Why Jöttnar Down?

why choose jöttnar down?

A deep dive from Tommy Kelly, Jöttnar Co-Founder

I've spent a lot of my life in cold and wild places, as has fellow Jöttnar founder, Steve Howarth.

From Arctic Norway’s frozen ridgelines to whiteouts in the Alps, and from Afghanistan’s Hindu Kush to storm-lashed Scottish winters.

Before building Jöttnar in 2013, we were Royal Marines commandos. It was our job to operate in some of the earth's harshest conditions — in the wet, the cold, and with no margin for error. We’ve also had a lifelong obsession for mountain sports, from telemark and backcountry skiing to ice climbing and big wall ascents.

That background is Jöttnar’s DNA. And it’s why we take cold-weather clothing so seriously.

The Gear We Couldn’t Find

Over the years, we wore just about every down jacket available. But too often they let us down — cold spots, wet down, poor stitching, overbuilt designs that looked good in a shop but failed on the mountain.

We knew we could make better. So we did.

We created Jöttnar to build the gear we wanted to wear. That means technical, uncompromising clothing designed by people who actually use it — and who need it to work, first time, every time.

Why Down?

There’s a reason the world’s best mountain athletes still rely on down. Nothing matches it for warmth-to-weight performance. But only if it’s done right.

We use only the highest-grade goose down available — never duck — with premium 750-900 Fill Power and the highest possible down-to-feather ratios. All RDS-certified. All fully traceable.

Every gramme is selected for maximum loft, lightness, and efficiency. It’s how we achieve exceptional warmth with minimal bulk.

Britain’s Innovators

We’ve seen it firsthand: even the best down fails when it gets wet. It clumps, it collapses, and warmth is lost fast.

We were the first British brand to innovate with water-repellent down. That’s why every piece in our Down Collection uses DownTek™ hydrophobic goose down.

It repels water using a Bluesign®-approved treatment applied via nanotechnology — infusing each plume thoroughly and evenly, without harsh chemistry. The result? It stays dry 10x longer and dries 3x faster than untreated down.

It’s the difference between staying warm and going home, or worse.

Title

1st British brand to innovate with water-repellent down.

Title

DWR formula completely free from all PFCs.

Title

Bluesign®-approved clean chemistry.

Title

Downtek™ down stays dry 10x longer than untreated down.

Title

Body-Mapped Warmth

Not all warmth is equal. Not all jackets should be. We’ve worn down jackets that looked good on paper but failed in the field. So we built ours differently.

After years of ice climbing, ski touring and alpine hauling, we understood exactly where jackets fail — cuffs, shoulders, collars, underarms.

So we reinforced these zones with synthetic insulation panels: resilient in wet-prone areas, breathable where it matters, and performance-enhancing when it counts. The result is body-mapped warmth that adapts to real mountain use.

Title

Synthetic fill in high-stress, wet-prone zones.

Title

Breathable where it matters most.

Title

Engineered warmth that adapts in the field.

Title

Pioneering Materials

We’re not interested in fabric trends. We’re interested in fabric performance.

That’s why we’re proud to be the first in the world to use Pertex® Quantum Pro made from 100% recycled fishing nets, fully traceable to their source.

It’s an expedition-grade material precisely constructed from incredibly fine yarns. Making it light, water-resistant, and tough enough to survive winter use. And proof that sustainability and performance can go hand-in-hand with no compromise on longevity, performance, or quality.

Title

Created using Diamond Fuse yarns meaning enhanced snag and abrasion resistance, staying downproof with extended use.

Title

Pertex Shaped Filament technology provides a permanent, structural solution to challenges commonly faced by lightweight fabrics.

Title

Constructed from incredibly fine yarns, Quantum Pro retains 80 point water repellent rating after 20 washes.

Title

Tested to World-Record Extremes

We don’t send jackets straight from the design desk to the shop floor. We take them into the mountains ourselves. So do our Pro Team athletes — some of the most accomplished climbers, skiers and alpinists out there.

Our famed Fenrir jacket was worn by Mitch Hutchcraft on his world-record Everest ascent, by Tim Howell in becoming the first person to climb and then BASE jump all six of the Alps' great north faces, by Tom Grant in accomplishing a world-first ski descent of Mount Cook's formidable Caroline Face and by Willis Morris as part of his ongoing campaign within the Great Britain Ice Climbing Team. Each piece trusted by guides, pro athletes, rescue teams, specialist military units and committed amateurs alike.

Every jacket has been refined through use in serious places, over many years. That’s the kind of testing you can’t fake — and it’s what sets Jöttnar apart.

Title

Mitch Hutchcraft summited Everest on 11th May 2025, making a new world record after completing a 13,000km triathlon from England to Nepal.

Title

Tim Howell climbed and wingsuit BASE jumped from the six great north faces of the Alps. And a member of the Jöttnar Pro Team for over 7 years now.

Title

So Why Choose Jöttnar Down?

Because we build gear we’ve needed ourselves — when the stakes were high and the temperatures low.

Because we’re not a marketing company. We’re not chasing trends. We’re climbers, skiers and former commandos who’ve spent a lifetime needing the kind of protection we now create.

Because we test it, use it, and obsess over the details so you can trust the result.

No one does down like we do.

See you out there,

Tommy Kelly

Jöttnar Co-Founder

FENRIR

Lightweight 850FP Goose Down Jacket

Shop Fenrir

Features

Title

Pertex® Quantum Pro Outer

Recycled Bureo® NetPlus®

DownTek™ Goose Down

PFC-Free Water-Repellent Down

850 Fill Power

93/7 down/feather ratio

ASTA

Lightweight 850FP Goose Down Gilet

Shop Asta

Features

Title

Pertex® Quantum Pro Outer

Recycled Bureo® NetPlus®

DownTek™ Goose Down

PFC-Free Water-Repellent Down

850 Fill Power

93/7 down/feather ratio

THORNE

All-Mountain 750FP Goose Down Jacket

Shop Thorne

Features

Title

Pertex® Quantum Outer

Recycled OceanCycle

DownTek™ Goose Down

PFC-Free Water-Repellent Down

750 Fill Power

90/10 down/feather ratio

why choose jöttnar down?