Down jackets have been said to be the best when it comes to winter thermal insulation. People of touted down jackets for decades as being the best way to keep warm while keeping your jacket light. Down is very light and flexible, making it easy to stuff into a backpack. Up until now, no synthetic material has been able to match the benefits of down.
But, in comes The North Face Thermalball, donning the new Primaloft synthetic insulation technology. This insulation technology is designed to mimic the best benefits of down while giving even more benefits than you would never have experienced with down.
In this The North Face Thermoball vs Down comparison, we are going to be covering all of the benefits of this new synthetic technology that is included in the Thermoball.
Related: The North Face Thermoball vs Patagonia Nano Puff: Jackets For Cold Climate
The North Face Thermoball vs Down Jacket
When It Gets Wet
One of the downsides of the down jacket is that when it gets wet, it loses its ability to keep you warm. The Thermoball synthetic insulation resists moisture. It will help to keep you warm even if it is wet. This is one of the benefits of using Primaloft insulation technology instead of goose down.
Primaloft Is Compressible
Now you may be thinking that nothing can compress as well as goose down. However, Primaloft is designed in such a way that it can be compressed. Traditional synthetic insulation resembles that which you put in between the walls of your house. As you can imagine, traditional synthetic insulation is not very compressible.
Primaloft insulation consists of tiny balls of insulation that are highly compressible. They sort of look like balls of feather, and they’re really good at conforming to your body’s shape. You can easily compress your jacket to fit into a small backpack with Primaloft insulation.
Primaloft Is Cheaper Than Down
You may have noticed that in recent years, the price of down has increased. Chances are that the down that you have previously worn came from China, where the goose are raised in rural farm communities. Things have changed in recent years that have made the price of down more expensive. The price of down has gone up while the quality of it has gone down. The price of down is up by 300% from the past two years, and we don’t know if the cost is going to go up even higher.
But thankfully, Primaloft insulation is significantly less pricey than down. This means that you will be able to get an even better type of insulation for a lower cost!
Other Benefits Of Primaloft
In a sense, Primaloft will almost be as warm as down. But it does come with the benefit of staying warm when wet, as mentioned above. But that you know that they are much easier to wash than down. Usually, goose down must be washed with special soap and dried carefully. But Thermoball jackets can be used with regular detergent and dried the normal way.
Primaloft jackets are also just as light as jackets made of down.
You might like: Down vs Synthetic: Most Don’t Know The Difference
The North Face Thermoball Features
The North Face Thermoball jackets are made with the new Primaloft technology. In fact, The North Face has formed a partnership with Primaloft in order to be able to use this new technology.
Some of the Thermoball jackets come with a pouch in which you can stuff the jacket into. This just goes to show how compressible the jackets really are.
They have internal elastic cuffs in order to prevent snow or rain from getting into the sleeves. There is also a hem cinch-cord to prevent updrafts from happening.
Thermoball jackets are made of a Nylon stretch taffeta which allows you to run in your jacket without feeling any pinching or pulling. These jackets are stretchable to allow for plenty of movement.
While the outside of the jacket is made of nylon, the Primaloft portion is made of polyester. The polyester is in the form of little balls that are easily compressible and form your shape.
Thermoball jackets are machine washable, which is awesome considering that you could never machine wash a down jacket!
The North Face Thermoball vs Down: Price Differences
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The Verdict
It is clear that the Thermoball jackets provide plenty of advantages over down jackets. Down jackets are more expensive than the used to be, and don’t even provide the same kind of warmth when they are wet. In contrast, the Thermoball jackets are less expensive and provide more warmth when they are wet. They are also just as compressible as down jackets. We definitely don’t have any issues recommending the Thermoball jackets over down.