Quilting Provides Great Insulation
By layering fabric with an insulated core and then stitching the layers together, quilting creates air pockets that trap warm air. This quilting process provides superior insulation and keeps you comfortable and warm on the slopes. Obviously, the more air pockets, the better the insulating properties of your quilted jacket will be. Quilting also provides a far greater warmth to weight ratio, making it far more efficient for technical outdoor gear.
Quilting is Lightweight
Because of its superior warmth to weight ratio, a jacket featuring quilted insulation will be much more lightweight and therefore more packable – a big consideration for touring and hiking. Synthetic quilted fabric is also increasingly hardwearing, allowing for down-like durability after being repeatedly stuffed in your backpack. Lightweight, quilted jackets are particularly suitable for use as an extra layer, or as an outer shell when skiing and hiking, where weight flexibility of movement is important. Because the insulation is stitched in place, there’s no awkward bunching and clumping of the insulating material.
Quilting is Breathable
Whether you’re on a downhill run or hiking in the hills, the chances are you’ll be working up quite a sweat. A quilted softshell offers superior breathability to a hardshell jacket, allowing moisture to wick away quickly and easily from the skin, keeping you comfortable in the great outdoors. Synthetic insulation also has the advantage of drying more quickly than natural down, thus avoiding the clumping of wet down and feathers. Hydrophobic down is treated to repel moisture, but is much more expensive. Synthetics, however, are rapidly improving, to replicate the advantages of down whilst retaining their moisture wicking and breathability.
Quilting is Durable
Synthetic insulation is designed to be durable, and a properly cared-for quilted jacket will last a lifetime. Easy to wash and dry, you can throw your quilted synthetic jacket in the washing machine and forget about the fluffing routine that is necessary to keep down looking at its best. Whilst both synthetics and down have their advantages, the ability of synthetics to stand up to testing conditions whilst keeping you warm and comfortable, and still coming out at the end of the season looking good, is one of their great plus points.
Quilting Has Style
Where hardshell jackets can often look and feel bulky, quilted insulated jackets are designed to give super flexibility with bags of style. Whether sewn through or box-baffled, quilted jackets can look as good on the streets as they do in the great outdoors. They are often the smart choice for a city jacket that looks great, whilst keeping you comfortable. With the luxury look and feel of modern quilted insulation, they’re the smart choice for anything that the weather can throw at you, wherever you are.
