Image of a hiker in a puffer jacket standing in front of light snow in the woods

Best Puffer Jackets for Hiking (by an outdoor guide!)

September 18, 2025

Looking for the best puffer jackets for hiking and adventure on the market? From down jackets for cooler times to light, quick-drying synthetic puffer jackets, check out the best hiking jackets on the market:

Why this blog? My name is Maddy and I’ve been working as a sea kayaking guide since 2018! Today, in addition to guiding overnight sea kayaking trips, I host women’s outdoor events and work as an outdoor writer. Whether testing gear as a career guide, hobby backpacker, or outdoor writer, I’m hear to provide honest reviews and help demystify outdoor gear.

oh hey there! This blog uses affiliate links. That means if you choose to make a purchase based on my recommendation I make a small kickback at no additional cost to you.

Best Puffer Jackets for Hiking:

A puffer jacket typically refers to a padded down jacket, either made with down or synthetic insulation and often with some sort of quilting. Usually, the outer material has some degree of water resistance.

Ideally, these jackets pack down small to stow in your hiking backpack and are either used as a midlayer or outer layer. A puffer jacket can be good for chilly evenings while backpacking or camping in the summer, backpacking trips where a range of temperatures are encountered, or fall, winter and shoulder season hiking trips.

1) Patagonia Nano Puff

The Patagonia Nano Puff is often considered one of the best puffer jackets for outdoor adventures. It’s lightweight yet offers a lot of warmth, packs down small, and is made of synthetic materials rather than down.

Synthetic vs down insulation: down provides a lot of warmth and packs down small; synthetic is still warm and packable, but not quite as much so. However, synthetic dries much more quickly making it a better choice for paddling trips or hiking in rainy, wet environments while down works best for a dry cold (think winter hiking).

A man wearing a blue hiking jacket stands in the hoh rainforest in washington state in the fall with a hint of fall color

The Nano puff is generally a really great puffer jacket that will last a long time; the only truly negative reviews are people complaining that it runs small. As with most outer layers, I recommend sizing up as it will need to fit over your baselayer and perhaps a fleece midlayer.

I actually only really use the Nano Puff when I borrow my partner Andy’s, but he has two and swears that they are the best puffer jacket for the outdoors out there. Personally, I’m partial to some of my other puffer jackets.

2) Stio Pinion Down

I’ve had my Stio Pinion down puffer jacket for over five years now, and it’s probably the most versatile jacket I’ve owned. It packs down to about the size of my fist if I need it to, folds into it’s own pocket to become a camp pillow, and offers enough warmth that I use it for a lot of my winter hiking in Northern Minnesota– with the right layering system, it’s held up for hikes as cold as -10 F.

A woman stands on an icy shoreline in a blue puffer jacket for hiking

While it’s great for cold weather it’s also really awesome for shoulder season hikes and cool summer nights camping. It’s too warm for true summer trips in the peak of July (I’ll just wear a fleece layer and a raincoat for those), but this jacket has been backpacking in the desert, on overnight kayak trips both in the PNW and Lake Superior, winter camping, and more.

I will say it runs small specifically if you have broad shoulders; I typically wear a true medium and do have broad shoulders (paddling guide) and I’ve found it to be a little, but not catastrophically, tight. If you’re on the fence about sizing, size up. This jacket is down, and I can confirm it takes a little while to dry out.

READ: What to Wear and How to Layer for Winter Hiking

3) Arc’teryx Atom

The Arc’teryx Insluated Atom hoodie is another really great warm, water-resistant, synthetic jacket for hiking. This jacket is a little bit lighter than the Stio Pinion, quick-drying, and makes for a good hiking mid-layer or outer-layer for fall and spring hiking.

A woman sits on a rock overlooking peak fall color and a pond below wearing a blue puffer jacket

A hiker in blue stands in front of Rose Lake Cliffs Overlook in the BWCA at peak fall color

I was actually lucky enough to score my Atom hoodie for $17 at a thrift store and I primarily use it for fall hiking, or as a light jacket for backcountry camping. One thing I really like about the Atom hoodie is the fleece paneling on the sides of the jacket– I think it breathes a lot better than some of it’s competitors and is a really good choice for hikers who feel like they get super hot while hiking, but then really cold as soon as they stop (me).

Note: pair your mid/outerlayer with a good baselayer for best temperature regulation

4) REI 650 Down: buget option

If you’re looking for a puffer jacket that costs less than $150 check out the REI Co-op 650 down jacket. I haven’t personally tested this jacket, but my friends who own it like it. Unfortunately there does tend to be a little “you get what you pay for” with outdoor gear–REI branded gear tends to do the trick for most casual hikers, but generally speaking the more expensive jackets are more expensive for a reason, be it higher-quality materials, recycled or ethically-sourced materials or a product that holds up better to the elements.

5) Cotopaxi Capa

The Cotopaxi Capa is similar in a lot of ways to Patagonia’s Nano Puff but with more fun colors! The biggest con I’ve noticed of the Capa is that the women’s fit is a little boxy compared to the Nano Puff. Personally this doesn’t bother me in a hiking jacket, but if you prefer a more tailored fit this might be worth considering.

6) Helly Hansen Lifaloft

If you’re looking for a puffer jacket with a somewhat sleeker look, check out the Helly Hansen lifaloft. This thin but warm synthetic layer is tapered in a way that is flattering and true to size. Below, I’m wearing a small which is a little tight on me now, but I got it in my early 20s when I was closer to a size small.

woman stands in a forest in the snow wearing a helly hansen white puffer jacket

Personally, I tend to not use the Lifaloft for backcountry hiking and tend to use it more for trips with casual hiking (under four miles) in cooler weather. I generally use it when I’m not camping and want to switch seamlessly between exploring outside and hanging around town. This for sure could be influenced by the fact that I got the jacket in white. It sure looks cool in snowy pictures but I should’ve just gotten the black, because the white really shows dirt. I thought, incorrectly, it would maybe still look cool dirty. It just looks dirty.

The Lifaloft is a thin jacket best for anything above the 20s F. If you’re looking for something a little warmer, check out the Helly Hansen Banff Hooded insulator.

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7) Winter Hiking: Wool Sweaters

Beyond the puffer jacket, a wool sweater can be a really great outer layer for hiking. Wool is naturally breathable and water-resistant plus you can find some really cool vintage and handmade wool sweaters sometimes at your local thrift store! Wool sweaters are pretty much ideal for winter hiking trips, or that cool, wet and stormy coastal autumn.

A hiker stands at a wintery overlook wearing a sweater

A woman wearing a handknit blue sweater stands at an overlook on the Oregon coast with waves in the background

In the image above left, I’m wearing a wool sweater I found from a vintage shop on Etsy, handknit by a woman named Judith who left a little embroidered tag with her name on the inside. In the image above right, I’m wearing an Icelandic wool sweater with antler-bone buttons I found at a local antique store and cleaned up.

Personally, I find the thrill of shopping used and searching for wool hiking sweaters to be really fun, but you can also find new wool sweaters from popular retailers such as:

READ: How to Score Used Outdoor Gear

8) Hybrid Jacket: Smartwool Smartloft

If you’re looking for something that adds a little warmth but isn’t necessarily a full puffer jacket, ideal for hikers who run hot even somewhere a little chilly check out the Smartloft hybrid. This jacket is a wool blend with extra insulation and wind-resistance at the core. Overall hybrid hiking jackets are a really great choice for fall hiking in character-building weather, or running.

Hiking Rain Jackets:

Augment your kit with a hiking rain jacket as an outer shell. A good hiking rain jacket will not only keep you dry, but act as a layer against the wind and elements adding quite a bit of warmth when worn over your puffer jacket as a wind layer. Check out…

Marmot Minimalist Pertex (I bought this one in the Seattle airport after realizing I didn’t pack a rain jacket on my most recent trip. Not bringing a rain jacket to the PNW was bold.)
Helly Hansen Moss Raincoat (So freaking waterproof, but not super breathable. Great for paddling trips or car camping. I grabbed a men’s small.)
Patagonia Torrentshell (Solid choice for hiking and backpacking)

A hiker at an overlook in the rain wearing a raincoat

A woman wearing a yellow rainjacket stands in the rainforest surrounded by moss

A lot of hikers opt to bring windbreakers as a thin and packable layer to provide protection from the elements. For most hikers I would recommend skipping the windbreaker and just getting a rain coat or outer waterproof shell.

Can you wear a ski jacket as a hiking shell?

One of the biggest questions people have about hiking jackets is if they can use their ski jacket for hiking. In some instances sure! However, keep in mind that hiking can be a lot more active than skiing, so you may find a ski jacket to be too heavy, especially if you’re hiking long miles. Overall, I would probably recommend investing in a separate rain jacket specific for hiking.