I prefer to purchase my jackets separately. I find most 3in1s to be a compromise in performance or style that I'm not willing to make.

Lots of brands will work. My preference these days is a breathable softshell and a seperate hardshell that I can wear when necessary.

Check out thelasthunt.C0m. It is the clearance site for altitude sports. They have lots of excellent outerwear at significant discounts. No returns though, so do your research.

Lifaloft and primaloft gold are my preferred synthetic insulation materials.

Nice, I'll check them out.

For what I used them for, the small hairs don't matter. But it did give me pause when considering them for casual clothing.

How do they wear? I have a pair of Prana winter pants made of recycled bottles. The fibers are starting to stick out of the pants like fine hairs.