The Flexpedition Down Jacket from Revolution Race is a toasty warm belay jacket that promises to deliver outstanding performance whether you wear it in the hills or on the streets.

Revolution Race Flexpedition Down Jacket

Ideal for: Winter camping, winter hiking, very cold weather

Not suitable for: Ultralight adventures, summer trips, trail running, fastpacking

Warm, cosy and coming with a ton of pockets, the Flexpedition Down Jacket from Revolution Race is a versatile warm layer designed to be worn flexibly between the hills and the streets. That does mean that it comes without many of the technical considerations more outdoor-specific lines come with, and it’s comparatively heavier and bulkier than most of the competition.

The Good

Warm

Incredibly cosy hood

Less technical looking than many competing lines

Big internal dump pockets

Stretchy material allows for great freedom of movement

Tons of pockets

The Bad

Very heavy

No stuff pouch

Larger pack size

Revolution Race Flexpedition Down Jacket review

The Flexpedition Down Jacket from Swedish brand Revolution Race is the warmest and bulkiest insulating layer the brand sells. Featuring a blend of down and synthetic insulation, the coat promises to be reliably warm for the ‘coldest winter adventures’ while a DWR coating on the material provides a degree of water resistance.

Weighing in at 1050 g in medium, however (the size we have been testing), the jacket is far from lightweight. In fact, of all of the insulating belay jackets we have tested over the years at the GBAC, the Flexpedition from Revolution Race is by far the heaviest, coming in a whopping 400 grams heavier than the next heaviest on our list, the ever-impressive Mountain Equipment Lightline. This is largely down to design considerations Revolution Race have made that make the Flexpedition as home on the streets as it is in the hills. Which is something we’ve repeatedly flagged when it comes to buying jackets of this type in the UK. Coats this warm (Revolution Race state it’s best used in temperatures ranging from -10° C to -20° C) are simply not needed for 95% of the year. And on the coldest days, you’re likely going to end up using it just as much day to day on trips into the office or town as you will on winter wildcamping, hiking or backpacking trips. This is the very problem Revolution Race aims to solve in bringing us the Flexpedition jacket, being a coat that delivers the same reliable warmth offered by the more premium, purposefully designed models — just without any of the technical aesthetics. Or that appears to be the sales pitch the brand is going for with this coat, at least…

Regarding price, Revolution Race, the Flexpedition Down Jacket can currently be picked up for £299 when bought directly from Revolution Race. This puts it right in the middle of the pack when it comes to burly and warm down jackets of this type. The Patagonia Fitz Roy, for example, will set you back another £100 at £400, whereas something like the Rab Neutrino Pro will set you back another £25 at £325. So, what do we think? Is this jacket really as ‘flexible’ as the name implies, or might you be better served by buying a more technical down jacket designed explicitly for mountain use?

Our experience using the Revolution Race Flexpedition Down Jacket

We’re lucky to have had a Flexpedition Down Jacket kicking around the GBAC gear room for quite some time now. And while this is certainly not a long-term review (yet!), we’ve still been able to use the jacket dozens of times through the cold winter of 23/24. All in, we used in on a ton of hikes, a handful of deep winter wildcamping trips, several snowy (and relaxed) woodland walks and — in a move to test its ‘flexibility’ — on lots of trips into town, to the office and in decidedly ‘ordinary’ settings. So, what are our impressions to date? Let’s jump in.

Warmth

The first thing that really hits you with the Revolution Race Flexpedition Down Jacket is the warmth this thing delivers. Seriously, without any real means to scientifically back this claim up, it feels as warm (if not warmer) as many of the other big names out there, such as the Mountain Equipment Lighline, the Forclaz MT900 and the ultra-premium Pumori from The North Face. This is possibly down to the weight and fit of the jacket, which fully encompasses your upper body and cocoons you in warmth the moment you do it up. In fact, we found it to be much too warm to wear when we were moving and noted that we quickly worked up a sweat when wearing the Flexpedition Down Jacket under a pack. That being said, on cold nights when the temperature hovered around -6° C (which is still 4° C warmer than the -10° C to -20° C temperature range Revolution Race state this jacket was built for), we felt warm and comfortable hanging around at camp, wearing little more than a baselayer and a fleece mid-layer underneath the Flexpedition Down Jacket.

Delivering this warmth is a blend of 650-fill power down and 100% polyester insulation, which is separated between the main body of the jacket and the arms. The hood and torso of the jacket (i.e. the bulk of the coat) house down filling, whereas the sleeves of the jacket are made from a 100% polyester synthetic filling. Now, whether this decision was made in order to keep the price of the jacket low or to improve its performance in changing conditions, we can’t be sure. But we found that this blend is actually quite advantageous for the UK as it adds an extra layer of durability to the parts of the jacket you will most often scuff/damage. What’s more, when wearing jackets this billowy under a hardshell, the wrists and hems of the coat are the first to get wet as water absorbs into the material from your gloves/leaks up as you move your hands. With the Flexpedition Down Jacket, however, this isn’t a major problem as the filling is still able to keep you warm even when wet.

Unfortunately, however, we did notice cold spots under the armpits where the synthetic filling stops and the down begins. Because of the way the baffling is separated, the down doesn’t seem to disperse as well here, which — for us — resulted in us feeling noticeably colder (albeit not cold!) along the seams directly under the arms.

Weight and packability

In a slight to ultralight wild campers everywhere, the Flexpedition Down Jacket from Revolution Race weighs in at a whopping 1050 g. This puts it right at the top end for jackets of this type and will render it an unattractive option for many people based on that fact alone. In our experience, however, we found the weight not to be that big of an issue, especially considering that you’ll only ever take this jacket with you on deep winter when other factors (such as warmth, comfort and safety) should take priority over being ultralight.

Additionally, despite its heavy weight, the Revolution Race Flexpedition Down Jacket still packs down to a relatively manageable size. When squashed away in a dry bag, it resembles something like a 2-season synthetic sleeping bag and isn’t substantially bigger than the Mountain Equipment Lighline. In that sense, then, it’s still easy to sling the Flexpedition Down Jacket into the bottom of a 60-litre bag for use only when the temperature plummets — as long as you’re happy to carry the weight.

Durability

The liner of the jacket is made out 88% polyamide and 12% elastane, which results in this lovely stretchy fabric that’s truly a joy to wear. Unlike most other technical down jackets, we also found that this material is comparatively harder to rip as it extends under pressure. That being said, the material is still super delicate and relatively lightweight, so you’re not going to wear this on any craggy scrambles or when marching through gorse and overgrown woodland.

Fit

The fit of the Flexpedition Down Jacket is decidedly boxy. In that sense, if you’re looking for a more ‘athletic’ fit, you may want to consider sizing down in this one. For proper mountain use, however, it’s important that you’re able to layer up under a jacket like this. You want to be able to chuck on an extra mid-layer or pull this jacket on over your hardshell when stopping for a quick break while climbing in a Scottish corrie somewhere. For that reason, we actually really like the fit of the Flexpedition Down Jacket, even if it looked a little baggy when we wore it ‘flexibly’ to town or to the office.

The jacket is also relatively long — which is another thing we appreciate about this coat when using it in really cold weather. Extending down at the back, it completely covers your butt, preventing any drafts from riding up your back and locking in even more heat.

Extra features

Another thing we really like about this jacket is the number of pockets it gives you. On most jackets of this type, you’ll be lucky if you get some hip pockets and a singular stash pocket inside. But not on the Flexpedition Down Jacket: You get two large handwarmer hip pockets, two Napoleon pockets on the chest which can easily fit a smartphone, and two large internal dump pockets which can easily fit an OS Map or a pair of large winter gloves. Additionally, with the exception of the hip pockets which are a little smaller, all of the zips are really easy to operate when weather thick gloves thanks to large toggles and smooth teeth.

Revolution Race Flexpedition Down Jacket FAQs

Conclusion

Overall, we think the Flexpedition Down Jacket is a decent deep winter down jacket for anyone looking for one singular option to keep them warm on camps and commutes alike. If, like us, you’re planning on getting on regular trips through the coldest parts of the year, however, the weight and packability of the Flexpedition Down Jacket may make this option a relatively unattractive choice — despite its reasonable £300 price tag.