Longevity of a synthetic puffy

[Bbell12]

Have been shopping around for a new synthetic puffy and it got me to thinking, how long does a good synthetic puffy jacket last before the insulation value is degraded to where it’s not practically useable? All I see on the internet is that every time you compress synthetic insulation it loses some of its insulating value but that information is vague and not very useful when trying to determine how long something will last. Thanks

 

[Whiskey_Fish]

That's a really tricky question to answer. I have a couple of synthetic puffies but they're more of a middle layer active sorta puffy. I've been beating on them for years and haven't noticed much change. They're all either polartech alpha or primaloft gold/silver. I very rarely "compress" them to the minimum possible size, they often get strapped outside a bag.

I never feel like I need to baby them because I never lose any feathers, even the few that have some tears.

 

[rclouse79]

I believe it is a thing. I kept my first synthetic sleeping bag way too long and I swear it was no better than a sheet by the time I finally threw it out.

 

[*zap*]

Compression is the enemy of all insulation.

 

[BBob]

By the Numbers: Compression Resistance of PrimaLoft Gold vs. Climashield Apex (Part 4) - Backpacking Light

PrimaLoft Gold outperforms Climashield Apex as the more resilient insulation, capable of retaining more of warmth and loft after compression.

backpackinglight.com

 

[Mykolaivka887]

Makes no difference if it's down or synthetic, compressing it will take insulating life out of it. But, in terms of the synthetic puffy and say if you only use it 160 days a year or so, it should last at least 6 years or more.