Down Decor, based in Ohio, provides the fill for the Brooks-Range Mojave, one of the first jackets to feature the treated feathers. Down Decor mists the down with a layer of perfluoroalkyl acrylate, a hydrophobic polymer that forces water to bead up. The company says its insulation absorbs one quarter of the moisture of untreated down and dries five times as quickly.
BROOKS-RANGE MOJAVE
Care: Machine wash Price: $299 The Test To measure the water resistance of Down Decor’s insulation, we set up a side-by-side test against untreated down. We poured a half cup of water into jars with a quarter cup of fill and left both samples to sit for five minutes. We then removed the fill and timed how long it took each sample to dry naturally. The Results When removed, the Down Decor fill retained only a couple of drops of water; the untreated down held on to about 5 milliliters. The Down Decor fill dried within an hour and lost none of its loft, while the sticky, wet blob of untreated down took a full weekend to dry completely.
