Winters are almost here, and you owe a lot to your puffer jacket. It shields you from biting cold on long chairlift rides, the time you spend backpacking at your bucket list destination, or when you take a quiet moment to stargaze on chilly nights. Unlike your favourite jeans or cotton shirts you wear in summer, your jackets need much more care than you would think. This is because, without proper care, men’s puffer jackets or down jackets, just like any other winter clothing item, lose their loft and insulation ability.
And let’s be honest. Good quality jackets are a reasonably costly investment, something you don’t do every year. For adequate layering, you need to keep them in the proper condition. However, maintaining them is tricky, and you need to follow certain tips. In this guide, we will explore some do’s and don’ts if you have men’s puffer jackets in your winter collection. We will also discuss how to wash it before you pack it away for the next season. So, let’s dive in!
Do’s and Don’ts Of Puffer Jackets
Love the collection of down jackets you own? Or looking to buy a good quality, latest mens puffer jacket Remember these tips to prolong their life and make your investment worthwhile:
1. Don’t wear it on treks.
Wearing warm jackets during winter treks seems like the ideal thing to do. But this is something you should absolutely avoid if you want to keep your jacket in good condition. When you trek, your body can warm quickly due to the heat-trapping abilities of the puffer jacket, making you sweat. This will cause you to dehydrate quickly. There are also chances that your men’s puffer jacket may get caught up in sharp objects like branches or thorns. These can be damaging to the outer layer of your jacket. So, what can you do instead? You can layer yourself with sweaters or hoodies and fleece jackets.
2. Don’t wear it in the rain.
Another common mistake people make is wearing their down jackets during rain. Unless mentioned otherwise, a men’s puffer jacket is not waterproof, only splashproof. It is usually made of feathers. So, if you expose it to water for a long time, it will lose its splashproof layer and fluffiness. If you need to wear it, protect it with an outer layering of a good raincoat.
3. Never wash it frequently.
For you to maintain your men’s puffer jacket for a longer duration, never wash it after every 2-3 uses. If you care for it minimally when you wear it, it will not get much dirty. If you wash it regularly, it will lose its fluffiness. You can easily wear it 10-15 times before you give it a wash.
4. Keep it in sunlight and air.
In order to keep your men’s puffer jacket from getting moistened, it is a good habit to keep it out in direct sunlight at least once every month. This activity can keep the feathers dry and fluffy. If you want to wash your jacket after several uses, do it on a sunny day to dry it in a good amount of sunlight.
5. Store it properly.
When storing your puffer jacket, ensure you don’t compress it but completely loft it. Jackets of larger size may require bigger racks to hang. Avoid hanging your jacket on thin-wire coat hangers if you want to protect the fabric from deforming. You can consider buying plastic or wood hangers that can better spread the load of your men’s puffer jacket. Alternatively, you can hang it in a highly breathable stuff-sack large enough to hold your jacket without compression.
How to Wash Your Puffer Jacket?
Once you have worn your down jacket several times and it’s ready to wash, wait for a day when the sun is out so you can dry it properly. Next, do not dry clean men’s puffer jackets, as this may strip their natural oils and damage their feathers due to heat. Ultimately, the jacket may lose its insulating properties.
For washing men’s puffer jackets, you can either hand wash it delicately or throw it in a front-loading washing machine. Then, place it in the dryer on the lowest heat setting. You need to be patient when drying a down jacket since it can take time. Once it does not have water dripping, hang it in the sun until it dries.
Another way to clean a men’s puffer jacket is not to wash it entirely but rather spot-wash it. You can do this by isolating the stained area and lifting it by pinching it. Then, use some water and a mild cleaner to rub off the stain gently with a soft brush or your thumb. Rinse the wet area with a damp cloth and hang the jacket to dry in the sun.
Conclusion
Either you have damaged many of your puffer jackets until now, or you know the right hacks to save them from damage. Good quality men’s puffer jackets are a wardrobe staple in winter. You need to take proper care of them while wearing, cleaning, and storing them so that their feathers are intact and they do not lose their insulating properties. Make sure you don’t step out in the rain or trek wearing your puffer jacket. Wash them gently and dry them in the sun before you store them without compressing them. The better you maintain your jackets, the more they will last.