Gear Review: First Ascent Downlight Sweater Down Jacket
This puffy is perfect as a midlayer for skiing or a springtime camp coat–and comes in a wide variety of sizes.
Best All-Around
“This ultra-ultralight insulator nails the essentials: high draftproof collar, grapefruit-size packability, roomy zipped pockets, and light rain resistance–without layering on doodads that add weight or bulk,” said one tester.
With 800-fill down stuffed into a silky DWR-coated polyester shell, the Downlight worked perfectly as a midlayer during ski season in Vermont and as a springtime camp coat in Colorado. But what really sets it apart is the fit and vast size range, for both men and women. The men’s tall had our 6’6″ editor-in-chief gushing, “Hands-down the best-fitting puffy I’ve ever worn.” $169; 9 oz.; men’s S-XXL and tall M-XXL; women’s S-XXL, tall M-XXL, and petite XS-XL; firstascent.com.