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Feathered Friends Eos - Women's Review

A very soft, poofy jacket that's filled with high-quality ultra-warm down and offers great everyday warmth in even the coldest climates
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feathered friends eos for women down jacket review
Credit: Feathered Friends
Price:  $409 List
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Manufacturer:   Feathered Friends
By Maggie Nichols ⋅ Senior Review Editor  ⋅  Feb 6, 2023
76
OVERALL
SCORE


RANKED
#2 of 12
  • Warmth - 30% 8.5
  • Comfort - 25% 9.0
  • Portability - 20% 8.0
  • Weather Resistance - 15% 5.5
  • Breathability - 10% 4.0

Our Verdict

The Feathered Friends Eos brings the warmth of those first rays of sunlight every time we put it on. We loved wearing this jacket after the sunset in the mountains, on the short cold days of fall in the desert, and especially on crisp mornings on the coast. It feels like your favorite sweatshirt but is as light as a cloud and an eager companion in cold conditions. The 900+ fill down is remarkably lightweight, and there's quite a bit of loft, making it one of the warmest jackets in this review without feeling too bulky — and it still compresses small enough to compete with the smaller jackets in this review. Compare it to top competitors in our review of the best women's down jacket.
REASONS TO BUY
Very warm
Super lightweight
Highly compressible
Versatile
Great coverage
Cozy and fluffy
High quality down
Good wind resistance
REASONS TO AVOID
Harder to layer under a shell
Lacks specific-use features
Can see down through light colors
Editor's Note: We retested the updated version of this jacket and updated this article with our findings on February 6, 2023.

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Bottom Line A thick and very soft puffy jacket with top-notch down that's one of the warmest models we tested, and proved itself excellent for everyday wearA very warm coat with an exceptionally mobile fit, top-notch adjustability, and an absolute pillow of coziness to wearA durable, weatherproof coat that has a built-in outer shell, offering great warmth and exceptional coverageWe continue to love this hoody for its durability and versatility in our quiver of mountain apparelA solid and reasonably warm puffy that's more affordable but does come with some flaws
Rating Categories Feathered Friends Eos Rab Neutrino Pro -... Rab Valiance Hoody... Rab Microlight Alpine REI Co-op 650 2.0
Warmth (30%)
8.5
9.5
9.0
7.0
4.5
Comfort (25%)
9.0
9.0
8.0
7.0
4.5
Portability (20%)
8.0
6.5
4.5
6.0
7.0
Weather Resistance (15%)
5.5
6.0
9.5
6.5
4.5
Breathability (10%)
4.0
5.0
3.0
6.0
5.0
Specs Feathered Friends Eos Rab Neutrino Pro -... Rab Valiance Hoody... Rab Microlight Alpine REI Co-op 650 2.0
Down Fill 900+ fill down 800FP European Goose Down, hydrophobic Nikwax 700FP Recycled Down, Nikwax hydrophobic Recycled 700 fill power down 650 fill goose down; Responsible Down Standard certified
Outer Fabric Pertex Quantum brushed ripstop nylon with DWR 20D recycled Pertex Quantum Pro, ripstop 30D Pertex Shield 2L, ripstop, fully taped, DWR finish Recycled 30D nylon Pertex Quantum ripstop, DWR finish Recycled nylon taffeta, DWR finish
Weight, size small (ounces) 10.3 oz 18.5 oz 21.9 oz 13.5 oz 9.9 oz
Hem Type Drop hem (small) Drop hem (large) Drop hem (large) Drop hem (large) Drop hem (small); hip length
Fit "Women's" Regular Regular Active Standard
Pockets 3; 2 zippered hand, 1 external zippered chest 3; 2 zippered hand, 1 internal zippered chest 3; 2 zippered hand, 1 internal zippered chest 3; 2 zippered hand, 1 external zippered chest 4; 2 zippered hand, 2 internal slip
Hood Yes Yes Yes Yes No
Cuff Construction Lycra (elastic) Elastic and velcro Velcro; longer on backs of hands Elastic (overhanging baffle) Elastic
Adjustment Points Dual hem bungees, dual hood bungees Dual hem bungees, dual hood bungees, velcro back-of-hood, velcro cuffs Dual hem bungees, dual hood bungees, single back-of-hood bungee, velcro cuffs Dual hem bungees, dual hood bungees Dual hem bungees
Stow Option Stuff sack included (drawstring) + carabiner loop Stuff sack included (drawstring) + carabiner loop Stuff sack (roll-top) + carabiner loop Stuff sack included (drawstring) + carabiner loop Packs into hand pocket
Other Notable Features N/A Helmet-compatible hood, 2-way zipper, wire-stiffened projected hood brim, twisted sleeve baffles for greater mobility, felt chin guard, large velcro loop at nape of neck Waterproof exterior, fully-taped seams, first cuff baffle and hood are filled with synthetic insulation, wire-stiffened projected hood brim, water-resistant hand pocket zippers, felt chin guard Felt chin guard, wire-stiffened projected hood brim N/A

Our Analysis and Test Results

The Feathered Friends Eos is a phenomenally light and compressible down jacket boasting high-quality 900+ fill down with an exterior of Pertex Quantum brushed ripstop nylon with a DWR finish. It has a longer torso with a small drop hem, weighs just 10.3 ounces, and comes with a drawstring stuff sack to carry it in.

Performance Comparison


feathered friends eos for women down jacket review - we love the cloudlike comfort and supreme warmth of the eos.
We love the cloudlike comfort and supreme warmth of the Eos.
Credit: Maggie Nichols


Warmth


If you're on the hunt for a very warm down jacket, the Feathered Friends Eos is an excellent option. It's filled thickly with high quality, 900+ fill down, making it soft and cozy to wear. It's right at the top of the pack of exceptional jackets we tested when it comes to sheer thickness and the ability to keep us warm. It has a fixed, low-profile hood with dual bungees to cinch down in cold weather. The elastic cuffs are functionally tight, preventing cold wind from whipping up your sleeve.


With a slightly longer than average torso and dual hem bungees, the Eos provides great coverage. Its hem drops slightly in the back for added coverage while you move. There's enough room inside to add extra layers without being so oversized that we were cold without them. Though the sewn-through baffles don't have any additional layers behind them, they're well-filled and wider than most, adding warmth. The Eos lacks some of the technical features of other jackets (like sleeves designed for mobility or a helmet-compatible hood), but it is thick and adjustable in all the right places to keep you warm during everyday outings.

feathered friends eos for women down jacket review - filled with 900+ fill power down and with the ability to be cinched...
Filled with 900+ fill power down and with the ability to be cinched tight against the cold, the thick Eos is a joy to wear on snowy days.
Credit: Maggie Nichols


Comfort


The soft swishy exterior of the Eos, combined with its extremely soft high-quality down filling, makes it one of the most comfortable jackets we tested. It easily slides over even the grippiest fleece layers and can be worn under a shell in wet conditions. Long sleeves helped to keep the wrists of our long-armed main tester warm, while the elastic cuff bands kept them from falling down over the hands of shorter-armed testers. With a long torso and not much curvature sewn into this "women's fit" jacket, ladies with wider hips may want to size up to be able to pull it down over their bums for maximum comfort and warmth.


If you're after a jacket to go on technical adventures that involve a lot of movement or wearing a helmet, the Eos likely doesn't have quite the right suite of features for you. It lacks the raglan sleeves or helmet-compatible hood of many other models. We found it to still offer solid coverage for most of our testing team though, simply because of its longer torso and sleeves. It has the classic pocket combination: 2 hand and 1 chest, all zippered, and all accessible on the outside of the jacket. The Eos is a coat we love to wear for most everyday activities when we want to be covered and cozy.

feathered friends eos for women down jacket review - the updated eos comes with an external chest pocket.
The updated Eos comes with an external chest pocket.
Credit: Maggie Nichols


Portability


Weighing 10.3 ounces, the Feathered Friends Eos is exceptionally light for how much warmth and coverage it provides. The only jackets that weigh less sacrifice a significant amount of thickness and warmth — and sometimes even less coverage, with a shorter torso or lack of a hood. For those not counting ounces as they hang their jacket back in the closet each day, the Eos even feels light. For the poofiness and coverage offered, we'd expect this jacket to feel much heavier than it actually does.


The Eos comes with a small stuff sack with a drawstring top, rather than packing into its own pocket. We found it very easy to get the whole jacket into its bag without straining. Once packed up, it's a rather small package to stick in your suitcase or backpack until you need it next. No room in your bag? No problem! The packed-up Eos also has a wide handle across the bottom circular end, allowing you to easily clip or tie it to the outside of your bag.

feathered friends eos for women down jacket review - though its one of the warmest jackets we tested, it's impressively...
Though its one of the warmest jackets we tested, it's impressively light and compacts easily.
Credit: Maggie Nichols


Weather Resistance


Up against the elements, the Eos does about as you'd expect. The wide, extra-thick baffles effectively kept us warm in cold winter winds. However, they are sewn through and could prove to be a weak point after much wear and tear. All the cinching points add a lot to this jacket's weather resistance, allowing you to seal the bottom and hood closed against the cold. The only downside here that we could find is that the hood toggles aren't attached to the fabric of the jacket like many of its competitors, and they require two hands to operate.


With an exterior made of Pertex Quantum ripstop nylon and treated with DWR, the Eos does a solid job repelling light precipitation during our testing. Of course, over time, any DWR coating needs to be reapplied as it wears away. And though we didn't have any issues with water leakage during our testing, the exterior fabric of the Eos is so thin (we can clearly see the down through the yellow model we tested), that we worry about it maintaining its integrity and protective powers after years of regular wear. Still, we had no actual issues with its weather resistance.

feathered friends eos for women down jacket review - wider baffles help keep you warm in the wind and a dwr finish adds...
Wider baffles help keep you warm in the wind and a DWR finish adds some protection from light precipitation.
Credit: Maggie Nichols


Breathability


As you might expect for a very warm puffy jacket, the Eos isn't the most breathable. It lacks any features like vents, breathable uninsulated portions, or two-way zippers that would help dump excess heat when you need it.


Of course, you can simply unzip the main zipper of the Eos if you really need to. But in general, this jacket is designed to keep you warm during low-intensity activities — like running errands and walking the dog. If you're hoping to do some strenuous hiking or climbing in your puffy, we'd recommend a model with better breathability and less warmth.

feathered friends eos for women down jacket review - the warm eos isn't the most breathable jacket we tested, lacking in...
The warm Eos isn't the most breathable jacket we tested, lacking in any additional features to help on high output adventures.
Credit: Maggie Nichols


Should You Buy the Feathered Friends Eos?


The Eos is an excellent down jacket if you're always cold in your everyday outings. It's warm, comfortable, soft, lightweight, and has plenty of coverage, making it one of our favorites to wear wandering around town. We love throwing it on all winter as we head to the store for groceries, walk the dog around the neighborhood, or to enjoy being outside without being cold. If you want a midweight puffy, or one that's built for intense adventuring, the Eos is probably not the one for you. But if you want one of the softest, warmest, most comfortable down jackets we've had the pleasure to test, the Eos is our top pick.

feathered friends eos for women down jacket review - though it's rather poofy, we were able to layer the eos under a...
Though it's rather poofy, we were able to layer the Eos under a shell for added wind and water protection.
Credit: Maggie Nichols


What Other Down Jackets Should You Consider?


The Feathered Friends Eos is an excellent warm, cozy down jacket made with high-quality down to keep working for years. If you're after a cozy, warm jacket with some extra technical features that can take you up epic mountains and rock faces, consider the Rab Neutrino Pro. If you like the concept of a great puffy jacket for everyday wear, but need to stick to a less inflated budget, the Rab Microlight Alpine is an excellent midweight coat that costs significantly less.

feathered friends eos for women down jacket review - winters around tahoe are much warmer in the eos.
Winters around Tahoe are much warmer in the Eos.
Credit: Maggie Nichols

Maggie Nichols