The expensive puffer jacket in your closet doesn’t have to die because of the deflated look. 

Last winter, we came across a couple of expensive goose down puffer jacket hanging dead in a closet. What used to be the go-to armour against freezing winter days now looked like a deflated balloon. In our minds, we thought, this is such a waste of a puffer jacket worth $800 to $1000. 

Luckily, it didn’t end like that, because we found the perfect way to repuff a puffer jacket. Yes, you can easily bring your favourite “dead” puffer jacket back to life within minutes, just like we did. All you have to do is follow along. 

So, make sure to get through every detail below. 

Why Do Puffer Jackets Lose Their Puff?

Here’s something we noticed about puffer jackets. Not all of them deflate, so we kept wondering why our puffer jacket lost its puff. Then, we found three key reasons contributing to the deflation of the puffer jackets.

The more you wear your jacket, the more it will wear out. What happens here is that wearing the jacket frequently compresses the insulation over time. As a result, the effectiveness reduces at some point. 

Also, if you happen to expose the jackets to hard conditions, there’s a higher chance of facing this issue. Another thing that adds to the problem is the seams weakening over time. It leads to insulation escaping from the jackets. 

That’s why you should regularly assess your jackets to catch any of these issues as early as possible. It will help you help prevent loss of insulation and keep the jackets puffy.

Not all of our jackets suffered deflation because of insulation loss. Some were ruined just because of silly mistakes while washing and drying.

For example, one time we used hot water and the wrong kind of detergent, which somehow broke down the insulation fibres. Also, another very common problem is not drying the jackets properly. It can lead to the jacket clumping and distributing insulation material unevenly. 

The lesson we learnt from this was to “always follow the care label”. If you find your puffer jacket flat after washing it once, this is probably the reason.

Another key mistake that leads to a deflated puffer jacket is frequent washing. Washing a puffer jacket too much, especially a down-filled one, can be a very costly mistake. Here’s why –

Down jackets tend to use down feathers from duck or goose for insulation. These feathers have natural oils in them. These oils give the down jacket its water-resistant and loft-retaining abilities. When you wash a down-filled jacket frequently, it strips away some of the natural oils.

Too much washing can also break down the features in the jackets. It ends up reducing the insulating properties of the jacket, making it lose its warmth. Sometimes, the water-repellent coating or DWR also wears out with too many wash cycles, making the jacket prone to water damage. 

Why Bother About A Deflated Puffer Jacket?

Let’s be real, when we buy a puffer jacket, we mainly consider the puffiness and warmth the jacket provides. That’s the real value of a puffer jacket, and that’s why you pay so much money for it over a regular jacket. 

But when you have deflated one, it simply doesn’t meet the value proposition of the jacket at all. While you may still be able to wear the jacket, it just doesn’t cut it, because of two major issues –

1. A Dead Look 

Here’s the thing: you call it a puffer jacket, you spend $800 to $1000 on the jacket to look puffy,  but it doesn’t look that way at all. Embarrassing, right? That’s the first and most obvious problem with the deflated puffer jacket. It completely loses its loft and looks dead. 

2. Not The Warmth We Expect 

The second and even more important issue is, the jacket doesn’t feel warm anymore. You may find more stylish jackets that are way cheaper, but you will never find a warmer alternative to puffer jackets. The secret to that is the insulation fill companies use in them. And that’s why they are so expensive.

With a deflated jacket, the air pockets lose their air, which is key to providing warmth. So, you essentially lose the insulation properties and get almost zero thermal efficiency after that. Altogether a complete disaster.

Fortunately, you don’t have to worry about the jackets being deflated anymore. Below, we are going to fix that problem in 5 easy steps.

How To Repuff A Puffer Jacket In 5 Easy Steps?

We tested out plenty of methods to re-fluff down jackets and found these 5 simple steps most effective in our case. Result? We repuffed our jackets within hours. 

Here’s how you can do it too–

Gathering The Essentials 

Before you start the process, you need to gather the following items –

• A dryer 
• Dryer balls or clean tennis balls 
• A mild detergent for cleaning
• Fabric patch or needle and thread

That’s all you need to get started with the repuffing process. 

A Quick Rundown On The Repuffing Process 

Here’s a quick summary of how to puff up a puffer jacket in 5 simple steps –

1. Prepare the jacket by washing it and fixing any holes or damaged parts.
2. Shake the jacket to loosen it and release the clumps 
3. Put the jacket into the tumble dryer and add 2-3 tennis balls
4. Air-dry the jackets to remove excess water
5. Massage the flat spots to finish off the puffiness

It’s best to wash your jacket before you begin the repuffing process, because when you wash a puffer jacket, it will get deflated anyway. So, why not take this chance to wash away all the dirt and debris? If it’s already washed, you can skip this step.

But don’t just jump the gun, and make sure you actually know how to wash a puffer jacket in a washing machine. Because plenty of people don’t know the right techniques and end up ruining their expensive puffer jacket. A simple tip: Follow the care label instructions. 

Also, before washing the jacket, we recommend checking it for any tears and holes. Should you find any damage, repair it before washing or repuffing the jacket. 

From this stage, you start working towards repuffing your jacket. Right after the wash, you will see that your puffer jacket is a bit clumped up. Giving the jacket some firm shakes can help loosen up the clump.

Just hold the jacket from the shoulders, and give it a shake. That’s enough to loosen up the jacket initially. Then, you can air-dry the jacket for a little while, so it doesn’t stay completely wet and all clumped up. 

Here comes the most important step of the process. Although we weren’t truly sure how well using tennis balls would work, they worked like magic. 

In this step, you toss your jacket into the dryer with low to no heat settings along with 2-3 clean tennis balls. Or you can use dryer balls if you have any. I used tennis balls for mine. 

After tossing the jacket into the dryer, let the machine work its magic for a full 30 to 50 minutes. As the balls bounce in the dryer, they start breaking up the clumps and restoring the fluff in your puffer jacket filling. 

The duration depends on the size and wetness of your jacket. If it’s too large or too wet, you have to keep it in the dryer for longer. Finally, take out the jacket and give it another firm shake to fluff it up a bit more. 

[Pro tip: If you don’t have dryer balls or tennis balls, you can wrap a hard round object in a cloth to use it as well]

After taking the jacket out of the dryer, you have to air-dry it to remove any excess water. It also helps out with the puffing. 

Just hang the jacket in a well-ventilated area. You can gently pull apart some flat areas every few hours to fluff up your jacket by hand even more. 

Lastly, if there are parts that are still deflated, you can massage the spots. 

For example, in our case, the shoulders were still a bit deflated. So, we just rubbed the fabric gently between our palms to redistribute the insulation and add volume. 

Try doing the same in any area where you’re having issues.

Maintenance Methods To Retain The Puff

To be honest, keeping a puffer jacket puffy isn’t a one-time solution; rather, it’s a constant effort. While sooner or later the jacket will lose its puff, there are ways to retain the puff for a long time. 

We recommend following these maintenance tips as they have always worked well for us. 

• Store Jackets Without Compressing Them

The most common mistake we make with puffer jackets is, we compress them while storing. This eventually leads to the air pockets getting crushed. As a result, the jacket loses its insulation properties and gets deflated. 

When storing a puffer jacket, use hangers instead of vacuum bags or a tight stuff sack. Also, avoid cramped closets to give the jackets enough breathing space to stay puffy. 

• Wash Them Once A Season

Let’s get one thing straight from today: washing your puffer jacket frequently is never the right way. Especially if you have a down-filled puffer jacket, you shouldn’t wash it more than once a year. 

The ultimate rule we follow is that we only wash the jacket when it’s visibly dirty all over the place. Or when it starts losing its loft because of dirt and body oils. It usually happens once every one or two seasons. Not even annually. 

But if we see small spots and smudges, we use a damp cloth with a little soap to spot-clean the area. This way, you can avoid a full machine wash. 

• Use The Right Kind Of Detergents 

Using the right kind of detergents when washing your puffer jacket is key. We recommend investing in a good quality mild detergent or a down-specific detergent for your puffer jacket. 

While trying to save money on detergent, don’t end up ruining your $300 puffer jacket. You can use top-notch down-specific detergent from Nikwax or Granger. If you have a synthetic-filled down jacket, then you can get by with a regular mild detergent as well. 

[Pro tip: Avoid using fabric softeners, bleach, or harsh additives at all costs]

Final Thoughts 

Well, now you know how to repuff a puffer jacket in 5 simple steps using tennis balls. And you also know how to retain the puff for a long time. 

We highly recommend repuffing your puffer jacket whenever it feels or looks a bit deflated. It extends the warmth of your jacket while also increasing its lifespan. 

So grab that deflated jacket from your closet, and give the repuff a try following our guide. 

Faq

Here are some common questions we face regarding repuffing a puffer jacket –