REASONS TO BUY
Sustainably made
Colorful options
Lightweight
Wide range of sizes
REASONS TO AVOID
Not the warmest
Water soaks into seams
Plus sizes have limited color options
Cotopaxi Fuego Hooded - Women's Review
A comfortable and packable jacket, available in a range of sizes and bold colors
Credit: Sara James
By Sara James ⋅ Review Editor ⋅ October 24, 2025
Contributions From: Maggie Nichols
RELATED: The Best Down Jacket for Women
Our Verdict
The Cotopaxi Fuego Hooded is a mid-weight down jacket with a loose, square-shaped fit and available in a range of bright, patterned colors. It has recently been updated with a longer torso length and extra width for layering. It didn't win any awards, but there's a lot we like about this warm, comfortable, and versatile jacket. Stuffed with ethically sourced 800-fill hydrophobic down, it maintains a reasonable weight and packs conveniently into its own pocket. Its boxy shape makes it easy to stack even over a thick mid-layer, and soft, elastic cuffs and hood rim add comfort to this simple jacket. Our testing team digs the cool, patterned vibe, easy fit, and the inclusive range of sizes.
Our Analysis and Test Results
The Cotopaxi Fuego Hooded down jacket has a 90/10 blend of 800-fill power responsibly sourced down, and an exterior of 20D ripstop recycled nylon with an eco-friendly DWR finish. The updated version has a slightly longer torso than previous designs, but it still has a straight hem and an overall boxy cut. It weighs 11.7 ounces (size large) and stuffs into its interior zippered pocket.
A cozy, casual down jacket that shines in everyday use but isn't designed for demanding conditions.
Credit: Sara James
Warmth
The Fuego uses 800-fill power down encased in a 20-denier nylon shell, with small to medium-width baffles that hold a moderate amount of insulation. While this design keeps weight and bulk down, it isn't as generously filled as some competitors, which limits its overall warmth. The updated design has a slightly longer torso; however, it still lacks a drop hem to keep your bottom warm on exceptionally cold or stormy days. Dually adjustable hem cords can be cinched tight in a stiff breeze, and the cuffs and hood both feature soft elastic rims that are very comfortable, but can't be adjusted. We like wearing this coat around town and hanging out all day at the campsite, but we would look for something thicker for use in truly cold conditions.
The hood and cuffs of the Fuego are both rimmed with soft elastic, for comfortable, easy wear.
Credit: Maggie Nichols
Comfort
With a loose, boxy fit, the Fuego is easy to layer over bulky fleeces. Its lack of bulk also means it fits well under a protective shell. It lacks any mobility-specific features and often exposed our wrists and torsos as we reached for things, so we don't recommend it for dynamic activities like ice climbing or ski touring. The Fuego has four total pockets: two zippered hand pockets, an internal drop-in pocket, and an internal zip pocket (which is overtop of the drop-in pocket and functions as a stuff sack). The hem is dually adjustable, cinching completely closed all the way around.
Some of the Fuego's features: elastic cuffs, adjustable hem cord, and internal pockets.
The Fuego hooded is available in 9 sizes, ranging from XS to 4X; however, only 2 of the 7 colorways are available in this full range, with the remaining only offered in XS to XL.
Portability
The Fuego is one of the lighter jackets we tested, but it doesn't quite cut it as an ultralight jacket. The size L we tested weighed just 11.7 ounces, which is quite impressive for its warmth.
The jacket packs into the inner zippered pocket for easy portability
Credit: Sara James
The Cotopaxi Fuego stuffs into its internal zippered pocket. It was relatively easy to stuff the jacket into this pocket, and we appreciated the reversible zipper to seal it shut. The resulting dense bundle is an easy size to stick inside your backpack, or you can use the carabiner tab to clip it to your pack while on the move.
There is a handy tab that gives you something to grasb when closing, and also can be used to clip the bundle to your backpack
Credit: Sara James
Weather Resistance
Both the down filling and the exterior nylon fabric of the Fuego have water-resistant treatments. During our water testing, the fabric beaded water on its surface, but after just 10 minutes, a light misting had soaked through the seams of the baffling. After sitting for 30 minutes, we were easily able to feel the moisture seeping through to the inside of the coat. If having a highly water-resistant down jacket is important to you, we wouldn't recommend the Fuego. Alternatively, you may consider pairing it with a light rain shell.
After a gentle rub, water started to absorb through the shell of the jacket, particularly at the seams.
Credit: Sara James
Breathability
The DWR-treated nylon exterior of the Fuego limits breathability somewhat, but the numerous small to medium baffles allow for decent airflow through the seams. Its loose fit also promotes ventilation, making it relatively breathable for a down jacket. However, with its puffy construction and non-wicking materials, it's not ideal for high-output winter activities where you're likely to sweat. That said, it's a great companion for moderate cold-weather adventures like winter hikes or everyday wear in chilly conditions.
The exterior of the Fuego is made of giant ripstop nylon, leaving more space between the protective net of reinforced weave.
Credit: Maggie Nichols
Should You Buy the Cotopaxi Fuego?
The Cotopaxi Fuego is a comfortable, cozy down jacket that's great for sitting around and appreciating the outdoors in warmth. Its boxy shape gives it a retro fit that's easy to layer over thick garments as the temperatures drop. If you're after a technical, performance jacket to take on your next expedition, this simplistic jacket is likely to disappoint. But if you want a cozy and stylish coat to rock around town or on chilly evenings around the campfire, the Fuego is a solid, budget-friendly pick.
The Cotopaxi has a two external zippered pockets and two internal slip pocket, one which has a zip and doubles as a stuff sack for the jacket.
Credit: Sara James
What Other Down Jackets Should You Consider?
If you love the idea of a warm down jacket but need more technical features, the Arc'teryx Cerium may be more up your alley. Alternatively, if sticking to this price point is important, the Rab Microlight Alpine is in a similar price range but weighs less and provides more precipitation protection than the Fuego. But for cool, dry, chill mornings spent sipping a hot beverage and basking in your surroundings, we enjoy the feel and look of the Cotopaxi Fuego.
If you are looking for a distinctive style, the Cotopaxi designs stand out in a market of typically pattern-free jackets.
Credit: Sara James
Side-by-Side Comparison
Compare Cotopaxi Fuego Hooded - Women's versus top competing products:
—Sara James and Maggie Nichols
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