Jack Wolfskin Passamani Down Jacket Review 2023

With the temperatures beginning to take a tumble, we unpack the well-featured Passamani down jacket. Light, warm and with excellent sustainability credentials. 

PROS

• Good fit
• Minimalist features
• 700 Fill Power is perfect for cooler temperatures.

CONS

• The stow pocket has no hanging loop and is too small.

We’ve been scouring the Jack Wolfskin range for a while now, sourcing and reviewing what we consider is the most appropriate kit for climbers and mountaineers. I have been quietly impressed with the kit I’ve been using, it’s been well made, and functional and the responsibility credentials have been satisfyingly good.

The Jack Wolfskin Passamani Down Jacket did not disappoint. Weighing in at 380g (on the trusty CGR scales) it’s perfect for stashing in a pack for your autumn hiking or wearing socially down the pub.  Much lighter than the Bergland Hooded Jacket we reviewed last winter. It has all the features you would want in a practical jacket, hand warmer pockets, a zipped chest pocket and an internal pocket for stashing gloves or a beanie. It is a compact a very packable down jacket.

Light weight for 750 fill power jacket with hydrophobic down

The style offered a neat, athletic silhouette with a little room for wearing with a mid-layer or even throwing over a hardshell (at a push). The baffles are horizontal on the arms and the back and diagonal across the front which offers a nice contrast. The collar is high and has a short elasticated piece on the back. I liked this for both form and function – in terms of form, it keeps the collar upright and not floppy, and it allowed me to look up without the collar bunching up at the chin. Very useful when belaying partners when rock climbing.

The Pertex Quantum shell is durable and windproof (although the stitch-through baffles will let some wind through) and is well-tested in the field as an exceptional fabric. It didn’t disappoint and the Passamani jacket took all the usual knocks and scrapes from being stuffed in a pack and worn at rest stops and belays. There’s a reason all the high-end brands use Pertex Quantum fabric on insulated jackets and I would expect no less on a jacket at this price point. The weave is super tight, so although that makes the jacket pretty windproof, it means that I quickly overheated when moving at pace. 

The DWR is PFC-free (as you would expect in a modern jacket) and has worked well so far in light showers. I’m not expecting too much in terms of water resistance but then I’m not intending to wear it in a downpour. It should, however, see you through a shower or even heavier rain for a while. I’ve been caught out in a couple of quite sharp downpours this season and it’s been fine for getting back to the car in.

Bright but with a cold breeze, perfect for late-season sport climbing adventures.

The filling is 700 fill power down that with a HyperDry treatment that is again, Fluorocarbon free and offers some additional water repellency. This type of down has been around for a while now and whilst it doesn’t offer the same repellency as synthetic fill, the lighter weight and improved compactness are well worth the compromise. It’s worth noting here that treated down will not make the jacket waterproof, or even improve the repellency that much. What it does offer is an improved drying time over untreated down. When the jacket gets damp it means the jacket will dry quickly and retain its loft.

The down is sourced from Allied Feather, an established world leader responsibly sourced down for all the major outdoor brands and is Bluesign certified. It has lofted well and kept its loft throughout the test. The baffles are well filled and it hasn’t clumped (which can often happen with cheaper down which is usually mixed with feathers) and the tight weave of the Pertex Quantum means that I have had very little leakage. 700 fill power has proved more than adequate for the cooler early autumn days and I can easily see myself using it for sunny winter days too. Especially when bouldering where I need some warmth when having a brew stop.

The Jack Wolfskin Passamani Down Jacket is well featured, all zips are YKK and the main body has a storm guard which is triple stitched to give added stiffness. All the zip pulls have a glove-friendly tab and they have all worked well. Attention to detail extends to bar tacking on the pockets and a high stitch count throughout. There is a zipped chest pocket that is plenty big enough for large phones, snacks or gloves and two hand warmer pockets. The right-hand pocket acts as a stowaway, I had some issues with this as it was a very tight squeeze and although I could get the jacket in it took some fiddling to get it in. There is probably no way I could get this back in when in the field, so I gave up (which isn’t anything unusual tbh as I usually just shove layers into any space I can find in the pack). It also doesn’t have a hang loop and you would have to use the zip pull to put a carabiner through to clip onto a harness. So, no multi-pitch climbing in this jacket. It would be much more useful to have an oversized inside pocket to stuff the jacket into with room to spare or just not bother at all.

Plenty of features and well styled. A quick urban climb then off for coffee with friends – perfect for both.

The Passamani Down Jacket is finished with dual adjustable hem cinches and elasticated arm cuffs that are easy to sip over gloves. It also has an inside pocket plenty large enough for stowing gloves for when you are rummaging in your pack. It also has a discreet Jack Wolfskin branding and a reflective Pertex logo at the rear.

Overall the Jack Wolfskin Passamani Down Jacket is a great transitional piece that will see you through the spring late summer, autumn and early winter. You should only need more protection if you are intending to hike in very cold conditions. Even then the hooded version would be OK for most winter hiking. The jacket is light, well-featured and stylish enough to wear casually for the office, climbing gym or pub. It also comes with excellent sustainability credentials and is Bluesign approved – one of the highest standards outdoor gear can have.

The Jack Wolfskin Passamani Jacket comes in sizes S-3XL and 5 colour options. The women’s version comes in sizes XS-2XL and 6 colour options. It also comes in a hooded version and a vest option.

The SRP is £200 and it can be bought directly from www.jackwolfskin.co.uk and specialist retailers.

Disclaimer – CGR reviewers and writers are never paid to provide a review and the website does not take advertising or link to affiliate sales. We are a bunch of keen climbers and travellers that accept sample products and offer an honest and independent review of the item.