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Wantdo Packable Down Hoody Review

This jacket costs a lot less than every other down jacket and still performs pretty well overall
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Wantdo Packable Down Hoody Review
Credit: Sam Schild
Price:  $66 List
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Manufacturer:   Wantdo
By Sam Schild ⋅ Review Editor  ⋅  Jan 23, 2024
55
OVERALL
SCORE


RANKED
#15 of 16
  • Warmth - 30% 5.0
  • Comfort - 30% 5.0
  • Portability - 15% 8.0
  • Weather Resistance - 15% 5.0
  • Breathability - 10% 5.0

Our Verdict

The Wantdo Packable Down Hoody is the least expensive down jacket we've seen. While it doesn't perform as well as some other models, you could buy five of these for the price of some of the more expensive models we've tested. This jacket is lightweight and packs easily into its included stuff sack. It has a hood, two zippered hand pockets, and a zippered chest pocket. There are no adjustment features, but this bare-bones jacket does the job. If you're looking for an inexpensive puffy jacket to wear around town or bring on a summer backpacking trip, this will leave you with money in your wallet to spend on fancy drinks or dehydrated backpacking meals.
REASONS TO BUY
Very affordable
Light
Packable
REASONS TO AVOID
Not very warm
Less durable
Pocket zippers snag
Editor's Note: This jacket was purchased and retested alongside many others in our lineup. This review reflects the most recent testing and was updated on January 23, 2024.

Compare to Similar Products

 
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Bottom Line You'll probably do a double-take when you look at the price of this jacketThis jacket provides solid heat and weather protection in cold weatherWhile not the lightest, this cozy and warm jacket is an all-around top performerThis midweight down jacket features excellent weather resistance and solid warmth in an affordable packageThis lightweight hoodless option has a basic set of features, is comfortable, and looks great
Rating Categories Wantdo Packable Dow... Rab Electron Pro The North Face Summ... Rab Microlight Alpine REI Co-op 650 Down
Warmth (30%)
5.0
9.0
9.0
8.0
5.0
Comfort (30%)
5.0
9.5
9.0
9.0
8.0
Portability (15%)
8.0
4.0
5.0
5.0
8.5
Weather Resistance (15%)
5.0
9.0
8.0
9.0
6.0
Breathability (10%)
5.0
8.0
7.0
7.0
7.0
Specs Wantdo Packable Dow... Rab Electron Pro The North Face Summ... Rab Microlight Alpine REI Co-op 650 Down
Down Fill 90% duck down 800-fill European goose down with Nikwax hydrophobic finish 800 fill ProDown with water repellency Recycled 700-fill Down with Nikwax hydrophobic finish 650-fill down
Responsible Down Standard (RDS) Certified Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Outer Fabric 20D 400T nylon 20D nylon Pertex Quantum Pro 20D recycled nylon ripstop Recycled 30D nylon Pertex Quantum Recycled ripstop nylon
Weight (Size Small) 10.6 oz 16.1 oz 15.2 oz 14.9 oz 10.1 oz
Hem Type Straight Drop hem (large) Straight Drop hem (large) Drop hem (small)
Fit Standard Standard Standard Standard Standard
Pockets 2 zippered hand, 1 zippered external chest, 2 internal slip in pockets 2 zippered hand, 1 zippered internal chest 2 zippered hand, zippered external chest, 2 internal stretch mesh pockets, 2 internal slip in pockets 2 zippered hand, 1 zippered external chest 2 zippered hand. 2 internal slip in pockets
Hood Yes Yes Yes Yes No, hooded option
Cuff Construction Elastic Two stretch-panel cuffs Stretch-knit cuffs Elastic cuffs Elastic cuffs
Adjustment Points None Hem shockcord, hood shockcord, hood velcro Hem shockcord, hood shockcord Hem shockcord, hood shockcord Hem drawcord
Stow Option Stuff sack Stuff sack Zips into interior strech pocket Stuff sack None
Features N/A Harness compatible pockets, helmet compatible hood, stiffened bill, hydrophobic down Helmet compatabile hood, harness compatible hand pockets Stiffened hood bill, recycled hydrophobic down N/A

Our Analysis and Test Results

The Wantdo Packable Down Hoody costs less than half as much as the second most affordable down jacket we tested. This alone makes it worth considering. It's not particularly warm, weather resistant, or breathable, but it is light and packable enough to throw in a suitcase, daypack, or even carry on a summer backpacking trip.

Performance Comparison


wantdo packable down hoody - the wantdo hoody is an incredibly inexpensive jacket.
The Wantdo Hoody is an incredibly inexpensive jacket.
Credit: Sam Schild

Warmth


The Wantdo Hoody is warm enough for mild winter days or as a supplemental just-in-case layer. It is stuffed with 90% duck down, has a hood, and hand warmer pockets.


The 20D nylon material with average baffles does a decent job of sealing in your body heat. However, the baffles aren't big enough or stuffed with as much down as the warmest down jackets. This jacket will keep you warm on its own in chilly conditions but not extreme cold.

It has a hood to seal in the heat around your head. The hood has an elasticized strip around the face opening, which helps to keep it in place. But it doesn't have any other hood adjustment features. If you're wearing this hood and a cold wind blows in your face, it could blow off.

wantdo packable down hoody - the wantdo hoody has a hood to prevent heat loss out your noggin...
The Wantdo Hoody has a hood to prevent heat loss out your noggin, but you can't adjust it.
Credit: Sam Schild

It's thin enough that you can easily layer a hardshell jacket on top. It fits on the more snug side, but it isn't too tight to fit over a baselayer or thinner fleece mid-layer.

It isn't particularly long and stops just below the waist. It doesn't have a waist cinch cord to prevent heat loss from out the bottom of the coat, either. It fits tight enough that this isn't a huge issue, but we'd hesitate to rely on this coat in cold and windy conditions.

wantdo packable down hoody - the wantdo hoody doesn't have any waist cinch adjustment features...
The Wantdo Hoody doesn't have any waist cinch adjustment features, or any adjustment features at all, for that matter.
Credit: Sam Schild

Comfort


The Wantdo Hoody is relatively comfortable but doesn't stand out in this category either. It has a slim fit that feels good with a thin layer underneath but is tighter than we'd want for layering over a thick sweater.


The lining material is relatively soft and feels comfortable against your bare skin. It has that slippery feel you'd expect from an inexpensive ripstop jacket, but it isn't the slipperiest fabric we've felt. When you sweat in this jacket, it gets pretty clammy, which isn't very comfortable, however.

This coat is very light, and we like how it doesn't seem to hang heavy on our shoulders. Warmer coats can sometimes feel like too much to wear all day. The Wantdo, on the other hand, is easy to forget you're wearing it at all.

wantdo packable down hoody - the wantdo hoody is pretty comfortable overall, but didn't blow us...
The Wantdo Hoody is pretty comfortable overall, but didn't blow us out of the water.
Credit: Sam Schild

The hood fits loose enough to wear over a beanie or other hats. It doesn't have any adjustment, which would make it easier to wear without impeding our vision when you try to look off to either side.

Some of our testers found the neck on this jacket to be a little too tight. If you're wearing it with only a T-shirt underneath, it's not so tight that it's uncomfortable. But if you're wearing this with a layer that also has neck protection, such as a hooded fleece, it's not very comfortable.

wantdo packable down hoody - the hood fits loose enough to wear over a hat or beanie, but doesn't...
The hood fits loose enough to wear over a hat or beanie, but doesn't have any adjustment features.
Credit: Sam Schild

Portability


The Wantdo Hoody is very portable. It packs into its own stuff sack to a small size. The men's small we tested weighs 10.6 ounces with the stuff sack. This jacket is a great option to throw into a suitcase or day bag just in case it gets colder.



There isn't much you could do to make this jacket lighter without using even thinner material or even less down insulation. It has no adjustment points on the hood, waist, or anywhere else.

wantdo packable down hoody - the wantdo hoody weighs 10.6 ounces in men's size small.
The Wantdo Hoody weighs 10.6 ounces in men's size small.
Credit: Sam Schild

There is nothing extra on this model, and if weight is a top priority, that's what you want. But, we do worry about the durability.

wantdo packable down hoody - the wantdo hoody packs into an included stuff sack to a very small...
The Wantdo Hoody packs into an included stuff sack to a very small size.
Credit: Sam Schild

It has some of the smallest zippers we've seen on the handwarmer pockets. These zippers are so small that they snag easily and often on the lightweight shell material. This hasn't caused a rip during several months of testing. But it's probably only a matter of time before one of these zippers snags the lightweight shell material and the material rips, the zipper breaks, or both.

wantdo packable down hoody - the wantdo hoody has extremely small zippers on the hand pockets.
The Wantdo Hoody has extremely small zippers on the hand pockets.
Credit: Sam Schild

Weather Resistance


The Wantdo Hoody is one of the least weather-resistant jackets we tested. The shell material has a slight amount of water resistance but not nearly as much as some other models.


Most down jackets aren't intended to be rain jackets, but this model is less wear-resistant than average. During our spray and rub waterproof test, the shell material wet out within 15 seconds. The baffle seams quickly soaked through to the inside of the jacket as well. We wouldn't want to rely on this in even the lightest rain or in wet snow.

wantdo packable down hoody - the wantdo hoody is not very water resistant.
The Wantdo Hoody is not very water resistant.
Credit: Sam Schild

Breathability


The Wantdo Hoody performs below average in breathability. It's not very warm, which helps it to be a bit more breathable. But as you start to sweat, this jacket quickly feels clammier inside than most.



It has small baffles with stitches that go through to the inside of the jacket, so you'd think all those holes would help this jacket breathe. However, they don't seem to help enough to make this jacket comfortable during high-output or even medium-output activities.

It has no ventilation features other than the front zipper and pushing up the sleeves. The sleeves are wide enough with a stretch cuff, so pushing them up isn't an issue. The front zipper is big enough to easily unzip as well.

wantdo packable down hoody - the wantdo hoody isn't very warm so you don't heat up as quickly...
The Wantdo Hoody isn't very warm so you don't heat up as quickly, but it gets clammy when you do warm up.
Credit: Sam Schild

Should You Buy the Wantdo Packable Down Hoody?


The Wantdo Hoody is the most affordable down jacket we've tested. It's not exactly a high-performance technical layer, but we didn't expect it would be, considering the price. It's very lightweight and packable, so this would be a good choice for a backpacking kit on a budget, an emergency winter layer in mild climates, or for anyone else who wants an inexpensive puffy jack to throw in a backpack or bring traveling.

wantdo packable down hoody - the wantdo hoody is a great deal, and great for casual wear around...
The Wantdo Hoody is a great deal, and great for casual wear around town.
Credit: Sam Schild

What Other Down Jackets Should You Consider?


If you're looking for a lightweight and packable down jacket that performs better across the board and you can afford to invest more in a high-quality jacket, check out the Mountain Hardwear Ghost Whisperer/2. If you're looking for something that's still a good deal but has more warmth and features, check out the casual REI Co-op 650 Down or even the excellent Rab Microlight Alpine.

wantdo packable down hoody - testing the wantdo hoody on a cold and snowy day in colorado.
Testing the Wantdo Hoody on a cold and snowy day in Colorado.
Credit: Sam Schild

Sam Schild