Forget puffer jackets, it’s all about puffer bags right now.

The puffer jacket’s virtues are many and varied: it is something built to last, a garment to valiantly take on the elements, and – thanks to brands such as Balenciaga and Moncler elevating it from its 1990s streetwear roots to something that’s a frequent sight on the runways – is also one of the most stylish wardrobe staples a man can own in 2018. But perhaps we’ve been missing a trick by limiting the squashy, insulating fabric to coats.

Eastpak, ever the innovator, has run with that thought. The American brand of eminently recognisable backpacks and belt bags has taken the puffer jacket, run it through their lab, and transmogrified it into, well, a high-end capsule collection of said backpacks and belt bags. The result is sharp, strong, and wholly contemporary.

The brand’s new Padded Pak’r, for instance, touts the recent trend for technical fabrics, and is crafted from signature bonded nylon fabric that nods to vintage nostalgia with its puffer-style shell. This puts it somewhere between a retro puffer coat and a souped-up city backpack, meaning it will add a subtly sci-fi edge to a smarter outfit, and will slip effortlessly well onto the back of a casual streetwear look – think Back to the Future, but if Marty McFly had been street cast for a Heron Preston show. Plus, thanks to the innovative craft that’s gone into the brand’s bonded nylon, it’s durable enough for the everyday commute to work.

Take too the utilitarian elements of the bag. Seatbelt-style webbing and the matte-black metal hardware nods slightly to warcore (a trend from this season’s menswear shows noted for its adaption of military-esque accessories), and the padded laptop sleeve and numerous compartments inside means this is a bag that has the chops to do the job wherever you take it. There’s also the chunky, satisfyingly oversized zipper that is emblazoned with the brand’s logo, which makes for an eye-catching point of difference.

The brand’s “Puffed” Doggy Bag takes the above and condenses it into a black puffer belt bag. It might have a name that sounds like it could be a breakfast cereal for canines, but it makes up for that in appearance. Sling it over your coat in the winter – it’s hardy, stylish, and has two handy compartments perfect for keeping your wallet and keys safe.

All in all, it’s a capsule collection that makes us wonder why nobody’s done this before. Puffer jackets are all well and good, but puffer bags? Even better.