Rab Neutrino Pro - Women's Review

The Rab Neutrino Pro is a fluffy and warm down jacket. It's made with 800-fill hydrophobic European goose down surrounded by 20D recycled Pertex Quantum Pro ripstop nylon. It's cut longer than most, with an exaggerated drop hem, weighs 18.5 ounces, and comes with a drawstring bag to pack it away.

Performance Comparison

Warmth

The Neutrino Pro is an impressively warm yet light and compressible down jacket that's thick, poofy, and feels like wearing a cloud. Years ago, we saw fellow Denali guides sporting the Neutrino at advanced base camp at 14,000 feet and boasting they barely needed their bigger parka. We thought they just had anti-freeze for blood, but now that we've tested it for ourselves, we can see how excellent it truly is. Rab uses high-quality 800-fill hydrophobic European goose down, and a lot of it; this is an exceedingly puffy down jacket, and as we know, more loft means more warmth, especially with high-quality down. It also has larger baffles, which reduces the number of seams where air can leak in, and reduces the pinch points that compress the down, all adding up to more loft and more warmth.

Rab then gets clever with the features. They include a panel inside the abdominal baffles, which helps to reduce the chill from any cold drafts getting through the sewn-through baffle construction. The hood is super puffy and warm, and the back of the jacket is significantly longer, covering a portion of your bum; for our reviewers who identify as women, this is a classically cold body part. The bottom hem has an extra puffy baffle as well, which hermetically (well, almost) seals in the heat when you cinch it tight around your bum. As a bonus feature, the insides of the hand pockets are half-lined with microfleece, helping to warm the backs of your hands. If this jacket isn't warm enough for you, you're likely in the market for a true expedition parka.

Comfort

In addition to being a thick poofy cloud of down to wear, the Neutrino Pro has lots of features that add to its comfort and make it a great fit for most people. It has a huge felt chin guard inside to keep you nice and cozy even when you're truly bundled into the jacket. The sleeve baffles are also sewn in a twisted fashion that moves as you move. This is one of our favorite jackets to wear when we need mobility coupled with warmth.

The Neutrino Pro is highly adjustable. Dual bungees on each side of the hem are strong enough to stay put even as you recreate or play with your dog in the snow. Dual hood bungees let you cinch tight against the wind even if you forgot to bring a beanie. A wide velcro strap on the back adjusts the volume of the hood, which fits easily over a thick beanie with a bobble on top, without being so huge that it swallows your eyes worn over a bare head. A wire-stiffened brim juts off the front, adding further protection. Two large zippered hand pockets and an internal zippered chest pocket give you reasonable space to keep your hands warm and pack a few snacks.

Portability

The Neutrino Pro doesn't top the charts for its weight, but that doesn't tell the whole story. The heavier weight of this jacket comes with the direct benefit of extraordinary warmth, with a whole lot of loft keeping you cozy without weighing you down on your journey. And when you truly need warmth, we think the extra few ounces of the Neutrino Pro are well worth carrying.

The Neutrino Pro also gains some serious points when it comes to compressibility. Its 800-fill down is highly compressible for the impressive warmth it provides, and its Pertex Quantum Pro fabric is impressively light and supple, especially for the durability it brings. It comes with a handy stuff sack to stash the coat when you need to pack it away.

Weather Resistance

When it comes to withstanding the elements, the Neutrino Pro has a lot to offer. With thickly filled baffles that are wider than average, there are fewer weak spots for wind to penetrate this jacket. Additionally, inside the front baffles running up and down your torso, an extra layer of fabric exists to add another barrier against even the stiffest winds.

As for water resistance, the Neutrino Pro's Pertex Quantum Pro exterior has a very thin DWR waterproof coating on an otherwise light and breathable fabric. This will shed a little precipitation, and it will allow moisture to evaporate out easier. Its down is also treated with Nikwax hydrophobic finish, to add a little extra leeway before it gets wet. If you're headed out into truly wet conditions, it also layers easily under a rain jacket or shell.

Breathability

Made to provide warmth in seriously cold conditions, the Neutrino Pro isn't the most breathable option we tested. It lacks any vented areas to more easily expel heat when you're very warm and isn't the jacket we'd recommend for milder climates or even high exertion activities in moderate climates, as you'll likely find yourself too warm.

There is a 2-way zipper, allowing you to unzip it from the bottom for some venting. This can be a very useful feature if you're wearing a backpack and need to dump heat for a few minutes without having to remove your pack. Yet it also isn't our favorite way to vent, as the extra zipper toggle on the bottom can become a nuisance when wearing anything with a hip belt.

Should You Buy the Rab Neutrino Pro?

The Neutrino Pro is a pricey down jacket, depending on your intended uses, but it brings exceptional value. It may be overkill if you live in a mild dry climate and just need something to wear around town or out on light missions. But if you're the type of person who's always cold or you're planning some rugged expeditions to seriously challenging places, it's well worth the investment.

What Other Down Jackets Should You Consider?

The Rab Neutrino Pro is a remarkably warm down jacket that still brings the benefits of being relatively lightweight. To take the next step up in warmth, you'll likely want to look at box-baffled (instead of sewn-through) down parkas for high altitude and polar expeditions. For something nearly as warm that offers more compressibility, a lower weight, and less technical features, check out the Feathered Friends Eos. For a midweight jacket that still performs well across the board but is better suited to moderate climates and more affordable, the Rab Microlight is an excellent choice. At the end of the day, the Neutrino Pro is well thought out, with features that match its intended use and a wise blend of warmth with a focus on low weight and durability. Year after year, it continues to be a favorite of our review team.