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The best puffer jackets for men to make every day a duvet day
A piece of outerwear that prioritises comfort without skimping on style, investing in a quality puffer jacket is one of the best winter fashion moves you can make. Shop GQ’s pick of the best options to beat the chill in style
All products are independently selected by our editors. If you buy something, we may earn an affiliate commission.
Let's be honest, on the coldest of English mornings, when frost is covering every surface and your car is closer to operating as a fridge, those more sophisticated wool overcoats just don't cut it. In fact, those days are made for the puffer jacket. Down-filled for supreme outerwear insulation, the puffer is the perfect coat for those who have rightly prioritised comfortable, cosy wardrobe additions this year, offering the snugness of your beloved duvet even on the most teeth-chattering winter walk.
With everyone from sports and outdoor brands such as Nike and The North Face to fashion houses such as Gucci and Prada getting down with the puffer jacket this season, there’s no need for a comfortable coat to come at the expense of your discerning sense of style. In fact, puffer jackets are the winter coat of choice for such men’s style icons as David Beckham, Drake, Daniel Craig and Frank Ocean, to name just a few.
Which is why, just in time for the turn of the seasons, we’ve done our duty in scouring the online outerwear rails to bring you the best puffer jackets to beat the chill. Life is about to get a whole lot cosier…
What are GQ's best puffer jackets?
You'll find all the puffer jackets worth your consideration in the gallery below, but first, here's what our editors are wearing this wedding season:
- Best puffer jacket: Marks & Spencer, £130, marksandspencer.com
- Best affordable puffer jacket: Uniqlo, £69.90, uniqlo.com
- Best designer puffer jacket: Moncler, £1,070, mrporter.com
- Best colourful puffer jacket: Pangaia, £450, pangaia.com
- Best practical puffer jacket: The North Face, £350, mrporter.com
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Best practical puffer jacket: The North Face
1/11The North Face
- Fabrication: Nylon
- Sizes: XS-XL
- Colours: Black
As one of the greatest purveyors of the puffer jacket, you can't go wrong with The North Face. Built to accommodate your outdoor hours in the most insulating manner, this classic ‘Himalayan’ style incorporates 'WindWall' technology for ultimate shielding, water-resistant treatment for unexpected showers and a cosy down padding for pure warmth. Guaranteed to mould perfectly to your shape thanks to the drawcords at the hem and hood, it's the style to last for the long run.
Best affordable puffer jacket: Uniqlo
2/11Uniqlo
- Fabrication: Polyamide
- Sizes: XS-3XL
- Colours: Beige, black, khaki
If a bright and billowing puffer jacket is a bit much for your style preferences, good news: Uniqlo provides the perfect solution. Reflecting the high street brand's flair for minimal pieces with function at the core, this latest design uses innovative fibre technology to create a slim and lightweight yet high-performing padding. Stitched with diamond quilting and topped with a sharp little collar, it's as stylish as it is affordable – making it an essential addition to your basket.
Best designer puffer jacket: Moncler
3/11Moncler
- Fabrication: Polyamide
- Sizes: 1-6
- Colours: Blue, black
A puffer jacket is quite the style statement in itself, but if you want to take it one step further, an eye-catching colour is the easiest way to do it. Enter Moncler's latest offering. Clad in a striking baby blue shade, this lightweight shirt style is crafted from a smooth quilted shell, detailed with a series of practical pockets across the front, and complete with a logo-appliquéd patch at the right sleeve. The perfect companion to elevate your stance as the weather transitions, it's a top pick for team GQ.
Best puffer jacket: Marks & Spencer
4/11Marks & Spencer
- Fabrication: Polyamide blend
- Sizes: S-4XL
- Colours: Brown, black, khaki (+1 more)
A budget-friendly puffer jacket with a high fashion-like appearance? Sign us up. This comes courtesy of Marks & Spencer, whose latest take on the outdoor essential is served through a rich brandy shade. Using both feather and down to fill out its chunky padded panels, it's shaped to a regular fit, is fused with water-resistant ‘Stormwear’ treatment and is framed with ribbed trims for a snug fit. Extra points for the inclusive size range on offer.
Best colourful puffer jacket: Pangaia
5/11Pangaia
- Fabrication: Recycled nylon
- Sizes: XS-XL
- Colours: Storm blue, light blue, black
Feather fillings? Forget them. The ever-innovative and enviro-loving Pangaia is instead insulated with ‘FLWRDWN', a bio-based, animal-free alternative to traditional down that uses wildflowers. Plus, this puffer jacket diverts pre-consumer waste materials from landfills. Simply put, this is a style that looks good, and does good.
Carhartt WIP
6/11Carhartt WIP
- Fabrication: Polyester
- Sizes: XS-XL
- Colours: Black
Outfitter to the East London masses, Carhartt WIP's utilitarian output simply never gets old. A water-repellent shell filled with feather down, this Carhartt puffer is sharp, cosy, and dripping with streetwear edge. Get on board.
Gucci
7/11Gucci
- Fabrication: Nylon
- Sizes: 44-58
- Colours: Green, black
This boxy beauty from Gucci forms part of the label’s Autumn/Winter 2024 collection which, in true form, displays classic tinges of Italian heritage through experimental silhouettes. In this khaki case, the iconic GG motif has been maximised to really animate its nylon canvas silhouette, which is further enhanced by feather goose down padding in the lining. A symbol of serious luxury, it's a little on the spennier side, but we expect you'll wear it for decades, making it well worth the investment.
Canada Goose
8/11Canada Goose
- Fabrication: Recycled nylon
- Sizes: XS-2XL
- Colours: Bronze, black, blue
With convenience at its core, the Crofton puffer from Canada Goose is an easy-to-stash pick for the man on the move. Easily worn as a crossbody bag or backpack, this puffer goes from jacket to carry-on in just a few smooth moves. And, when worn in full down jacket mode, this gold-tone jacket can withstand temperatures up to -25 degrees celsius.
Cos
9/11Cos
- Fabrication: Recycled polyester
- Sizes: XS-XL
- Colours: Grey
It’s the little things that separate a lacklustre puffer from the cream of the puffed-up crop. Cos excels at those little things: evenly distributed down for a perfectly pillowy shape, curving collars for chin-hugging style and warmth, and just the right crop for a physique-flattering finish. Just as excellent in off-white or black, but our favourite colourway is the airy light grey for its modish Yeezy-esque vibe.
Stone Island
10/11Stone Island
- Fabrication: Polyamide
- Sizes: S-XXL
- Colours: Khaki, black, beige (+1 more)
Crafted from a water-resistant shell and filled with insulating down, Stone Island's brand new puffer jacket combines serious performance with serious style. Stitched with a two-way zip fastening for maximum protection in tremulous weather, it's based with two flap pockets and branded with a technical appliquéd logo at the side. This one is sold in a series of four earthy shades, but if you want our advice, go for the green option to channel a healthy dose of the Britpop wardrobe.
Burberry
11/11Burberry
- Fabrication: Nylon
- Sizes: XXS-XXXL
- Colours: Brown, beige, khaki
The Marmite of fashion prints, Burberry’s ‘Vintage Check’ gets a darker update on this collectable choice, which makes up for its price with the promise of years of wear. And, if you're wondering, yes: Burberry check does count as a neutral.
A good puffer jacket is not unlike a good life partner: when you know, you know. There are a number of components – weight, volume, insulation type, water-wearing ability – that might determine a puffer's quality, but truthfully it depends on what exactly you're looking for. If you're using a puffer jacket for purely style-based reasons, you might be looking for something with extra volume or quality of fabric… but if you're looking for a true gorpcore piece? You'll want something Gore-Tex and hardcore. Your puffer, your call.
Again, let us refer you to the above. Before you can determine where makes the very finest of puffers, you're going to need to know what you're wearing it for. Explorers, think Arc'teryx and Canada Goose. Pavement pounders, try Burberry, Stone Island and Carhartt WIP.
That, dear reader, is a great question. Typically it's down to the insulation within the puffer's voluminous frame. This insulation can take a few different forms; where Canada Goose swears by traditional (shocker) goose down, others use a synthetic alternative. Earth-conscious Pangaia even uses an insulator derived from flower petals.
So, how exactly do we choose what constitutes the best puffer jackets for men in 2024? Simple. We know our stuff, we do our research, and we get out there to experience as much product as possible.
Our section head of menswear for GQ Recommends, Heidi Quill, is obsessed with clothes. Joining British GQ in 2021, Heidi spends a healthy amount of time up to her neck in samples, checking product for the very best quality, price and design, all before recommending it to you. That includes knowing everything there is to know about puffer jackets.
Puffers have been knocking around on catwalks and pavements alike for the last couple of years and show no signs of disappearing any time soon. With so much choice on the market, however, knowing where to start your search can be hard. Luckily for you, Heidi and our team of contributing writers and freelancers (Jessie Atkinson, Faye Fearon and Adam Cheung) have worn, loved, tried and tested the below products to bring you only the best. Scroll on for GQ's pick of the best puffer jackets in 2024…
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