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  1. #1

    Question Synthetic Puffy to fit Broad Shoulders?

    I've been shopping for a lightweight synthetic puffy jacket for a vacation next month with limited luggage, then section hiking between Vermont and Maine this summer/fall.

    I saw some Thermoball jackets at the North Face outlet, with and without hood, for $89, which I thought was a great price. I wasn't crazy about the colors, but there were a couple I could live with. The fit of the XL across the shoulders was what concerned me, though. Even though the jacket fit well otherwise, the shoulders were a bit tight, and any work around camp would pull at the armholes or lift the jacket. There were no XXLs to try on. I've tried on Patagonia NanoPuff jackets with some of the same concerns.

    I'm 5'11", 220 pounds, and XL normally fits but can be a little big. I'd prefer to pay no more than $150. It doesn't have to be the lightest possible, but packability is important.

    Is this why they make puffer jackets with fleece sleeves? Any brand or model likely to fit better, or am I just the wrong body type?

  2. #2
    Registered User Venchka's Avatar
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    Everything that I buy from LL Bean is cut fuller than the stuff from the national brands. Jeans, shirts, jackets, etc. all fit without binding.
    Their return policy is one year.
    I spotted this in about 30 seconds. https://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/1198...ORTION*Regular
    It comes with a hood for a bit more money.
    Wayne
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  3. #3

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    You're probably going to need to shop around, and try stuff on. I wish I could just point to a brand or model, but fit is often different, even within the same product line, sometimes even varying for the same individual product over time.
    I'm a short "big guy", thick through the chest and arms. I've fit into as small as a Medium on certain Eddie Bauer stuff, couldn't fit more than a t-shirt under a Large Arcteryx Cerium LT, and need a XL to XXL in the chest according to Feathered Friends' size chart. I always find a large that fits me fine, but "find" is the key word there. I'd say Eddie Bauer and LL Bean are most likely to fit a larger build. Unfortunately, my satisfaction with stuff from both those brands has been hit and miss-love some, return some, repeat.
    I think when it comes to performance wear these days, being stout is indeed the "wrong body type"!

    btw, I mostly look at down, but the Thermoball jackets I tried on were cut rather large, especially though the body. Maybe another example of how things get changed from year to year...
    Last edited by OwenM; 02-04-2019 at 03:34.

  4. #4

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    I agree with Venchka that LL Bean is probably my best bet, as other things from them fit me well. OwenM also mentioned Eddie Bauer, which could also work, but their selection of lightweight synthetic jackets seems limited.

  5. #5

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    Quote Originally Posted by OwenM View Post
    I think when it comes to performance wear these days, being stout is indeed the "wrong body type"!
    True. Adding size 13 feet makes for a double whammy!

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    I'm 5'9" 200lbs, built a lot like you it sounds -- XL typically fits me about the same way -- Large is generally too tight across the shoulders, chest and back for me, and XL is a bit loose around the middle. At the moment, my best brand fit is Arc'teryx in an XL. The only synthetic puffy I've tried on from them is the Atom LT, which does have fleece underarm patches, for what it's worth. But I also have base layers, fleece, a shell, and a down puffy from them in an XL, and all of them fit me just right.

    None of those pieces were under $150 of course.

  7. #7
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    I don't know if they make a synthetic puffy (or in that price range), but OR stuff has always also fit me pretty well.

  8. #8
    Registered User Venchka's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Venchka View Post
    Everything that I buy from LL Bean is cut fuller than the stuff from the national brands. Jeans, shirts, jackets, etc. all fit without binding.
    Their return policy is one year.
    I spotted this in about 30 seconds. https://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/1198...ORTION*Regular
    It comes with a hood for a bit more money.
    Wayne
    The price of the gray & red colors has dropped to $104.25.
    Wayne

  9. #9

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    Quote Originally Posted by Venchka View Post
    The price of the gray & red colors has dropped to $104.25.
    I went to an LL Bean store last night and tried on the synthetic puffer you mentioned--even though they didn't have the sale colors. XL would probably have been acceptable, but definitely preferred the 2X, even though it was big through the middle.
    I saw this Marmot jacket for $87.50 in XXL, and just ordered it. It seems more tapered through the waist from pictures.

    https://www.marmot.com/featherless-jacket-74250.html
    Last edited by Patrickjd9; 02-14-2019 at 20:25.

  10. #10

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    5’11 220 pounds sounds like you need an xxl.Even if a little roomy it’s better than fitting tight.

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    You have me second guessing my plan for ordering online. I'm 6'0" 220lbs with 34" waist and 44R shoulders. I like a well-fitted jacket that isn't big around the middle. But I can't deal with tightness in the pits or worry about splitting seams as I move around. Guess I will be checking outfitters in the area to find a make/model that works before I commit to an online order.

  12. #12

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    Quote Originally Posted by iceaxe56 View Post
    5’11 220 pounds sounds like you need an xxl.Even if a little roomy it’s better than fitting tight.
    That was my decision. The Marmot jacket in XXL arrived yesterday, and fits well on the shoulders. A little roomy around the waist, as expected, but it's manageable since it has a drawstring at the bottom.

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