At 132,516 acres, Lake Mill Lacs in northern Minnesota is one enormous, windy expanse of ice. And at 15 degrees below zero, it was getting a little bit nippy as I watched the sun quickly drop below the flat, hard horizon. I raised the hood of the Forloh ThermoNeutral Down Hooded Jacket and turned my back to the wind.
There’s no such thing as bad weather, I reminded myself, just bad clothing. And this jacket, made in the USA and packed with 800-fill duck down, was keeping me warm in the bitter conditions.
In short: The Forloh ThermoNeutral Down Hooded Jacket is a warm, light, and durable down puffy that is fully sourced and sewn in the United States. It uses fluorine-free, water-resistant down, tough and water-resistant Quantum 40D Ripstop nylon shell material, and YKK zippers to create a warm, light jacket meant to withstand the rigors of hunting. This is not an ultralight jacket, instead opting for tougher face fabrics coupled with premium down insulation for a warm, if expensive, layer.
Compare the ThermoNeutral Down Hooded Jacket to the best down jackets.
- Fill: 800-fill down, plus PrimaLoft Gold
- Weight: 21 oz.
- Key features: USA-made, with tough 40D nylon face fabric and strategic synthetic insulation
Pros
- More durable than most down puffies
- Relatively water resistant
- Fluorine-free DWR
Cons
- Heavier and less compressible than ultralight puffy jackets
Forloh ThermoNeutral Down Hooded Jacket Review
Back on the frozen lake, the wind cut across the snow. I’d spent much of the day inside an ice shanty, but took several walks about to check out tip-ups and enjoy the crisp, spartan view of frozen lake, ice houses, and blue sky that you only find in the frozen north.
Here, the jacket both cut the wind and kept me reasonably warm. During much of the day, I layered over it with a heavy parka. But during a few walks, I left the parka hanging on a chair in the shanty and went lightweight with the puffy alone over a few light layers. It handled the below-zero temps reasonably well, although I started to feel the cold creep in after about 10 minutes in the windy, frigid air.
I feel that the ThermoNeutral Down Hooded Jacket will shine in temps from about 10 to 30 degrees Fahrenheit. Below that, you will want another shell or parka to layer over it. Warmer, and you’ll likely open the zipper a little.
One point worth noting is that Forloh calls the ThermoNeutral Down Hooded Jacket “water resistant.” Clearly, it’s not a true rain jacket. But I was curious if it really could resist a little water.
Down Jacket Water Testing
Down jackets inherently don’t mix well with water. While DWR treatments help keep water at bay, a real soaking will generally press water into the down and, eventually, clumping will occur. That results in a loss of loft and less insulation. Overall, down and water just don’t play well together.
Interestingly, Forloh does add some PrimaLoft Gold insulation blended into its 800-fill down. PrimaLoft Gold is a synthetic insulation, and holds up better to water than down.
But Forloh makes some big claims that its jacket is water resistant. So I gave it a good 30-second soaking in my shower to see how it would hold up.
To be fair, I was a little impressed. After 30 seconds of a steady stream focused on the hood, my hand inside the jacket didn’t feel any moisture. After 30 seconds, I took it outside and shook it off. The jacket was largely still dry with beaded water droplets on the outside.
Is it a rain jacket? Absolutely not. Will it get wet eventually in a steady rain or when walking through wet brush or grass? I’m guessing yes. But for a down jacket, it really is quite water resistant. This bodes well for a jacket used in high-condensation environments or for when the wearer starts sweating.
Still, pack a shell. But the quick splash or even a brief shower shouldn’t immediately soak this down jacket.
USA-Made Down Puffy
Puffy jackets are a core piece of outdoor gear. And down, in my opinion, is by far the superior insulating material. But you won’t find many down jackets manufactured in the United States, and even fewer that source their down and fabrics in the States. So, Forloh has a very unique product here.
It’s a little heavier than most 800-fill down jackets because it uses 40-denier fabric. It also adds some PrimaLoft Gold synthetic insulation to the mix, which adds a little weight and also water resistance. So this jacket is both more durable — and more water resistant — than a lot of puffy jackets.
It’s a pretty unique piece, but it fits well into the hunting world. Hunting tends to be harder on gear than activities like hiking or skiing. Hunters also spend more time in swamps, thickets, or bushwhacking off trail in bad weather than many other recreational activities. So, it makes sense that the jacket is designed with durability and water resistance in mind.
Forloh ThermoNeutral Down Hooded Jacket: Who Should Buy It
At $400, the Forloh ThermoNeutral Down Hooded Jacket reviewed here is a pricey down puffy. At that price, you can buy many of the best down jackets on the market. And most of them will be a lot lighter and more compressible than the ThermoNeutral.
But if you value a more durable puffy, and especially want to support American manufacturing, it’s a very unique item. Those who spend a lot of time in rugged country that would shred most down jackets may want to consider this one. It’s still a puffy and certainly susceptible to damage, but it should hold up better than lighter down jackets.
And if you want to buy an 800-fill down jacket that’s made and sourced entirely in the USA, it’s one of the few options on the market.
