Crazy Light
Down jackets are inherently lightweight. But the latest jacket on test redefines what a lightweight down jacket can be. The Crazy Levity Jacket offers a 950-fill insulation rating and weighs in at a scant 7oz / 200g (men’s medium). That’s like the weight of a minimalist windbreaker. It feels downright crazy when you first hold it or put it on. For comparison, the Patagonia Micro Puff (the lightest insulated jacket in my gear closet) weighs in at 9oz / 256g, and it’s not nearly as warm as the Levity.
Who is Crazy
Crazy is the name of the Italian brand that makes the jacket. I had not heard of them before seeing this jacket, but they’ve been making specialized apparel for the fast-and-light ski-mo crowd in Europe since 1989. You can learn more about them at www.crazy.it
Lightest Down Jacket in the World
Crazy claims the Levity is the lightest down jacket in the world. And it probably is. It’s a full-zip, hooded down jacket with incredible 950-fill thermal power that weighs 200 grams. This is no down sweater. It offers the warmth of a much burlier down jacket. For comparison, the Rab Zero G down jacket, which I’d put in a similar warmth category, offers a similar fill rating and weighs in at 11oz / 310g.
Minimalist by Design
According to Crazy, the secret behind such a lightweight down jacket is their attention to detail. They’ve removed unnecessary seams, eliminated all but a single chest pocket and chosen a 7-denier shell fabric. For comparison, the Patagonia Micro Puff and Rab Zero G both use Pertex Quantum, which is very light and sleek, and it’s rated 10-denier. The Levity’s ripstop shell also has stretch and a robust DWR finish.
But it’s not just the minimalist design and shell material that make the Levity extra light. According to Levity, the down is unique too. They call it Diamond Down, and the feathers are hand-selected one by one to use only the most voluminous flakes. And it measures in at 950-fill power. Fill power reflects the amount of down inside a given jacket, and it’s calculated by placing one ounce of down in a graduated cylinder and measuring the volume it occupies in cubic inches. The higher the number, the warmer the jacket (read more about down vs synthetic insulation here). Most higher-end, warm down jackets are rated at 800-fill. A 950-fill rating is exceptional, and it delivers on the warmth front, easily matching (if not exceeding) the warmth of my 750-fill fill jacket that weighs in at 20oz / 585g. Diamond Down also features a water-repellent finish to help it maintain loft in damp conditions.
Besides being super light and warm, my favorite detail of the Crazy Levity jacket is the cuffs. The thin stretchy wrist gaiters seal out cold air, create a nice interface with gloves and are well worth the extra gram or two they add to the design.
The Levity Jacket has the Warmth of a Much Bigger Jacket
A good way to summarize the Levity jacket is to say it offers the warmth of a much bulkier down jacket with the light, airy feel of a down sweater. It has served me well as a warm layer during the last few weeks of unseasonably cold days in the mountains. There are likely warmer jackets, but nothing in this weight category can match the warmth of the Crazy Levity down jacket.
While it doesn’t quite pack down into the palm of your hand, it does pack down into a small stuff sack (about a 1-liter volume). It also leaves my pack noticeably lighter and opens up a considerable amount of free space or, better yet, lets me use a smaller pack.
It’s a jacket for the light-is-right crowd. Minimalist by design, small details like hand pockets left are absent. I get it. Less is more when designing ultralight gear. The biggest trade-off is probably durability. It feels delicate. With just a few weeks of use, I can’t speak to the durability. It’s been holding up great, and there are no signs of unusual wear. However, I’ve been extra careful not to catch the fabric in my pack zipper or to ski tight trees while wearing it.
If saving weight and space are priorities on your packing list, I don’t think you’ll find a lighter-weight down jacket with the same level of warmth as the Crazy Levity jacket.
Crazy Levity Down Jacket $650 – get it direct from Crazy.it
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