Helly Hansen Essence Long Down rain jacket
Long puffer coats are potentially the ‘it’ fashion item for Winter 2024/25. Whether it’s Tik-Tok viral videos or just on your daily commute, the Maxi Puffer coat appears to have taken over. Aside from fashion, though, these coats were initially designed from a more practical standpoint rather than just to look good.
In 1936, the first of which was invented by Eddie Bauer. When the American nearly suffered from hypothermia on a freezingly cold fishing trip in the Winter months, he developed a technique for spreading down feathers across the entire coat, and pretty much since then, puffer jackets have been insulating us all.
Helly Hansen’s Women’s Essence Long Down Coat is a textbook example of a maxi puffer jacket that is stylish enough to allow wear within the city without looking out of place and practical enough to join you on your winter camping trip. As part of their URBAN outerwear, this coat does indeed do what it says on the tin, with ‘peak to pavement appeal’. As expected with a puffer, it is indeed warm. Complete with internal fitted cuffs, fleece-lined pockets, and a down hood with a high neck, this puffer is designed to keep every part of you toasty. For those animal lovers, the down used is of Responsible Down Standard (RDS), which certifies animal welfare requirements and tracks it from the source to the final product, with 100% of the down used in the Essence coat certified.
The coat is pretty light considering its warmth (1150 g), but it can’t be folded into itself for travel or compact storage. This is the Essence’s biggest downfall. With a rating of 600 fill, the size-to-fill power ratio is lower than that of many competitor models.
On a more positive note, the attention to detail on this puffer is worth noting. It’s long, mid-calf length (model is 5’9 and wears a size medium), keeping most of your body warm, but handily, the zip starts at knee length height, enabling easy zip access. The drawstring waist prevents the puffer from drowning itself, giving a shapely fit, again allowing for high-street wear. The soft fleece-lined pockets are just what cold hands desire, and the inner-sleeved cuff within the coat helps trap heat within. Fold-away reflective stripes on the sleeves allow for visibility in the dark for the safety-conscious among us.
Overall, I think the Essence Long Down Coat is a great investment for the Winter months. It is both fashionable and practical. The coat was found to be true to size. It is available in the ‘Utility Green’ colour and can be purchased online at Helly Hansen or at select retailers.
Fibre content:
Shell: 100% Polyester
Lining: 100% Polyester (Recycled)
Lining 2: 100% Polyamide Insulation: 80% duck down, 20% duck feather
Trim fabric: 100% Polyester
Weight:1150g
Features
Allied feather and down®
YKK® zipper
Hand pockets with YKK® zipper
Adjustable hood with drawcord
Adjustable waist with drawcord
HH® printed logo on sleeve
Fold up reflective
bluesign® product
Responsible Down Standard
PFC-free DWR
Price: £400.00
