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Puffer Jackets Buying Guide
When the first snowflake gently drifts down from the sky and the first gust of wind sends a chill right through your bones, winter has officially arrived - and it's time to bring out the puffer jacket. But what if you don't have a puffer jacket? How do you choose a puffer jacket? What are the best puffer jackets for winter? What are they made out of and are they even that warm? All your burning questions and more will be answered in our incredibly helpful puffer jacket buying guide!
Quick Links:
- Most Common Puffer Jacket FAQs
- What Are The Best Puffer Jackets For Winter?
- How To Choose A Puffer Jacket
- What Does Fill Weight Mean?
- What Does Fill Power Mean?
- The Features Of A Puffer Jacket
- Shop The Best Puffer Jackets At Anaconda
Most Common Puffer Jacket FAQs
What Are Puffer Jackets Made Of?
First off, what are puffer jackets made out of? Are they made out of small containable packets of actual fire that slowly ignite to a comfortable temperature when activated by thought? No, and that wouldn't make any sense. Puffer jackets are made of nylon and polyester fabrics and have a fill of either quality goose feathers or duck feathers. This then creates air pockets within the feathers which keep in the warm air.
How Long Do Puffer Jackets Last?
The simple answer can be boiled down into one word: it depends. Will you take care of it? Was it made from high-quality materials like our fantastic range of puffer jackets at Anaconda? Are you going to be wearing it every day? If you take good care of your puffer jacket, purchase one made from high-quality materials coughs our range at Anaconda coughs, then it can last you for several years. To understand how best to take care of your puffer jacket and make it last longer, check out our How To Wash A Puffer Jacket article for everything you need to know.
How To Keep Puffer Jackets Fluffy?
To keep your puffer jacket fluffy, all you need to do is fluff them with a fluffing device that is specifically designed for fluffing - or you can use a tennis ball. Next time you're drying your puffer jacket in the dryer, chuck in a few tennis balls. They will bounce around and continually hit the jacket which will fluff it up, similar to how you hit your pillow before going to bed.
What Weather Are Puffer Jackets For?
Well definitely not in the middle of summer. A puffer jacket is an insulated jacket that is perfect for wearing during cold temperatures to help keep you warm throughout the day or night. This is why puffer jackets have increasingly popular in fashion trends for winter.
How Warm Are Puffer Jackets?
Puffer jackets are very warm. Whether your puffer jacket is filled with down insulation or with synthetic fibres, a puffer jacket will keep you toasty and warm when the Aussie winter starts kicking up. From trekking through the snow on the hiking trail to catching up with friends over a coffee in the city, a puffer jacket will keep you warm.
What Are The Best Puffer Jackets For Winter?
When it comes to finding the best puffer jackets for winter, it depends on your subjective taste in style and what activities you will be doing. For example, if you are hiking up a mountain in the middle of winter where there will be strong winds blowing, then a hooded windproof puffer jacket is best. Here are a few examples of our picks for the best puffer jackets for winter:
If your next outdoor adventure is taking you to a very cold and windy place, then our Mountain Designs Women's Liberty 700 Goose Down Hooded Longline Jacket is the best puffer jacket for winter for you. It has a slim coat design and provides exceptional warmth through its 100% nylon lining, 100% polyester shell and 100% RDS goose down fill. This hooded puffer jacket is also wind resistant, making it the best puffer jacket for winter for keeping you warm and toasty. For more information, check out Our Top 10 Winter Jackets For Women.
Whether you are popping down to the shops or planning a long winter hike, our Mountain Designs Men's Advance 600 Down Jacket is going to keep you warm and protected from the elements. This bad boy is insulated with 100% RDS duck down with a 600 loft and has a DWR finish, ensuring that you will stay dry throughout the day. To learn more information about which puffer jacket is best for you, check out Our Top 10 Puffer Jackets For Men.
How To Choose A Puffer Jacket
The Aussie chemist and mountaineer George Finch may have invented the first puffer jacket back in 1922, but he didn't really provide much information on how to choose the best one. No worries there though as our team at Anaconda has created this quick breakdown to get you on your way.
How Will It Close?
There are many puffer jackets out there, and while they may be comfy, how will they close? Some are great, but the drawback is that they close around the waist with a belt or buttons up, which isn't the most convenient option. Always make sure that the puffer jacket you are looking at can close with a zipper, preferably one with a flap that extends over or beneath the zipper as this will provide more protection from precipitation.
How Long Is It?
If you are going somewhere like the snow, a puffer jacket that only goes down to the waist isn't the best option if you aren't wearing a protective bottom like snow pants. If you are wanting to sit down on benches and seats or take long walks in cold and windy conditions, you are going to want a lengthy puffer jacket that goes past your hips, like our Gondwana Women's Cattai Long Puffer Jacket for much more protection.
Does It Have A Hood?
You think you have found the perfect puffer jacket, it fits perfectly and is just the style you were looking after. You then venture out into the icy cold wind and realise after a few minutes of getting hammered by the wind that you forgot to check one of the most important factors: a hood. Like our Cape Women's Harriet Long Line Puffer Jacket, a hood will protect you from elements like the harsh wind. A puffer jacket with a drawstring hood will be even better if you are planning on spending a large amount of time hiking out in windy conditions.
What Does Fill Weight Mean?
So, what's the deal will fill weight? Well, in order to have a very warm puffer jacket, it needs a good fill weight, which basically measures how much the fill weighs. The heavier the puffer jacket is, then the warmer it will be. This is also why you can find super-slim puffer jackets that have a very high fill power but can still be very lightweight, which is because they are using extremely high-quality down.
What Does Fill Power Mean?
What is fill power? Does it determine how forcefully they shove the fill into the jacket when making it? Does it determine how powerfully it can fill up with warmness? Or is 'fill power' actually just a metaphor for how much happiness the jacket will give you? No, none of these even come close to making sense let alone being correct. Fill power determines how much space is taken up once the fill has been compressed. Basically, the fill power number indicates how fluffy or lofty the down will be. A higher fill power number will tell you that it's better at trapping more air inside, making the jacket warmer.
The Features Of A Puffer Jacket
Although similar, many puffer jackets are different in terms of styles and their features. To make sure that you are buying the right type of puffer jacket that matches your needs, here are the main features to consider when buying a puffer jacket:
Chest Pockets
Whether they are internally or externally designed, a puffer jacket with chest pockets is a must for any winter wardrobe. Even though your outdoor adventure may lead you hiking halfway up a mountain, you are still going to need a place to stash your smartphone, wallet, keys, sunglasses and other important items. Another great thing about chest pockets on a puffer jacket is that they are insulated, keeping your phone warm and the battery alive during the extreme cold.
Handwarmer Pockets
You may have never realised, but handwarmer pockets are actually designed to be pockets that keep your hands warm when you put your hands inside of them. Apart from being another great place to keep your important and personal items, they are also great for storing snacks in and making sure that you aren't snacking on a frozen piece of jerky when it's yum yum time. A good pocket design will feature a fleece or nylon lining on the hem to ensure that both your hands and their connected fingers stay warm and toasty.
Hood Drawcords
A hood drawcord is designed to tighten and secure the hood of the puffer jacket. This is important because there are many puffer jacket designs that feature a hood but there is no way to readjust the size of the hood. This is important because when the wind is blowing hard or the rain is pouring down, you should be able to simply pull on the hood drawcords and tighten the hood around your face, providing you with more protection against the harsh elements when outside. Dual drawcords on the hood are a massive plus for getting that perfect fit.
Stash Pockets
As Einstein famously quoted in 2004 "you can never have too many pockets on your puffer jacket, and stash pockets are awesome". Although he never said that, he would have been right if he did. Stash pockets are large unzippered pockets that are located on the inside of the puffer jacket. Stash pockets are awesome for stashing larger items like hats, batteries/cables, water bottles and other various items.
Hem Drawcords
Every puffer jacket you buy should have hem drawcords. These bad boys have a drawcord pull on the hem which is used to tighten the hips, waist and cuffs of the puffer jacket. When the wind starts blowing or the temperature keeps dropping, simply pulling on the drawcord to tighten your jacket will not only simulate the feeling of a hug but will also provide that extra boost of warmth.
Shop The Best Puffer Jackets At Anaconda
When it comes to buying the best puffer jackets, there is no objective one that beats all of the others - it all comes down to making sure that the puffer jacket you are considering will meet all of your specific needs. But with a massive range of men's puffer jackets, women's puffer jackets, kid's puffer jackets, clothing and more, it has never been easier to find all the right puffer jacket you need at Anaconda.
Also remember to check out our Adventure Centre for more exciting camping tips, exciting hiking destinations and more, such as:
