Women’s Puffer Jackets: Down, Lengths and the Best Max Mara Styles

The best womens puffer jacket for a proper winter is filled with goose down, finished in a water-repellent shell and cut long enough to cover the hips. If you wear tailoring underneath, choose a long puffer coat with a belt and a clean front. Max Mara The Cube is the house line for padded, water-repellent outerwear, and Luxury Handbags stocks its jackets, gilets and coats from $990 to $3,420.

Key facts

• The Cube: Max Mara The Cube is the Max Mara line dedicated to padded and water-repellent outerwear.
• The house: Max Mara was founded in 1951 by Achille Maramotti in Reggio Emilia, Italy, and is still family owned.
• Fillings: most Cube puffers on Luxury Handbags are filled with virgin goose down; the lighter padded styles use a wadding of 48% polyester, 48% camel hair and 4% silk.
• Reversible styles: several Cube puffers pair a camel hair, cashmere and alpaca-wool face with a water-repellent taffeta, canvas and satin reverse.
• Lengths: the range runs from short roomy jackets through midi puffers to long belted coats, plus gilets and a padded cape.
• Weekend Max Mara: the more relaxed sister line also makes down jackets, from $940 on Luxury Shoes .
• Shipping: Luxury Handbags ships Max Mara to the US by DHL Express and FedEx International Priority.

Down versus padding: what is inside a puffer jacket?

Every puffer works the same way. Air trapped inside the quilted channels holds your body heat, and the filling is what traps the air. The two main fillings behave quite differently, so this is the first thing to check on any label.

Down is the soft under-plumage of ducks and geese. It is the warmest filling for its weight, it compresses into a small bag and it springs back when you shake it out. Goose down tends to be loftier than duck down, which is why it is the usual choice at the top of the market. Its weakness is water: soaked down clumps and loses its warmth until it dries. That is why a good down jacket always has a water-repellent outer fabric. Almost every Max Mara The Cube puffer on Luxury Handbags is filled with virgin goose down, and the composition line on each product page says so.

Padding, also called wadding, is a sheet of fibre sewn between the shell and the lining. Synthetic padding keeps more of its warmth when damp, it is easy to clean and it lies flatter, so the jacket looks less inflated. Max Mara’s padded Cube styles go a step further and blend camel hair and silk into the wadding (48% polyester, 48% camel hair, 4% silk), which adds natural warmth to a slimmer profile. The house calls this Cameluxe padding.

Which should you buy? Down for cold, dry cities and long walks outside. Padding for wet climates, for commuting by car and train, and for anyone who wants a neater silhouette under a scarf. Plenty of women own one of each: a padded jacket for October and a long down coat for January.

Which puffer length should you buy?

Length decides how warm a puffer feels and what you can wear it with. Short styles are easier to move in; long styles protect your legs and cover a dress, a skirt and wide trousers without a gap. Use this table as a starting point.

If you are petite, a midi puffer that stops just above the knee is usually more flattering than a full-length one, because it shows a little leg and keeps the coat from swamping you. If you are tall, a long puffer coat is the most comfortable winter coat you will own.

Is a long puffer coat worth it?

For women who spend real time outside in winter, yes. A long puffer coat is warmer than any wool coat of the same weight, it shrugs off sleet and it still looks polished when it is cut well. The trick is shape. Look for three details.

• A defined waist. A belt, an internal drawstring and a wrap front all stop a long puffer from looking like a sleeping bag. The Max Mara Abete and Nido coats both tie at the waist; the Dolce reversible camel puffer has an internal drawstring.
• Side slits. Deep vents with press studs let you walk and sit without straining the hem.
• A plain front. Snap buttons, a wrap and a concealed double-slider zip read cleaner than a heavy exposed zip.

Long puffers sit on the heavier side of the price range because they use more fabric and more down. On Luxury Shoes , Max Mara long puffer coats start from $1,850 for the Nido and reach $3,420 for the Dolce in pure camel hair. If you want a long down coat for less, the Weekend Max Mara Novak Long Reversible Down Jacket is $1,490.

Are reversible puffer jackets worth it?

A reversible puffer gives you two coats in one, and Max Mara does it better than most. The idea is simple: one side is a technical, water-repellent fabric for rain; the other is a soft wool, cashmere and camel hair face that looks like a tailored coat. On a dry day you wear the camel side out; when the forecast turns, you flip it.

Look at the Dama Reversible Camel Puffer Jacket, faced in 100% camel hair, and the Clown Reversible Cashmere Puffer Jacket, faced in 100% cashmere with water-repellent canvas on the reverse. The Olivia and Ode puffers use a 62% alpaca, 38% virgin wool face. The Novef has quilted satin on one side and smooth taffeta on the other, with sleeves that push back to three-quarter length.

The only downsides are weight and price. A wool-faced puffer is heavier than a nylon one, and it costs more because you are paying for two finished outer fabrics. If you only want one winter coat, it is money well spent.

What is Max Mara The Cube?

Max Mara The Cube is the label’s outerwear line for padded and water-repellent coats, jackets and gilets. It sits alongside the main Max Mara line, Weekend Max Mara, ‘S Max Mara, Max Mara Studio and Max Mara Atelier. The Cube translates the house’s coat shapes (the cape, the wrap coat with a belt, the roomy cocoon) into quilted fabric.

Many pieces are designed to pack away. Several gilets come with a care case, so they fold into a small bag for travel. You will also find accessories in the same fabrics: a padded stole, a hooded collar and hood trims that clip onto a coat.

The Cube colours follow the main line: camel, caramel, black, midnight blue, sand and brown, with seasonal greens and bordeaux. That makes a Cube puffer easy to wear with the rest of a Max Mara wardrobe. A camel puffer over a navy knit and grey flannel trousers looks considered, not sporty.

How to style a womens puffer jacket

A luxury puffer should look like a coat, not like ski wear. Keep the rest of the outfit grown up.

• With tailoring: a long belted puffer over a fine turtleneck, pressed wool trousers and loafers. Belt it, and let the hem fall past the knee.
• With a skirt: a midi puffer over a pleated skirt and knee boots. The coat should be a little longer than the skirt.
• With denim: a short roomy puffer, straight jeans, a cashmere crew neck and leather gloves.
• Layered: a padded gilet under a wool coat on the coldest days, a trick that keeps your core warm without bulk at the arms.

Leather gloves and a wool scarf finish the look. See our guide to women’s leather gloves for lengths and sizing.

How to care for a down puffer jacket

A good down jacket lasts many winters if you treat it gently. Always follow the care label first, because wool, cashmere and camel hair faces usually need professional cleaning.

• Clean it rarely. Spot-clean marks with a damp cloth. Washing strips the natural oils from down, so once a season is plenty.
• Dry it completely. If the label allows machine drying, use low heat with a couple of clean tennis balls to break up clumps. Damp down smells and loses loft.
• Store it loose. Hang it on a broad hanger in a breathable bag. Do not keep a down coat compressed in its travel case over summer.
• Shake it out. Before you wear it each autumn, shake and pat the quilting so the down spreads evenly again.
• Protect the shell. Water-repellent finishes wear off over time. A specialist cleaner can renew the finish.

Max Mara The Cube picks

Every piece below is available on Luxury Shoes . Prices are in US dollars.

1. Abete Long Quilted Water-Repellent Puffer in Midnight Blue

Our first choice for a long puffer coat. Diamond-quilted, goose-down filled, with snap buttons, deep side slits and a belt to give it a waist. Also in brown. From $2,160.

2. Nido Long Water-Repellent Puffer in Clay

A long wrap puffer that buttons and ties like a dressing gown coat, quilted in horizontal stripes. The most coat-like of the long styles. From $1,850.

3. Dolce Long Reversible Camel Puffer in Camel

Pure camel hair on one side, water-repellent taffeta on the other, with goose down inside. Wear it as a camel coat in dry weather and flip it when it rains. From $3,420.

4. Trefe Hooded Midi Puffer Jacket in Black

A hooded midi length with a double-slider zip that opens at the hem for walking. Also in medium grey and moss green. From $1,670.

5. Novef Reversible Water-Repellent Satin Down Jacket in Midnight Blue

Quilted satin with a soft sheen on one side, smooth taffeta on the other. The sleeves push back to three-quarter length, so it works with long gloves. From $1,930.

6. Clown Reversible Cashmere Puffer Jacket in Clay

A short puffer faced in pure cashmere drap with water-repellent canvas on the reverse. The softest jacket in the edit. From $2,560.

7. Seia Roomy Water-Repellent Puffer Jacket in Black

The classic short puffer: roomy, striped quilting, a drawstring hood and elasticated cuffs. Comes in five colours. From $1,400.

8. Greenh Padded Water-Repellent Hooded Jacket in Caramel

The padded option, filled with the camel hair and silk wadding rather than down. Straight, hooded and neat. From $1,060.

9. Tresi Water-Repellent Canvas Padded Cape in Black

A short down cape with kimono sleeves and a high neck. It brings the Max Mara cape shape to a puffer. From $1,180.

10. Tregic Diamond-Quilted Padded Gilet in Camel

A slim down gilet with a drawstring neck that layers under a wool coat, and packs into its own case. From $1,200.

11. Novak Long Reversible Water-Repellent Down Jacket in Black

From Weekend Max Mara: a long reversible down jacket at a lower price than The Cube. From $1,490.

Where can I buy Max Mara in the US?

Luxury Handbags stocks Max Mara, including The Cube, Weekend Max Mara and the main line, and ships to the US by DHL Express and FedEx International Priority. Import duties are usually payable on delivery. Browse the full Max Mara collection and every style in jackets and coats. Max Mara uses Italian sizing, so check our Max Mara size guide first; most puffers are cut roomy, so take your usual size.

Frequently asked questions

What is the warmest womens puffer jacket?

A long puffer filled with goose down, with a water-repellent shell, a hood and a belted waist. Length matters as much as filling, because a coat that covers your thighs keeps far more heat in. In the Max Mara range, the Abete and Dolce long puffers are the warmest choices.

Is Max Mara The Cube down filled?

Most of it is. The majority of Max Mara The Cube puffers on Luxury Handbags are filled with virgin goose down. The padded styles, such as the Greenh jacket and Greengo gilet, use a wadding of polyester, camel hair and silk instead. Each product page lists the exact filling.

Are Max Mara puffer jackets waterproof?

They are water-repellent, which is different from waterproof. The outer fabric sheds rain and snow, but seams are not taped like a technical shell. For a long walk in heavy rain, a trench coat is the better choice; for showers and snow, a Cube puffer is ideal.

How should a long puffer coat fit?

You should be able to wear a knit underneath and still raise your arms without the hem lifting. The shoulders can sit slightly dropped. A belt and drawstring should pull it in at the waist without strain. If you are between sizes in Max Mara, take the smaller size for a roomy style.

What is the difference between Max Mara The Cube and Weekend Max Mara puffers?

The Cube is Max Mara’s dedicated line for padded and water-repellent outerwear, with more reversible styles in camel hair, cashmere and alpaca. Weekend Max Mara makes a smaller range of down jackets in a more casual mood, at lower prices, starting from $940 on Luxury Shoes .

Can you wear a puffer jacket to the office?

Yes, if it looks like a coat. Choose a midi, long belted style in a dark neutral, and wear it over tailored trousers and a fine knit. Avoid shiny ski fabrics and logos. A camel puffer over grey flannel is a smart winter office look.

Shop every style in our Max Mara hub, then read our Max Mara coats guide, our edit of women’s wool coats and our explainer on types of coats.