You can wash a down puffer jacket in the washing machine if the care label allows it. Close the zips, turn the jacket inside out, and wash it alone on a long, gentle cycle with a mild soap or a down wash. The drying is what brings the puff back, and that part takes hours on low to medium heat.
Key Takeaways:
- Check the care label first, since it decides whether the jacket can go in the washer.
- Wash one jacket at a time on a gentle cycle, with a non-biological soap or a down-specific wash.
- Tumble dry on mid to low heat right after the wash, and expect three to five hours.
- Clumps after washing usually mean the down isn’t fully dry yet.
Can you wash a puffer jacket in the washer?
A down jacket is not much harder to wash than a pair of jeans, according to Patagonia’s guide to washing a down jacket.
Down is tougher than it looks, Patagonia says. Wet down won’t keep you warm, but soaking it in the wash doesn’t hurt it. Patagonia’s pick for the wash is a cleaner made for down, since regular detergents can strip the natural oils from the fill and don’t always rinse out cleanly.
Read the care label before the jacket goes in. Patagonia doesn’t recommend dry cleaning for any of its products, because the chemicals are harsh.
How to wash a puffer jacket, step by step
These steps follow the at-home method from Rab’s guide to washing a down jacket. Rab makes down jackets, and the method works in a home washer.
- Clean the detergent drawer and run one or two empty rinse cycles to clear out leftover detergent and fabric softener.
- Empty the pockets, close every zip and pocket, and turn the jacket inside out.
- Put the jacket in the washing machine on its own. In a top loader, put it in a mesh bag first.
- Add a non-biological soap, or a down-specific detergent if you have one.
- Wash on a cool setting with a long, gentle wash cycle.
- Rinse thoroughly so no detergent stays in the down.
- Spin to remove as much water as possible.
- Lift the jacket out in a bath towel. If it’s still heavy with water, squeeze gently through the towel.
Handle it gently at this stage, since Rab says rough handling of a wet jacket can rip the inside compartments.
Patagonia adds one more wash cycle with no soap at all, since leftover soap keeps down from lofting completely. On temperature, Rab uses a cool setting, and your care label has the final say.
How to dry a puffer jacket
Put it straight into the dryer on mid to low heat. Every 20 to 30 minutes, take it out, give it a gentle shake, and pat the baffles firmly.
Patting the baffles moves the down back into place when it bunches up in one part of the jacket. You can pat harder as the jacket dries. Rab says a couple of clean tennis balls or a dryer ball may help speed up the drying process and add loft.
Plan on three to five hours, and longer for a bigger jacket. Rab admits it’s tempting to take it out early.
The outer fabric can feel dry while the down inside is still damp. Once it feels puffy again, the jacket is ready. Let it air for a couple of days before you wear it.
If you don’t have a dryer, air drying is fine, according to Rab, as long as you shake the jacket often to help the down loft.
How to fix a clumpy puffer jacket after washing
Flat, clumped down usually means the jacket didn’t dry all the way, and Rab’s fix is to wash it again. Before it goes in the dryer, softly pinch the baffles and work the clumps apart so the down spreads through each section. Go gently here, because wet down is fragile.
After that, give it the full dry, with a shake and a pat every 20 to 30 minutes. Our guide on how to wash a down comforter uses the same long, low dry for bedding. Between seasons, Rab says to store the jacket uncompressed in a cool, dry place.
Send the jacket out with your laundry
OrangeBag washes puffer jackets in wash and fold, at $2.65 per pound by the bag. Put the jacket in with the rest of your laundry, and it comes back in 24 to 48 hours. A jacket with a dry clean only shell goes in the dry cleaning bag instead, priced by the piece.
Each a la carte order carries a $9.95 service fee and a $3.00 delivery fee, and these prices can change. There’s no dry cleaning pickup in San Fernando Valley, Glendale, or Silver Lake for now. Our page on laundry and dry cleaning pickup in Los Angeles shows how it works.
For coat prices, our breakdown of how much dry cleaning costs for a coat compares the coat lines, and every item is on the full OrangeBag price list.
Puffer jacket FAQ
How often should you wash a puffer jacket?
Rab suggests once a season, or sooner if the jacket is visibly dirty or the down looks clumpy or flat. Regular washing keeps the loft up and helps the jacket last. Down that comes out flat or clumpy usually hasn’t dried properly, Rab says.
Can you dry clean a puffer jacket?
Dry cleaning is an option when the label calls for it. Patagonia doesn’t recommend it for any of its own products, because dry cleaning chemicals are harsh. In theory, it says, a reputable dry cleaner experienced with down can do the job.
Its advice is to wash the jacket yourself, in a front-load washer with a cleaner made for down.
Can you dry a puffer jacket without tennis balls?
Yes, the tennis balls are optional: Rab says they may help, and the regular shake and pat is what moves the down back into place.
Take the jacket out every 20 to 30 minutes, shake it gently, and pat the baffles firmly. Keep going until it feels puffy and no damp spots are left.
Hand off the heavy coats
Bag the jacket with your laundry and set it by the door. It comes back washed, dried, and ready to wear.
