REI Co-op Magma 850 Down Hoodie 2.0 Review

Overview

The Magma 850 Down Hoodie 2.0 is REI’s house-brand answer to the premium down hoody: 850-fill-power hydrophobic goose down, a Pertex Diamond Fuse ripstop shell, and a hood, at a price that undercuts most name-brand competitors. It suits backpackers who want a warm camp and shoulder-season layer that survives pack abrasion and brush. The trade-off is weight. At 354 g it is light, but it is not an ultralight garment, and its shell is sturdier than most thru-hikers strictly need.

Key Specs

Spec	Detail
Weight	354 g (12.5 oz, men’s)
Fill	850-fill-power goose down, hydrophobic (DWR-treated)
Shell	Pertex Diamond Fuse ripstop nylon with DWR finish
Hood	Down-filled, rear adjustment
Pockets	Two zip hand pockets, zip chest pocket, positioned to clear a pack hipbelt
Packing	Stuffs into its left-hand pocket
Baffles	Variable baffles, body-mapped insulation
Cuffs / hem	Elastic cuffs, drawcord hem
Other	Shoulder seams rolled forward to avoid strap chafe; quilted underarm gussets; Fair Trade Certified factory

Performance

Warmth. Outdoor Gear Lab’s testers rated the Magma 850 a “toasty” jacket for its weight. They would wear it as an outer layer on days approaching freezing, and below freezing they would use it as a mid-layer under a shell or heavier parka. Switchback Travel reached a similar conclusion: adequate for shoulder seasons, short of a true winter piece, and a little less insulated than Patagonia’s Down Sweater Hoody. The down-filled, adjustable hood earns credit for keeping ears and neck warm. A longer hem with a cinch cord also helps seal in heat. For three-season backpacking, camp-evening duty and sleeping-bag supplementation, that is the right amount of insulation. Winter-camping use calls for something thicker.

Weight and packability. Switchback Travel and Outdoor Gear Lab both put the men’s medium at 12.5 oz. A size large weighed in at 13.2 oz in an earlier Outdoor Gear Lab test of the 2.0 hoodie. Neither is a record. Ultralight-focused reviewers note that the shell fabric feels like roughly a 20-denier nylon and that a thinner face fabric would shave ounces. The shell also gets credit for being “decently durable” on a jacket at this price, since the ripstop weave resists abrasion better than standard nylon. The jacket packs small for its warmth. The left-hand pocket has a two-sided zipper for easy stuffing, and a fabric loop lets it clip to a harness or pack.

Water and wind. The down is treated with DWR, as is the shell. Outdoor Gear Lab credits the treated down for resisting water and drying much faster than untreated fill, and scored the jacket well for water resistance. That means a damp tent wall or a light drizzle is no threat. A sustained downpour still calls for a rain shell over it, as with any down jacket. An owner on REI’s site summed it up by recommending the jacket to anyone who doesn’t need waterproofing.

Fit and comfort. Owners describe a regular rather than slim cut, with room for a base layer and a wool sweater underneath. Testers liked the soft interior lining, which feels more like a sweater than a slick technical shell against bare skin. The weak points are at the edges. Man Makes Fire’s reviewer found the elastic cuffs stretch only slightly and seal out drafts poorly. One REI owner found the cuffs too loose and said the hood drawcord gripped like a ball cap, leaving gaps around the chin and cheeks. Outdoor Gear Lab’s fit score was the lowest in its scorecard, at 5 out of 5-point-scale 10 equivalents. Longer-armed or leaner hikers may want to try it on before committing.

Features. Rolled-forward shoulder seams keep pack straps from chafing. The hand and chest pockets stay accessible under a hipbelt, and tightly quilted underarm gussets cut bulk and keep the hem from riding up when arms are raised. These details usually appear on pricier jackets.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• 850-fill hydrophobic goose down at a price well below most name-brand equivalents
• Real hood, hipbelt-compatible pockets and pack-friendly shoulder seams
• Durable Pertex Diamond Fuse shell resists abrasion
• Down and shell both DWR-treated, so damp conditions are less worrying
• Stuffs into its own pocket, with a clip loop
• Soft interior feel that suits camp wear as much as hiking

Cons

• Heavier than purpose-built ultralight puffies, partly because of the sturdy shell fabric
• Cuffs and hood drawcord draw complaints about draft sealing
• Not warm enough as a sole layer well below freezing
• Not waterproof, and the DWR will need periodic reapplication

Who Should Buy This

This jacket suits backpackers who want one dependable puffy for spring-to-fall trips, climbing approaches, ski days and cold camp evenings, and who care more about value and durability than shaving the last ounce. It also fits hikers who bushwhack or scramble and worry about snagging a delicate 10-denier shell. Gram-counting thru-hikers should look at lighter jackets with thinner fabric. Cold-weather campers who want a standalone winter parka need more insulation than this offers.

Verdict

The Magma 850 Down Hoodie 2.0 delivers premium materials and a useful feature set at a modest price, and it’s tougher than most jackets this light. The loose cuffs and a mediocre hood cinch keep it from a higher score, and its weight rules it out for dedicated ultralight kits. For most three-season backpackers, it’s a sound buy.