REI Co-op Stormhenge Down Hybrid Parka Review

This inexpensive parka is loaded with high-quality materials and construction details that help it perform nearly as well as much more expensive options at a fraction of the price.

Performance Comparison

The REI Stormhenge Down Hybrid Parka is a warm and weather-proof parka with good features and comfort at an affordable price.

Photo: Sam Willits

Warmth

The REI Co-op Stormhenge Down Hybrid Parka is packed with 850-fill power down insulation, which is very high quality down for a jacket in this price range. These feathers puff up dramatically and keep the jacket lofty and thick, providing good warmth at a low weight and bulk. Overall, the jacket is warm enough for most winter days, but during the coldest snaps, you'll want a little more warmth.

The hood is roomy enough to keep the entire head warm, and we also appreciate fine details including an insulated neck rib and stretchy wrist gaiters with thumb loops. Both of these features act together to seal warm air into the torso area and prevent heat from escaping out of the neck or wrists. The long hem protrudes over the lower body, helping you stay warm all over. In general, this is a warm jacket, but there are warmer options on the market.

The Stormhenge Parka packs lots of 850-fill power down underneath a waterproof shell to create a relatively warm winter jacket for most days of the winter.

Photo: Sam Willits

Weather Resistance

Parkas are relied upon to provide all of the weather resistance needed during brutal winter storms, which can be windy, snowy, and wet. The Stormhenge uses a proprietary waterproof and breathable shell fabric that does a good job at keeping water out, and it is also very effective at preventing wind from penetrating the torso area. The roomy hood has drawstrings on either side of the face to seal out the worst winter weather, and the wrist gaskets help prevent drafts. The long hem has two adjustable drawcords to seal the parka from the bottom.

Down insulation is warm, light, and very packable, but it also can lose its loft and its warmth when it gets wet. While the outer shell fabric and front zipper are completely waterproof, the pocket zippers aren't, which allows water an entry point into the down insulation. While it would take a tremendous downpour for the pocket zippers to soak through, we made note of this hole in the armor.

The Stormhenge's hood is large enough to seal out most of the winter elements.

Photo: Sam Willits

Comfort

The REI Stormhenge Down Hybrid Parka is a moderately comfortable jacket to wear. The thin inner lining fabric is made of nylon, which gives the garment a technical feel, and the insulated neck rib is cozy. We also like the stretchy wrist gaiters and fleece-lined handwarmer pockets.

The cut of the jacket is boxy, which means that the garment doesn't always closely match the contours of the human body. While this is a common fit pattern for winter jackets, we don't like the feel of a garment that is loosely draped over our bodies. We think the most comfortable jackets have more sophisticated tailoring. Also, the fleece chin protector patch is a nice touch, but it needs to be larger to be effective.

Elastic wrist gaskets seal out cold and wet weather.

Photo: Sam Willits

Style

The Stormhenge Parka has an unremarkable style due to its boxy, straight cut and limited color options. Sometimes, loose-fitting garments can be stylish, but they have to be overtly urban-focused. This jacket looks more like a technical piece, with puffy insulation and a waterproof shell, but the cut is more reminiscent of more casual urban-styled jackets. The result is a garment who's style doesn't really fit in to any situation perfectly.

That said, some users will certainly like an understated style. This jacket blends in with the crowd and probably won't win any fashion contests, but it won't lose any either. If you're looking for a jacket that can be worn in a wide variety of situations, or if you don't want to take any fashion risks, this is a good option.

The Stormhenge has decent styling and a neutral fit.

Photo: Sam Willits

Features

The REI Stormhenge Down Hybrid Parka has a decent set of features that make winter living easier. The two handwarmer pockets are large and easy to access, and are also lined with fleece on both sides of the hand. There is also one external chest pocket and one internal zippered chest pocket, but they are placed directly on top of each other and are thus less useful, because it's uncomfortable to store items in both of them at the same time.

The jacket also has two internal stash pockets made of thin nylon fabric, which are useful for storing gloves, hats, scarves, and other winter accessories. The hood isn't removable, but there is a high collar that adds warmth and style when the jacket is worn with the hood down. Overall, the Stormhenge's features are useful and thoughtful.

The REI Stormhenge has some great features, including two internal stash pockets and one internal zippered chest pocket.

Photo: sam willits

Durability

We had no problems with durability during the test period of the Stormhenge. The outer shell fabric is thick enough to slide easily over sharp objects without being torn, and the front zipper is surrounded by thicker shell material to prevent the thin inner lining fabric from getting caught in the zipper.

The pocket zippers have much smaller teeth than the front zipper, and the hood drawstring is very thin. These seem like the most obvious weak points in the jacket, but again, we didn't have any problems with them during our testing. Down insulation lasts a long time if treated properly, leading us to think that this parka will have a long lifespan.

The Stormhenge Hybrid's external shell fabric is stiff enough to slide across rough surfaces, but it isn't as tough as other options on the market.

Photo: Sam Willits

Value

The Stormhenge Parka performs well across the board, often swinging well above its weight. It combines high quality insulation with thoughtful design details to produce a jacket that offers great winter weather performance at a price that is much lower than similarly-performing garments. Given the expected lifespan of the jacket and high-end design details, this jacket is an excellent value, winning our Best Buy award.

Conclusion

The REI Co-op Stormhenge Down Hybrid Parka offers great warmth and weather resistance that stands up to winter's wrath, for an attractive price, winning our Best Buy award for winter jackets. Most importantly, it combines all of the necessary components of an effective winter jacket. It lacks the style or refined tailoring of more expensive jackets, and the cut could be more comfortable, but it does everything that it should, and is affordable to boot. If you need a good winter jacket but don't want to spend very much to get it, this is the jacket for you.

The REI Stormhenge is a warm, weather resistant, and fully-featured winter jacket at a great price.

Photo: Sam Willits