Down Sweater™ vs. Nano Puff® vs. Micro Puff® Jackets
These insulated midlayers might appear similar at first glance, but they differ in important ways. See which one is best for you with our no-fluff guide.
How to Pick the “Jacket of All Trades”
We build our gear to suit the needs of sport ambassadors, outdoor enthusiasts and weekend warriors alike, which means we make a lot of technical insulation and different puffy jackets for women and men. They all perform exceptionally well for their specific use cases, but if you’re looking for a versatile “jacket of all trades,” then you’re choosing between Nano Puff® jackets and Down Sweater™ jackets.
Both are warm, insulated midlayers that are durable enough to wear as outer layers while still being light and packable. Both jackets can be stuffed into their own zippered chest pocket, with a clip-in carabiner loop. They come in a variety of silhouettes to suit your layering needs and will withstand seasons of use. But while they’re both versatile options, they have one key difference: The Nano Puff uses synthetic insulation, and the Down Sweater uses down insulation.
Down vs Synthetic Insulation
The primary decision you’ll need to make about your insulated midlayers is what they’re filled with. Down goose feathers have been the gold standard for trapping warmth for centuries. Down is extremely light, compressible and effective at trapping heat, and all the virgin down we source is 100% certified to the Responsible Down Standard. The purchase of Responsible Down Standard certified products demonstrates demand for better animal welfare practices in the down and feather supply chain.
But insulation works by trapping pockets of air. When down gets wet, it loses its structure and all those pockets of air go poof. You’re left with a wet shell that won’t keep you warm. That’s where synthetic insulation comes in.
It used to be the case that synthetic insulation was never quite as light, warm or compressible as down, but those days are over. Now, synthetic insulation can have the same properties as down, with the added benefit of holding its structure when it comes into contact with water. That means, it stays warm even when wet. If you’re ever in a scenario where your insulated jacket might get wet, synthetic is the safest and best way to go. (Just ask our gear tester, Kelly Cordes.)
There’s also a variety of synthetic insulation to serve different needs. Some of them can even be paired with breathable fabrics to create insulated midlayers that can regulate your temperature when you’re working hard in cold conditions, like Nano-Air® active insulation midlayers.
Synthetic insulation tends not to be as lofty as down, however, which means that down still has the edge when it comes to absolute warmth.
Which Jacket Should I Choose?
Now that you have a sense of the strengths and weaknesses of different insulation types, you can consider the conditions you’ll be primarily wearing your gear in.
Cold and Dry: Choose the Down Sweater
The Down Sweater™ jacket is made with 800-fill-power 100% Responsible Down Standard down certified by Control Union (CU 880272) and is built for cold and dry conditions. It is a bit warmer than the Nano Puff® jacket.
The Down Sweater is your go-to for dry, cold weather. Think Colorado winters with the kind of snow you could move with a leaf blower, or frigid, splitter days without a cloud in sight. The 800-fill-power down insulation is very warm, lightweight and compressible.
The Down Sweater has a durable water repellent finish (made without intentionally added PFAS), so it can withstand light precipitation like fog or melted snowflakes, but if there’s any risk of “wet out,” synthetic insulation like the Nano Puff is the way to go.
Variable Weather: Choose the Nano Puff
The Nano Puff® jacket is built for mixed or shifting conditions. The 60-gram PrimaLoft® Gold Insulation Eco found in the Nano Puff is lightweight and compressible like down, but it maintains its airy structure and warmth no matter how wet it gets. It also has a lower profile than the Down Sweater™ jacket, making it easier to layer over.
If you’re up in the mountains where the weather might shift suddenly, or if you’re in danger of getting caught in a downpour without your waterproof shell, the Nano Puff is your weird weather insurance that will keep you warm regardless of the forecast.
Warm, Weighty and Nearly Indestructible: Choose the Hi-Loft Nano Puff
The Hi-Loft Nano Puff® Hoody is the Nano Puff’s burly cousin. Its “Hi-Loft” version is made with very warm 200-gram PrimaLoft® Silver Insulation Eco in the hood and body, and 170-gram PrimaLoft® Silver Insulation Eco at the underarms and sides for mobility, plus tough-as-nails shoulder and cuff overlays for abrasion-resistance.
Like the Nano Puff, its synthetic insulation will stay warm even when wet. It’s significantly warmer than the Nano Puff, but it is also heavier and not very packable. It’s perfect for times when weight doesn’t matter, like frontcountry climbing trips or warming up after cold-water surf sessions. If you want a nearly indestructible, super warm insulated layer that you can knock around for years to come, the Hi-Loft Nano Puff is the best choice.
Best Warmth-to-Weight: Choose the Micro Puff
The Micro Puff® jacket has the best warmth-to-weight ratio of any jacket we make, meaning you get the most warmth for the least weight. Since it’s optimized for lower weight, this comes at the cost of durability.
The Micro Puff excels as a midlayer for very cold conditions, but needs the protection of a shell if there’s any risk of abrasion. It’s best for high alpine climbing or backcountry ski trips where you’ll be wearing a shell over it most of the time.
Like the Nano Puff, the Micro Puff is made with synthetic insulation that’s designed to keep you warm in conditions where your midlayer might get a little wet. But the Micro Puff is a specialist that’s optimized for big-mountain objectives where every gram counts. It’s also less warm than the Nano Puff so that you don’t overheat when you’re wearing it underneath a shell.
Comparing the Jackets
You can’t really go wrong with the Down Sweater, Nano Puff or Micro Puff, but which is best for you will mostly depend on your use cases, the conditions, your layering system and whether weight or durability matters more. Here are some head-to-head comparisons to help you optimize your choice.
Which Is Warmer?
The Down Sweater™, Nano Puff® and Micro Puff® jackets are all similarly warm. Other attributes, like insulation type and weight are typically more significant deciding factors.
That being said, the Down Sweater is the warmest of the three. It’s slightly warmer than the Nano Puff, which is easier to layer over.
The Nano Puff is warmer than the Micro Puff, which optimizes for weight and is less insulated. The less-warm Micro Puff is more comfortable when layered under a heat-trapping shell.
If you just want a comfortable, very warm and very durable jacket, the Hi-Loft Nano Puff is the warmest of all, but it’s also the heaviest.
Which Is Lighter?
The Micro Puff is the lightest insulated jacket in this comparison by a long shot. If you need to shave grams off your multiday objective, this is the one to pick. But the weight savings come at the cost of durability. If you think you might venture off into brambles or a scree field, make sure you wear a layer over it.
The Down Sweater and Nano Puff are roughly the same weight. Both jackets balance lightweight performance with enough durability to wear as an outer layer. They’re slightly heavier than the Micro Puff but much lighter than the Hi-Loft Nano Puff.
If you’re looking for the lightest weight, the Hi-Loft Nano Puff should not be a contender. It’s the heaviest, but also the most durable option.
Which Is More Durable?
If you’re trying to keep things lightweight but still want a jacket that can stand up as an outer layer, the Nano Puff and Down Sweater are both good choices. The Nano Puff is made with recycled polyester ripstop. The Down Sweater is made with recycled nylon ripstop. Both jackets are similarly abrasion-resistant. Granted, neither one will win in a fight against a sandstone offwidth, but they’re both good options for general wear and tear.
Meanwhile, the Micro Puff is made with an ultralight Pertex® Quantum recycled nylon ripstop, which is much lighter but not as resistant to tears or punctures.
The Hi-Loft Nano Puff® Hoody is the burliest of the bunch, with the same recycled polyester ripstop in the body as the Nano Puff, but super tough, high-abrasion overlays at the yoke, shoulders and outer sleeves.
Which Is More Breathable?
These jackets are all either windproof or wind-resistant; the trade-off of this extra protection is that they are not breathable. If you’re looking for insulation to keep you warm during cold-weather activities where you might work up a sweat, nothing beats our Nano-Air® active insulation layers.
Conclusion
Both the Down Sweater and the Nano Puff are versatile, reliable puffy jackets that will see you through your cold-weather pursuits. The Down Sweater is ideal for dry weather and has a little extra warmth, while the Nano Puff is best for shifting weather conditions because it stays warm even when wet.
If you are willing to sacrifice some durability and total warmth in order to save a lot of weight, the Micro Puff is the strongest choice in the lineup. And if you just want an extra toasty, extra durable insulated jacket that you can rely on for years to come, choose the Hi-Loft Nano Puff® Hoody.
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