The loft and weight of the cheap jacket is almost the same as the Montbell jacket that is a 800-down. It definitely feels like a lot better than 500-down. I do not think you can relate the price of an item to the quality of down. You pay a lot for the "brand name" of the high end gear. Only time will tell after I use it a lot. If it does not work out for a backpacking jacket, it is a fine town jacket.