ProView – Outdoor Research Women’s Floodlight II Down Jacket
This fall I took the Women’s Floodlight II Down Jacket out to Indian Creek, Utah. I love rock climbing in the desert, but I hate being cold, so I was really excited to try this jacket out at the crag and around camp. Ultimately, I also decided to bring it with me on a desert tower to see how it did on wind performance as well.
Outdoor Research Women's Floodlight II Down Jacket
Product Description: A signature Outdoor Research staple with even more to love, the new Floodlight II Down Jacket takes warmth and weather repellency to a whole new level. Beginning with the same trusted Pertex Shield shell material, we've reconstructed the way we tape each seam to allow a higher level of waterproofness. We've also packed even more down insulation into each jacket, keeping you warmer and more protected from ice, snow, and gusty alpine camps. A gamut of features and pockets ensure that each of your essentials stay safe and ready to perform, and a specialized Hood Lock™ feature easily adjusts for a customizable fit with or without helmet.
Offer price: MSRP: $329.00
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Quality
(5)
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Features
(5)
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Fit
(4)
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Durability
(5)
Summary
The Women’s Floodlight II Down Jacket is a waterproof, windproof, breathable and fully seam-taped down jacket that will keep you toasty warm in below freezing temps. It’s extremely comfortable. The softness of the inside of the jacket is really nice on bare skin if you need to grab a jacket right out of bed for a middle-of-the-night pee. The waterproof outer layer is windproof, and zipping yourself into it takes all of the bite out of the wind chill.
Overall
4.8Pros
- The waterproof zippers (YKK® AquaGuard® Vislon Zippers) are bombproof when it comes to water protection.
Cons
- If you’re curvy, I would suggest getting a size up from what you normally get. I can’t quite fit the jacket over my hips, but it fits perfectly on my upper body!
During the last week in October of 2019 a cold snap hit Indian Creek and although it was sunny, daytime temps didn’t make it past a high of 32 degrees. The evenings were worse, and each morning I woke up to frozen food and water that had to be dethawed before it could be consumed. This was my 6th season as a climber in Indian Creek, my 3rd winter, and by far the coldest temperatures I’ve had to endure.
The Women’s Floodlight II Down Jacket was a godsend. It was the difference between existence in the outdoors and comfortable existence in the outdoors. Often, it was the only thing that allowed me to get out of bed in the morning.
The Women’s Floodlight II Down Jacket is a waterproof, windproof, breathable and fully seam-taped down jacket that will keep you toasty warm in below freezing temps. It’s extremely comfortable. The softness of the inside of the jacket is really nice on bare skin if you need to grab a jacket right out of bed for a middle-of-the-night pee. The waterproof outer layer is windproof, and zipping yourself into it takes all of the bite out of the wind chill.
Look/Style
It’s fairly stylish, but to be honest, at those temperatures, I am not too concerned with style. The most important part for me is how well it kept me warm!
Features
There are a few features this jacket has that really hits home on the selling points. For starters, the internal hand-cuffs with the thumb hole are really handy (no pun intended). As a climber, I need to use my hands to uncoil rope, belay, and manage the belay station, so having this feature kept me warm but didn’t sacrifice dexterity.
There are more pockets on this jacket than I know what to do with. There are two external hand pockets, an outward chest pocket, an internal chest pocket, and two internal mesh pockets on either side of the jacket. The internal chest pocket has a place for headphones to run through so you can wear headphones and keep your hood up at the same time.
Speaking of the hood, the Women’s Floodlight II Down Jacket has a helmet-compatible hood with a hood lock. I wore this jacket with and without a helmet, and it was equally comfortable. The hood lock on the back of the hood allows you to cinch the hood down to fit perfectly over any size helmet. The two hood cord locks at the front of the zipper also allow you to pull the face of the hood closed and tight so the hood won’t be blown open or move.
This jacket is not light, but it shouldn’t be. It’s bulk and weight are apart of what makes it so perfect for the cold weather. As a climber, I want to find down jackets that pack away into a pocket so I can clip them to my harness and keep climbing. In that aspect, this jacket did not excel, but it’s not meant to be ultralight and packable, it’s meant to keep you warm.
The Women’s Floodlight II is durable and well made. Even after scraping it over rocks and sweating into it, the fabric is holding up with very little obvious damage.
To anyone looking for a durable, comfortable and functional down jacket, I would highly recommend the Women’s Floodlight II Down Jacket!
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Kaya Lindsay is the social media coordinator for Yosemite Facelift. She is also a writer and photographer with a passion for rock climbing and the outdoors. In 2016 she converted a Sprinter Van into a tiny home and has been traveling around the US & Canada to pursue her passion for rock climbing ever since. You will most likely find her in a parking lot or coffee shop, camera in hand, planning her next grand adventure. Connect with her on Instagram @OneChickTravels