Kathmandu Epiq Down Jacket: The Puffer you reach for

The Puffer. Since 1987. 

Picture this: it's 6am, dark outside, and that biting winter chill hits as you head out the door. You grab the jacket. No thinking. No second-guessing. You zip up, and suddenly you feel ready to take on the day. That's the Epiq, Kathmandu's down jacket legacy, the one Kiwis have trusted for decades.  

Born from down expertise 

Kathmandu has been a down brand since the beginning. Long before puffer jackets became a wardrobe staple, we were perfecting down insulation for sleeping bags and outdoor gear built for serious conditions. That expertise didn't stay in the mountains for long. 

When the Epiq puffer first arrived, it carried all that know-how into a jacket built for real life, the kind of warm winter jacket you wear to work, on weekends and on adventures big and small. Filled with RDS-certified down and wrapped in Pertex™ Quantum fabric, it was quietly doing something remarkable: trapping heat, blocking cold and feeling lighter than it looked. 

A jacket that never stood still 

This is where the Epiq puffer story gets interesting. 

Fill power went to 600, making it one of the warmest lightweight down jackets in the range. Fabrics got smarter, recycled Pertex™ Quantum and then carbon capture polyester. Zips got stronger. Silhouettes got sharper. 

And through the years, some genuinely memorable special editions arrived. A tri-colour block in shiny Pertex™. A plaid flannel mix. A special edition crafted from recycled car tyre nylon. A Heritage Parka with 750-fill power. Each one a different expression of the same idea: warmth doesn't have to be invisible. 

But that core feeling? Unchanged. It's why you reach for it, season after season.  

When Epiq feels like home 

600-fill RDS-certified down: One of the highest fill powers in everyday puffer jackets, traps heat efficiently and holds it there. Every Epiq is filled with Responsible Down Standard certified down (CU 862405), so you know exactly where it came from. 

Pertex™ Quantum outer: The secret weapon most people don't know about. This lightweight outer fabric works with the down fill to maximise warmth without the bulk. 

Adjustable hood: When the NZ wind picks up, it seals out the cold. Small detail, big difference on those unpredictable winter days. 

This season: Meet the Epiq Hybrid 

The Epiq you love, remixed. 

Introducing the new Epiq Hybrid - 600-fill duck down where you need warmth most, Co-Z fleece softness outside on sleeves and lower body. Cosiness isn't just inside anymore. 

And for the original Epiq, this season brings a fresh new colour story, nature-inspired tones like Light Moss and Braided River Print. Soft, earthy and made for wherever winter takes you. 

The only question is which one is yours 

From city commutes to cold-snap adventures, the Kathmandu Epiq range is built for every age, every style and every chapter. It's evolved every season and stayed true to the one thing that matters most, that feeling the moment you zip up and everything just feels right. 

Shop the full Epiq Down Jacket range at kathmandu.co.nz