There is a wide range of fill qualities when it comes to down jackets, starting with lower quality downs in the 500+ fill and 600+ fill range, all the way up to the very high quality 900+ fill down, and the very rare 950+ fill down. So while an 850 down jacket is not the absolute highest quality, it is a very high number, and will do an excellent job of keeping you warm. But as with any down jacket, there are a few things you need to keep in mind when buying an 850+ fill down jacket.
850 Down Jacket
What look for in an 850 fill down jacket.- Water Resistant – Down, regardless of its quality, is susceptible to getting wet. And when it gets wet it clumps together, and when that happens it stops insulating you, and keeping you warm. So a down jacket with a water resistant exterior will keep the down inside dry, which will in turn keep you warm.
- Hood – One other thing to consider when getting a down jacket, regardless of the quality of the down, is a good. Hoods are often used to keep your head dry, which you wont want to do with a down jacket, but a hood will also keep your head warm, something that a hooded down jacket will do very well.
Best 850 Down Jacket
A few of the best 850 fill down jackets for men or women.Men's 850 Down Jacket
- GoLite Bitterroot 850 Down Jacket - The Bitterroot is an excellent 850 fill down jacket for anything from around town to hitting the mountains. It comes with a hood for keeping your head warm, plus elastic on the face opening and the cuffs, along with a drawcord on the hem, all to help keep the warm air in. It also has a two way zipper, and a few zippered pockets for keeping your fingers warm. The whole thing weighs 13 ounces, or 370 grams, and comes with a durable water repellent finish on the exterior for water resistance.
- Rab Infinity Down Jacket - The Infinity is another 850 fill down jacket ideal for the kind of cold weather you find in the mountains, or anywhere else where the weather can get extreme. The jacket has a hood, plus features like hand warmer pockets that are there to keep your extremities warm when the temperature starts to drop. It even comes with its own stuff sack, so that you can compress it down for easy storage in your backpack when you're not using it. The whole thing weighs 18 ounces, or 510 grams.
Women's 850 Down Jacket
- GoLite Bitterroot 850 Down Jacket - With plenty of 850 fill down, the Bitterroot is ideal for cold weather, whether you're just around town or out in the mountains. The exterior is treated with a durable water repellent finish for water resistance, to keep the down dry, and you warm. It also comes with a hood and a drawcord on the hem, plus two zippered hand pockets, all designed to help keep you warm when the temperature drops. The whole thing weighs 12 ounces, or 340 grams.
- Rab Infinity Down Jacket - Another excellent 850 fill down jacket, ideal for a wide variety of conditions, but mostly when things get cold out. There's plenty of down, and features like a hood and a couple of zippered hand warmer pockets which are all designed to keep you and your extremities warm. One notable feature is a stuff sack, so that you can compress the jacket down when you're not using it, so that it doesn't fill up your whole backpack. It weighs 14 ounces, which is 396 grams.
