View Full Version : Budget Down Jackets
left52side
03-10-2016, 14:55
Just curious if anyone has any experience with any of the budget down jackets sold on amazon such as hawk and company , 32 degrees by weatherproof and etc.
I have A down jacket now but it is pretty worn out and ity is bright red,was thinking about picking one of these off brands up but was curious if anyone had experience with them.
Gambit McCrae
03-10-2016, 15:08
In my opinion ya get what you pay for. I have always used First ascent, OR, Arcteryx, Sherpa, WM, Montbell...Always had better luck with things I spent good money on.
dudeijuststarted
03-10-2016, 15:11
I got an OR down jacket from Amazon for about $100. It was not very effective.
soumodeler
03-10-2016, 15:27
You get what you pay for applies here for sure. I upgraded my off brand down parka to a MontBell Alpine Light and was amazed at the difference in warmth (and weight). I would save up and find a name brand one on sale somewhere.
jbmundy87
03-10-2016, 15:33
I found a mountain hardwear ghost whisperer on backcountrygear.com for 160ish. it was last years model. That may be an option for trying to find a reputable brand for fairly cheap.
Casey & Gina
03-10-2016, 15:56
Borah Gear is a pretty good option for lower-cost but still quality down garments.
Starchild
03-10-2016, 16:15
I was gifted a off brand down jacket. I have a top of the line ul one already. What I found is 1: new one is not as warm, maybe good to 20F, while the other one is good to the single digits, 2: the new one is lighter IIRC 12 oz compared to 17 oz, 3: no cell phone pocket on the new one ( that one over your heart with that vertical zipper), sort of annoying. 4: reverse zipper, after using it for a while I got used to it but would rather have the standard (male) zipper. Overall I use it for most of my hikes that need a down jacket as it is lighter and I usually don't wear it most of the time while hiking, but when I need it I need it.
capehiker
03-10-2016, 16:58
Borah Gear is a pretty good option for lower-cost but still quality down garments.
I have a Borah Gear down jacket and would not call that cheap at $169.00
OP: Look into Uniqlo UL down jackets. I have two kinds that I've put through the wringer the past two years and they look and perform like they're brand new.
Casey & Gina
03-10-2016, 17:00
I have a Borah Gear down jacket and would not call that cheap at $169.00
A lot less than Patagonia!
The Kisco Kid
03-10-2016, 17:16
I think the key thing is to look for is the down fill rating: Anything 800+ is good (Fill rating is how many sq inches an ounce of down will occupy.) That's were you get the best warmth to weight ratio. Anything below that and you are better off going with a synthetic as the weight ratio would be similar but cost much less.
Maui Rhino
03-10-2016, 17:56
I went to REI last week, and found a Patagonia 800 fill UL Down Jacket in the Clearance rack. $299 regular, marked down to $148. Then the clearance sale got me an additional 25% off... $121 out the door. There was very limited selections in size or color, but if you are flexible, you might find something for you. They also had other brands on sale as well.
cneill13
03-10-2016, 18:33
I bought a Hawk down sweater (really a jacket) off eBay for $37 delivered in December . The zipper is "tender" to say the least.
But it is incredibly warm. My only worry is that the zipper blows out when out on the trail. But at the price I'll sew it shut with dental floss and then throw it away when I get home
An eBay auction tip. If you wait until right before the auction ends (20 seconds) and then bid $5 over the current bid, you can likely buy this jacket at a very good price.
Make sure you use a highly recommended eBay seller (95 percent or better) customer approval rating.
Carl
LLBean has one on sale (red only) for $79. I have an older version Bean down jacket that I got years ago for $69 and it has served me well. I don't use it extensively, and it doesn't pack extremely small, but has been serviceable.
http://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/88171?feat=512919-GN2&page=trail-model-down-jacket
Feral Bill
03-11-2016, 01:29
I recently retired a Gerry (remember Gerry?) down jacket bought around 1971 for $60. Probably $300+ in 2016 money. It still functions pretty well. Quality pays, long term.