Best value Men’s Puffer Jackets
Puffer Down Jackets, also known as down coats, have become a staple in Men’s wardrobe. They are widely worn for their warmth, look, style and lightweight. With so many option out there in the market, it can be difficult to choose the right jacket for you.
When opting for a Down puffer jacket, brand is not necessarily the most important factor. When researching down jackets, we found some shockingly poor quality jackets made by some very popular brands.
There are three very important factors to consider when analyzing a down puffer jacket:
- Down Fill Power: Higher fill power indicates better insulation quality and loftiness. But a higher fill power alone is not an indicator of warmth.
- Down Fill Weight: A higher fill weight typically means more insulation, providing greater warmth. High fill power with a high down fill weight will guarantee a toasty warm jacket.
- Insulation Quality of Outer Fabric: The outer fabric’s quality determines its ability to not only retain warmth and withstand wear and tear. Pertex makes some excellent wind resistant outer fabric and we found that down jackets made out of Pertex fabric were not only lighter but surprisingly good at retaining heat.
- Wind Resistance: Look for apparel with wind-resistant properties to shield you from harsh winter gusts. Pertex fabric again wins in this regard due to being a low denier fabric.
We sampled some of the popular option out there and here is what we found:
- The North Face 1996 Retro Nuptse Down Sweater: This iconic down puffer jacket replicates the 1996 Nuptse design, featuring a boxy silhouette and 700-fill-power down insulation. It is a warm jacket with a look that has been in vogue since the 60s. But would we depend on it to keep us warm on cold East Coast day? Probably not. While it warm, its cropped look is its downfall. While out wearing this, the jacket kept reminding us how short it is.
PROS: High Fill weight, Wind resistant fabric
CONS: Low Down Fill power and a little short. While high on fashion quotient, not very suitable to keep your lower body warm.
- Patagonia Men’s Down Sweater Hoody: People tend to think that you cannot go wrong with this option. Maybe. It all depends on where you intend to wear this jacket and for what purpose. This jacket is sufficiently warm for a California winter day when the temperature is in 50s. You want to go on a hike with this jacket on? Yes. It works. Low 40s or 30s in an east coast city? No way. This isn’t what you are looking for. If you have to wear ,multiple layers to keep yourself warm, the down puffer jacket is not really doing much for you.
PROS: Lightweight, Trendy, Brand reliability, Packable
CONS: Too light for sub zero temperatures, Price
- LL Bean 850 Ultralight Down Jacket: A great value option, this down puffer jacket features 850-fill-power down, a water-resistant shell, and an attached hood. While we rate this jacket highly on looks, it falls short on its promise to keep you warm. Despite its high fill power, the low fill weight is just not enough to keep you toasty warm. Sizes surprised us too. A small size in LL bean is easily a medium in other brands.
PROS: Pertex outer shell, High Down fill power, Packable
CONS: Down fill weight, Outer shell is prone to tear
- Marmot Highlander Down Jacket: Marmot is well know brand among outdoor enthusiasts. The Highlander hoody is a very popular choice. Is it worth it? We tried it on a cold NY day and found its performance lacking. Not much to write about this one. It overall did not impress at all. We found it rather bland in terms of looks as well. There are definitely much better options out there in this price range.
PROS: Pertex outer shell, Lightweight, Price, Packable
CONS: Prone to tears, Fill Weight
- Best Made Co. Down Jacket: This one surprised us. Best Made Co. was boutique outdoor equipment shop located in NYC. They were known to make some very fine outdoor equipments including their famed hammer. They evolved into making some exception outdoor clothing as well. Unfortunately, they had to close down during the pandemic and the business never recovered. They were bought by the Duluth Trading Company which continues to manufacture the products designed and created by Best made Co. under the same brand name. Back to the down puffer jacket, this is a very well made apparel. The down fill power is 850 and the fill weight is generous too for the price. We were thoroughly impressed by the build quality as well as the quality of down used in it. The jacket was tested under various conditions and we are happy to say it kept us warm on the chilliest of days. It is not as lightweight as other options, but this is a trade off we can happily make. The jacket itself was a bargain as we copped it during their winter sale.
PROS: High Fill Power, High Fill Weight, Lightweight, Price
CONS: Not packable
Our Verdict: Best Made Co jacket was the best value for money. We grabbed it for $90 during the winter sale. This jacket kept us warm, with a couple of layers, in even the chilliest of NY days.
While it is not as lightweight as some of the other options above, but as far as protection from cold is concerned, it beats them all.