The best synthetic puffer jackets 2023: tailored insulation for cozy warmth

Wearing one of the best synthetic puffer jackets provides you with the warmth you need for your adventures without breaking the bank. As we move into spring, there's still plenty of need for the reliable insulation a puffer jacket gives. Those early morning missions and nights in camp call for something cozy for your upper body.

Of course, a down jacket does the same job, but they are generally much more expensive than all but the very the best synthetic puffers. Utilizing down-mimicking polyester fibres, synthetic puffers boast similar insulating qualities to down at a fraction of the price. Most puffers also retain their thermal properties when wet, unlike many down jackets.

What the best down jackets and the finest synthetic jackets have in common is style. You're just as likely to see a quality puffer on the street as you are on the peaks and ridges, so universal is the appeal of their pleasing warmth and stylish aesthetics.

While all the puffers featured here have street-ready looks, they're also high-performing jackets that won't let you down in the backcountry. You might also want to check out our guide to the best women's down jackets and puffers, which are better suited to the female form.

The best lightweight synthetics

The Särna Mimic Hood jacket from Swedish brand Haglöfs is a superb lightweight synthetic jacket. The fill is a fully recycled polyester that gives it a down-like feel, hence the Mimic in the name. Crucially, this light and lofty fibre has the advantage that it retains its thermal properties when wet, though it's not quite as packable as natural down. The outer fabric is also polyester, with a DWR treatment for fending off light rain. All the fabrics here are bluesign approved.

Its slanted baffle design gives it a distinctive aesthetic, while the inclusion of a hood makes it a good option for winter adventures. Haglöfs say it's at home on the mountains and in urban environments, something we agree with whole heartedly. Weighing in at 476g, it's neither ultralight nor too heavy. The zippered hand warmer pockets are a nice inclusion, though chest pockets would have been preferable when wearing a backpack. For something more lightweight, the Särna Mimic is also available without a hood.

Napapijri have been making Arctic-ready jackets for 30 years, so they know a thing or two about keeping your core cosy. We reckon Alvar jacket is a very good crowd-pleaser of a mid layer – it’s stuffed with synthetic insulation that’s lightweight but traps in warmth quickly, while a water-resistant outer material repels rain. We like the high-cut neck, which adds warmth and feels soft against your face. Good as a standalone jacket in autumn or under a waterproof shell in winter for hiking and skiing, and the sleek and simple cut is smart and flattering enough to wear casually, so you’ll get more bang for your buck.

While good looks shouldn’t be top of your shopping list when you buy an insulated jacket, they’re always a plus – and the Alvar comes in smart neutral colours and with a flattering, sleek fit that make it smart enough to wear down the pub or even as a standalone jacket to work when you aren’t in the great outdoors.

The Nathan Sports BFF Puffer Jacket is a down-alternative puffy jacket that’s great as a versatile outerlayer. The 600 fill power alternative down is lightweight, recycled and water-resistant, while the Pertex Shield shell is water and wind resistant. An interior chest pocket is zippered so valuables stay safe, and two zippered hand pockets on the jacket are lined with a soft fleece and ideal for keep hands cozy. This alternative-down jacket works well for daily use in colder climates and also as a warm travel companion, but annoyingly, a hooded version of the Nathan Sports BFF Puffer Jacket is not yet available.

While this jacket does have a sporty look when paired with running tights or snow pants, when worn with jeans and even with dress pants, the Nathan BFF puffy comes in classic color options and is versatile enough to wear out to dinner or on the town. When the weather does turn more chilly, the elastic-bound buffs create a snug fit around the wrists so wind doesn’t get through.

Read our full Nathan Sports BFF Puffer Jacket review

The Kanyo is a synthetic insulated jacket of deceptively simple design. It’s extremely light and packable, enabling you to take it pretty much anywhere. The fill is Primaloft Silver Eco, a continuous filament 100% recycled 60gm insulation that is both highly compressible and very durable. It’s not the highest performing synthetic fill but is still superior to any fleece, with far less bulk. It’s also easy to look after and will continue to insulate if damp, and even it does get a soaking it dries out quickly.

The Kanyo’s face fabric (also made from recycled materials) is fully windproof and water-repellent too, so it blocks breezes effectively whether you’re hillwalking, climbing or camping. Features are relatively simple but functional, and overall the Kanyo is a very good value pick – particularly since the shell and lining are made of hardwearing nylon rather than less durable polyester, and the whole package is impressively eco-friendly to boot.

Read our full Alpkit Kanyo puffer jacket review

Best down jackets for year round use

Arc’teryx’s Atom LT Hoody has been a staple of the Canadian brand’s product range for multiple seasons. The secret to its enduring popularity is its versatility. It isn’t the warmest synthetic jacket around, but instead balances a general sense of cosiness with surprisingly good breathability. That’s down to its hybrid construction, with zoned panels of Coreloft Compact insulation combined with air-permeable side stretch fleece panels. There’s a soft but durable face fabric with a water repellent treatment too, making it a bit more resistant to external precipitation. But it really comes into its own when used as a midlayer for stop/start activities – which might include anything from winter snow sports to cold-weather mountaineering. In that context, it’s a superlative wear-all-day layer that manages to keep you warm without overheating. The super soft fabrics and accommodating fit also give high levels of comfort and articulation. All in all, it’s a very wearable layer, and we suspect many outdoorsy types would stick this on for more casual use too.

Simple but effective, the great fit of this versatile jacket means it works pretty well as a standalone puffy or a midlayer, with synthetic fill for good moisture-resistance and a hard-wearing nylon shell for added durability. With a price tag that isn’t too scary, plus a decent warmth-to-weight ratio and a good set of features, it makes a useful standalone insulating layer for chilly days, and an equally practical midlayer when worn underneath a shell for wet and cold mountain adventures.  

This isn’t the most high-performing jacket around, but the Tecloft synthetic fill – a continuous filament insulation made from 100% polyester – still provides a welcome boost of warmth whenever the mercury plunges. 

All the zips are a reverse coil design for added water-resistance, with chunky zip pulls that are easy to grab with a gloved hand. The main zip only has a half baffle at the top of the jacket though. This ensures no chin irritation, but if it ran all the way to the bottom of the zip, you’d get better protection from draughts and moisture. Lastly, the face fabric of the jacket is made from high-tenacity nylon, so in terms of resistance to abrasion, it should outperform cheaper polyester alternatives.

Read our full Highlander Lewis synthetic jacket review

The Torres Activo can be regarded as the little brother of Páramo’s oversized Torres Medio jacket, a classic synthetic belay-style jacket that is designed to be thrown on over all your other layers, including a waterproof, providing instant block insulation in tough conditions. The Activo isn’t quite as warm or as heavy, but that makes it slightly more versatile, so it can be employed as a reasonably lightweight and packable extra layer for mountain missions, wild camps or cold days on the trail.

The 60g Nikwax Insulator fill has all the classic benefits of synthetic insulation: it is hard-wearing, quick-drying and stays warm when wet. You also get a great ‘halo’ peaked hood with a cutaway profile for improved peripheral vision, zipped side pockets that are placed high up so as to be harness or hipbelt friendly, and long arms with Velcro cuff tabs to really cinch in the sleeves, even over a pair of gloves. The windproof face fabric adds to the general feeling of all-round protection from the elements and is treated with a PFC-free Nikwax DWR to add weather resistance.

The best puffer for climbers

Sometimes, the simplest approaches are the most effective. Black Diamond’s Belay Parka – the latest version of their classic Stance jacket – is a great example. The design is straightforward: it’s a water-resistant ripstop shell packed with chunky, wadded synthetic sheet insulation. So, you get thick 200gsm Thermolite High-Loft fill throughout (including the hood and arms as well as the body), which means this jacket can cope with temperatures down to freezing, and even a few degrees below. 

The generous cut makes this a great over-layer to throw on over everything else you happen to be wearing. It’s fuss-free and effective, especially once you cinch in the hood, which works very well whether you’re wearing a climbing helmet or not. You also get a practical two-way main zipper and large inner dump pockets to stash your gloves or a flask. And if you’re not belaying a partner, you’ll also love sticking your hands in the wonderfully cosy fleece-lined pockets.

Read our full Black Diamond Belay Parka review

How to choose the right synthetic puffer jacket

Choosing the best synthetic puffer jacket for your adventures will depend on quite a number of factors. 

Weight is an important consideration. Generally speaking, the heavier a puffer jacket is, the more fill it contains and the warmer it will be. Insulated jackets are in their element when you need something to keep you warm when you're not exerting yourself too much. This could be while fixing up a morning coffee in camp, having a snack while hunkered down behind a windbreak on a gusty summit or going for a stroll downtown during the winter months.

During high intensity activities, you'll probably overheat while wearing a puffer, so it's likely that your jacket will remain stashed in your daypack during strenuous ascents or backcountry runs. So, if you're looking for a jacket for fast-paced mountain missions, something lightweight will be preferable. However, if you're a winter climber who expects to be stationary for long periods while belaying, you'll need something more substantial to keep you warm.

Fill

First of all, before you even opt for one of the above, you should consider whether to go for a synthetic fill or a natural down fill. The advantages of down are an excellent warmth to weight ratio and supreme packability, making it a good choice for serious expedition and wild camping use. However, it's unsuitable for vegans because ducks or geese are exploited in its creation. As well as this, there's no getting away from the fact that down jackets are expensive.

Synthetic puffers usually have the advantage of retaining their thermal qualities when wet, as well as being faster drying. However, they tend to be heavier and less packable than down jackets. Typically filled with polyester clusters that mimic the effect of down, they're generally cheaper. There's obviously the environmental factors to consider, as polyester will never biodegrade. A responsible buyer should look for jackets that contain recycled materials.

Design

The insulating fill is the main factor the determines the warmth to weight ratio of a puffer jacket. However, the design and construction of a jacket can also have a big impact on this.

Synthetic loose fills (sometimes called ‘short staple’ insulation) are made up of tiny individual clusters of fibres. In order to provide effective insulation, they need to be contained together in baffles, which are stitched panels into which the fill is blown. Without these, they'd all clump towards the bottom of the jacket and be of very little use indeed.

The shape, size and arrangement of these baffles all affect the capacity of the fill to loft or trap air, which is how a puffer jacket provides warmth. In addition, how they are constructed is important. Expedition-style  jackets use box-wall construction, where each baffle is a self-contained brick-like shape. Lighter jackets employ stitch-through construction, where each baffle is a sort of fabric sandwich, trapping the insulating material between stitched seams. This is an easier method of manufacture that saves fabric and therefore weight, but it can also reduce loft and lead to cold spots at the stitching points.

Synthetic sheet insulation (sometimes called ‘continuous filament’ insulation) is a layer of polyester wadding housed between a face fabric and a lining. This is the method that is usually used for traditional belay jackets, which climbers use to stay warm when static, e.g. when belaying a climbing partner from a fixed position. Though some stitching is needed to keep this layer of wadding in place, it can usually be constructed in a much simpler way and is typically more windproof than a stitch-through jacket. It is not very breathable though, and also limits freedom of movement, making it less suitable for active use.

Many modern puffer jackets also now utilise a zoned or hybrid construction. This means that insulated areas are used alongside panels of more breathable or stretchy fabric – typically fleece – to make a puffer jacket more comfortable and provide better articulation for active use. You might find fleece inserts used along the sides or under the arms of a puffer jacket accordingly, with the insulation placed around the core. Hybrid construction can also enhance breathability, making for a more versatile garment that can be worn in a greater range of temperatures or for active as well as static use. Be aware, however, that if your primary need is for outright warmth, hybrid jackets are usually less windproof and less warm overall, since they have less insulation.

Fabrics

The face fabric of a puffer jacket is almost always made from a synthetic fibre, either nylon or polyester. These are both synthetic fabrics that are windproof but breathable. They are also comparatively quick drying and can be made water-resistant by applying a DWR (durable water repellent) finish. Their tight weave is also good at preventing the fine insulating fibres or down clusters of a puffer jacket from escaping. Generally, puffer jackets employ these fabrics in lighter weights than waterproof shells to ensure good packability. This limits their durability and toughness, although modern innovations such as ripstop threads can improve these characteristics. But generally, a puffer jacket is a more delicate layer than most other bits of outdoor clothing, and as a result it should be treated with greater care.

Features

The best synthetic puffer jackets usually come with an insulated hood and handwarmer pockets. These features are ideal when you are wearing the jacket as an outer layer but less essential if you plan to use the puffer as a mid-layer underneath a waterproof hardshell. In this case, a non-hooded jacket may be preferable and many of the best synthetic puffer jackets come with both options. Handwarmer pockets are great for casual walks but serious hikers may also want to look for chest pockets too. This is because handwarmer pockets can be rendered inaccessible by a backpack's hipbelt.

Fit

This is an important consideration, as it effects the thermal efficiency of your jacket. Too baggy and you'll have too much air for the jacket to try and warm up, while heat can also leak out through loose fitting cuffs, hems and hoods. However, if it's too snug fitting, the fill won't be able to loft effectively and your movements will compress the baffles, basically pushing that hard won hot air out of the jacket.

The size you opt for also depends on your intended use. If you're after a nicely-fitted jacket that looks stylish for après ski fun or for downtown, opt for your usual size. However, if you're planning to wear your puffer on top of multiple layers in the mountains, you've got to make sure it will fit over a base layer and a couple mid layers. When this is the case, you may want to go one size up.

• The best hiking boots: footwear for tackling tough terrain, tested and rated