Synthetic vs. Down Insulation - Expert Advice

Our store Expert Tom takes you through the pros and cons of down and synthetic insulation. Which should you go for and why do the conditions you are in matter? Transcript People come into the shop and they say, Tom, should I go for a down jacket or should I go for a synthetic jacket? And the simple answer is... there isn't really a simple answer. It all depends what you plan to do with the jacket. What kind of conditions you might be in. How warm you want to be. Whether it's more for protection and backup in emergencies. Whether you're going to be using it regularly for belaying or if it's going to be maybe like a winter booster layer, as they say, that would go underneath your jacket for really baltic days. Ultimately. Down has a higher warmth weight ratio. However, it doesn't perform as well once it gets wet. And that can have long term consequences sometimes. However, there are treated downs on the market now, such as the Nikwax hydrophobic down, which I know Rab uses with synthetic fabrics such as Primaloft. You will get something that still retains an enormous amount of heat that's leaving your body even when it's completely soaking wet. So if you're looking to get wet or get damp or whether that's going to be a distinct possibility, it might be worth looking at Primaloft or other Primaloft or other synthetic fabrics. A good example for me is that when I am doing Scottish winter climbing or when I'm instructing and I suspect I might be getting damp at some point, then I tend to work towards one of my synthetic jackets. However, when I was skiing and ice climbing in Canada the other year, then it was minus something, and we were in down jackets. Thanks very much for watching. I hope you enjoyed watching even me if you enjoyed it. Don't forget to hit the like and subscribe buttons.