Men’s
L.L.Bean Men’s PrimaLoft Packaway Vest: Testers didn’t like this affordable synthetic-fill vest’s boxy fit—sizes ran large, and the armholes were too big. Although this model was among the most wind-resistant synthetic vests, the fabric wasn’t as soft as on other picks. This L.L.Bean vest does have the best stowaway system of any of the ones we tried: It fits into its own fleecy, labeled stowaway pocket, after which it can be used as a pillow.
Patagonia Men’s Nano Puff Vest: This popular, stylish vest was among the least puffy and least warm models we tested. It didn’t keep out the wind, either. Despite its synthetic design, it wasn’t durable: After six shakes, an insulating fiber popped out of this vest’s seam. Although the Nano Puff fit our testers true to size, some found the torso to be too short and thought the pockets could have been bigger (this vest doesn’t zip into its own pocket). For the price, you have better options.
Stio Men’s Pinion Down Vest: This vest simply didn’t feel as robust as our top picks. The baffles are quite thin, giving the vest less puff. That’s ideal for active adventures when you need flexibility and plan to layer, but it also means you won’t feel as warm when the wind kicks up, since there’s less down in each of the baffle segments. The 800-fill down is RDS-certified. And at a lightweight 8 ounces, this vest packs down small. It also stayed fairly waterproof on drizzly days.
Marmot Men’s Highlander Vest: This 700-fill down vest is not as warm as our top picks, and the hardware—especially the zippers—felt a bit cheap. We found ourselves fighting to get the zipper up and down, and the pockets weren’t as well placed as those on the other vests we tested. Also, the down is not certified as sustainable. The company says the down is specially treated to be “extra water-resistant.” We did find that it performed just fine on water tests, but not any better than the other vests on our list. The fit was also just fine; the Highlander vest ran true to size, and it was possible to layer over and under it. But compared with our picks, this option just isn’t quite as well made, durable, sustainable, or stylish.
Feathered Friends Men’s Eos Down Vest: Feathered Friends has a good reputation when it comes to down products, especially sleeping bags, but we didn’t love the Eos vest. It was incredibly warm—made with 900-fill-power goose down. But the shell fabric was so thin that we could see the down under the surface, and the down tended to move around in clumps because of the wide baffles. The fit of the vest we tried was also huge and boxy, so we found layering to be difficult. However, some online reviewers mentioned that their vests were too small, so we think there may be some irregularity in the sizing. Water also soaked into the nylon shell quickly, so this vest is not a great option for wet days.
Outdoor Research Men’s Coldfront Down Vest: In previous iterations of this guide, we chose the men’s Outdoor Research Transcendent Down as our top pick because it was cozy, stylish, and it fit well and was well designed. The Coldfront replaces the Transcendent Down, and we still think the Coldfront is a decent option. But with its 700-fill count, it’s not as warm as our top pick. And compared with our top-pick, the Patagonia, or the Cotopaxi vest, the Coldfront has wider baffles; that means the down moves around more within the baffles, resulting in spotty warmth. The pockets are less comfortable because of their placement, and the zippers feel cheaper. Also, the men’s Coldfront has neither the stylish look of the women’s model nor the fun colors of the Transcendent Down version. Overall, this is a just-fine option. So since this vest and the Patagonia are fairly comparable in cost, we recommend considering our top pick instead.
Women’s
The North Face Women’s Nuptse Vest: Our testers found the sizing ran large, and the fit was loose on this heavy vest. It was so puffy that it couldn’t fit into its own pockets. Similar to reviewers online, our testers found this vest to be too warm for outdoor exercise. When conditions were cold enough to justify its poofiness, we wanted a jacket instead of a vest.
Andrew Marc Women’s Quilted Vest: This budget synthetic vest felt heavy and plasticky. We also ran into some fit issues: Compared with the sizing of other vests we tried, this vest’s sizing ran much larger, it was boxy, and it tended to bunch. Our medium-size testers felt as if they were “drowning in the collar” of the size S version of this vest. The pockets were too small, with low-quality zippers, and the vest didn’t compress down well, either. It’s also a Costco exclusive, limiting who can buy it.
Lands’ End Ultralight Packable Down Vest: In theory, a vest that reaches to mid-thigh should keep you very warm. But in practice, the fit was off, with bunching and pinching in strange places and an overall boxy construction. The zipper was sticky, and the quality wasn’t up to snuff compared with that of other, similarly priced vests. We do like that this one comes in extended sizing.
Stio Women’s Pinion Down Vest: The biggest difference we found with the Pinion vest was in its baffles. The thin baffles were flexible for active adventures, but that meant we felt a little chillier than we did when wearing our top picks. The Pinion’s outer fabric felt a bit thinner than that of the other vests we tested, too. But it stayed dry enough on windy, wet days. And we appreciated that the vest is made with 800-fill-power, RDS-certified down.
Marmot Women’s Highlander Vest: Like the men’s option, this 700-fill-power down vest simply felt less well made than our top picks. The zippers were tough to move and plasticky, and the pockets weren’t as well placed. The waist flared out in a way that some of our testers found unflattering, and the less-warm down was not certified as sustainable. It performed just fine when sprinkled with water, and it did a decent job of keeping out wind, but we preferred the warmth of our top picks.
Feathered Friends Women’s Eos Down Vest: Despite being highly priced and made with 900-fill-power goose down (the highest fill count of any vest we tested), the Eos vest fell short on fit and consistency. Like the men’s version, the women’s had shell fabric that was so thin, we could see the down under the surface. The fit was also unflattering and wide, which reviewers and testers complained about. “I almost thought they were sending me men’s sizing,” one online reviewer said. Even with many layers underneath, this vest was simply far too large.
