These Are The Best Packable Travel Jackets On The Market

Shopping for a packable travel jacket? Check out Matador’s detailed reviews:

• The Orvis Pro Insulated Hoody is a Go-Everywhere Jacket That Turns Into a Travel Pillow 
• This Packable Rain Jacket Will Keep You Bone Dry, Even In Torrential Rain
• Patagonia’s Houdini® Air Jacket Is The Perfect Packable Light Jacket
• Patagonia’s Micro Puff Hoody Is Perfect For Winter Travels
• The Cotopaxi Fuego Is the Most Durable and Dependable Down Jacket on the Market
• Arc’Teryx Made The World’s Most Packable Puffy Jacket

We hope you love these packable travel jackets! Just so you know, Matador may collect a small commission from the links on this page if you decide to book a stay. Listed prices are accurate as of the time of publication.

Jump to a review:

Arc’Teryx Cerium Hybrid Hoody
Cotopaxi Fuego down jacket
Patagonia’s Micro Puff® Hoody
Patagonia’s Houdini® Air Jacket
Jack Wolfskin’s Pack & Go Shell
Orvis Pro Insulated Hoody

Packable travel jackets: Rundown of top options

Arc’Teryx Cerium Hybrid Hoody

Photo courtesy Arc'teryx

Photo courtesy Arc'Teryx

• Built to Last: The Cerium is crafted with premium materials and innovative construction for lasting performance.
• Breathable Warmth: The details. Fortius™ Air 50 outer shell offers exceptional breathability for extended comfort, while ethically sourced 850-fill European white goose down delivers superior warmth without the bulkiness of synthetics.
• Packable Prowess: Forget wrestling with bulky jackets. Arc’teryx ditches the standard puffy panels in favor of a sleeker design with thinner segments, making the Cerium a champion of easy rolling and packing.

Arc’teryx, forged in the fires of the mountain climbing scene, Arc’Teryx knows the importance of crafting quality gear that stands the test of time – and many perilous situations along the way.

The Cerium boasts a dynamic outer shell called Fortius™ Air 50. This blend of 84% nylon and 16% elastane breathes brilliantly, ensuring long-lasting comfort even on extended treks. Inside, ethically sourced 850-fill European white goose down traps warmth without the bulk or weight of synthetic alternatives.

But the Cerium’s genius lies not just in its materials, but in its construction. Arc’teryx has ditched the standard puffy panels for a sleeker design with thinner segments. This clever trick makes rolling and packing the Cerium a breeze, a stark contrast to bulkier competitors that leave you wrestling with awkward compartments. With its smart material choices and innovative design, the Cerium is a testament to Arc’teryx’s commitment to creating gear that’s as durable as it is packable, ready to conquer any adventure you throw its way. -Brett Braley

Check out Matador’s detailed review of the Arc’Teryx Cerium Hybrid Hoody

Price: $400

Buy Now – Men’s

Buy Now – Women’s

Cotopaxi Fuego down jacket

Photo: Alisha Wenger

Photo: Alisha Wenger

Photo: Alisha Wenger

Photo: Alisha Wenger

• RDS-certified, responsibly-sourced 800-fill goose down
• Polartec Alpha underarm insulation and DWR-finished ripstop nylon shell
• Looks cool with any manner of mountain fashion, and is super comfortable

The Cotopaxi Fuego down jacket is a great choice for anyone looking for a warm, packable, and stylish jacket. It’s made with RDS-certified, responsibly-sourced 800-fill goose down, so you can feel good knowing that your purchase supports ethical down companies. The jacket also features Polartec Alpha underarm insulation, which helps to prevent the swishy sound that puffy jackets are known for.

I’ve had my Fuego for over a year now, and I’ve been really impressed with it. It’s kept me warm in everything from cold fall days to snowy winter hikes. The DWR-finished ripstop nylon shell has held up well to everything I’ve thrown at it, and the elastic binding on the bottom of the jacket has helped to keep the cold air out. One of the things I love most about the Fuego is that it’s not bulky or awkward. I can wear it out to dinner or to happy hour, and it always looks great. It’s also super packable, so it’s easy to take with me on trips. -Tim Wenger

Check out Matador’s detailed review of the Cotopaxi Fuego down jacket

Price: From $199

Buy Now – Men’s

Buy Now – Women’s

Patagonia’s Micro Puff® Hoody

Photo: Morgane Croissant

Photo: Morgane Croissant

The jacket stuffs down for easy packing. Photo: Morgane Croissant

The jacket stuffs down for easy packing. Photo: Morgane Croissant

• The good: Extremely lightweight, zippered outside pockets, windproof, center-front zipper goes all the way above the chin, packs into an 11.5 x 6.5-inch rectangle.
• The bad: Water resistant but not waterproof, makes the wearer’s head look like an egg when zipped all the way up with the hood on.

Don’t be fooled by the name of this puffy by Patagonia: It’s much more than a hoodie, it’s a proper winter jacket that’s as versatile as it is practical. You can certainly wear it in early fall over a long-sleeve shirt to protect you from the season’s chilly air, but it is also appropriate for wearing in colder weather on top of multiple layers to keep you toasty when the temperatures plummet or the wind picks up. While the tight elastic cuffs and hood, as well as the drawstrings at the hem, help keep the wind out, note that because it’s water resistant but not waterproof, the Micro Puff is not meant for playing in the wet snow or in heavy rain falls. Also, while it’s warm, it’s not the jacket you want in extremely cold temperatures (20 degrees should be the cut-off.) That said, if you get caught in a downpour, know that Patagonia’s Micro Puff dries extremely fast.

My partner took his Micro Puff with him on a 10-day trip to Iceland in September and it proved to be the perfect travel jacket for the fall weather on this near-Arctic island nation. It was warm enough to protect him when exposed to the wind during hikes and it was sufficiently water-resistant for the few showers we experienced.

The biggest asset of Patagonia’s Micro Puff is its ridiculously lightweight (10.5 ounces or 298 grams) and its capacity to pack into an 11.5 x 6.5-inch rectangle by being stuffed into the left pocket. This jacket will take minimum space in your carry-on or checked luggage, but you can also just toss it in a small backpack in case you need it, whether you’re going for an urban walk or a hike.

The shell of Patagonia’s Micro Puff is made of 100 percent post-consumer recycled nylon and its insulation is made of an extremely durable 100 percent recycled polyester developed by Patagonia that’s warm like down plumes but much lighter and way more ethical. – Morgane Croissant

Check out Matador’s detailed review of the Patagonia Micro Puff jacket

Price: $329

Buy Now – Men’s

Buy Now – Women’s

Patagonia’s Houdini® Air Jacket

Photo: Morgane Croissant

Photo: Morgane Croissant

Photo: Morgane Croissant

Photo: Morgane Croissant

• The good: As light as a feather, packs into a rectangle that fits in the palm of your hand, extremely breathable, very comfortable, zippered chest pocket for small items.
• The bad: Water resistant but not waterproof, not warm

Patagonia’s Houdini® Air Jacket is not one you take with you to a destination where you know you’ll have to face low temperatures, high winds, and heavy rain. It’s meant for keeping you warm and dry during intense outdoor activities in mild temperatures and in case of a sprinkle. It’s the perfect jacket if you jog at dawn or at dusk and want to keep the chill away from your body when you sweat, or if you go for a bike ride or hike and want to make sure you have some protection in case the weather turns. The elasticized cuffs and the drawstrings on the hem and the hood keep the wind out. It’s best worn on top of a base layer or quick-dry t-shirt, not under a bulky sweater. The cut of the jacket is meant to facilitate your movements, allowing you to keep going in comfort, no matter what. When wet, Patagonia’s Houdini Air Jacket dries at record speed.

My partner took his Houdini Air Jacket (as well as his Micro Puff) with him on a hike-filled trip to Iceland in September and it came in handy when the weather was sunny and warmish, but he needed something to wear on the chilly way up the side of a volcano or after a sweaty hike. It’s very breathable so your clothes are not trapped in a damp and sweaty shell even while you give it your all in the outdoors.

Because it’s so incredibly tiny when packed into its stuff sack (7 x 3.5 inches), it’s worth adding to your luggage, whether that be your checked suitcase, your smaller carry-on, or your backpack. It’s smaller and lighter (4.1 ounces or 116 grams) than a balled-up pair of socks. – Morgane Croissant

Check out Matador’s detailed review of the Patagonia Houdini Air jacket

Price: $179

Buy Now – Men’s

Buy Now – Women’s

Jack Wolfskin’s Pack & Go Shell

Photo: Morgane Croissant

Reflective details on the Pack & Go Shell. Photo: Morgane Croissant

Photo: Morgane Croissant

Photo: Morgane Croissant

Photo: Morgane Croissant

Photo: Morgane Croissant

• The good: Extremely waterproof, windproof, breathable, very light, packs into a small trapezoid, zippered side pockets.
• The bad: Only two pockets, not warm (it’s a shell), few choices of color

Jack Wolfskin’s Pack and Go Shell is a no-frills, rainproof, and windproof shell that does exactly what it’s meant to do: Keep you bone dry even in heavy rain, and safe from blowing winds. It’s also very breathable so you can wear it while hiking without fearing dampness. Note that because it’s a shell, it won’t keep you warm in low temperatures, but layering underneath it is always an option.

The best feature of this jacket is, of course, its packability. The left pocket doubles as a stow pouch. After stuffing it in, you’ll be left with a light (11.6 ounces or 330 grams), 9.8 x 7-inch trapezoid that you can throw in any bag or luggage. But there’s more to praise about this package jacket: The fabric is soft, not crinkly, and barely wrinkles; the hood, the hem, and the sleeves are adjustable so no drop of rain or draft can get to you; and the two side pockets are deep and can be zipped shut so your belongings don’t escape. My personal favorite detail is the zipper pulls, which are the perfect length and are covered in a grippy material that feels lovely on your fingers. (Every little thing counts when you spend a lot of time outdoors in the wet.)

Jack Wolfskin’s choice of color for this packable jacket, for both men and women, is thin (three colors available for men and four for women), so here’s hoping they have a bigger selection in the future. I went for the hedge green while my partner has the night blue version, both of which are discreet and work just as well in the great outdoors as in any urban setting.

After looking at the size chart on Jack Wolfskin’s website, I was advised to order a size XL. It seemed surprisingly big since I’m usually a size M, but I decided to follow the brand’s guidance. Upon receiving it, the jacket was unfortunately too large, as initially expected. I placed a new order for a size L jacket and it’s a perfect fit. I would advise to order one size up if you’re in between sizes, especially if you plan to wear layers underneath. – Morgane Croissant

Check out Matador’s detailed review of the Jack Wolfskin Pack and Go Shell

Price: $120.49 for men’s, $131.20 for women’s

Buy Now – Men’s

Buy Now – Women’s

Orvis Pro Insulated Hoody

I caught (and quickly released) my first fish in Patagonia, and there's no way to say it wasn't because of my hoodie. Photo: Suzie Dundas

Rocking it with Orvis fishing waders in unpredictable Patagonian weather. Photo: Suzie Dundas

My PRO Insulated Hoodie got my through whipping winds and midnight hiking on Mount Whitney, the highest point in the US. Photo: Suzie Dundas

Photo: Suzie Dundas

• Warm and sweat-free, thanks to underarm panels and high-end insulation
• Thoughtful features like fleece-lined pockets and reinforced cuffs
• Excellent water- and wind-proofing
• Packs into a travel pillow

After a year of throwing it headfirst into every adventure imaginable, my Orvis Pro Insulated Hoodie shows barely a whisper of wear. The high-tech insulation keeps me toasty warm without suffocating sweat, thanks to those genius underarm panels. Even the smallest details impress – fleece-lined pockets to pamper my chilly fingers and reinforced cuffs that shrug off snags and rips. And did I mention it repels rain and wind like a champ? But the real kicker? This trusty hoody magically transforms into a comfy travel pillow. Unbelievable versatility, unwavering performance – the Orvis Pro Hoodie has become my go-to gear, no matter the weather or the wildness. -Suzie Dundas

Check out Matador’s detailed review of the Orvis Pro Insulated Hoody

Price: $249

Buy Now – Men’s

Buy Now – Women’s