Grading a used puffer jacket
Grading a used puffer jacket is about the baffles and the loft. The grade leads with down leakage, flattened or clumped fill, and the pinholes and seam splits that let feathers escape, then checks the zipper — the shell can look perfect while a punctured baffle quietly bleeds down at every seam.
What to check
- Down or feather leakage from seams, pinholes, or tears
- Loft — even fill vs. flattened or clumped baffles
- Shell punctures, snags, and delamination
- Main zipper function under the storm flap
How to grade it, step by step
- 1
Squeeze for leakage
Gently squeeze and shake each baffle and look for escaping feathers. Active down leakage is the defining puffer flaw and caps the grade.
- 2
Check the loft
Confirm the fill is even and lofty. Flattened, clumped, or migrated down that leaves cold spots lowers the grade even without holes.
- 3
Scan the shell and zip
Inspect the shell for pinholes and snags and run the main zipper full-travel; a nylon shell hides tiny punctures that leak.
Graded examples
| Grade | Why |
|---|---|
| 9 (NWOT) | Full even loft, no leakage, zipper glides. |
| 6 (Good) | Slight fill migration, no active leaks, shell intact. |
| 3 (Poor) | Feathers escaping a seam split and a flattened baffle. |
Every grade sits on the GradeThread 1.0–10.0 scale.
Flaws to watch on this garment
Frequently asked
- How do I tell if a puffer is leaking down?
- Squeeze and lightly shake each baffle in good light and watch the seams and surface. A few feathers working out at a seam means the baffle or stitching has failed, which is a major flaw — down loss is progressive and lowers the grade well below a clean-shell jacket.
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