Uniqlo UL Down Parka reduced $10 – now $59.90

[Rick M]

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[Richard Nisley]

Most manufacturers offer products with the lowest possible 800 fill density of ~2.16 kg/m^3. This is done in part because most consumers erroneously believe only thickness determines warmth. For this class of product, the iClo/inch averages ~2.56. Uniglo products are almost certainly in this density range.

For 800 fill down at a maximum thickness-efficiency-density (aka lowest W/m K) of 24.028 kg/m^3, the iClo/inch averages ~6.56. I don't know of any manufacturer who produces products in this density range.

Besides not knowing what the insulation density of down used in a product, the loft will also vary with: the relative humidity; the movement of the down; and the point measured. A good illustration of the daily loft measurement variability was discussed in the very first BPL article I ever read by Alan Dixon. He said, "…Measuring the loft of a down garment is a difficult thing. Each of the many chambers has a slightly different loft. Measure a jacket once, pick it up and shake it, put it down and measure it again, and you won’t get the same number. Measure it a day later and you’ll get yet another number. All of the jackets increased 10% to 20% in loft over the week of observation… "

[Delmar O’Donnell]

A range of 2.6 to 6.6 iClo for good down is quite a range; this surprises me. I guess there's a big advantage to packing it in tight (up to a point).

I believe an inch of cotton is listed as iClo of 4, and I'd never thought of an inch of down being almost half as efficient as an inch of cotton.

So if we run a ballpark calculation on a Uniqlo UL jacket with the new low down (“lowdown” ha ha) multiplier supplied above:

.44 x 2.6 x .50* = CLO of .57, about the same as an R1 hoody (.54) or a Nanopuff vest (.55). (I own a Nanopuff vest, and the Uniqlo jacket is much warmer.)

And recalculating the Parka:

.75 x 2.6 x .52 = CLO of 1.0, just a bit warmer than a Polartec 300 sweater (.92) or a wool work suit.

(*Note: Jacket or shirt is usually .48 but I upped it to .50 because the jacket’s cut so low below the waistline)

[Delmar O’Donnell]

Mitchell & Rick: the source of my confusion, here:

"Thank you for contacting the UNIQLO USA Customer Center. Regarding our fill power it is on the Asian scale and is 640 FP." Thread 69741.

"Found a review that stated the 640fp was EU rating." Also thread 69741.

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/thread_display.html?forum_thread_id=69741

[Rick M]

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[Anonymous]

Rick, does the new standard of measurement correspond to the old US one, the EU one, or is it different than both?

Thanks

[Rick M]

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[Anonymous]

Ah… Hah, i would say your google fu may be at least a bit above average as this is the first i've heard of this development. Perhaps not being college educated, nor primarily left brained, i sometimes have a hard time with the more technical articles.

Thanks much for the link and reply

[Delmar O’Donnell]

Agreed, that's advanced Google-fu. Don't try it at home, kids.

Odd that Uniqlo would respond "Asian scale" if there is but one. Do they know??

Thanks for the new info Rick. Where do I send my tuition money, and how many Yen do I owe?

[Rick M]

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[Anonymous]

"Agreed, that's advanced Google-fu. Don't try it at home"

Yeah, you wouldn't want to poke your eye out or anything, heaven forbid. Typing so fast, fingers flying, and then BAM, one bounces off the keyboard in a freak body or physics reaction, and there you are with a finger in your eye. More eyes have been lost that way than folks realize. A very serious issue, that we need to raise awareness about.

[Delmar O’Donnell]

No kidding!

My wife took this photo of me shortly after I attempted some advanced google-fu, and failed:

[Anonymous]

Man, you certainly took it to the next level there Delmar!

[Tim Czarkowski]

I'm about 6'2" 155 lbs, what do you all think, medium or large?

I was going to wait till next year to get another jacket but this seems like a great deal.

Thanks,

[Mark Andrews]

On the Parka I have (from last year) you wouldn't want any larger than a medium.

I'm 6'/180-185/41" chest and I have the medium.

-Mark in St. Louis

[brian H]

If you dig I believe you will find that they updated their sizing. My Large fits great at 6-1 180, 31" inseam, i.e. long torso.
(I think torso length is the 3rd important factor in disclosing ones dimensions and dialing in the right fit. Chest size usually correlates w/ height/weight. . Yet torso length is pretty random.)

Tim at 6-2 155 you are a skinny dood…a med. may fit. If you are a normal or long torso however, I would say go L. It's likely the best fit, despite likely having a surplus of volume thru the chest and belly, a problem u r no doubt familiar with, w/ your dimensions.

[Tim Czarkowski]

As you say that is a very common problem for me, either I get the proper length or proper torso size but not both very often. They don't call me stanky lanky for nothing, lol. I used to be a long distance runner and year round club soccer player and just never could put on any weight.

I was looking at their sizing chart for the parka and it seems the "body length back" is only a half inch longer moving from M to L and the sleeve length is an inch longer. I don't know if I was measuring correctly but it seems like according to their chart a medium should fit. How did their sizing change from last year to this year? From their pictures the jackets appear to be fairly trim fitting.

One company I have found that always makes clothing that fits me properly is Express. That is of course only for dress clothes but it's nice to have somewhere to reliably buy decent trim fitting clothing. They even make stuff for people who are apparently even taller and skinner than I am. They had a pair of pants that had a 32 waist and 36 length. You've got to be talking someone like 6'8" and 170 lbs or something, and I thought I was goofy looking, lol. Sorry for the rambling.

[Brian Crain]

"They had a pair of pants that had a 32 waist and 36 length. You've got to be talking someone like 6'8" and 170 lbs or something, and I thought I was goofy looking, lol. Sorry for the rambling."

I'm only 6'3" but all legs and that was my size at one point… 30×36 initially and now I've finally squared up to a 36×36 for the last 10+ years. Thanks for the tip, I'll be checking out Express for work clothes now

[Brian G]

At 6'1" 160, I generally have the same problem. I bought the parka about a month ago and the Medium fits me well. The arms and back are long enough and it fits relatively trimly.

[Ryan Smith]

"They had a pair of pants that had a 32 waist and 36 length. You've got to be talking someone like 6'8" and 170 lbs or something, and I thought I was goofy looking, lol. Sorry for the rambling."

Nice. LOL. Guess I was a goofy one back in high school. Like Brian, I also squared up to 36×36. Pants are a tough find, I will have to check out Express. Only 6'4" by the way.

Ryan

[Aaron D]

I tried the uniqlo parka in size large a couple weeks ago. It was too big, had too much excess fabric on torso/neck areas. I'm 5-11 180 normally wear 41-42" chest and I think a medium would have been perfect. I ended up returning the L.

[Tim Czarkowski]

I ended up purchasing the large size and although the length of the sleeves and back is good, the chest is fairly baggy as expected. I'm sure the chest on the medium would have been better but I'm not sure it would have been long enough. All together I'm pretty excited about trying it out this weekend. The price really is amazing.

Any reason I should use the stuff sack with this? I usually just throw all my clothes in a dry bag. What temp do you all estimate this would be good down to with a Melanzana Vapor Grid Top under and a rain shell over?

My wife also received her women's medium but it was too tight across the back causing the sleeves to pull up. It is being returned and she has already ordered a large. I'd guess she's about 5'10" or 5'11" and 145 lbs.

Thanks.

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