Insulation

Insulation describes how well a garment protects its wearer from the cold. Generally, a garment with more insulation will provide more felt warmth than one with less. Insulation can also be used as shorthand for the material doing the insulating. Down, synthetic, and fleece are all types of insulation.

Iceland is one of the most enchanting places on Earth. Unsurprisingly, it can also get rather cold. Since 1926, we’ve taken pride in equipping our fellow Icelanders for the challenges and rewards of living at the Arctic Circle. Superior insulation is how.

What we mean when talk about insulation

66North organizes the insulating clothing we make by the use the garment was designed for and the type of insulation used.

Parkas

Parkas are heavily-insulated jackets designed to provide warmth through winter’s worst. Even for Icelanders, wearing a parka is the only way to spend sustained time out in the Arctic cold. 

Most parkas we make are insulated with down, a natural insulation that comes from fowl like ducks and geese. Down is the most efficient insulating material by weight in nature, and has been used by humans for centuries. We take great care to ensure all down used in our products was obtained ethically. We also invite you to learn more about our ethical audit process and supplier relationships here.

Finding the right level of insulation for your needs

Understanding what the garment was designed for and how it is insulated will help you evaluate whether it’s the right level of insulation for your needs. 

However, when shopping for cold-weather gear, it’s equally important to account for how naturally warm or cold you feel throughout the day. For example, those who tend to get hot easily may not need a parka outside of truly Arctic conditions.

For relaxed hiking

For those who feel naturally colder and live in a cold weather area, winter will be faced most comfortably with a proper down parka like Tindur or Jokla. These heavily-insulated garments will provide warmth through even 24-hour Arctic nights. Users seeking a vegan alternative should try out Þórisjökull vegan parka. Stuffed with Primaloft Black ThermoPlume synthetic insulation, it provides down-like warmth with the added bonus of additional weather resistance.

For aerobic activities

For those who feel naturally warmer and live in a cold weather area, a down or synthetic mid-layer paired with a shell will provide versatile warmth and weather resistance. Pairing a jacket like Ok or Vatnajökull with a shell like Snaefell allows wearers to dress exactly for the day’s needs without the worry of stretching a parka.

For city commuting

For those in search of a three-season piece to protect against both frost and chills, a fleece, synthetic, or active mid-layer will do best. Jackets like Tindur Shearling, Öxi hybrid, and Hrannar fleece balance insulation with breathability, giving users a comfortable, active feel.          

How to evaluate insulation

Insulation is an art ased in science.

Insulating materials create warmth by using irregular fibres (like puffs of goose down) to trap air close to your body. This layer of trapped air blocks heat from escaping, warming you in turn. The goal of every insulator: trap just the right amount of air to create the subjective feeling of comfort in the cold. 

There are some quantitative measures that describe the volume of air trapped by insulators. Fill power, for example, measures how many cubic inches of lofted air one ounce of down fill can produce (i.e., one ounce of 800-fill down can trap 800 in3/16.4mL of air.) 

However, it’s worth noting that fill power is a measure of efficiency and should be treated as such. Precise applications of the highest-efficiency insulations aren’t as warm as fistfuls of a standard variety. In general, the warmest garments will feature large quantities of down insulation. 

For fleeces and synthetic insulators, evaluation is a bit more straightforward. Heavier fleeces as measured by the fabrics weight in grams per square meter (GSM) will feel warmer. Synthetics follow the same logic, with some variation in efficiency based on the specific blend.