Tested: The 7 Best Men’s Travel Jackets for Easy Packability

It can be hard to find the perfect travel garment, but in an attempt to track down the best around, we’ve compiled a guide to travel jackets that will adhere to any destination in which you find yourself. If you already thought traveling was a multi-layered process, then you might as well add one more layer that could change your whole trip for the better. Fortunately, we were able to get hands-on and test our favorites.

How We Tested

Jackets can come and go, especially with all the new and improved tech they keep coming out with. And that’s a major reason why we compiled this guide. To help you sift through the noise of the plethora of options available, we did the legwork of scouring the space and coming up with a shortlist of travel jackets that we thought would be great candidates for testing. We looked at aesthetics, materials, insulation (if any), weight, and packability.

From there, we acquired our units for testing and took each of these jackets out and about, seeing what we liked and didn’t like about them. Aside from seeing how well each of them stuffed into our bags, we also considered fit, comfort, and warmth. The results are detailed down below.

Measurements: I’m 6’0″ tall and wear an XL on most occasions, and almost every jacket I tested is an XL. My body type is a bit large with broad shoulders, so I also prefer jackets that are a bit slimming, especially around the belly area. For the sake of jackets, I’m more particular than most about hood fit since I have long hair that I usually wear in a bun.

What to Look for

Material: When you’re traveling, you want a jacket that’s lightweight and ready for anything. That means materials like GORE-TEX, nylon, and polyester will be best because they’re light, durable, and weather-resistant.

Insulation: Not every travel jacket will need to be insulated but these fills can improve your warmth but can sometimes make packing a challenge.

Water-Resistance: Luckily, most packable jackets are made with a water-resistant material (or finish). While it’s not as common, a waterproof jacket will provide you with even more protection.

Weight/Packability: Some jackets may come with attachable/built-in bags to stow them away in, but as long as you have your own bag and the jacket can bunch up easily, you can travel easily.

Cotopaxi Teca Half-Zip Windbreaker

Best Half-Zip: While the half-zip jacket is working its way back into the lexicon of cool style silhouettes, it provides you with some utility as well. Layering with a standard jacket just isn’t as feasible, especially if you’re looking to use it as a mid-layer. However, the half-zip may just answer all of your problems without completely overheating you like a sweater or thermal might. Our favorite in this regard is Cotopaxi’s Teca Half-Zip Windbreaker, which taps into both the functional and visually appealing aspects of a half-zip. And it’s currently available in six eye-popping colorways.

The Good

Cotopaxi has arguably the best use of color of any outdoor clothing company and this jacket is no exception. We got hands-on with the “Dance Moves” colorway, which is conceptually very late-’80s with its shades of blue complementing the red and periwinkle accents. The complexity of the lines and colors also allows this to be a bit more flattering than your average non-black top. It also fits very true-to-size, which is even more important since it doesn’t unzip all the way. Not to mention, it’s incredibly affordable. At just $80, this windbreaker also packs into its own front pocket and is super lightweight at only 8oz.

If the pass-through front pocket lacks the level of security you’re hoping for to secure your gear, there’s a nice zippered kangaroo pouch above it, which is also equipped with a small flap for extra protection against wetter weather. Other things I liked were the high front zipper, which doesn’t go so high that it’s impractical but can still keep out a good draft. Likewise, the hood can be taken on or off without unzipping the jacket (though this might be more challenging if you have a bun like me).

The Not So Good

Like most windbreakers, the Teca Half-Zip is a noisy sucker. You’ll be thwip-thwipping any time you move, which might not be ideal if you’re sitting on a crowded airplane next to someone who’s trying to sleep. It’s also important to note that while the torso, arms, and shoulders fit well without being too tight or spacious, the sleeves themselves are noticeably long. In fact, they fall below my knuckles when I’m standing up. Fortunately, there’s an elastic band at the cuffs that let you pull these above your wrists. Unfortunately, the elastic could be a bit tighter.

Verdict: While you’ll notice the striking colorways of the Cotopaxi Teca Half-Zip Windbreaker, it serves as a comfortable, protective, and utilitarian jacket for traveling light –– and at only 8oz! We noticed it was a bit too noisy for long plane flights and the sleeves fell pretty low but this is still an affordable and attractive option for anyone who loves expressive outerwear.

Outdoor Research Helium Jacket

Best Down Jacket: Most down jackets aren’t necessarily practical for travel. However, most down jackets aren’t Outdoor Research’s Helium Down Hoodie. Insulated with responsibly sourced 800-fill power goose down, the shell is a 30D Pertex Quantum ripstop nylon bolster with extra abrasion resistance in a way that doesn’t increase the weight. High-impact points on the shoulders and hood are supplemented with some extra waterproof protection, making this one of the few rain-friendly down jackets around. Lightweight at just under a pound, this stylish coat is known for its packability.

The Good

When we put together our down jackets guide, the OR Helium was my favorite of the bunch, making it a no-brainer here for travel jackets. When unzipped, it fits incredibly well, but it’s even slimming when zipped all the way up –– not super common for down jackets. Not too tight or too bulky, the sleeves were a plus, featuring elastic on the cuffs that closed perfectly. I wear a watch on my right wrist and I was able to show it off naturally without the cuff falling over it to cover it up.

Sporting a sleek aesthetic and a packable design that stuffs well into your suitcase, this coat is also a smart choice if you’re doing any outdoor activities on your trip. As advertised, the hood and shoulders are reinforced to beat moisture well, even though the entire jacket isn’t waterproof. The longer cut is also preferable, which creates extra coverage at the waist for windy days without getting in the way when you’re sitting down.

The Not So Good

If I had to nitpick about one thing, it would be the waist pockets on the outside. While unzipping them was quick and could be done with a single hand, closing them back up was a struggle, which could be an issue if you’re trying to be fast. Also, I didn’t love how I couldn’t put the hood on when the jacket was zipped up all the way; I had to unzip it a bit to take the hood on and off. However, I did like the low profile of the hood, which didn’t lump against my shoulders when I sat down.

Verdict: Our favorite down jacket around, the Outdoor Research Helium is a lightweight, warm, and stylish hoodie that can pack away into your suitcase with ease. Bolstered on the hood and shoulders for waterproofness, the coat has some finicky pockets but was among the best-fitting options we tried out. If you’re traveling in colder climates, consider this one.

Patagonia Nano-Air Light Hybrid Jacket

Best Hybrid Jacket: If you tend to overheat in jackets, then Patagonia’s got you covered with the Nano-Air Light’s unique ventilation system. The jacket’s dual-zippered closure allows you to vent as needed, and Patagonia assures nothing short of an ideal hybrid jacket for when you simply don’t know what the weather report has planned for your week out of the office. Impeccably light with 40-gram FullRange insulation and a cool name to boot, this sleek piece from the SoCal-based heritage brand is Fair-Trade Certified as well.

The Good

A sweatshirt feel with a jacket function, the Patagonia Nano-Air Light is expectedly lightweight weighing just 10.5oz. It’s a simple build but has enough of a unique identity that it’s well-worth wearing. Incredibly soft both inside and out, the coat feels cozy, which will serve you well on long flights or when riding passenger in a car with people who like to crank the AC. As promised, the jacket doesn’t overheat. I was wearing it with a long-sleeve shirt underneath and noticed I didn’t feel too warm despite the moderate temperature at the time. On the other hand, it was incredibly warming the next evening when the weather cooled down.

The Not So Good

While the jacket is slimming on the body, it does wear rather tight, which is noticed mostly when sitting down. If you never zip up your jacket, then you’ll be fine with your normal size, otherwise consider going a size up (or just unzipping when you sit down). Likewise, the unique back construction makes this portion of the coat stick out when it’s unzipped. However, my least favorite aspect here is the sleeve length. The cuffs fell halfway down my palms and didn’t functionally clamp to my wrists like the elastic was supposed to.

Another thing I’d change here is the pockets. There are only the two options at the waist, which require two hands to close. However, it could use a chest pocket or one on the inside.

Verdict: Finding a balance between a sweatshirt and a jacket, this lightweight Patagonia Nano-Air Light Hybrid Jacket is one of the coziest options we tried out. Soft both inside and out, it’s warm when it needs to be but never overheats. We weren’t fans of the long sleeves that kept getting in the way or the tight fit when zipped up but this is still a favorable option when you need some flexibility in your outerwear.

L.L.Bean Waterproof PrimaLoft Packaway Jacket

Best Waterproof Jacket: In case the rest of your travel gear is already weighing you down, L.L.Bean decided to develop their sleek Packaway Jacket from the world’s lightest material – literally. While this particular jacket lacks a down lining, the American heritage brand makes up for it with plush layers of lightweight, NASA-developed Aerogel and its 60-gram PrimaLoft Gold insulation that is highly capable of keeping you warm should you find yourself snowed in near Bean’s Maine headquarters. Finished off with a bevy of handy pockets, its most convenient one will prove to be the easily accessible stowaway pocket.

The Good

I love how much the L.L.Bean Packaway Jacket doesn’t look like a rain jacket despite how well it protects you from moisture. I was able to test this in wet weather and can attest that it does keep you dry (though it wasn’t raining incredibly hard). The hood provides some nice coverage all around and the collar goes up pretty high on your chin, but not too high that it looks ridiculous. In all, this coat has an accessible style that doesn’t feel too aggressive; you can wear this thing out in the evening and it won’t look like you’re trying too hard. You also wouldn’t think the jacket was as packable as it is, but it will quickly prove you wrong in that regard.

Another nice feature of this jacket is the pockets. I loved the options you get: two at the waist, two at the chest with inward-facing zippers, one hidden zippered compartment on the inside, and a pouch pocket down below. Moreover, the zippers themselves are designed to keep out moisture and, unlike most other jackets, they are all very agreeable and easy to use with a single hand. I avoid most jacket pockets because they’re so impractical but I was using these ones a lot. In terms of wind protection (and coldness protection), the inner sleeve is a nice touch, mimicking the feeling of wearing a compression shirt at the cuff. This also prevents the sleeves from falling too low.

The Not So Good

My biggest gripe with the Packaway Jacket is how frustrating it is to use the hood drawstrings. Not only would you have to unzip the jacket about a third of the way down in order to pull the strings but they don’t even remotely remain cinched after you do so. Likewise, the secondary cinches on the outside require two hands to operate, which isn’t ideal. On the other hand, I like the hood shape, which didn’t stick out or fall off despite my hair being up in a bun.

Verdict: If you want a performative rain jacket that doesn’t look like a rain jacket, the L.L.Bean Packaway is the perfect choice, with an accessible style and subtle style points to boot. We loved the hood design, easy-to-use pocket zippers, and the inner sleeves, but the drawstrings on the hood could have been more functional.

Relwen Windzip Jacket

Best Lightweight Jacket: It’s hard to pin down the exact style of this one, but that’s certainly by design. Relwen took the best from a bit of everything and designed this hybrid jacket to be lightweight, wind-resistant, water-resistant, and super warm. It’s filled with 60g of down insulation and an outer shell made of nylon and spandex for a stretchy fit. This is a great travel jacket because it’s very lightweight, making it a solid year-round choice as well.

The Good

The first thing you’ll notice with the Relwen Windzip Jacket is how incredibly soft and comfortable it is. I used the word “cozy” with the Patagonia above, and that’s true with this one as well. It was rather cold out when I wore this one, and the Relwen served me well thanks to its synthetic down fill. I wasn’t able to button it up but the thick snap button flap will also aid you when it’s windy.

My favorite part about this coat was the side pockets. I thought the non-zippered pockets would prove to be an issue but most of the time, these zippers are impractical anyway, so Relwen just opted out of them. Instead, it chose to redesign this element. These aren’t just pouches to throw your gear into but are designed to keep your gear inside, despite their open nature. To do this, the pocket drops down once you get inside thanks to a stitched wall that prevents your items from falling out. And if you want a zippered pocket, the Windzip has one as well, located at your chest.

The Not So Good

This was the one jacket I tested that was not an XL. I can still wear a Large most of the time, especially in jackets since they naturally are a bit larger anyway. However, this Relwen Windzip was incredibly tight on me. I struggled to get it on and even when I did, it was difficult to activate the zipper down below –– and that’s after I got it past the snap buttons that kept getting in the way. I’ve worn size Large jackets in the past and they’ve never been this tight on me. Regardless though, I still found the jacket form-fitting and even slimming on my body. Honestly, I expected the opposite to be true. On the same note, the top snap button kept falling together when this jacket was unzipped, which felt annoying against my neck to say the least.

Verdict: Warm, soft, and easy-going, the Relwen Windzip Jacket is a versatile jacket for any time of year. We loved the waist pockets which eschewed zippers in favor of a thoughtful open-mouthed design. However, even though we got hands-on with Large (instead of an XL), this coat ran a bit small, making it difficult to zip up and wear comfortably.

Mountain Hardwear Ghost Whisperer/2 Down Hoodie

Most Stylish: Long are the days when a suit and tie was the norm on a cross-country plane ride, but it still makes perfect sense that you’d want to look good on your jet-setting adventures. To help you with the cause, Mountain Hardwear’s Ghost Whisperer is a slightly high-end jacket with some serious style points. At just 8.8oz of total weight, it can pack into its own pocket, which features an interior carabiner loop. Combining the brand’s proprietary Whisperer ripstop nylon fabric, the shell is insulated with 800-fill power goose down that’s been RDS-certified by the Control Union. Great whether you’re exploring the city or venturing outdoors, the coat is available in five different colors at the moment.

The Good

While not as good of a down jacket as the Outdoor Research Helium, the Mountain Hardwear Ghost Whisperer still has an edge in regard to its weight, which is about half of the former at just 8.8oz, and its sleek design aesthetic, giving you a nice dose of gloss on the shell. Although we stuck with the black option, we do love the orange and blue options as well. Mountain Hardwear does a good job blending form and function and this is no different.

Where the jacket really excels is its fit. Even though it’s designed more for slim bodies, it’s true-to-size and doesn’t feel slim. There’s plenty of room in the sleeves without them being too roomy or too long; they fall perfectly at the base of the palm. Likewise, I liked how firmly fit I was in this coat, which eliminated any wind that could’ve gotten inside. Overall, this is a very comfortable jacket and will keep you pretty warm, especially considering how light it is.

The Not So Good

On the other side of the same coin, the slim fit could also be mistaken as “running small.” In other words, you won’t be able to drop a size here. Similarly, this coat is not very flattering. The horizontal quilting only adds to the accentuating of certain body parts like the belly. Perhaps my least favorite part of the Ghost Whisperer is the pockets. Not only could this use interior pockets or pouches, but the sole pockets, which are at the waist, have finicky zippers that struggle to open and close. And then there’s the price. $360 is a lot to pay for any piece of clothing, especially one that you don’t deem perfect.

Verdict: The lightest insulated jacket in this guide, the Mountain Hardwear Ghost Whisperer/2 is stylish, warm, and pretty darn comfortable. Some might say it runs small but if you have the right size, it’s quite form-fitting, almost to a fault. We could’ve used some improvements on the zippered pockets but the main issue here is the price tag, which we had a hard time justifying.

Arc’Teryx Beta AR Jacket

Best High-End Jacket: If you have some extra-rigorous activities on your travel docket, then you’ll want a jacket that’s purpose-built for mountain treks. Arc’teryx has a lot of really lightweight packable options but this Beta AR (for all-around) is a versatile GORE-TEX-equipped pick that won’t be as overbearing as the mountain options from other brands. Like all other Arc’Teryx pieces, the Beta AR is a minimalistic piece of technologically advanced outerwear that lives up to the Canadian brand’s world-class standard. Equipped with windproof GORE-TEX PRO fabric, the hoodie remains lightweight and willing to tackle the outdoors thanks to its windproof and water-repellent design. Other intuitive features include the helmet-compatible DropHood with an internal collar for extra coverage and a built-in RECCO reflector that will aid you in search-and-rescue situations, just in case they ever occur.

The Good

In our guide to best hiking jackets, I was able to get hands-on with the Arc’teryx Beta Lightweight Jacket, which I loved for its versatility, comfort, and accessible style. And this Beta AR brings all those to a new level. Arguably more rain jacket-looking than its “more affordable” little brother, the Beta AR almost looks like a casual evening coat if it weren’t for the thick, rugged materials and its weather protection properties. As we’ve come to expect from the brand, there aren’t really any aggressive design cues or logos, maintaining its appeal without sacrificing durability. And the GORE-TEX and nylon shell is surprisingly soft to the touch.

The hood here is very big, for better or worse. Even with my hair up, I could take the hood on or off with the jacket zipped all the way up. The drawstring to tighten the hood is effective (and on the outside of the collar, which is not the case with a lot of these types of jackets). To loosen the cinch, you simply press the buttons embedded inside the base of the hood. Likewise, when it’s zipped all the way up, the collar comes up high enough to protect you without shrouding your entire face. The Beta AR is also very warm, which it achieves without any extra bulk or an abundance of insulation.

The Not So Good

Like the Beta Lightweight, the Beta AR does fit rather large. It’s a comfortable jacket to wear but it’s admittedly roomy. The sleeves are especially spacious with the cuffs hanging down below my knuckles. Fortunately, the cuffs Velcro for a better fit. The hood is also quite roomy, with the collar digging into my neck when I first tightened it up.

Despite the high-placed front pockets, which makes them ideal for accessing while wearing a backpack, the zippers are difficult to operate single-handedly and are stiff as well. They could also afford to be a bit deeper. However, I did appreciate the small essentials pocket on the inside. And lest we forget to mention the $600 price tag, which most consumers will balk at. This is not a cheap jacket but if you have the money, it’s a no-brainer.

Verdict: While it’s difficult to figure out how this coat gets to be $200 more expensive than Arc’teryx’s Beta Lightweight jacket, the Beta AR would still be my choice if money were no option. It’s expensive, yes, but it fits well, provides warmth without bulk, and keeps you dry. Not to mention, the coat just looks really great with its widely accessible, almost simple aesthetic.

Travel Jackets Comparison Chart

Why should you wear a travel jacket?

With countless minor tasks to keep up with beforehand and countless hurdles to jump through at the airport, getting on a plane nowadays has become an obstacle course unto itself. Nevertheless, your trip starts from the moment you start packing, and there is almost nothing worse than filling your suitcase to the brim only to realize the lack of space for any potential souvenirs or gifts you plan on bringing back. Scenarios like this are where the convenience behind packable jackets comes into play, as these compact pieces of outerwear can make a huge difference in your luggage.

What is a Travel Jacket?

Coming in a variety of styles, shapes, and sizes, the packable travel jacket is quintessential for any vacation. The ability to go from providing lush warmth to folding into itself and becoming an inconspicuous accessory is practically the epitome of convenience. However, with so many options on the market, it’s difficult to find one that checks all the boxes: a lightweight carry, seamless storability, and, most importantly, optimized warmth and protection from the elements. So we’ve narrowed it down to light, intuitive, and reliable jackets from trusted labels to help you out. Whether they be hoodies or anoraks, as long as they’re easy to pack away and provide enough weather protection, they can be used as a travel jacket.

Honorable Mentions

REI is always a safe choice when looking for outdoor gear but their house brand also happens to make fantastic budget-friendly options such as this 650 Down Jacket 2.0, which packs really well.

Fjallraven’s Expedition Pack Down Jacket is incredibly warm and impossibly packable. However, for “best down travel jacket,” we opted for the Outdoor Research Helium instead, which is one of our favorites.

One of our favorite do-anything travel jackets is Marmot’s GORE-TEX Minimalist Component 3-in-1 Jacket, but availability issues kept it off the main list. If you find this one out in the wild though, pick it up!

If you’re looking for something a bit more luxurious, check out the Canada Goose Armstrong Hoody. Yeah, it’s about $900, which is a lot, especially if you’re going to be traveling and stuffing this into a suitcase.

The Best Sling Bags for Everyday Carry

While having a packable jacket is ultra-convenient when out and about, it is just as handy to have a sling bag when the scenario calls for it. Luckily, our guide to the best sling bags on the market is here to help you accessorize even further.