Choosing a good down jacket: some tips

The most comfortable modern outerwear for the cold season is a down jacket.
It is distinguished by its lightness, good ability to protect from cold wind and precipitation, and at the same time it can be very stylish and attractive in appearance. No wonder down jackets are so popular today. To choose a good down jacket, it is important to pay attention not only to its appearance. Other characteristics of this wardrobe item are no less important. One of the main indicators of the quality of a down jacket is its filler. It comes in different types. Its artificial variants are the most popular: holofiber, Isosoft and tinsulate. When buying a down jacket, it is very important to pay attention not only to the type of filler, but also to its density: the higher it is, the better the down jacket will protect against cold and wind. The ability of a down jacket to retain heat also depends on a thin membrane glued to the fabric, which removes sweat without letting moisture in.

There are only 2 types of membranes.
The first is a thin film, which is strengthened by lamination and soldered to the down jacket from its wrong side. The second type of membrane is impregnation, it is created by impregnating the upper fabric with a special hot solution, after which a membrane forms on the outside of the down jacket. Both the first and second types of membranes work on the same principle, passing small droplets of sweat and retaining large particles of snow or raindrops. It should be borne in mind that today you can find down jackets with two membrane systems on sale:

1. Sympatex (Sympatex). Such membranes are made of polymers, they do not have pores, but they can remove sweat due to the difference in pressure outside and inside the fabric. A down jacket made according to this system can be worn during rain.

2. Gore-tex - Teflon product. Such a coating has a porous structure, it breathes, but it does not let water and dirt through, it perfectly protects from wind. But in rainy weather, you should not wear such a down jacket: the pores of the membranes can become clogged from this. Another disadvantage of gore-tex is the need to wash it more often.

In general, all down jackets made using membrane technology need special care. Store such things in a case, and wash them only in a special powder without soaking. If these rules are not followed, the coating will be damaged and lose its effectiveness.