Which Jacket Is Thermo-physiologically and Psychologically Warmer between Long-padded Jackets Filled with Goose Down and Polyester in a Windy and Cold Environment?

This study was to investigate the thermal physiological and psychological responses of clothing ensembles including long padded jackets with two different filling types (goose down and light weight polyester) in two cold environments with different velocities (less than 0.15 m·s^-1 [windless condition] and 1.5 m·s^-1 [windy condition] at an air temperature of 10°C). Ten males (22.6 ± 1.5 y in age, 175.9 ± 2.6 cm in height, 70.1 ± 4.5 kg in body weight, 1.86 ± 0.06 m² in body surface area) participated in four experimental conditions. The results showed that there were significant differences by air velocity in mean skin temperature (mean T_sk), changes in mean T_sk, and energy expenditure (P<0.05). However, there were no significant differences by the filling materials in the windless condition, while significant differences were found in thigh, hand, and foot temperatures, microclimate temperatures on the chest and thigh for the windy condition by the filling material (P<0.001). It is recommended to wear a goose-down padded jacket rather than a polyester padded jacket in a cold and windy environment, but it seems that polyester padded jackets would provide similar insulation values as those of goose-down jackets in cold environments without any sensible airflow.