm always looking for lightweight, packable clothing that can protect me from the elements. This jacket is the lightest I've ever tested and has easily found a permanent title as the best down jacket for travel. It's not bad for the budget, either at £150 at time of writing. If you don't want to look like the Michelin Man in your down jacket, this is the one for you.
Montane bonds non-toxic gold particles to the down in this jacket, which the brand says makes it warmer without adding bulk, and helps it to dry faster if you get caught out in a shower. I really notice the difference in my temperature and comfort in this jacket, which I've now tested on hiking and ski trips in multiple countries.
It comes with a little stuff sack in the pocket and easily squashes down to not much bigger than a grapefruit, so even if I think the weather is going to be good, I can still squeeze it into my backpack or carry-on just in case. The shell fabric might be a little fragile for thorny trails, but other than that, I can't find fault with it. Thanks to its lightweight design and slim fit, this is the one I'd recommend to anyone trying to get a break from the bulk.
Read my full review of the Montane Alpine 850 Nano Hoodie here
The best down jacket for everyday wear
When the weather outside is frightful, cosy up in this warm and cosy anorak. The design of this jacket was inspired by the Swedish brand's 1970's expedition designs, but don't let that put you off if you're just looking for a warm layer for woodland strolls.
The fun, retro style and versatile design make this jacket great for any time outdoors, and even though I've worn it in the Himalayas, I quite often find myself showing it off on city walks because of its timeless good looks and how well it pairs with a simple set of workout leggings.
It's got side zips to help dump heat if you feel a little warm, and a giant kangaroo pouch so you can tote your gloves and phone and won't always have to carry a backpack for shorter walks.
The looser, boxy fit and throwback high collar are stylish and functional, making it really easy to pull on and off and wear with other layers. I really rate its reliable warmth, which makes it comfortable to wear mile after mile in sun or snow.
Read my full review of the Fjällräven Expedition Pack Down Anorak here
The best down jacket without hood
If you're just getting into walking workouts or hiking and want a reliable down jacket that will work for everything and is easy to wear with layers, this is a great choice. It's the only jacket on this list which doesn't have a hood, which can be more comfortable if you think you're going to be wearing it as a mid layer with a rain jacket on top.
This slim-fitting jacket looks nice and is more versatile than bulkier down jackets, meaning you can wear it on its own or with other layers for skiing and winter hiking. It's shorter than the other jackets on this list, so it doesn't keep my bum as warm, but it is adjustable to keep the draft out. I really appreciate the nice, high collar, which keeps my neck warm when it's windy.
The fabric is super soft in the places where it touches my skin, so it feels good to wear. It's light enough to layer, warm enough to make a difference and likely to end up hanging on the hook by the front door, ready to go whether you want to take a hike or head to the post office.
Read my full Helly Hansen Verglas Down Jacket 2.0 review here
The best premium down jacket
Not every walk requires the world's most technical down jacket, but if you want premium quality for cold weather or plan to tackle some mountainous terrain this year, you're unlikely to find a better choice than the North Face Summit Breithorn Down Jacket.
After testing this jacket out in whiteout conditions on a glacier at over 11,300 feet, I'm confident in its abilities to keep me comfortable and safe in any weather.
It is designed for technical climbing, so it's meant to be worn under a waterproof shell, and has quite a slim fit. That means it looks quite stylish on, and while I'm not sure how well it would work for those with curvier physiques, it's definitely designed for freedom of movement. The buttery soft shell fabric is a pleasure to wear.
If you're out in windy conditions, the hood stays put, and the stretchy wrist gaiters easily fit under the cuff of my gloves and leave no skin exposed. The only downside is that they also make it more difficult for me to check my Garmin watch.
Read my full review of The North Face Summit Breithorn Down Jacket here
Testing the best down jackets for women
How I tested
I hike up to 500 miles a year, and I never set off without a down jacket
As an outdoors writer, there's never a week that goes by when I'm not out on the trail testing the latest and greatest down jackets. Last year alone, I hiked over 500 miles, including the trek to Everest Base Camp and several of the UK's best long-distance trails through the Lake District and Northumberland National Park. All that trail time has thrown just about every weather condition imaginable at me, and it's all helped me to create this guide on the best down jackets for women.
Here is the criteria I used during testing:
- Warmth: The true measure of a down jacket's success is how well it protects you against the cold, so I made sure to test each jacket multiple times in real outdoor conditions, from the seaside to the summit.
- Breathability: A warm jacket doesn't do you much good if it makes you so sweaty once you start moving that you have to strip it off, so I made sure to hike in every jacket and not just huddle on a park bench (though I did that too!).
- Weight and packability: Not everyone wants to look like the Michelin Man, and I personally prefer a lower bulk jacket for outdoor pursuits and packing. I took into account how easy each jacket is to wear with other layers, and how easily I could pack it for a hike or a trip.
- Materials: All down jackets use goose or duck down for insulation, and the quality of that down is marked on the label as "fill power." Higher fill power is better quality, but I made sure to test varying qualities, including some jackets that use a mix of down and feathers to secure a good range. The shell material is always a light, synthetic fabric that's fast-drying, but I also sought out jackets where the shell isn't too fragile to make sure they last for years.
- Versatility: If I'm going to spend hundreds of pounds on a jacket, I want it to serve more than just one purpose, so I chose only jackets that are suitable for more than one season and for various outdoor pursuits, such as gentle strolls, mountain climbing and skiing.
How to choose the best women's down jacket for you
- Never compromise on insulation: Down jackets use animal down, usually derived from duck or goose down (down is the clumps of fine feathers found under a bird’s tougher exterior feathers) to trap in heat and keep you warm. The label of a down jacket will list the fill power of a jacket, such as 400, 600 or 800. The higher the fill power, the warmer the jacket is likely to be.
- Understand breathability: A warm jacket for hiking is no good if it's not breathable. Down jackets in general are reasonably breathable, but they'll allow more sweat to escape when they use lightweight face fabrics (like Pertex) and have a less dense down fill. You can also find so-called "hybrid" down jackets, which feature stretchy, breathable panels in high-sweat areas like the underarms.
- Check out the jacket's wet weather protection: Down offers a brilliant warmth-to-weight ratio in dry cold weather, but is useless when wet. A good down jacket will never replace your rain jacket, but it should be water-repellent for light showers. A jacket designed to hold off a light rain will use hydrophobic down and be treated with Durable Water Repellent (DWR).
- Think about the design features you want: If you want to wear your jacket on the trail, look for those with close-fitting hoods to keep your head warm in windy conditions, and a high collar to protect more of your face. Designs with stretchy or close-fitting cuffs and an elasticated or adjustable hem also help to keep heat trapped around your body. Zipped pockets and internal pockets for storing your valuables are also handy.
- Don't forget about packability: Down jackets roughly fall into two categories – lightweight and packable designs suitable for use as mid layers, and bulky but very warm jackets that double up as coats in dry conditions. If you need a jacket you want to stuff into your backpack or travel duffel, pick one that weighs under 500g and comes with a stuff bag or fits into its own pocket. If you’re after a warm jacket for bitterly cold weather and for sports where you’ll be standing still or cooling off for longer periods of time, pick a bulkier insulated jacket.
- Choose a versatile jacket: The best down jackets can be valuable everywhere from the city streets to the summit, and if you think you're going to want to wear it in different environments, make sure it's not too bulky and restrictive for hiking, and consider whether it's a style that you'll want to wear around town. Lots of the best down jackets really look nice these days, so you don't have to sacrifice on style if you don't want to.
- Consider ethics and sustainability: There is an animal welfare issue with the production of some animal down jackets. The cheapest down may be harvested from live animals, a cruel and unnecessary act. You’ll see other down jackets labelled as ‘humanely harvested’, which means the down is a by-product of food production. You can also choose to purchase ethically sourced down (look for the RDS, or Responsible Down Standard, used to denote down obtained from animals that have not been subjected to unnecessary harm).
Julia has been writing about wellness, travel and outdoor adventure for 10 years and has been teaching yoga since 2008. When she’s not writing, you can usually find her on a mountain, heating up in a sauna or recovering on her yoga mat.
Originally from Scotland, she spent nearly 20 years living in the US, where she earned her journalism degree, hosted a radio show, made wine and owned a yoga studio in the Colorado Rockies. She moved home in 2020 and now lives in Glasgow with her partner and two bonus kids.
Her recent adventures include walking several of the UK’s beautiful long-distance trails as well as trekking to Everest Base Camp. She is the author of two books, Restorative Yoga for Beginners and Living in Balance with Maharishi Ayurveda.
