Eddie Bauer Men's Evertherm Down Hooded Jacket

Field Notes:

Testers agreed that the EverTherm was the most comfortable down jacket that we tested this year. Against the skin, the quilt-free fabric is a dream. The revolution of the EverTherm, however, comes in the Thindown technology, which uses diaphanous down sheets as opposed to traditional down baffles to spread warmth evenly across the entirety of the jacket. Indeed, our testers confirmed that cold spots were few and far between.

Pros:

This is the least puffy puffy in this buyer’s guide. The previous sentence is not a typo—the jacket just doesn’t have that much loft to it. For outdoor lovers who don’t vibe with the bulky, baffled build of the traditional puffy, Eddie Bauer’s designed a welcome alternative. Testers found the StormRepel Duper DWR-treated nylon fabric beat back water well, as it shed light rain without compromising warmth.

Cons:

The EverTherm isn’t as warm as some of the thicker, baffled puffies in this buyer’s guide, and while there weren’t “cold spots,” testers found themselves craving heartier, heavier down in winter conditions.

Favorite Feature:

The inner lining of the fabric—it’s unreal against the skin. Testers also loved the style of a non-baffled puffy jacket, as it somehow seems a little more formal than your average puffy jacket and consequently more suitable for wearing to a 9-to-5.

Tester Quote:

“I appreciated the style and innovation of this piece. I’d love to see Eddie Bauer continue pushing to see how much warmer they could take the tech.”