Pros, cons, and use cases for Himali’s 850-fill down jacket
Key Takeaways
- The Himali Accelerator Down Jacket is impressively warm and packable.
- Using a well-known product for reference, the Himali Accelerator is noticeably warmer than a Patagonia Down Sweater.
- Cons: lack of two-way zipper and an awkward over-helmet fit reduce feasibility for this to double as a strong belay jacket and cragging jacket.
Temperature Range
- In my personal experience, the Accelerator excels in low-medium output activities in the 30-40°F zone. Below that range, it can comfortably handle high output activities down to 20°F. With a light fleece underneath, I have worn it down to 0°F during high output activities, but that got pretty chilly and I quickly added a heavier jacket over the top.
As a compulsive down jacket junkie, I purchased the Himali Accelerator Down Jacket almost a year ago in my journey to find the best down jacket on the market. I’ve used it extensively in the contexts of backpacking in the Eastern Sierras, ice climbing in single digit weather and -10F windchill, and general outdoor use.
Here’s my verdict: Overall, the Himali Accelerator is a well-made and athletic jacket. It’s super warm in the contexts of hiking and backpacking, and it’s arguably warmer than the comparable Patagonia Down Sweater. However, I found the fit (some tightness around the hood) and lack of two-way zipper to be minor limiting factors.
In this review, I’ll break down the (many) positives, a few things that could be improved, and I’ll leave you with some thoughts on how the Himali Accelerator stacks up against similar down jackets on the market.
What's Great about the Himali Accelerator
Great warmth-to-weight ratio. There’s no denying the Himali Accelerator is a warm jacket. On a recent trip to Hyalite Canyon for ice climbing, I wore the jacket over a thermal baselayer and Patagonia R1 and was okay (not super comfortable) while climbing in mid single digit weather, but needed a heavier belay parka over top once I was stationary and once the wind picked up. I’ve stayed very comfortably warm in the Accelerator in 30-40 degrees while sitting around making breakfast after crawling out of my backpacking tent.
Coming in at an average 11 oz. it’s fairly light in comparison to other jackets on the market (the 800 fill Mountain Hardwear Phantom Alpine weighs over 1 lb).
Highly packable. A strong feature of the Himali Accelerator is that it packs into a pocket sewn-into the pouch. A women’s size small Jacket packs to roughly the size of a Nalgene, which makes it an easy choice for including in any backpack. I never found myself hesitating on whether or not to bring this particular layer along. Once removed from the stuff sack, the jacket quickly regains its loft.
Good water resistance. I haven’t taken the Accelerator in true rain since we all know down doesn’t insulate well when wet. But I have been caught in multiple drizzles, and on drippier ice climbs, the DWR-treated Pertex® Quantum has kept me pretty dry for longer than expected.
After 30 minutes of drizzle, the jacket’s exterior shell definitely gets wet, but it seems to stay pretty warm. Once you take it inside and dry it out, I’ve noticed it quickly dries, and the HyperDry treated down may contribute to that.
Bonus: cool factor. Himali is a neat smaller brand. A couple folks at different crags in Colorado were stoked to see the brand since it’s based in CO, and the brand has a strong developing reputation for technical performance wear. This particular product is also fair-trade certified, which is always a plus in my mind.
Cons of the Accelerator
No two-way zipper. It seems like a strange choice to leave off a two-way zipper for a company that’s boasts a star-studded roster of alpinists and climbers.
In multiple situations, I found myself wanting to throw the jacket on over a harness as a light belay coat but had to either leave it unzipped or hike the jacket up over my harness. This is inefficient from a warmth perspective. While I don’t own the seemingly comparable Rab Neutrino or Positron, both offer a two-way zipper, as does the Mountain Hardwear Phantom and the even lighter Mountain Hardwear Compressor. Would it be crazy for this jacket to add the extra zip? That said, the existing YKK zipper is solid and not fiddly at all.
Awkward torso fit (with and potentially without a climbing helmet). Looking at what others have said about the jacket, main complaints seem to be about sizing, notably about snug sleeves and a short torso fit. I’ve personally had a hard time getting the hood of this jacket up when the jacket is fully zipped and I’m wearing a climbing helmet.
The jacket tends to ride up, despite having the hood elastic cord slack. I use a Petzl Meteor Helmet, which is a pretty standard helmet and I haven’t experienced this with other jackets like the MHW Compressor or Arc’teryx Atom. It’s as if the tolerance for the hood is just a little shy or skimpy, and if they’d made it a bit bigger, it would fit over less awkwardly. In reading Google reviews of the jacket, several other women point out the short torso fit with the hood zipped up, so this may be an issue with general sizing exacerbated by a climbing helmet.
Another fit/sizing complaint: the high fill and more athletic fit creates a weird belly pooch look. This is a superficial complaint, but again, the fit is pretty unforgiving, and I’m a petite person. I don’t know why this is—I’m guessing it has to do with the high fill or the cut.
I’m more about function than fashion outside, but I’ve noticed nascent apparel companies tend to need some time to dial in for and for me, this isn’t a premium fit yet. Himali is very clear in its description of sizing that the jacket is meant to be worn as is or with a “whisper thin” midlayer underneath, so perhaps I’m abusing the layering system. Not a deal breaker, just an odd in-between sizing issue I haven’t encountered with similar jackets.
Materials and Features
The Himali Accelerator jacket has 4 oz. of 850 fill power HyperDRY™ down, which is meant to aid in preventing internal moisture build up and is estimated to be 30-40x more hydrophobic than regular down. The shell is DWR coated for some amount of water resistance, and it’s made up of Pertex Quantum.
While the jacket doesn’t have a chest pocket, it does have 1 internal zipped pocket, which sets it apart from some similar models with only internal dump pockets (the North Face Breithorn comes to mind).
Another key feature that puts this jacket into the “technical” category is the stuff sack that’s integrated into a jacket pocket. I’ll talk about packability more below.
Value and Price
At $330, the Himali Accelerator isn’t cheap, but it’s about on par with similar down jackets these days. The only downside is bigger brands like Patagonia, Rab, Cotopaxi, etc. often have more regular or predictable price cuts on past season styles and sales.
That said, this jacket delivers strong value, and if you sign up for the Himali email list, I can confirm they send out some strong flash sale deals. I believe I got my jacket for 30% off during a sale. Plus, if you’re an American Alpine Club member, Himali offers a very sizable discount (20-30%, subject to change).
Closing Thoughts on Fit and Use Cases
The Accelerator is going to be a fantastic jacket for many folks with its significant warmth, fair water repellent properties, and packability.
I had originally written a draft of this review before my latest MT ice climbing trip, and honestly had been more critical. But this jacket was a lifesaver in the frigid temps and some drippier ice routes. I can’t deny the Accelerator kept me so much warmer than I could’ve expected from other jackets I own at a similar weight. I don’t hesitate to recommend it.