How to Store a Down Jacket Properly

Down jackets and parkas are among the most technical garments in a wardrobe. The insulation is alive in a way that other fills are not: it breathes, it compresses, it responds to moisture, and it needs to be treated accordingly. How you store a down piece at the end of the season has a direct effect on its loft and warmth the next time you wear it.

Clean Before You Store

This is the most important rule and the most overlooked. Body oils, perspiration, and any food or drink residue left in the fabric of a down jacket will break down the feathers over time. Oils coat the down clusters and reduce their ability to loft, which is what creates the insulating air pockets that make down warm.

Additionally, any organic matter left in the jacket during storage will attract moths and other pests. A jacket stored dirty is a jacket that will come out of storage in worse condition than it went in.

Professional Cleaning for Down

Down jackets and parkas require specific handling because the clusters need to be cleaned without stripping their natural oils completely, and dried thoroughly and evenly to prevent mildew inside the baffles. This is difficult to achieve at home without the right equipment.

At Sweetwater's, down jackets and parkas start at $75.50. We clean them using a process appropriate for the fill and shell fabric, and return them fully lofted and ready for storage.

How to Store Down

Down should be stored uncompressed. This is the opposite of what most people do. Stuffing a down jacket into its own stuff sack for months on end keeps the clusters compressed, and over time, those clusters lose their ability to fully re-loft when you take the jacket out again.

Hang the jacket loosely in a closet, or store it lying flat in a large breathable bag. The key is that the down should be as close to its natural, expanded state as possible during the months it is not being worn.

What to Avoid

• Plastic bags, which trap moisture and can cause mildew in down baffles
• Compression for extended periods, which reduces loft permanently over time
• Storing a damp jacket, which creates mildew and an unpleasant odor that is difficult to remove
• Direct sunlight during storage, which can degrade the shell fabric and affect DWR coatings

Bringing It Out of Storage

When you take the jacket out next season, give it a day to breathe before wearing it. If it has been stored correctly, the down should re-loft fully on its own. If it seems flat, a low-heat tumble in the dryer with a few clean tennis balls can help break up any clumped clusters.

If the jacket has developed an odor during storage or does not re-loft fully, a professional clean before the season starts will restore it properly.