The most popular ultralight down puffy of all time.

No lightweight down jacket guide is complete without mentioning the Mountain Hardwear Ghost Whisperer Jacket, now in its second edition made with 100% recycled fabric. This style has been, and remains, the most widely distributed ultralight puffy jacket on the market for the past decade, and for good reason.

• Price: $360
• Weight: 8.8 oz
• Fabric: 10D Pertex Quantum Ripstop Nylon
• Fill Power: 800 | Fill Weight: 3.0 oz
• Percent Down Weight: 34%
• Uncompressed Down Volume: 2400
• Down Volume/Jacket Weight: 273 in3/oz
• Pros: Ultralight. Widely available.
• Cons: Less warm than average sweater weight puffy.

Features

Compared to 99% of other down sweater weight jackets from mainstream outdoor brands, Ghost Whisperer 2 is lighter weight, and has a higher warmth-to-weight ratio. It’s the “easy-choice” when recommending an ultralight puffy, and we understand why it’s so popular among other online gear reviewers. However, on our list, when compared to other top ultralight models, one quickly realizes that while it’s still good, it’s no longer best-in-class.

RDS 800 fill power down was once premium, but now is mid-tier. Nonetheless, it is filled with 3 ounces of down, which hits the sweet spot of ⅓ down fill weight.

As features go, Ghost Whisperer has hand pockets, an adjustable hood/hem, but no chest pocket. We like that the last baffle at the cuff and hem are synthetic instead of down, as those areas tend to take the most abuse and get wet first.

Verdict

Ghost Whisperer might have slid down into the 98th percentile, but it is still an excellent lightweight down jacket, and well-worthy of donning on your next backpacking trip.

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Check out more great ultralight puffy wear in our guide to the best down jackets and pants of the year.