It’s easy to like the Jack Wolfskin Alpspitze Down Hoody because it’s lightweight, warm, windproof, and well-made, albeit expensive. Though designed for ski touring, this review is assessing from a hiking/all-purpose perspective, for which it’s still quite good. Shop now.
You make Adventure Alan & Co possible. When purchasing through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission at no additional cost to you. Here’s why you can trust us. Now back to the Jack Wolfskin Alpspitze Down Hoody review.
- Price: $370
- Weight: 10.5 oz (300 g)
- Fabric: Texashield Pro, 100% Polyamide
- Fill Power: 800 cu in | Fill Weight: 3.8 oz (108 g)
- Percent Down Weight: 36%
- Uncompressed Down Volume: 3040in3
- Down Volume/Jacket Weight: 289 in3/oz
- Pros:Â Lightweight. Warmer than average. Windproof. Includes RECCO Reflector. High front collar. Good looking baffles.
- Cons: Expensive. Fill power is low given price point.
Compare this to more options in our guide to the best lightweight down jackets.
Construction & Features
We nod first the warmth level of the Jack Wolfskin Alpspitze Down Hoody. That is, with 3.8 oz (108g) of 800 fill power down crammed into the baffles, it is solidly warmer than the average down jacket. Most come in at 3.0-3.5 oz of fill weight. However, 800 fill is a bit behind the curve at this point, and definitely lower than we’d expect from such a premium price point.
The total weight, 10.5 oz (300 g) is also lighter than average, but definitely sits in the lightweight and not ultralight category. As such, it’s quite easy to pack, and even comes with its own stuff sack hooked into a pocket. This can be separated or left in.
The shell material, a 100% polyamide textile that Jack Wolfskin refers to as TEXASHIELD PRO, is a nice windbreaker fabric, and pretty much windproof. The entire garment is bluesign approved and the plumage is responsible down-certified. Another interesting tech add-on is the ExpeDry hydrophobic down, which utilizes nanoparticles of gold taken from recycled electronics to expel water.
Given Euro sizing, we were expecting the fit to be quite narrow, but it was exactly the men’s size large we’re used to in America. So yes, it’s true to size. But we did notice two fit factors. First, there isn’t much extra room under the armpits, which creates a nice trim aesthetic, but slightly decreases comfort. Secondly, it has a higher collar at the front of the neck than your average puffy, which makes sense, because that’s desirable for backcountry skiers as it allows them to retreat their chin and mouth behind windproof protection. The downside here is that when you don’t want a high collar, it can be stiff and annoying to deal with.
There are a couple of other notable features, including hem and hood cinching, elastic cuffs and hems, and two large side pockets, no chest pocket, and dual internal drop-in pockets for warming ski gloves.
Lastly, we just like the look of this jacket. The geometric baffles are visually pleasing, and the red colorway we sampled is bold and eye-catching. Nice aesthetic!
Jack Wolfskin Alpspitze Down Hoody Review Verdict
While it’s hard to find any major flaws in the Alpspitze Down Hoody, when compared to many of the other best ultralight insulated jackets in our wardrobe, it lands somewhere in the zone we refer to as “great-not-excellent.” Undoubtedly, this is a really nice piece of gear with wide-ranging applicability. That being said, it’s just not particularly innovative, nor ultralight, and slightly better options exist at the same price point, or for less. But, if you’re a Jack Wolfskin brand loyalist, or simply Jack Wolfskin-curious, go for it! This is likely their best and lightest down jacket, it’s definitely a great down jacket, and we sure you’ll dig it.
Compare this to more options in our guide to the best lightweight down jackets.
