Outdoor Research Helium Down Hoodie Review

There's nothing worse than a wet down jacket, which loses its loft and ability to retain heat. Fortunately, the Outdoor Research Helium Hoodie is far more moisture resilient than most of its competition.

Warmth

While the Helium Hoodie boasts 800+ fill power down, it doesn't have as high of fill weight as other jackets. With less down, this is a decent layer for spring, summer nights in the mountains, and fall, but you'll likely need another coat over the Helium in truly cold environments.

The Helium is a unique layer as weather-resistant insulation, but it's best to use it as part of a layering system, depending on the climate of your town or next adventure. Everybody's heat retention needs are different, but across our review panel, we agreed temperatures in the mid-30s and 40s were best if you're using the Helium by itself. For summer backpacking trips, this was all we needed in more temperate climates like the Sierra Nevada, especially when wearing a fleece underneath it. In chillier environments, we felt under-gunned wearing only this layer, but it made for a great mid-layer.

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Comfort

The Helium Hooded is made with 100% nylon, which is fairly soft and inviting against the skin. Outdoor Research has become increasingly effective at creating slimmer-cut jackets that don't encumber movement, and they've done it again with the Helium. While we tested cozier coats, we think this is a jacket you'll be happy to wear all day.

As a relatively technical layer that's designed to handle a wide variety of activities, from casual around-town strolls to ice climbing, the Helium is a jacket that moves with you. It has smaller baffle compartments and offers decent coverage even with arms overhead or in a twisted position, with only about two inches of hem raise when you lift your arms over your head. There's an easily adjustable shock cord for adjusting the hem and hood for retaining heat or adjusting the fit.

Portability

The Helium's reinforced fabric that improves its weather resistance also made it quite a bit heavier. While there are others in the review's lineup that weigh even more, they generally offered more warmth than the Helium.

Coming in at 14.1 ounces, the Helium is certainly not what we'd suggest to the backpacker or thru-hiker who cuts their toothbrush in half to save a few grams. However, it was easy to pack into bags of all sizes, whether using a stuff sack or just cramming the Helium into the empty space around harder items, like a stove and tent. If you want weather resistance from your down layers, assume it'll cost you at least a few ounces of weight in the bag compared to the ultralight competition.

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Weather Resistance

This is where the Helium Down Hoodie shined the brightest, boasting excellent moisture repellency for a down jacket. It is crucial to note that this should not replace a shell jacket, especially with rain in the forecast, but for friendlier rain or snow events, you're much more likely to stay dry in the Helium.

There are two ways the Helium achieves its weather resistance. Most noticeably, Outdoor Research used Pertex Diamond Fuse fabric across the areas most likely to get wet: the shoulders and hood. We repeatedly tested this fabric in both lab and real-world settings, and found it to bead and repel water reliably.

The next way the Helium gets its weather resistance is by utilizing a hydrophobic treatment for its down. This was found in many down jackets and has become somewhat of a standard for what our testers want to see in a top-shelf option.

Breathability

While the burlier fabric in the hood and shoulders was far less breathable, we found the Helium to still keep us from overheating too much, especially if we kept the hood off. If you're needing insulation for on-the-go applications, this might not be our first pick, but it'll keep you from wetting out from the inside too badly.

We largely attribute the breathability of the Helium to its fairly modest fill weight — it's simply not that warm of a jacket. The water-resistant shell fabric hampers its breathability a bit, but not much of our heat escapes through the shoulders typically, anyway. In cold temperatures, we could hike steadily uphill for at least 30-45 minutes before shedding this layer, and during more moderate output, we were able to keep this layer on the entire time.

Should You Buy the Outdoor Research Helium Down Hoodie?

This is a uniquely worthy opponent to lighter storms, allowing you to skip a layer change. While this should never replace your hard shell or rain jacket, it's a relatively all-weather layer not commonly seen in the down jacket category. If you're needing the lightest option, or the warmest, the Helium isn't a primary recommendation, but it's a highly capable layer that offers all-day comfort.

What Other Down Jackets Should You Consider?