Patagonia Down With It Parka Review

Performance Comparison

Warmth

Standing around in 17-degree weather to watch the sunrise in Vermont, our lead tester felt toasty warm. This jacket isn't the warmest we tested, but we expect it to help you manage any temperatures above zero with ease. The sleeves don't have an internal cuff, which is unusual for a winter parka, but they are puffy enough to limit any drafts.

The generously sized, three-panel, insulated hood offers plenty of coverage while staying well out of the way of your eye line. It juts out just enough to cut the wind around your face, and you can cinch it down to keep cold air out. But with truly frigid temps or blustery winds, we would appreciate a fur ruff. The high collar is soft and wide enough to comfortably accommodate your chin to keep more of your face warm.

Weather Resistance

While this jacket's recycled polyester fabric is treated with a DWR coating, it didn't perform as well in the shower test as similar fabrics. Water did bead up and roll off for the most part, but it began seeping deeper into the material faster than the top-performing jackets. The Down With It definitely does not stand up to one of the best women's rain jackets in this sense. It felt more waterlogged at the end of the test and took longer to dry as well.

We appreciate the snapped flap that covers the zipper. It made sure that no water snuck in through the front. Unfortunately, the hood is a bit too shallow to save your face from the faucet, the rain, or snow. It did provide enough protection to keep water from running down the collar and into your coat, which we can't say of all the jackets we tested.

While we certainly expect this jacket to shrug-off dry snowfall, it's not your best bet for long walks in the dreaded wintery mix. It does cut wind well.

Style

The "chevron-inspired" baffle angles and vertical seams do a lot to slim down this knee-length puffy parka. The effect works well with the fabric's satin finish to give you a hint of luxe. The cut creates some subtle shaping as well. The proportions are pleasing, and various colors help you tailor the look to your liking. The overall effect is flattering; the jacket looks warm and cozy without adding too much bulk to your silhouette.

Comfort

We feel plenty cozy and warm when wearing the Down With It Parka, which always helps the comfort factor. Thanks to a smooth inner lining, the jacket easily slides over layers thanks to a smooth inner lining. Weighing in at 2.2 pounds, it feels quite light and never cumbersome. The cut is generous enough, giving us just enough room in the shoulders to feel unrestricted with a medium-weight base layer. If you love thick sweaters, you may want to size up.

The fleece lining inside the collar is soft against your cheeks and chin, and the cut gives you enough room to tuck your chin inside the coat. We love how protected and comfy we feel with the hood pulled on, and the collar zipped up.

There are also two snaps on either side of the jacket along the hem. They let us keep our normal stride without unzipping the bottom of the coat to let cold air blow inside.

Durability

We never had durability issues with this jacket during several months of testing and didn't see any feathers escaping from the seams. The polyester fabric feels sturdy, but the coat is covered with exposed seams that could snag over time.

DWR coatings also tend to wear off over time. So you may need to reapply a layer to this jacket at some point. The chemicals tend to be quite toxic, so be careful how you handle them. The other common weak point among the tested jackets is the zipper. However, that was not the case with the Down With It, which has a zipper that appears to work perfectly.

Features

There are two zippered hand warming pockets that tuck behind the down insulation and are lined with microfleece on both sides. They keep our hands cozy and are large enough to fit a phone. There is also an interior pocket with a zipper for storing valuables.

You can easily detach or reattach the hood with snaps. There is no fur ruff, and we'd like one, but it works well enough without it.

Should You Buy the Patagonia Down With It Parka?

Even though the Patagonia Down With It Parka didn't win any awards, we were impressed by its cold-weather performance, style, and attention to comforting details. It will round out your jacket collection and fit right in with a variety of settings, from woodsy walks to city strolls. If you want an easy-to-wear and reasonably priced winter jacket made using practices that consider the well-being of people and the planet, this could be the pick for you.

What Other Winter Jackets Should You Consider?

This jacket is a pretty darn good deal. It's not the warmest but will do the trick in most climates. It's nice-looking, reasonably durable, and is one of the most responsibly produced coats tested. However, it fell below average for the pack of jackets we tested, and we believe there are better options out there. If you are looking for a jacket in this price range, the Rab Deep Cover Parka has a much higher warmth rating, a fur ruff on the hood, and an above-average rank in our review. If you are willing to spend slightly more, the Outdoor Research Coze Down Parka is one of our top-scoring jackets in this review and earned top marks in most metrics.