Review: Warm Winter Puffer Coats (Eddie Bauer Petite, Ralph Lauren)

I’m usually a wool coat kinda girl, but I know puffers can be a must for more extreme conditions. As promised, I wanted to share a few more parkas that I’ve tried on and would recommend! When shopping, I like to keep an open mind and browse a variety of brands (ranging from those that target teens, to my grandmother!) since you never know where there might be an unexpectedly good “find.” I remember being lugged into Eddie Bauer stores as a kid and dying of boredom from all the outdoor gear, but have to say they make good, functional coats in extended sizes. Most of their outerwear have warmth level ratings, moisture-repellant outers, and are machine washable. They also have a lifetime satisfaction guarantee!

Note my white coat above has synthetic insulation, so if you want an actual down-filled coat, I’d recommend a style like their best-selling Sun Valley Down Parka. This is one of their warmest-rated category of coats, and has longer coverage that’s good for covering your pants or skirt while commuting to work.

The outer material on the Sun Valley Parka has a faint pattern on it and the logo is in contrast stitching on the wrist. There is also an interesting soft furry patch lining the inner back. This petite xs in burgundy above was an online return and fit nicely on me (for reference I’m about 5 feet tall), and for comparison, this olive one is in xs regular. There was a slight difference in overall width, total length, and sleeve length.

This coat (comes in 3 colors and regular, petites, tall, or plus sizing!) was one of those unexpected finds, especially because my favorite aspect (the removable, beautiful faux fur trim) is hardly shown or mentioned in the item listing at all! But if you read the other customer reviews, it indeed comes with it. EB styles are mostly on the utilitarian-looking side, but I thought the generous fluffy trim on this makes it a tad more fashion-forward. It also kept me plenty warm and dry for walking in snowy 20 degree F temps.

Here’s how the coat looks on me when fully zipped up. For a day with heavy snow, I switched into my trusty Hunter boots which I personally wear a lot in the winter, since they’re fully waterproof up to my knees and shield more of my pants from the elements than shorter snow boots do. The unlined rubber can get cold when submerged in snow, so I always wear thick socks or fleece boot liners

I found a petite xs to try on in this Lauren Ralph Lauren down coat, also mentioned in a previous post. As expected, the petites has smaller proportions including shorter sleeves and overall length, but I didn’t think the regular sizing was huge (esp. for someone an inch or two taller than me). I like the wider, more pillowy rows of puffs on this one. The soft fleecy trim you see goes inside the hood, along the inner neckline and zippered area, and also inside the pockets.

PS – I know you can’t see the hem of my bottoms in this post, but I wanted to mention that all three pairs worn here are petite-friendly and fit me perfectly with no hemming needed! Both my white and black J.Brand jeans are cropped styles, and my leggings are listed as midi – they all fit me just like regular length bottoms.