How to be a Vegan in Winter {Vegan Puffer Jackets}

The options for cruelty-free and animal product-free clothing and vegan jackets that can keep you warm in the coldest of weathers were very few some years ago.

Luckily, that is no longer the case. Whether it’s due to increasing awareness, or improving technology, or, more likely, both, a bunch of companies have cropped up with legit vegan winterwear. So, you no longer need to debate with yourself whether you’re being a hypocrite when you get the down jacket in your local store while trying to be vegan. (Ok, to be clear, you’re not a hypocrite if you are making do as well as you can with what’s available and accessible to you, but that’s for another conversation.)

This post is to highlight the vegan winter wear options that are available out there. Having covered organic cotton clothing brands back in the summer, it makes sense to focus on thick coats and jackets now for the brutal winter that many of us have to get through.

But, first…

Should You Buy These Vegan Jackets?

Let’s make some clarifications:

Evaluate Your Possessions

Use whatever winterwear you already have. There is no need to get rid of those, and buy brand new jackets simply because they’re vegan. Remember, we need to do everything with the effect on the environment in mind. Wasting perfectly good items, even if they are made of animal products, seems like such a shame. But, of course, if you’re not comfortable with them because of the animal product use, please sell them at a thrift store or, better yet, donate them to someone who needs it. And, if you have the funds to invest in a new vegan coat, who am I to stop you? But, like I said, please carefully consider the pros and cons of your decision, and make one that’s best for the environment (more than for you even).

Minimize Your Purchases

Just because these products are vegan and cruelty-free, it doesn’t mean there’s been zero harm done during their production. Products cause environmental damage even in the cleanest of supply chains. Everything we do causes environmental damage. Our work now is to minimize damage as much as possible. So, if that means not buying anything new at all, then so be it.

Keep the Environment at the Forefront of Your Decisions

I don’t believe in the ‘vote with your dollar’ concept, because that gives more power to the dollar than to the environment. So, I don’t buy something just for the sake of buying or for ‘signaling’ to the economy that my dollar spent on this product means this product is more valuable. This sort of competitive, transactional thinking, in tandem with supply-side economics, is what has brought us to this accelerated stage of horrific environmental collapse. Guys, the environment is more important than all the money in the world. But we live in this man-made bubble of social, economic, legal and other rules, and to the extent that we must play by these rules in order to survive, I say let’s try to make the best decisions for the environment.

So, please keep in mind that the list below is for your information, for the next time you need to buy a winter jacket – whether that’s now or next year, or five years hence. It’s not a call to splurge on brand new things! Buying stuff is itself problematic (and I will elaborate on that in a separate post), so let’s minimize our buying to the extent possible and practical. My thoughts on this have changed over the years (and even across posts), and while I’m open to correcting my stand in light of new information, I also acknowledge the fact that (many) others may see things differently and may not agree with me. That’s fine. We’re all looking for more ways to make life better, so let’s continue to learn from each other!

Ok, phew ** deep breath ** I didn’t realize a post on winter coats would get so heavy! No pun intended.

Having clarified all that, let’s dive into the awesome collections of vegan winter wear available in the market!

THIS POST CONTAINS AFFILIATE LINKS. PLEASE READ MY DISCLOSURE FOR MORE DETAILS.

Vegan Winter Jackets (and Brands) You Should Check Out

Puffer jackets, aka quilted jackets, have a quilted design with ‘puffy’ sections separated by stitching. These puffy sections are filled with insulation in the form of down (which is not vegan) or synthetic fibers (which is vegan). There’s a myth that animal skins are required in order to withstand the coldest temperatures. Hence, the prevalence of fur, down, leather, etc. in winter clothing. But this list looks at puffer jackets that have no animal products in them and still provide a high level of warmth to the wearer. You don’t need to wear animal skin, period!

Biannual | Coccoon Puffer | United States

Coccoon Puffer by Biannual
Everlane | ReNew Lightweight Puffer | Recycled Polyester | United States
ReNew Lightweight Puffer by Everlane
Hoodlamb | Nordic Puffer | Made with Hemp | Netherlands

Nordic Vegan Puffer Jacket from Hoodlamb
Noize | Rosa Puffer | United States

Rosa Puffer by Noize
Outdoor Research | Refuge Hooded Jacket | United States

Refuge Hooded Jacket by OR
Patagonia | Nano Puff Jacket | United States

Nano Puff Jacket by Patagonia
Rab | Photon X Jacket | United Kingdom

Photon X Jacket by Rab
Save the Duck | Iris Hooded Jacket | United States

Iris Hooded Jacket by Save the Duck
The North Face | Mossbud Insulated Reversible Jacket | United States

Mossbud Insulated Reversible Jacket by The North Face
Wuxly Movement | Lynx Mid-Weight Versa | Trade Up Program | Canada
Lynx Mid-Weight Versa by Wuxly Movement