Puffer coats aren’t as chic, dressy and beautiful as wool coats, but there is no doubt about it: they are MUCH warmer and a lot more weatherproof. And when it gets that cold, keeping adequately warm is most important. 

Puffer coat styles look more fashionable and less like “gear” every season. There are more silhouettes, fabrications and colours to choose from than ever. Think Sporty Luxe all the way. Black is not your only choice of puffer coat, so click through all the colour options of the styles below (some of which are on sale).

Note that puffer coats from L.L. Bean and Lands’ End run pretty large and that an XS will probably be too big if you wear a size 0 or 2. 

My descriptions are below, but click here if you would prefer a layout that combines my descriptions with item pictures.

• Patagonia 'Downtown Loft' Long Down Parka: The longer the coat, the warmer the puffer. Patagonia makes puffers that feel lightweight despite their high insulating integrity. The curved hemline here adds a fashionable touch.
• T Tahari 'Elizabeth' Long Ruched Down Coat: A super option for tall gals. The coat has a good tailored fit. The quilted squares and piped zipper detailing add a fashionable and luxurious quality to the coat. The taupe gets my top vote.
• Bernardo Hooded Packable Goose Down Walking Coat (Plus Size): Lightweight, packable and warm. The diagonal stitching of the quilting is quite slimming.
• Soia & Kyo Long Down Coat with Inset Bib: Loving my own six year old puffer by this brand, I can't rave enough about Soia & Kyo puffer coats. They are very warm, heavy duty, double layered, fashionable, and beautifully made. The rib insets and high shawl collar are extra insulating. I vote military green or navy. Runs small.
• Jessica Simpson Down & Feather Fill Coat (Plus Size): A slimming puffer coat in an unexpected shade of bronze.
• Soia & Kyo Down Filled Wool Blend Coat with Removable Hood: A bulky and warm fashionable puffer coat in a wool blend. The collars are very voluminous so the style works best on a longer neck.
• DKNY Faux Fur Trim Down & Feather Coat (Regular & Petite): A casual parka in Winter white makes a lovely change from the black one you wear all Winter.
• The North Face Miss Metro Parka: A relatively fitted Winter white puffer in a practical length. The North Face embroidery is on the chest, so you have to be at peace with that. The deep purple is as fab as the cream.
• The North Face Metropolis Down Parka: A relatively fitted puffer with long, rectangular quilted blocks which add a vertical integrity to the silhouette.
• Patagonia Down With It Parka: A less fitted puffer, especially around the shoulders and arms with fun fashionable square quilted blocks. It's a little longer than most puffer coats, but shorter than a maxi.
• L.L.Bean Ultralight 850 Down Coat, Long: Ultra lightweight, warm and quite streamlined. Read the rave reviews.
• Lands' End Women's Heathered Down Coat: Uniquely heathered. A roomy fit despite the back waist tab details.
• Lands' End Women's Down Maxi Coat: An extra long puffer for the extreme cold. The double zip unzips from the bottom which makes walking in this length of coat a lot easier. Fun lining colours.
• Lands' End Women's Down Chalet Long Coat: A more manageable maxi puffer coat because its shorter than ankle length. Fab for tall gals. I like the square quilted blocks and gorgeous colours. The fit is quite boxy, but provides excellent coverage over multiple layers.
• L.L.Bean Ultrawarm Coat, Long: You might look like you're wearing a sleeping bag in this style, but it's one way to stay VERY warm in arctic temperatures. I particularly like this style in cream because it looks more fashionable than the darker colours.
• The North Face 'Metrolina' Down Parka with Removable Faux Fur Trim Hood: I don't usually suggest belted puffer coats because they're fussy when you're trying to zip up in the bitter cold. They also don't look as good worn open. That said, belted styles can look very streamlined, which is why this one made my top picks list.
• Marc New York Alana Laquer Puffer Coat: The sheen and extra tailored torso add a very fashionable touch to the style. The styles of quilting are unique. Great length too.

The fit of a puffer coat is all important because some silhouettes are definitely more flattering than others. See my tips on fit in Puffer Coat 101. Please share further puffer coat recommendations in the comments section.