Selecting the perfect down jacket for all of your outdoor adventures can be a daunting task. Considerations like down rating, loft, warmth, packability and, of course, style must all be factored in. You can surely find a coat that meets all of those qualifications, but why not take it a step further and also add in the latest in outdoor tech: DriDown. The Tov jacket by Sierra Designs may be one of the only coats out there that can boast such an impressive checklist of features, but is it just a bunch of tough talk? I set out to discover if the Tov could stand up to the nastiest winter conditions in Utah, and if DriDown is legit or just a lot of hot smoke.
The DriDown Tov jacket arrived not a moment too soon. As soon as I got it out of the box, the temperatures in Utah dropped to record lows. Seriously, it had not been this cold in the Beehive state since the 1940s! Stuffed with 600 fill DriDown, the Tov is definitely a warm piece of outerwear. I wore this jacket every day (no BS) for the past three months, and with the exception of a few truly frigid nights, it kept me toasty on the streets of SLC. You’re not buying a jacket to please others, but I will admit the constant stream of compliments on the Tov were music to my ears. Warm and stylee? Yes, please! Sure, the Tov was a winner for the every day commute, but that would mean nothing if it didn’t perform in the real elements. It was off to the proving grounds of the Uinta and Wasatch Mountains to see what this jacket was really made of.
The Sierra Designs Tov jacket was the first piece of gear I packed for a snowshoeing trip to the Uintas. It comes with its own stuff sack, and like any good down jacket, it is highly compressible. During my trip, temperatures dipped as low as -20 F at night. I layered up and topped things off with the Tov jacket. I can’t lie, it was damn cold out there, but I doubt I could have mustered the strength to enjoy the stars without this coat on. During daylight hours it warmed up to a balmy 15 degrees, and the Tov jacket was the perfect companion for chopping wood and drinking beers on the deck of the yurt. For Wasatch hiking, it was a different story. The Tov was simply too warm for uphill hiking, proving the old adage of “no down for going up.” However, when I stopped for breaks or began my descents, the jacket was quickly donned and all my precious body heat was locked in. I can say without question that the Sierra Designs Tov jacket is built to beat the cold, and unless you’re heading to Lapland, you can bet it will keep you warm in the great outdoors.
You’ve probably heard a lot about DriDown lately, and with good reason. Down is a great insulator, but once it gets wet, it’s no better than the Fonz’s classic black leather. Enter DriDown, the wet weather game changer for those of us who don’t want to go the synthetic route. Regular goose down is treated with a molecular polymer to create a hydrophobic finish on each plume of down (science!). What really matters is this: Sierra Designs claims that DriDown stays dry 10 times longer than standard down in wet conditions, dries 33% faster, and retains nearly 3 times more loft when exposed to moisture and humidity. I did my best to put these claims to the test, and exposed the Tov jacket to as many wet conditions as possible. When moist snow was falling in the valley, I simply pulled the hood up and let the flakes pile high; ditto for rainy days as well. I can’t tell you how fast this jacket dries, because it never got drenched. I was very impressed by the Tov’s resistance to moisture. The polyester ripstop material that comprises the outer shell was soaked on many days, but the DriDown never fell victim to the conditions. I can’t tell you if the claim of “stays dry 10 times longer” is legit, but I can say that I would trust the Tov in any conditions short of a steady downpour.
That is a lot of praise for the Sierra Designs DriDown Tov jacket, but it’s not all rosy. My biggest complaint is the constant down shedding. The seat in my truck is covered in the soft, white feathers that escaped the jacket. Every time I zip it up, I notice another plume poking its head out of the coat. Additionally, there are a lot of pulled threads after just three months of wear and tear. None of these have proved disastrous for the Tov, but could be cause for concern in the future.
After wearing the DriDown Tov jacket in a full range of winter conditions, I can confidently dub it a winner. It kept me warm in bone chilling cold, stood up to wet conditions and took up a minimal amount of space in my pack. The fixed hood is roomy enough to pull over a helmet, and coupled with the two way zipper, the Tov is a good pick for the climbers in the crowd. Plenty of pockets (two zippered hand pockets, interior media pocket, and interior stash pocket) allow users to store their trinkets, and all the tech comes with a heap of style to boot. If you’re looking for a new down jacket, or upgrading to take advantage of DriDown technology, the Sierra Designs Tov jacket is a great choice.
The Good: very warm, packable, DriDown technology lives up to the hype
The Bad: lots of down shedding and thread pulls after one season of use
The Verdict: The SD DriDown Tov is a solid jacket that performs in cold and wet conditions, and has all the bells and whistles you’d expect from a high end, insulated coat.
Update: After this article was posted, I received an email from the Sierra Designs rep that could explain why the Tov jacket shed so much down. “There was a defective needle used on a number of the production pieces which has resulted in down escaping and blown stitches you experienced.” So there you have it…not all is perfect when it comes to the world of gear production. SD plans to finish out this season’s run of the Tov jacket, and in Fall 2013 the coat will be replaced with the Super Stratus jacket, which will be stuffed with toasty 800 fill DriDown.
Very cool post. I managed to grab this jacket on sale about mid-March for about $125, but didn’t get a stuff sack. Other than the stitching issue you mentioned, my jacket says it was made in Shenzen, China. Not sure if that makes it a knockoff, I really hope not!