These days you can get anything puffy – puffy sandals, puffy sneakers, puffy skirts, puffy caps. But it all started with the duvets. If you want to invest in one of the warmest and most comfortable garments you can add to your wardrobe, we recommend the Stio Hometown Down Hooded Jacket, available in both women’s and men’s versions.
Stio is a brand based in Jackson, Wyoming, where the gnarly winter weather prevents anyone from getting out. This jacket is thick, it’s luxurious, it’s extraordinarily soft and lined on the inside and it’s treated with a durable water repellent (DWR) coating on the outside to help moisture disperse. The pockets on both the inside and outside of the jacket are an upgrade over the less expensive models and are handy in cold temperatures, when retrieving items from covered bags or shirt pockets becomes cumbersome.
This is an expensive jacket, we know. If you want to spend less, we recommend the REI Co-op 650 down jacket for women, men, plus or tall.
The REI jacket is not as voluptuous as the Stio; however, its slimmer fit means you can wear it as a single layer when spring approaches or, for maximum warmth, wear it tight between clothing and a heavy outer jacket. While a thinner jacket may not seem as effective at first as a giant Michelin men’s down jacket, layering is a proven way to stay warm in the winter and also regulate that heat if you are active.
For more options, check out all of our research in our complete guide to puffy duvets.
