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To compare two down comforters, simply multiply the cuin by the amount of down (not the weight of the down jacket).
In both cases, the down jackets are as warm as each other, but the second one is lighter and more compressible. We talk about warmth index in the tests of down jackets and sleeping bags. Obviously, the better the feather, the more expensive the down jacket.
There are 3 categories of down jackets:
The competition is serious among manufacturers of synthetic insulation. All of them have their own technologies and innovations, and all of them claim to have unequalled properties. However, there are manufacturers of great renown in synthetic insulation such as Primaloft or Polartec (made from recycled plastic bottles)
COMPARISON TABLE BETWEEN DOWN AND SYNTHETIC DOWN JACKETS
Advantages |
Disadvantages |
|
Down |
High warmth to weight ratio Very compressible Very light Comfortable, cozy Longer life than synthetic More breathable than synthetic High price (depending on the quality of the down) |
Loses its insulating capacity when wet, and dries with difficulty More expensive than synthetic Feather leaks when the outer fabric is torn Is taken from animals - prefer labelled down |
Synthetic |
More economical Retains some of its insulating qualities even when wet Dries more quickly In case of tear, the filling remains Easier to care for and wash than down jackets. |
Lower warmth to weight ratio Not as compressible Not as durable Less breathable than down (except for certain types of synthetic) |
The choice of outer fabric:
You have finally invested in the down jacket of your dreams and you want to maintain it as well as possible so that it lasts as long as possible. Not easy to maintain a down jacket. Do not hesitate to wash your down once a year. This will reactivate the loft and waterproofing of your down jacket. Alpinstore gives you some advice.