Since firstly prepared in 1931 by Kistler, a scientist from the United States, silica aerogel has been favored by the researchers due to its outstanding properties, such as low thermal conductivity, large specific surface area and large porosity. With further study, its preparation technologies and functional performances have been optimized and improved. Also, silica aerogel research has developed from the early research on preparation methods and properties to its current applications. Nowadays, the development of new products with special uses and higher-performances is making silica aerogel more and more widely used in the fields of aviation and space, military, construction and medicine, among which its application in coatings is an extremely important branch. Targeting at the practical difficulties in the application and popularization of the coatings, this thesis briefly described the major problems in the preparation process of silica aerogel and silica aerogel coatings, classified the functional coatings made of silica aerogel according to their outstanding properties in specific fields, explained its mechanism of action on the coatings of different functions and summarized the research progress in all kinds of special functional silica aerogel coatings. Besides, this paper expounded silica aerogel coatings’ main problems demanding prompt solution. Finally, the development tendency was prospected.