Rab Neutrino Pro down jacket review: All-weather warmth, all day

There’s nothing worse than shivering in an underpowered jacket - teeth chattering, core turning to ice and questioning all your life choices. The antidote? A thickly padded, cosily insulated jacketstuffed with high-quality down to keep you warm, safe and smug.

Perfect for snowy, sub-zero adventures and technical winter missions, Rab is always a safe bet for a big-ticket winter buy, and the Neutrino Pro is one of the best: super warm, reliably weather-resistant and built for real mountain days - though it’s heavy, pricey and overkill for milder climes. Here’s the full lowdown.

Insulation, warmth and weather protection

The Rab Neutrino Pro Down Jacket is a serious insulated winter jacket - chunkily padded with thick loft, packed full of cosy insulation and built for when temperatures really plummet. It’s designed for deep winter use, making it something of a niche product: very warm, very specialised and very expensive.

Given the increasingly mild winters in the UK, it may not see long stretches of use, which raises questions about its value for money.

Still, there’s no denying the quality of the insulation. The Neutrino Pro uses 800 fill power down - a premium-grade fill that lofts up impressively thick and delivers excellent warmth. It’s undeniably toasty, with an impressive warmth-to-weight ratio.

The baffles are quite wide and thick, with a stitched-through construction. This gives enough space for the down to loft up thick and plush, without being too broad that there’s a risk of the insulation spreading out and becoming uneven.

The down is also treated with Nikwax’s hydrophobic coating, helping it retain loft and insulation performance when wet - though it’s hard to quantify exactly how well this works. Nikwax, however, has a solid reputation and user experience is generally positive.

In short, the Neutrino Pro is a superbly warm and reliable jacket for cold mountain days - but for much of the year, especially in the UK’s climate, it might simply be too much jacket.

Consequently I’d describe this jacket as suitable for outdoor enthusiasts who spend a lot of time in the mountains in the snow and during the coldest months; or anyone who hikes a lot in the autumn and winter but has a natural tendency to “run cold” and needs more insulation than the average person.

When it comes to weather protection, the Rab Neutrino Pro is about as durable and protective as a down jacket gets - it’s clearly built to handle some properly gnarly winter conditions.

That confidence comes courtesy of the robust Pertex Quantum Pro outer fabric, which is lightweight, water-resistant and encourages the down to fully loft for maximum insulation. It’s also packable, breathable and protective - ideal for changeable mountain weather.

The fabric is designed to easily deflect snow, spindrift and light moisture, and features a ripstop weave for added durability against abrasion and wear.

However, it’s important to remember this is not a hardshell. In truly wet and wild conditions, you’ll still need to pair it with a waterproof shell for full protection. That said, because the Neutrino Pro is so thick and chunky, layering it under a hardshell isn’t very practical unless you’ve got an oversized waterproof.

In most cases, it’s best worn as your outermost layer in cold, dry or snowy environments where warmth and resilience are the top priorities.

In terms of freedom of movement, this jacket is quite good considering the levels of warmth, but – in my eyes – it’s not amazing. Rab claims that the “Neutrino Pro lets you move freely with fine-tuned sleeves for complete mobility”.

That’s possibly over-egging it. Mobility and freedom of movement are decent for a jacket of this size and warmth, but agility and flexibility are certainly not the main sensations you get from this jacket.

One final thing to note – while it does compress down quite nicely, this jacket is far from the most compact when packed away and it will take up a sizeable volume inside your backpack.

Fit and comfort

I really like the fit and comfort of the Rab Neutrino Pro Jacket - I'm impressed. It’s great. For reference, I’m 178cm tall with a slim, athletic build, and I usually wear a men’s small. That’s the size I tested, and I found it true to size.

The fit felt spot on, with well-balanced proportions all around, a smart cut and comfortable sizing. There was good volume across the chest and hips, and the jacket had a nice drop at the hem providing coverage over the backside - a welcome detail for cold days.

If I had to nitpick, the sleeves were maybe a touch long, but not by much, and that could just be down to my proportions.

That said, there are some drawbacks. This is a thick, chunky winter jacket- it will not work well for layering under other pieces. It’s also quite heavy, tipping the scales at 557g (men’s small), and certainly doesn’t aim for a sleek, minimalist look. Some might find it a bit bulky and even slightly boxy in shape. But this is really the trade-off: you get serious warmth and insulation, but you sacrifice a streamlined, technical silhouette. You can’t have both. The Neutrino Pro prioritises warmth and protection in cold, exposed conditions, and its fit reflects that purpose.

Features

The Rab Neutrino Pro comes well equipped with a solid set of features tailored to its alpine-focused design. You get two YKK zipped hand pockets and a YKK zipped internal chest pocket for secure storage of essentials.

The helmet-compatible, down-filled hood adds serious warmth and protection in cold, exposed conditions and can be rolled away using a Velcro tab when not needed. It also features a peaked visor, which works nicely to keep snow and spindrift out of your face.

A two-way front zip makes the jacket belay-ready, offering flexibility when climbing. There’s reinforced ripstop fabric over the shoulders and upper sleeves for added durability, particularly useful when wearing a heavy pack.

You also get two drawcord toggles at the waist hem for cinching-in the fit and sealing out cold draughts. The cuffs feature both adjustment and elastication for a snug fit with gloves, and there’s a welcome touch of soft, fleecy material at the chin to keep things comfortable against the face in bitter winds.

All in all, it’s a well-thought-out set of features that enhance both warmth and usability in challenging mountain conditions.

Price and performance

When it comes to price and performance, the Rab Neutrino Pro has earned its stellar, long-standing reputation. In various iterations over the last 20 years, it’s been a go-to choice for climbers, mountaineers and serious winter adventurers.

Rab themselves describe it as “built for winter conditions and alpine summits”, which makes it clear this isn’t a generalist jacket for everyday hillwalking - it's purpose-built for technical, hardcore use in snow, ice, and sub-zero environments.

That niche focus is reflected in both its design and its price. Rab offers plenty of other top-tier insulated jackets that we’re also big fans of - many of which are lighter, sleeker and better suited to layering or all-round use.

For example, the Rab Cirrus Ultra Hoody, which scored 4.5/5 in our review, is a great synthetic insulated jacket that’s far more versatile for year-round hillwalking. Likewise, the Rab Microlight and the Rab Mythic G – both of which feature in our best down jackets round-up - offer high-performance.

But none of them match the sheer thickness and cosy warmth of the Neutrino Pro. If you want absolute winter warmth, the Neutrino Pro delivers – but, of course, you’re paying for that niche performance.

Final verdict

The Rab Neutrino Pro Down Jacket is a super warm and chunkily thick winter jacket with 800 fill power down – but it’s not the lightest or most streamlined. Overall, as a cold weather option, we would rate it a 4.5/5.