For years now, we have tested synthetic insulated jackets side by side. We've worn them under shells, over base layers, as belay jackets, and as insulating mid-layers. We've tried them in every combination of layering imaginable.
Warmth
We've spent the cool months of fall, the still-chilly springtime, and the frigid depths of winter outdoors in these jackets. From the icy Eastern Sierra to the Colorado Rockies, the Oregon Cascades, and freezing Minnesota winters we've put these jackets through the wringer. We evaluated their hoods and cuffs for air leakage and directly compared how warm they made us feel doing the same activity in the same place on the same day.
Portability
We considered each jacket's overall portability by checking their weights and how well they compress. We put them each on a scale and also noted how heavy or light they feel while worn. We packed them into their pockets, into stuff sacks, and into the bottoms of backpacks to gauge their packability and how easy or difficult they are to stuff away. As we found out, not all jackets that claim to be compressible or have a stuff sack are all that simple to compress.
Comfort
To assess comfort and fit, we wore these jackets on as many different types of outings as we could. We ran errands and walked the dog. We went to coffee shops and breweries. We wore them climbing and scrambling, running and jogging, and even cycling. Sometimes, we wore them at home lounging around or making food. We asked our friends to wear them and help us rate their fit and feel. We noted which ones felt tight across the chest and shoulders, which left our wrists exposed to the cold air, and which ones couldn't keep our necks from getting chilled.
Weather Resistance
To compare weather resistance, we stood out in the rain for too long just to see what would happen. We brought them indoors and sprayed them with a shower head for side-by-side comparisons of how well their different water repellents worked. Since you don't always get caught in a downpour, we also got out the spray bottle to see how they performed with a misting. We timed how long it took for the jackets to soak through (some never did!) and how long it took for them to dry.
Breathability
During our exertions, we pushed ourselves to see how sweaty these synthetic jackets would get inside. We climbed, skied, hiked, ran, camped, slept, and went out on the town in all these jackets to gauge their livability, no matter if you're a sweaty person or you just happen to be sweating in one particular moment.
