TreeLineBackpacker

There are a surprising number of factors that have to come together to make a proper outdoors worthy jacket. Warmth, weight, comfort, durability and breathability are just the primary 5, and even then, so many jackets fall short. The Lifaloft Insulator, however, surprised me. My review:

I’ll keep the details brief and focus only on what is most important. The LifaLoft Insulator jacket is built from Lifaloft, and extremely lightweight yet warm synthetic insulation, tucked inside a polyamide shell (basically nylon). It includes two hand pockets, a self packing internal pocket, an optional hooded variant, and comes in a few different colors and sizes. The medium hooded size weighs 370 grams (13 ounces) and retails for $220.

First impressions with the Lifaloft were decidedly mixed. Upon first touch, the material felt a bit plasticky and clammy. Thankfully, this changed extremely quickly. With just a few minutes on the trail the material softened up and felt great against the skin. The fabrics were smooth, silky, and did a pretty good job of not feeling too sticky when I worked up a sweat. I found the jacket to do a great job of breathing and circulating out steamy air inside, while not feeling like wind was cutting through either. I have been rather comfortable into the lower 50s F (10 C) with only a light synthetic t-shirt underneath. I am looking forward to testing the lower limits as the cooler weather moves in.

Comfort otherwise, the jacket feels great to wear. I found it has a nice, relaxed fit which runs true to size. The relaxed fit promotes natural, unrestrained movement and dexterity. My medium broad shoulders moved effortlessly inside and never felt confined. The cuffs and neck are all lined in a soft synthetic fabric that easily accommodates layers and accessories underneath like a fitness watch. After a bit of wear, I really couldn’t even notice I had it on. The hood fits loose with enough room to rotate the head about, even with a beanie or other headgear on underneath it.

The weight and packability of the jacket, even the hooded version, is fantastic. It packs down into the size of a small baking pumpkin (sorry to be so specific but here we are) and easily stuffs into the smaller corners of a backpack. It weighs little enough to keep it in the pack as a “just in case” jacket, which is always what I want out of a mid-layer.

Durability and construction are simply excellent for such a lightweight jacket. The fabric is tightly wound and lined with rip-stop to prevent small tears from becoming gaping holes, and the zippers and stitching are all robust and expertly integrated. I found but a single stray strand of stitching on the top of the hood which was easily trimmed off. I wasn’t able to spot a sloppy seam anywhere, which is mighty impressive. The zippers slide easily and I’ve had no issues with hang-ups so far. It is an UL piece of gear, so keeping it away from sharp objects is an obvious move, but I have no concerns of it failing under general wear and tear.

My only minor complaint is the pockets sit a little bit low for my taste as backpacks generally cover them up at this height, keeping them from being useful when using a hip-belt. I also wouldn’t mind a zippered chest pocket tucked away on the inside. This is where I like to keep keys or a cell phone if I’m hiking without a pack.

Overall

The Lifaloft Insulator is an excellent jacket in basically every aspect. It is lightweight, comfortable, looks great, and is useful in a wide range of temperatures thanks to the breathable synthetic fibers. It is treated with a DWR so it can shed a light rain, and Lifaloft retains its insulating properties if it does get wet, making it a reliable backcountry garment. Anyone looking for a lightweight, hiking/backpacking worthy jacket should definitely take a look at this one. Aside from a couple minor quibbles, it’s nearly perfect.

Highly Recommended

Want to learn more about this product and their other offerings? You can check out their products here. This is an affiliate link. Help a guy out. Other affiliate links may appear in the post as well.

For information on our rating system and our testing procedures, check out our About us/ Contact us page.

Big thanks to Helly Hansen for sending this over for review. We couldn’t do this without their support.

Our full disclosure can be found on our about us page. Thanks as always for reading! Don’t forget to follow our blog for future updates and reviews (link on the right also).

If you have any questions, comment below, send us an email, or find us on Twitter or Facebook (links on the right)