His-n-Hers Fjällräven Expedition Down Lite Jackets: Solid Contenders to Combat Cold Conditions

There’s nothing worse than being cold when in winter elements. Once you get a chill, you’re seemingly down for the count—especially when camping in the cold or hiking about in remote conditions. My husband, Andy Lilienthal, and I recently tested his-n-hers lighter-in-weight Simond MT500 Hooded Down Jackets as well as Cotopaxi’s warmest down offering: the Cotopaxi Fuego Max Down Hooded Jacket. But, if you’re in the market for a heavy hitter down coat that’ll help you survive in below-zero temps, Sweden-based Fjällräven has got you covered. We spent time with the Fjällräven Expedition Down Lite Jacket for men and the Women’s Fjällräven Expedition Down Lite Jacket. Did they keep our core comfortable in below zero temperatures with wind chills dipping to -13° Fahrenheit and more? Grab your hot chocolate and keep on reading.

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Fjällräven Expedition Down Lite Jackets

The Fjällräven Expedition Down Lite Jacket comes in a men’s and women’s version. It’s a lighter iteration of the company’s iconic classic 1974 Expedition Down Jacket, made for the coldest of winter conditions like exploring Antarctica. The Fjällräven Expedition Down Lite Jacket is perhaps a “light” version of their classic, but it’s also made for Old Man Winter and cold-weather activities like the Alcan 5000 Rally.

We tested both men’s and women’s Fjällräven Expedition Down Lite Jackets and found many similarities between the two. They’re water and wind resistant. The outer layers and interior lining are made from heavy-duty 100% recycled polyamide. They’re also treated with a PFC-free DWR (durable water repellent) to help fabric maintain peak performance against water, dirt, and oils.

Both jacket types have an oversized hood with Fjällräven’s signature bright yellow drawcord and leather tab for tightening or loosening it to shield wearers from wind. This drawcord system is also located on the jacket’s bottom hem.

Each jacket has a large YKK zipper as well as storm flap that snaps shut after zipped. Each jacket has several pockets. This includes two oversized exterior pockets with fold-over top flap and two snaps plus two open side pockets to stash small things.

Additionally, there is a zippered interior pocket for both men’s and women’s jackets, as well as two open ruched pockets at the bottom front of each coat.

The Expedition Down Lite Jacket for women is about 6.3 inches (16 cm) shorter than the full-Arctic 1974 Expedition Down Jacket. The men’s iteration is just over 3.1 inches (8 cm) shorter, making for increased movement opportunities.

Deconstructing Down

Both men’s and women’s versions have a down fill power (CUIN) of 700. This is a high-quality rating for down insulation, where one ounce of down lofts to 700 cubic inches. This offers an excellent warmth-to-weight ratio for serious cold-weather activities.

The men’s Fjällräven Expedition Down Lite Jacket boasts just over .9 oz. (415 grams) of fill weight for a size medium coat. It has an overall weight of nearly 2 lbs. 8 oz.

The women’s version has less fill weight at nearly .8 oz. (353 grams) for a small size. This jacket boasts an overall weight of just over 2 lbs. 3 oz. Both feature a regular fit.

The Fjällräven Expedition Down Lite Jacket features high-quality ethically produced and traceable down consisting of 90% goose down and 10% feathers. This insulation is packed into both jackets via an offset down channel construction that eliminates heat loss. The shoulders are reinforced with Supreme Microloft (100% polyester) to lessen moisture intrusion and wear better against the pressure of wearing a backpack.

The Men’s Fjällräven Expedition Down Lite Jacket

“The Expedition Down Lite Jacket has a retro style,” Andy said. “It’s very puffy and big. Even though this is the Lite model, it is still quite warm. I can’t imagine what the non-Lite model would be like as far as warmth and comfort.”

Both jacket types have adjustable cuffs. Two snaps can make each cuff smaller. This is good when tucking them into oversized gloves. Or, when you’d like to tuck thin gloves into the jacket’s sleeves.

Andy said there is a ton of loft and puff on his jacket. “It’s a distinct look. The hood is very big and insulated. It might be too lofty for some, but it is very, very warm.”

“The jacket fits very well. The pockets, both internal and external, are generously sized and practical,” he added. “The hood is super warm, although it can feel like a pillow if driving a car.”

Andy wore it outside for a long while when it was in the low teens (Fahrenheit). It kept his core very warm. “With the hood up, I almost felt like I was in my own insulated bubble.”

The jacket runs true to size, but for him, it’s very puffy. But loft equates to warmth, so he’s all in.

The Women’s Jacket Lowdown

So far, I’ve worn the Women’s Fjällräven Expedition Down Lite Jacket in severe snow, driving wind, and full sun. This jacket, in medium size and black color, is a solid fit and is extremely warm. It has sleeves long enough to cover my wrists and a bottom hem that goes over my hips. It kept my core warm, even while power walking outside in single-digit weather. The same couldn’t be said about my fingers, however.  

The biggest surprise was its extremely lofty hood. It’s thick and covers my head fully and securely. Once worn, wind doesn’t penetrate through, even in below-zero bone-chilling temps. If not used, it makes a surprisingly good head pillow if you’re sitting in a vehicle as a road-tripping passenger, too.

The Women’s Fjällräven Expedition Down Lite Jacket has large exterior pockets with a flap and two snaps per opening. I found myself not using the snaps much as it took too long to fasten them (vs. a single zipper). Same thing about the exterior storm flap that covers the heavy-duty zipper. I haven’t fastened any of the snaps for mad dashes out and about. But the system is very sturdy once closed if you’re outside for any length of time. I would’ve preferred a zipper system instead, like the ones found on the Smartwool Smartloft Hybrid Jackets we tested.

This coat also has exterior side-slit pockets behind the larger upright ones. They’re great for stashing smaller or thin items, but they don’t have zippers to secure contents inside.

Overall Score

The Fjällräven Expedition Down Lite Jacket has a lot going for it. It’s very warm and constructed of high-quality, thick, and durable materials. It’s also extremely well made. However, this jacket doesn’t pack down nearly as small as other down jackets and takes up a good bit of space in the closet. But, then again, a severe duty down coat is meant to keep you warm, and the Fjällräven Expedition Down Lite Jacket does just that. Overall Score: 8 out of 10. Price for men’s and women’s Fjällräven Expedition Down Lite Jacket : $600.00.

Photos of men’s Fjällräven jacket: Mercedes Lilienthal; women’s Fjällräven jacket: Andy Lilienthal.