Gloves and Apparel
How Much Does a Jacket Weigh? Tested Weights by Jacket Type
Tested jacket weights: windbreaker 3.4 oz, rain jackets 5.6-13.3 oz, a down parka 1.24 lb. What adds weight, and how to weigh a jacket at home.
A light shell jacket weighs about 3 to 13 oz (roughly 100 to 380 g). In tests, a nylon windbreaker came in at 3.4 oz (96 g) and rain jackets at 5.6 to 13.3 oz (159 to 377 g). Insulated jackets weigh more: one down winter parka is listed at 1.24 lb. We found no tested weight for a finished leather jacket, so that row below is still to be filled in from our own scale test.
Part of the leather gloves and apparel guide.
Jacket weights at a glance
Rain and down weights come from OutdoorGearLab's rain jacket tests and down jacket tests. Weights are for one size of each model. A bigger size, or a different model, will weigh more or less.
| Jacket type | Example | Weight | Fact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Windbreaker | Patagonia Houdini, men's M | 3.4 oz (96.4 g) | – |
| Ultralight rain shell | Outdoor Research Helium UL | 5.6 oz (159 g) | – |
| Light rain jacket | Helly Hansen Loke | 8.4 oz (238 g) | – |
| Ultralight down hoody | Mountain Hardwear Ghost Whisperer, women's L | 8.3 oz | – |
| Everyday rain jacket | Patagonia Torrentshell 3L | 12.7 oz (360 g) | – |
| Heavier rain jacket | Rab Downpour | 13.3 oz (377 g) | – |
| Down winter parka | Rab Neutrino Pro | 1.24 lb | – |
| Leather jacket | To be weighed | – | — |
What makes one jacket heavier than another
- Fill. Fill weight is how much down is inside. More down makes a jacket warmer and heavier. Higher-fill-power down is lighter for the same warmth.
- Water. A wet shell can get heavier. In one rain test, a parka's polyamide shell soaked up water and was weighed down noticeably.
- Leather thickness. For leather, the "ounce" refers to the hide, not the jacket. Langlitz measures leather in ounces per square foot: 2.5-3 oz is lightweight and 3-3.5 oz is medium weight, about 1.2 mm at 3 oz. One maker's men's jackets use 1.4-1.6 mm hide, its women's 1.2-1.4 mm.
- Labels are not standard. One maker calls the same 3-3.5 oz cowhide "heavyweight" on one jacket and "midweight" on another. Compare the oz or mm figure, not the word.
How to weigh a jacket at home
- Weigh an empty hanger on a kitchen or luggage scale.
- Hang the jacket on it, with the pockets empty, and weigh again.
- Subtract the hanger. Use pounds and ounces, with grams in brackets if you share the result.
Related apparel answers: do leather belts stretch over time and what a pleather vest is.
Leather jackets made to your size
Leather Collection custom leather jackets are cut to your measurements in kangaroo, sheepskin or goatskin. The store describes kangaroo as thin and strong. The page gives no finished jacket weight.
FAQ
How heavy is a puffer jacket?
It depends on the fill. A tested ultralight down hoody weighed 8.3 oz in size large. A down winter parka is listed at 1.24 lb.
How much does one coat weigh?
We have no tested coat weight yet. Coats run from knee to ankle length, most often mid-calf, so they use more cloth than a waist-length jacket of the same fabric. The scale method above gives an exact figure for your own coat.
How heavy is a typical jacket?
For tested shells, 3.4 to 13.3 oz (96 to 377 g). A down winter parka from a separate test is listed at 1.24 lb. Leather jackets are still to be weighed.
HitKB Editorial Team
HitKB articles are researched from published sources, cited in the text, and reviewed before publication.