Eddie Bauer EverTherm down

a cursory explanation here https://gearjunkie.com/revolution-eddie-bauer-launch-fabric

I looked into this after it came up on Reddit, I also found one other company using it for non-technical apparel:

http://rocky-mountain-featherbed.com/products_detail.html?id=1746

Like most new things, durability is the question. How long before the down detaches and clumps at the bottom of the very widely spaced quilting? If it can outlast higher-end synthetics it may have a place.

I can’t imagine this competes with normal down on packability or efficiency, but for thinner applications I can see it being preferable to the very narrow quilting on many light down garments. I sold my thinner down jackets after getting tired of cold spots and down migration.

1. How does repeated stuffing into stuff sacks affect the distribution of the down?
2. Will the down have a DWR treatment ? (My E.B. First Ascent does vest has down DWR and I needed it last week at 8,000+ ft. in Nevada’s Mt.Moriah area with heavy fog and wet snow. No loss of loft.)
3. And yes, how’s the breathability of this “down sandwich” ?

Warning: this is not a review, but just information for folks interested.

If anyone with real equipment to calculate iclo is reading this I would be more than happy to share my jacket with you to test it assuming it doesn’t cause harm.

So I went to the store today and grabbed one. The store folks were very kind (I spoke with the regional manager who says he worked directly with the design team) and I found a neat little example above the rack with exposed samples of the inner down. Here’s what I was told and what I noticed:

<span style=”text-decoration: underline;”>sample of inner down:</span> it’s a 30g down and synthetic mix -meaning synthetic fibers woven through the down to keep it puffed up and in place. It’s rated at 40f for MET of camp chores and -20F at high activity. It’s 700-800 mixed down (in theory I don’t think the 30g or the use of 700-800 fill in this jacket is meaningful given they have standardizing the loft to much thinner than typical 700 fill and it’s closer to 60g synth in thickness). The samples are roughly 1/4 thick and I was able to peel it apart but only with some force, it was extremely uniform in density and felt more like a synthetic than down. I was told that ED has exclusive rights to the down material for the next 1.5 years. In a sense this should act like a baffled down jacket. It has dwr but, whatever.

<u>Weight/fit:</u> I wear medium in most brands but small in EB. The Small hoodless in red is 283 grams. The hood has no adjustments, but is not fitted for a helmet. The rim does not fit super snug, and has room for at least another hood or hat. The cuffs are appropriately sized. The pockets are warmed with down material. Drawstring at the bottom is somewhat more difficult to use than other jackets but functional.

<u>breathability/warmth</u>: again, no user experience, but I was told it’s very breathable by the manager that had one to rest the last 4 months. material on the outside is – I don’t know the denier – a nylon fabric that feels silky smooth and is shinny so I suspect it’s collandered Reducing breathability. It’s similar to the tonyo fabric in my atom LT so maybe a 20-40d. Not a rip stop. I wore it with a t shirt today in the 40s and noticed no draft and no cold spots which was very pleasing. It’s a bit of an oven though so I’m not sure I would consider it highly breathable compared to my atom LT. also note in this first version there are no venting mechanisms other than pockets and from zipper so mesh under the arms etc. initial impression is that the temp rating on the low METs is right on. No comment on Lower end MET performance.

<u>Use case:</u> Can’t think of one yet because I don’t know it’s performance. most important questions for this new material: does down that stays mechanically lofted when wet (in theory this should) have different Iclo values than a similar weighted synthetic? Down has better relocate no than synthetics but I don’t see that being an issue given that this down is uniformly matter by design. It should before somewhere between synth re-lofting and down, but by the design I would expect closer to synthetic (pure conjecture)

Pictures: